Snake Gulch 



Wondering cries gave me glad assurance that they 

 had awakened from their dreams. 



&quot; The cave s alive with tarantulas! &quot; I cried, try 

 ing to hide my unholy glee. 



&quot; I ll be durned if it ain t! &quot; ejaculated Frank. 



&quot; Shore it beats hell! &quot; added Jim, with a shake 

 of his blanket. 



&quot; Look out, Jones, there s one on your pillow! &quot; 

 shouted Wallace. 



Whack ! A sharp blow proclaimed the opening of 

 hostilities. 



Memory stamped indelibly every word of that 

 incident; but innate delicacy prevents the repetition 

 of all save the old warrior s concluding remarks : 



&quot; ! ! ! place I was ever in! Tarantulas by the 



million centipedes, scorpions, bats! Rattlesnakes, 

 too, I ll s\ r. Look out, Wallace! there, under 

 . oin hlanket ! &quot; 



Kroa the shuffling sounds which wafted sweetly 

 into my bed, I gathered that my long friend from 

 California must have gone through motions credit 

 able to a contortionist. An ensuing explosion from 

 Jones proclaimed to the listening world that Wallace 

 had thrown a tarantula upon him. Further fearful 

 language suggested the thought that Colonel Jones 

 had passed on the inquisitive spider to Frank. The 

 reception accorded the unfortunate tarantula, no 



129 



