The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-04-23

hdH sluuleu the lOTSLnhu Dig lace
az he lay on his back with his head
on roll of blankets. His shirt was
open at the neck, exposing his chest
almost to his waist
Alkali strained his eyes 10 make out
a blurred spot of black that seemed
to move along the foreman's leg. The
black spot moved again and stopped at
Decker's knee.
1t was spider-the deadly taran.
tula
Teh body of the spider was as large
IS walnut; it's legs spread eight
inches over the foreman's thigh.
There is nothing more to be feared
than the sting Of the tarantula. No
herb, no acid, no sucking of the wound,
no surgeon will save its victim. A
man bitten is first thrown into de-
lirium; he dances like a mailman
When his strength is gone he sinks
down frothing at the mouth. He grows
pale and dies in commissions.
Alkali knew.
The spider was crawling up toward
the foreman's open shirt Once a leg
of the deadly insect touched the bare
flesh the sleeping bans hand would
rove unconsciously to that spot to
brush off whatever CHANGED to be irri-
tating the skin. Once hand closed
on that spider it closed on death
Alkali watched with a strange fasci-
nation. Decker's blood would not
stain his hands if a spider stung him
He was not responsible; he was not
his guardian.
Could he go back to Virginia and
tell her of his love once more? Could
he win her back with Decker out of
the way? What did she think of this
foreman?
Alkali repeated the latter question
over and over. From this moment on
he saw the foreman as Virginia's
friend and not his enemy.
The tarantula moved along the
mans leg. Only foot or two more
and he would be on the foreman's
barred chest; a foot more and A.
Decker would be among the number
Of madmen who have died of the taran-
tula's sting. One twitch of a muscle
and that would end all!
The spider began to move again.
Alkali's finger pressed the trigger
of his six-shooter. A report rang out
sharply on the profound silence of the
right. Before the smoke cleared away
every man in the cap was awake.
Alkali got up and walked to where
the foreman lay. A small hole was
nipped in one of the folds of the open
| shirt-front. Alkali picked up the legs
Of the spider and pointed to the splash
of dark skin and paste on the fore
mans shirt.
"a tarantula," said Alkali HE was
making for your neck. I happened to
be watching you"
| The foreman wiped the unsightly
mess from his shirt with a finger
and shuddered.
"You saved my life," he said.
Thank you!"
| Don't thank me-" said Alkali. 81
dodn't do it for your sake; thank her"
The cowboy went back to his bed
of canvas and leaves. Several began
to ask questions.
"a tarantula," he answered Grossly
on the foreman. l blew him off,"
Alkali lay down and closed his eyes
He was thinking of Virginia.
The next day at the lunch hour the
foreman called Alkah aside.
81 want you to take this job of
my hands," he began, laying hand
on Alkali's shoulder. I'm going back
home. I'm writing the chief today to
| appoint you in my place"
You don't have to do anything for
me-" said Alkali.
"Pm not doing anything for you,
retorted Decker. "Tm doing it for
her. If you hadn't been such hot
blooded chap you'd have known be
fore now. She's been asking me for
weeks to promote you II you had
only listened you'd have found that
out yesterday"
81 mean just what I say. Miss Vir
F., ginia Dargan has been civil to me
because she wanted me to advance
YOU as rapidly as possible. She's been
putting up with me for your sake
Can't you see that?"
81 can't see anything" stammered
Alkali dazedly; "but, if you don't mind
I'll take the hand-car and run back to
town and try to find out few things
for myself"