Some of these spiders could straddle over a common saucer with their hairy, muscular legs, and when their feelings were hurt, or their dignity offended, they were the wickedest-looking desperadoes the animal world can furnish.
If their glass prison-houses were touched ever so lightly they were up and spoiling for a fight in a minute.

Starchy ?--proud?
Indeed, they would take up a straw and pick their teeth like a member of Congress.
There was as usual a furious "zephyr" blowing the first night of the brigade's return, and about midnight the roof of an adjoining stable blew off, and a corner of it came crashing through the side of our ranch.
There was a simultaneous awakening, and a tumultuous muster of the brigade in the dark, and a general tumbling and sprawling over each other in the narrow aisle between the bedrows.

In the midst of the turmoil, Bob H---- sprung up out of a sound sleep, and knocked down a shelf with his head.

Instantly he shouted: "Turn out, boys--the tarantulas is loose!" No warning ever sounded so dreadful.

Nobody tried, any longer, to leave the room, lest he might step on a tarantula.