It ran very fast indeed for a spider, but Diamond ran a long way before it, and then waited for it.

It was up with him sooner than he had expected, however, and it had grown a good deal.

And the spider grew and grew and went faster and faster, till all at once Diamond discovered that it was not a spider, but a weasel; and away glided the weasel, and away went Diamond after it, and it took all the run there was in him to keep up with the weasel.
And the weasel grew, and grew, and grew, till all at once Diamond saw that the weasel was not a weasel but a cat.

And away went the cat, and Diamond after it.

And when he had run half a mile, he found the cat waiting for him, sitting up and washing her face not to lose time.