The Valley of Spiders by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2]
voice of_the gaunt man ." the things are full of big spiders ! look, my lord ! "

the man with_the silver bridle still followed the mass that drove away .

" look, my lord ! "

the master found himself staring down at a red smashed thing on_the ground that, in_spite of partial obliteration, could still wriggle unavailing legs . then, when_the gaunt man pointed to another mass that bore down upon them, he drew his sword hastily . up the valley now it_was like a fog bank torn to rags . he tried to grasp the situation .

" ride for_it ! " the little man was shouting ." ride for_it down the valley ."

what happened then was like the confusion of a battle . the man with_the silver bridle saw the little man go past him, slashing furiously at imaginary cobwebs, saw him cannon into_the horse of_the gaunt man and hurl it and its rider to earth . his own horse went a dozen paces before he_could rein it in . then he looked up_to avoid imaginary dangers, and then back again to_see a horse rolling on_the ground, the gaunt man standing and slashing over it at a rent and fluttering mass of grey that streamed and wrapped about_them both . and thick and fast as thistle- down on waste land on a windy day in July the cobweb masses were coming on .

the little man had dismounted, but he dared not release his horse . he_was endeavouring to lug the struggling brute back with_the strength of one arm, while with_the other he slashed aimlessly . the tentacles of a second grey mass had entangled themselves with_the struggle, and this second grey mass came to its moorings, and slowly sank .

the master set his teeth, gripped his bridle, lowered his head, and spurred his horse forward . the horse on_the ground rolled over, there_was blood and moving shapes upon_the flanks, and_the gaunt man suddenly leaving it, ran forward towards his master, perhaps ten paces . his legs were swathed and encumbered with grey; he_made ineffectual movements with_his sword .Grey streamers waved from_him; there_was a thin veil of grey across his face . with_his left_hand he beat at something on_his body, and suddenly he stumbled and fell . he struggled to rise, and fell again, and suddenly, horribly, began to howl, "Oh--ohoo, ohooh ! "

the master could_see the great spiders upon him, and others upon_the ground .

as he strove to force his horse nearer to_this gesticulating, screaming grey object that struggled up and down, there came a clatter of hoofs, and_the little man, in act of mounting, swordless, balanced on_his belly athwart the white horse, and clutching its mane, whirled past . and again aclinging thread of grey gossamer swept across the master's face . all about him, and over him, it seemed this drifting, noiseless cobweb circled and drew nearer him .. .

to_the day of_his death he never knew just how the event of_that moment happened . did he, indeed, turn his horse, or did it really of_its own accord stampede after its fellow ? suffice it that in another second he_was galloping full tilt down the valley with_his sword whirling furiously overhead . and all about him on_the quickening breeze, the spiders' air-ships, their air bundles and air sheets, seemed to him to hurry in a conscious pursuit .

clatter, clatter, thud, thud,-- the man with_the silver bridle rode, heedless of_his direction, with_his fearful face looking up now right, now left, and_his sword arm ready to slash . and a few hundred yards ahead of him, with a tail of torn cobweb trailing behind him, rode the little man on_the white horse, still but imperfectly in_the saddle . the reeds bent before them, the wind blew fresh and strong, over his shoulder the master could_see the webs hurrying to overtake .. .

he_was so intent to escape the spiders' webs that only as his horse gathered together for a leap did he realise the ravine ahead . and then he realised it only to misunderstand and interfere . he_was leaning forward on_his horse's neck and sat up and back all too late .

but if in_his excitement he had failed to leap, at any rate he had_not forgotten how to_fall . he_was horseman again in mid- air . he_came off clear with amere bruise upon his shoulder, and_his horse rolled, kicking spasmodic legs, and lay still . but the master's sword drove its point into_the hard soil, and snapped clean across, as_though chance refused him any longer as her knight, and_the splintered end missed his face by an inch or so .

he_was on_his feet in a moment, breathlessly scanning the on-rushing spider-webs . for a moment he_was minded to run, and then thought of_the ravine, and turned back . he ran aside once to dodge one drifting terror, and then he_was swiftly clambering down the precipitous sides, and out_of_the touch of_the gale .

there, under the lee of_the dry torrent's steeper banks, he might crouch and watch these strange, grey masses pass and pass in safety till the wind fell, and it became possible to escape . and there for_a_long_time he crouched, watching the strange, grey, ragged masses trail their streamers across his narrowed sky .

once a stray spider fell into_the ravine close beside him--a full foot it measured from leg to leg and its body was half a man's hand-- and after he had watched its monstrous alacrity of search and escape for a little while and tempted it to bite his broken sword, he lifted up his iron-heeled boot and smashed it into a pulp . he swore as he_did so, and for a time sought up and down for another .

then presently, when he_was surer these spider swarms could_not drop into_the ravine, he_found a place where he_could sit down, and sat and fell into deep thought and began, after his manner, to gnaw his knuckles and bite his nails . and from_this he_was moved by_the coming of_the man with_the white horse .

he heard him long before he_saw him, as aclattering of hoofs, stumbling footsteps, and areassuring voice . then the little man appeared, a rueful figure, still with a tail of white cobweb trailing behind him . they approached each_other without speaking, without a salutation . the little man was fatigued and shamed to_the pitch of hopeless bitterness, and came to a stop at last, face_to_face with_his seated master . the latter winced a little under his dependent's eye ." well ? " he_said at last, with no pretence of authority .

" you left him ? "

" my horse bolted ."

" I_know . so did mine ."

he laughed at his master mirthlessly .

" I_say my horse bolted," said the man who once had a silver- studded bridle .

"Cowards both," said the little man .

the other gnawed his knuckle through some meditative moments, with_his eye on_his inferior .

"Don't call me a coward," he_said at_length .

" you_are a coward, like myself ."

"A coward possibly . there_is a limit beyond which every man must fear . that I_have learnt at last . but not like yourself . that_is where the difference comes in ."

"I never could_have dreamt you_would_have left him . he saved your life two minutes before .. . why are_you our lord ? "

the master gnawed his knuckles again, and_his countenance was dark .

" no man calls me a coward," he_said ." no .. .a broken sword is better than none .. . one spavined white horse cannot_be expected to carry two men afour days' journey .I hate white horses, but this_time it cannot_be helped . you begin to understand me ? I perceive that you_are minded, on_the strength of what you_have seen and fancy, to taint my reputation . it_is men of your sort who unmake kings . besides which--I never liked you ."

" my lord ! " said the little man .

" no," said the master ."_No ! "

he stood up sharply as_the little man moved . for a minute perhaps they faced one another . overhead the spiders' balls went driving . there_was a quick movement among_the pebbles; arunning of feet, a cry of despair, a gasp and a blow .. .

towards nightfall the wind fell . the sun set in a calm serenity, and_the man who had once possessed the silver bridle came at last very cautiously and by an easy slope out_of_the ravine again; but now he led the white horse that once belonged to_the little man . he_would_have gone back to_his horse to_get his silver- mounted bridle again, but he feared night and aquickening breeze might still find him in_the valley, and besides, he disliked greatly to_think he might discover his horse all swathed in cobwebs and perhaps unpleasantly eaten .

and as he thought of_those cobwebs, and of all the dangers he had_been through, and_the manner in_which he had_been preserved that day, his hand sought a little reliquary that hung about his neck, and he clasped it for a moment with heartfelt gratitude . as he_did so his eyes went across the valley .

" i_was hot with passion," he_said, " and now she has met her reward . they also, no_doubt--"

and behold ! far away out_of_the wooded slopes across the valley, but in_the clearness of_the sunset, distinct and unmistakable, he_saw a little spire of smoke .

at_that his expression of serene resignation changed to an amazed anger . smoke ? he turned the head of_the white horse about, and hesitated . and as he_did so a little rustle of air went through_the grass about him . far away upon some reeds swayed a tattered sheet of grey . he looked at_the cobwebs; he looked at_the smoke .

" perhaps, after all, it_is_not them," he_said at last .

but he_knew better .

after he had stared at_the smoke for some_time, he mounted the white horse .

as he rode, he picked his way amidst stranded masses of web . for some reason there were many dead spiders on_the ground, and those that lived feasted guiltily on their fellows . at_the sound of_his horse's hoofs they fled .

their time had passed . from_the ground, without either a wind to carry them or awinding- sheet ready, these things, for all their poison, could do him little evil .

he flicked with_his belt at those he fancied came too near . once, where a number ran together over a bare place, he_was minded to dismount and trample them with_his boots, but this impulse he overcame . ever and again he turned in_his saddle, and looked back at_the smoke .

"Spiders," he muttered over and over again ."Spiders . well, well .. . the next_time I_must spin a web ."

Section [1 | 2]