Battle — Victory — Death. 1 29 



dermade ready to attack her, but -each time his heart 

 failed him. At last— desperate with hunger — he 

 rushed upon her, and seizing her in his jaws, began to 

 drag her toward his den, taking the greatest care not 

 to put himself within reach of her sting. 



But Buz was not nearly so weak as he thought her, 

 and had only remained quiet in order to deceive 

 him. 



■The moment, therefore, that he made his attack, 

 she clung tightly to him with her forelegs to prevent 

 his getting away. Then began a fearful struggle! 

 The spider tried to hold her down with his terrible 

 fangs, and to prevent her from twisting her body 

 round; and she, though weak and half-strangled, 

 never lost heart, but battled bravely on, seeking for 

 an opportunity. 



After some time, she managed to break one of the 

 threads which held her, and then another, and at last, 

 turning over with a great effort, she brought her 

 body alongside the spider, and shooting out her 

 sting sideways, she drove it fairly into him. 



The effect was instantaneous ! The spider let go 

 his hold, and curled completely up ; then, as the 

 poison took effect, his limbs again relaxed, and he 

 lay dead, ulmost at the mouth of his own den. 



Dead ! where he had killed so many victims him- 



