South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-05-09
By Edith and Lucy BaSfOrd

spreading branches Of trees right ACROSS his
path. a gigantic spider web-a wonderful
construction. with threads like thick. white silk
glistening IN the light, and mp and down IL giant
spiders were weaving busily. the sunbeams
making jewels Of their reds and puppies
Csrruthers turned a CHASTITY face 70 hs com
psnion-
The spidersl II she's got among the spiders
the scorpions be muttered and then he
charged suddenly ct the web. breaking through
the thick strands which clung about him In
shining threads.
Then there followed a nightmare rhdeA Both
men knew OF these terrible insects OF the
tropics. the scOrpiOn-spiders whose sting meant
torty-eight hours agony. II not death. CaTTath-
ers, the sweat starting on his forehead saw hia
darling in their midst. IN fsnoy heard her
shriekS OF helpless terror.
There was q Gy-faint nsz>of-A womAnS
cry. Carruthers. urging his horse sorvzrd gave
q great shout
-Pm coming, Azul I'm coming
-AEul, Azul. I'm coming 70 youi- hs ahoutsd
again. and almost before the words were out
he realized his mistake, for as she turned her
head and him the creatures closed In
upon her.
By the shrek she uttered hs knew that she
had been stung, and crBtns hfmssf for
laundering idiot he dashed his horse forward,
right into the midst Of them STOPPING be
caught her up to safety before him In the sad
die. beating the clingtng horrors from her with
his hands.
Chang said you were hmt-hs said be was
taking 20 you Theme left me-" she
gasped, as she tainted
None but an experienced horseman could
have kept his seat for sometimes Il reared
almost upright, and plunged forward.
neighing with terror. Perhaps the man Gid not
see exactly what the valley was like. he had
his wife safe and his dealiest fear-prOvided
she recovered--was past but Bridges saw. and
it seemed TO him that the wide aisle between
the trees was full of huge, red insects and hy
ing strands Of web. They scuttered across the
path they hung on the branches. their long
legs brushed his face. filling him with neusest
ing horror.
Once as they tore along his horse stumbled
against something. and he looked down. biting
his lips to check the exclamation that rose TO
them
They were in sight of the house before Car
ruthers drew rein. then he stumbled from his
horse, and handing the white bundle he carried
TO his friend, with a scarcely audible Take
her!" he dropped 10 the ground
Then Bridges saw that his face and hands
swollen and red where the Infatuated
spiders had stung him. He himself had es-
capped marvelously.
In the stress of the days that followed the
Chinaman almost forgotten. Bridges had
too much on hand TO give him q thought for at
first there Carruthers 10 look after we'll
his wife. Carruthers, being robust, recOv-
cred rapidly but Azuls nervous system was
for the time completely shattered by her ter
rible experience IA that valley of horrors.
There was talk OF removing her 10 England
when she sufficiently restored 10 take the
journey, for the sight of the Chinese servants,
moving velvet-footed about the house. brought
up too wildly the memory Of Chang's face
he left her TO her fate in the forest.
One afternoon when the two men sat on the
veranda smoking, with AZul very white and
frail still on great chair between them, Car
ruthers spoke Of Chang
Il wonder where he has gomez" he said. Il
want TO get through my BIT Of business with
him. Have you heard anything OF him?'
Bridges shook HIS head. He knew, though
hts friend would not say because AZul was with
them, what that business was, and he remem-
bered the thing he had stumbled over on that
mad ride hOmeward through the forest
Chang had had his punishment; the death
that he had designed for the wife Of the man
he served and hated had overtaken himself
But he had also had his revenge-or thought
he had; in death his lips had been drawn
in his inscrutable smile.