The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-08-24
Gbe Revenge Bugs Weird Gale.

I heard his terrible words and did
indeed fear his wrath.
"But how-in what way have ever
injured you?" faltered.
Harmed me?" he shrieked. "You
have hunted and prosecuted me for
ages. Injured me at every turn, killed
and tortured my brothers and driven
my family about from place to place
until we have not spot we may call
home. Now my turn has come and
you shall suffer-" His black counte-
nance beamed with demOniacai glee as
he advanced upon me.
"Oh, but l have never willfully in
jured an insect in all my life" l cried.
81 have often gone out of my way to
avoid stepping on the harmless little
bugs. Never, never did 1 cause one
pain"
POSSIBLY" he grunted, partly paci-
fed. "But you are one of the human
family on whom 1 have sworn ven
geance. Years ago l was a harmless
bug, subsisting on the vegetables and
plants which grow in the fields culti-
waited by man. My needs were not
great, but the greedy man envied me
even that little and began to kill us off
in various ways, especially by poison.
1t was then swore revenge on the en-
tire human race. Henceforward l
would be the revenge bug, and my aim
should be to avenge the injuries to my
race. Do you hear, miscreant?"
Yes," I replied, "but nev-"
"Silence!' he rasped. "My aim and
object in life should be to injure and
if possible destroy man. / saw that
if / could rob him of his food he
would die of starvation. SO 1 drilled
and trained the army worm and intro
duced it into his fields. Taught grass
hoppers and locust to steal his grain.
And piloted the boil weevil from the
: desert sands of Africa. / secured the
, world in search of new pests. But man
! is wise, and he successfully overcame
; my efforts. Do you follow me, grovel-
J ing creature?"
eyes, yes; but 1 am not to blame
J for"
, He silenced me with wave Of his
/ terrible claw.
/ "ln my wandering throughout the
, world [ heard of bug in northern
Europe possessed of strong poison
he resumed. Il went there, found the
5 bug and obtained some of his poison
? He showed me how to apply the poison
to my fangs and how to strike.
. journeyed back to America and begar
: my war on the people in the southern
/. states. This was in 1895. 1 work &c
sedulously for some time and glorieG
Q in my occupation. But l am sorry tt
: say that the poison was not as deadly
= as had hoped. Wherever the human
f body was inoculated with the poisor
/ swelling would ensue, causing indis
t position for few days. They named
me the stinging bug. suspended NJ!
Q labors and went searching for stronge
: poisons. heard of witch bug living
in the Andes Mountains and journeyet
n thither. l found the witch and he
poison. l obtained some of it, and af
! ter she had instructed me in its use
returned.
81 began my operations IN the west
ern states of America in the summe
of 1900. 1 attacked great number
4 but sad to say, death did not follov
- except in very few cases, and that il
those of infants. But l revelled in tn
= pain and misery 1 produced. Tn
= human beings at last began to TAX
- notice. 1 saw them tremble wit
- fright. I loved to mar the faces o
. beautiful females. That's the reasOl
they called me the kissing bug. Ar
- you listening, cowardly mortal?"
= 81 am, 0 mighty revenge bug. Blu
. do not blame me-"
:. "Hold your peace, scoundrelp' b
. - hissed. II shall tell you my history t
. the end that you may know l am nc
d Furnishing you out of mere wanto
81 cruelty.
d. "When / learned that the poison di
re- not kill l resumed my search. l
r. Egypt found beetle who had dil
covered subtitle and deadly fuil
II