they were spinning a web among the trees and that he was in
the middle of it.

"The big spiders ran about on the ground spinning their webs around
him, and then they began to jump from tree to tree. Valentine began to
have a creepy feeling up and down his back, for he didn't relish the
idea of being caught in a spider's web like a bluebottle fly. He
wondered why Cob-Handle hadn't warned him of the danger, and then he
remembered that the case-knife was wrapped so tightly in his wallet
that it couldn't give a warning if it was to try. So he took all the
knives from the wallet,--Keen-Point, Cob-Handle, and Butch,--and
placed them in his girdle.

"Valentine hardly had time to fasten the straps about the wallet,
before he felt Cob-Handle jumping about and thumping against his side.
Then he saw one of the big spiders coming towards him. Big as it was
it moved nimbly, and before Valentine had time to get out of the way,
it ran around him and wrapped a strand of its web about his legs. The
strand was as big as a stout twine and as strong and as hard as wire.
Then the big spider turned and came back, but by this time Valentine
had drawn Butch from his belt, and as the ugly creature came near he
struck at it with the knife, and cut off one of its hairy legs. The
creature was so full of life and venom that its leg jumped around and
clawed the ground for some little time.

"Holding Butch point down and edge outwards, Valentine cut the strand
of web that held his legs. It was so large, and drawn so tightly about
him, that it sounded like somebody had broken a fiddle-string. In this
way he cut his way through the web. The crippled spider ran to his
mate, and the two stood watching Valentine, their eyes shining green
and venomous, and their jaws working as if they were chewing
something."

"They were sharpening their teeth," Buster John suggested.

"I reckon so," replied Mrs. Meadows. "Anyhow they were ugly enough to
scare anybody. Valentine cut his way through the web and marched out
on the other side. He rested a little and then went on his way; but he
had not gone far before Cob-Handle began to jump and thump against
his side. He stopped and looked around, but he could see nothing. He
listened, but he could hear nothing.

[Illustration: VALENTINE SLAYING THE SPIDER]

"Presently he felt the ground moving beneath his feet, and he ran
forward as fast as he could. And he didn't run too fast, either, for
no sooner had he jumped