Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-07-05
A BATTLE WITH
SPIDERS

BY II. C. WELLS

lcoPyrisht, 1905, BY Joseph B. BOwles-j
Towards midday the three pursuers
came abruptly round a bend in the
torrent bed upon the sight of a very
broad and spacious valley.
For space they scanned the great
expanse below them with eager e9es.
II spread remoter and remoter, with
only few clusters of sere thorn buChes
here and there, and the dim sugees-
tons of some now waterless ravine TO
break its desolation OF yellow grass
The gaunt man with the SCARED lip
was the first to speak Nowhere he
said, with a sigh Of disappointment in
his voice. But after all, they had
full days start"
They don't know we are after
them" said the little man on the
white horse.
she would know" said the leader.
bitterly. as if speaking 10 himself.
Even then they can't 60 flst.
They've got no beast but the mule. and
all to-day the girls foot has been
bleeding"
The man with the silver bride
flashed a quick intensity Of rage on
him. DO you think ! haven't seen
THAR" he snarled
1T helps. anyhow" whispered the
| little man 70 himself
The gaunt man with the SCARED liz
stared impassively They can't be
over the valley" he said. If We ride
hard"
Come up," said the man who owned
the silver bride, suddenly.
They had ridden four days out Of the
very limits Of the world into this des-
olate place. over rocks and mountains.
where surely none but these fngitives
had ever been before-for that.
And all this was for a girl, mere
wiIlful child And the man had whole
eityfuls OF people to do his basest bid
ding-girls. women Why in the name
of passionate folly this one In particu-
lar? asked the little man. II was the
way OF the master, and that was all
be knew Just because she sought 70
evsde him.
The foremost two rode downeast
upon the trail, the hindmost man
watching the haze that erept down the
yastness OF the valley, nearer and near
er. and noted how the wind grew IN
strength moment by moment. Far
away on the left he saw line OF dark
bulks-wild hogs, perhaps, galioping
down the valley.
And then be saw first one and
then a second great white bal, a
great shining white ball Ike a gigan-
tic head Of thistledown, that Grove
before the wind athvart the lath.
These balls SCARED high in the air ana
dropped and rose again and caught ior
a moment. and hurried on and passed
hut AZ the sight Of them the horses
grew restless.
Now big globe came drifting past
within a score Of yards of them. y
was really not an even sphere az an
hut a vast. soft. rugged, hlmy thing
sheet gathered by the corners, an
aerial ielly-hsh. as il were, but Ioiiihs
over and over as Il advanced, ana
trailing long. oobwehby threads ana
s,reamers that fiosted in its wake.
IN isn't thistle-down," SAID the
little man. -, no
Ana they looked at one another
Course IN, cried the leader. ire
avs full Of II up there. II II keeps on
Az this pace long, it will stop US a''o-
Right and left of the horsemea me
nioneers Of this strange army pasSeu
a, one that rolled along the grouhu'
hreakine shapelessly and trailing ou'
relnc,antly into long graphing I'D
hons and bands, all three horses oe-
gan 10 shy and dance. Ihe mas'ei
aos seized with a sudden, unresSoh
~. ,r,natience. He cursed the drltt-
ing globes roundly. -,
ne shouted aloud with rage. !
w,u follow that trail, ] tell yo"' NC
cried where is the trail!
ne eripped the bride of MS pra is.
10 horse and searched amidst lns
Grass A long and clinging thread iell
across his face, gray str'", ~
Sropped about his bride arm some pIe,
active thing with many legs ran uoM y. :
the back Of his head. he look i,.,.. "
70 discover one of those gray masses -
anchored as it we're above MN Ds
these things, and Tapping out ehu go :,
ne esu aaps when a boat comes about
hut noiselessly.
Ne had an impression OF many Eyes =,
% a dense crew OF squat bodies =.
long many-jointed limbs hanlih - :,
,heir mooring ropes to bring me .n.es
down upon him. For space ne s'a. a., - :
mn reiening his prancing horse wiz
ne instinct born Of years Of nors ',
mansbip. Then the fiat oil $3.50 49,
- bis hack. and a BLADE has ieu