114 EIGHT-LEGGED FRIENDS. 



animals. She would then carelessly wind a thread or 

 two about it, in a perfunctory way, bury her jaws in its 

 body, and in less than half a minute suck out its juices 

 to the last drop, leaving the empty shell unhurt, like a 

 dry skeleton or the slough of a dragon-fly larva. But 

 when wasps or other large and dangerous insects got 

 entangled in the webs, the hunters proceeded with 

 far greater caution. Lucy, indeed, who was a decided 

 coward, would stand and look anxiously at the doubtful 

 intruder for several seconds, feeling the web with her 

 claws, and running up and down in the most undecided 

 manner, as if in doubt whether or not to tackle the 

 uncertain customer. But Eliza, whose spirits always 

 rose like Nelson's before the face of danger, and whose 

 motto seemed to be 'De I'audace, de I'audace, et toujours 

 de I'audace, ' would rush at the huge foe in a perfect 

 transport of wild fury, and go to work at once to enclose 

 him in her toils of triple silken cables. I always 

 fancied, indeed, that Eliza was in a thoroughly house- 

 wifely tantrum at seeing her nice new web so ruthlessly 

 torn and tattered by the unwelcome visitor, and that she 

 said to herself in her own language : ' Oh well, then, 

 if you will have it, you shall have it; so here goes for you.' 

 And go for him she did, with most unladylike ferocity. 

 Indeed, Eliza's best friend, I must fain admit, could 

 never have said of her that she was a perfect lady. 



The chawing-up of that wasp was a sight to behold. 

 I have no great sympathy with wasps they have done 

 me so many bad turns in my time that I don't pretend 

 to regard them as deserving of exceptional pity but I 

 must say Eliza's way of going at them was unduly 



