The
spider had begun to tremble in a curious manner.
"Look now," said Trove, with some excitement.
Her legs had begun to let go and were straightening stiff on both
sides of her. In a moment she tilted sideways and lay still. They
saw a twinkle of black, legs and the ant making off in the stubble.
They picked up the spider's body; it was now only an empty shell.
Her big stomach had been torn away and lay in little strips and
chunks, down at the roots of the stubble.
"It's the end of a bit of history," said the teacher, as he tore
away the curved blades of the spider and put them in Polly's palm.
"Let's see where the ant goes."
He got down upon his hands and knees and watched the little black
tiger, now hurrying for his lair. In a moment he was joined by
others, and presently they came into a smooth little avenue under
the grass. It took them into the edge of the meadow, around a
stalk of mullen, where there were a number of webs.
"There's where she lived--this hairy old woman," said the
teacher,--"up there in that tower. See her snares in the
grass--four of them?"
He rapped on the stalk of mullen with a stick, peering into the
dusty little cavern of silk near the top of it.
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