Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-11-26
der this raised end q large /
was working at something.

der this raised end q large
working at something.
Elf the spider sees the ant tleI:s.at
Fred, '.theren 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
q point almost a 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
.-fcs 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 wien he was
again within a foot of his prey he stop
ped and looked, as q 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 it toward
the elevated end under which the ant
was working so busily that he did not
seem to suspect the presence ofa
dreadful enemy. Every now and then
the spider stopped and seemed 10 Fred
to peep over the edge of the stick t
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
thes stick these spiders do this sosthata
they may climb back if need bel. he
settled himself several times ais a.cat
settles herself for a spring, and quick
as a flash was upon the unsuspecting
ant, graphing him tightly in his long,
hairy legs.
The struggle that followed was a dis
appointment to Fred. The great bulk
Of the spider completely covered the
ant from view, and after a few slight.
upheayals, as if the antNwere making
his last desperate effort to free himself
from the merciless grip, all became.
quiet. r o 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 sympathize with
the under dog, so Fred sympathized
NTH tho ,,onr litt1a on+ M oo,,I5s 80
help admiring the shrewd g~eneralship
of the spider, but it seemed q 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 q chance to stand
up for a fair fight or at least to have a
try at q foot rae
After a 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 q 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 it meant. Then
the strangest thing Of all happened.
The spider, with all his eight legs
raised above his back, rolled ever on his
side, and Fred saw not only that he
was dead, but that the ant had cut
him open and scooped everything out
of him, leaving only the empty skin in
the outward form of a spider. So, aft
er all, the boy had wasted his sympa9
thy IN the poor little ant, who seemed
to be amply able to take care Of him
self. And when the little black fellow
began dragging the great hulk Of the
dead spider across the road, over the
mountains and through the valleys
made by hoofs and wheels, Fred's adj
miration for the ants enormous
strength was aroused, and he said to
himself:
HGee! If I could lift a load like that,
could walk OFF with a house,
Then he added, We'll, the ant has
got his Thanksgiving dinner all right"
And this brought back to his mind the
thought of his. own errand, SO he set
out again for the market. But, though
he did not think he had spent much
time watching the ant and the spider
and though he ran as fast as he could,
the market was closed for the day
when he reached it.
It was a long, unhappy trudge back
home for Fred. He did not take the
short cut, for he was in no hurry to
face the wrath that he felt awaited
him there. But as he came up the al
ley and climbed the back fence he saw
something which made him wonder.
There was the whole family in the
back yard and Dennis strutting about,
tied long BY n leg tot the clothes post.
MI. SlaWson was digging worms, which
Robbie was feeding to the turkey,
while the women stood looking on.