Page 95 - Adventures in Africa

The cave had been untouched? and it was with no
small satisfaction that T loaded up the ox with its

contents, as we prepared to set off the next morning
on our return, intending, on our way back, to obtain

the elephant1 s tusks we had deposited in the tree,
which had afforded me such seasonable shelter when
attacked by their owner.
W e met as before buffaloes, elands, koodoos, and

various antelopes. As I was walking along ahead,
suddenly I found my face enveloped as if by a thick
veil; and as I was tearing off the web— for such it.

was— I caught sight of a large yellow spider, hauling
himself up to the tree above. In the neighbourhood
were many other webs, the fibres radiating from a

centre point where the greedy insect was waiting for
its prey.
Each web was about a yard in diameter and the

lines on which they were hung, suspended from one
tree to another, were as thick as coarse thread. W e
occasionally met TYith serpents, but they generally
kept out of our way.

One day, during a halt, while seated under a tree,
I caught sight of another enormous spider of a reddish

tinge. Never did I see a creature so active, it sud­
denly ;made its appearance from a hole in the bark,
and giving a tremendous bound, caught a large moth
which it quickly devoured. With wonderful rapidity

it ran about the tree, now darting forward, now
springing back. With a feeling of horror lest it

should spring upon me, I removed to a distance.
On looking down on the ground, I saw what I at
first thought w’as a coin the size of a shilling ; but on