Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-12-01

A&F HsNNf
Enf lt was thought Thanksgiving
could not b. duly celebrated without
turkey. 50 after much o. the morning
bad fNen spent otherwise than 30 Civ
ing thaoks Pred was posted ON 10 the
market with Instructions 10 make all
possible haste Robbie. who feared 70
be left % homc alone with the dr,edfuI
secret cried 90 80. TOO. but Mrs Saw.
son knew her boys
'No" said She. ~if ynu both went
there's 10 telling when you'd b. back :"
So Fred eat across BOT aud was bury
INK down the back ssreet--for he really
Intended "a i~ quick abort The errand
when hiN attention was attracted by
a large jumping spider walking IN the
jerky manner - rs Kind across the
roadway There was nothing especial.
W remarkable about this spider ~
was 81 the comuiOn soFt with which
everybody IL familiar Even lis scleu.
tinc name Is Attus fanllliaris. II IT,
called Jumping spider not because IL
walks IN a jumpy way. bat because
when II has crawled 20 within n few
inches OF fiy or other prey. II jumps
at II and seldom misses the mark II
was IN the hope OF seeing the spider
jump al something that fred stopped
10 watch II. Aud as the spider crawled
slowly across the road. Fred forgot
everything but the insects quest OF
Thanksgiving dinner
A stick about two feet long lay
across the wagon track One end OF
1t had been crushed into the earth by
wheel So that the other end was
raised some three inches above the
surface OF the ROAD. Immediately I'M
der this raised end large black ant
was working at something.
'If the spider sees the ant" thought
Fred. 'therell be fun"
And sure enough the spider soon
gave signs OF having spied this tempt
ing dinner. The ant apparently did
not see the spider sneaking toward
him. When the spider had reached
point almost foot away from the
ant, he stopped and seemed to look at
his prey for several minutes. Then he
ran backward some six or eight inches
for with their strangely constructed
legs these spiders can run backward
as easily as forward-and made a wide
detour, coming toward the ant from
another quarter. But when he was
again within foot of his prey he stop
ped and looked, as a general might
look through his fieldglass to find the
best point of attack upon an enemy.
Then the spider backed off as before
and made another detour. Thus he
continued making a scalloped course
around the ant until he came to the
point where the stick was imbedded
in the earth. Then he crawled upon
the stick, which was broader than his
body, and began walking up 1t toward
the elevated end under which the ant
was working so busily that he did not
seem to suspect the presence of a
dreadful enemy. Every now and then
the spider stopped and seemed to Fred
to peep over the edge of the stick to
make sure of the ants position. AS he
neared the point directly over the ant
he crept with the utmost caution. and
at last, when he had made ready, by
fastening an end of web securely to
the stick (these spiders do this so that
they may climb back If need bel. he
settled himself several times as a cat
settles herself for a spring, and quick
as flash was upon the unsuspecting
ant, graphing him tightly in his long.
hairy legs.
The struggle that followed was dis
Cnnnintn1pnt N ErO6 Tho httlly
of the spider completely covered the
ant from view, and after few slight
upheavals, as if the ant were making
his last desperate effort to free himself
from the merciless grip. all became
quiet. For as much as half an hour
the boy watched the insects, for he
wished to know what the spider was
going to do with the ants carcass.
And as boys generally sympathlze with
the under dog, so Fred sympathized
with the poor little ant. He could not
help admiring the shrewd generalship
of the spider, but 1t seemed mean
sort of thing to pounce on the ant from
this vantage point without giving him
the least chance to save himself, and,
besides. the spider was more than ten
times as big as the ant. Fred was now
sorry that he had not pushed the spider
off and given the ant a chance to stand
up for fair fight or at least to have a
try at foot race.
After long, long time the spider be-
gan TO loosen the murderous grip In
which he had held his prey. and as the
long hairy legs Strengthened away Fred
knelt down close and got peep under
the spiders big body. The ant was lying
fiat upon its back. Farther and far
Their the spiders legs spread until they
met above his back. Fred had never
before seen a spider do this, so he bent
down closer to see what 1t meant. Then
the strangest thing of all happened.
The spider, with all his eight legs
raised above his back rolled over on his
side. and Fred saw not only that he
was dead. but that the ant had cut
him open and scooped everything out