298 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



under an impression that lie was about carrying 

 a large, cloublecl-ii]), dead spider, wliicli I made it 

 out to be, to liis home. There was much that 

 was clever in the way he held the spider, for ho 

 never let it impede his way by coming in contact 

 with the ground, and, by deviations, he prevented 

 it striking against the stalks of heather and heath 

 grass that closely neighboured him on either side. 

 In his progress, he obviously paused slightly at 

 the foot of an occasional stalk of heather, which 

 at first I set down to his considerino; how to 

 avoid contact ; but it was no such thing ; the rea- 

 soiling insect had a purpose beyond mere instinct, 

 which at first I did not dream of. On he went 

 till he arrived at another heath-stalk, then he 

 paused a little longer, and, having dej^osited his 

 burden at the foot of it, he proceeded to climb 

 deftly, what to him must have been a consider- 

 able tree. Arrived at the summit, he examined 

 the small forks and fibrous formation of his lofty 

 position with considerable care, and then descended 

 to where he had left his spider, which he again 

 took up and carried off as before. In a little 

 while the same thing was enacted again, and, 

 setting his burden down, he ascended another 



