El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-17
The HeraId's Daily
Short Story
Madam Eight Legs

how could she do that-how could she
I live at all, without waiting for winter!
if she had no snare to catch game
In: she was not one Of those spiders
who could stalk their prey, you see
Her only method was the web snare,
and by that alone she lived. No. there
was nothing for 1t but to take the last
step than any creature could take
e., go to war. And go to war she
I saw her turn hack into her den.
and when she came out again it was
to carefully draw the we5 envelope that
walled il over the entrance The
reason for this was plain She had
left her cocoon inside. instead of, as
was her invariable rule before, taking
il on her journey. Then she set off
That was a wonderful war. II she
had been cautious before, 1t was moth
ing TO that which followed. Her
journey up and down the scullery wall
was nothing but one miraculous,
stealthy glide. She scarcely seemed 10
move her legs a all, so carefully were
they slid along. But there was a great
difference in her maneuverings TO
those she had used previously when
crossing the dangerous area of lurking
spiders Before. she had avoided every
web and Granny Now she sought thems
and approached them quite close
Nothing stirred, however. Not a
spider moved 1t was as If they knew
that she was deliberately trying TO lure
them out TO fight. OF course she
could not go in and tackle them. Apart
from the impOssibility Of getting at
their vital parts in the cramped posi-
ton, spiders dens are always hedged
anOut with q net work OF web en-
tanglements. Once caught in one OF
these. even temporarily for n second,
ii would have been all up with her
for spiders caT set caught in web
YOU know.
Five separate webs are tried. without
the slightest sign on the pert Of the
owner Indeed one would think they
she knew better. Then at last, al tits
sixth web something happened and
happened so quickly that the eye could
scarcely follow it.
Without the slightest warning. the
web shot down towards her about half
on inch, like a lOosed spring. That
was because the spider who owned It
had let go the master line" OF the
web from the shelter Of her den. 1t
would have caught her If she had not
leaped aside and cleared it by frac-
ton OF an inch, with miraculous agility.
On the heels Of the spring" web came
its owner He looked like a little
black strc2k, so quickly he moved. ]
supposed ne trusted to the line catch
ing her at the first attempt Be that
as IL may. though, he made his mis-
take, and saw it, Before ne could stop
himself, she was upon him like a flash
and grappled.
Now how on earth am I to describe
that fight to you2 Look herei Have
tested wrestling bout a a music hall?
Wei, II was like that-Only instead of
each combatant having four limbs
they had eight, and a pair of power
1ul Jaws TO boot It lasted one minute
ana 20 seconds exactly, and at the end
OF mat time ] saw my spider suddenly
spring clear. She remained quite still
Tor second, then sprang in and away
IKE lightning. Then 1 realized that
the fatal death bite must have been
given before she sprang clear the first
time, for the other spider never moved
after that from the spot His legs
waved and his jaws moved slowly and
more slowly, till at last 1t was still
AnQ the mother spider bound him up
IN his own web.
instantly after that she tore off for |
Dear life 10 fetch the cocoon, returned |
N minute with her precious burden. /
paced Il In the captured den. and for 4
tne rest OF the morning occupied her /
self In mending the vanquished ones /
"e9 ana feeding on its owner
one hved to catch many flies after 4
tnat ana to the best of my belief. is /
asleep in that den now.