DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15174#0078
62
TARANTULA. —ADVENTURE. chap. xiii.
killed a huge reptile of a tarantula, or an enormous
spider, crawling on my carpet. Its claws looked
like those of a scorpion, or small lobster, but the
body was that of a spider. I was assured of its
poisonous nature, and the natives insisted that it
squirted its venom instead of stinging. We were
soon on the wing, and wound our way up the valley
of the Tejend, which was now a beautiful brook.
We commenced our journey in terror, and ere long
met with an adventure that increased the rapidity
of our march. About midnight the braying of a
donkey intimated to some palpitating hearts that
we were in the neighbourhood of human beings,
where none should exist. The shout of " Allaman,
Allaman!" spread like lightning ; and the caravan,
in a moment, assumed the appearance of a regiment
in open column, closing up in double march to form
a square. The foremost camels squatted instantly,
and the others formed behind them. Matches were
lit on every side, swords were drawn, pistols loaded,
and the unhappy merchants capered in front of
their goods, half mad with fear and fury. The un-
armed portion of the caravan took post among the
camels, which really formed a tolerable square, in-
creased as they were to the number of one hundred
and twenty. The anxiety was intense, it was
general; the slaves were more terrified than the
rest, for they knew well the fate of capture by the
Toorkmuns. After about a quarter of an hour's
detention, one of the party discovered that the
Allamans, of whom we were standing in such awe,
were a party of twenty poor wandering Eimaks,
TARANTULA. —ADVENTURE. chap. xiii.
killed a huge reptile of a tarantula, or an enormous
spider, crawling on my carpet. Its claws looked
like those of a scorpion, or small lobster, but the
body was that of a spider. I was assured of its
poisonous nature, and the natives insisted that it
squirted its venom instead of stinging. We were
soon on the wing, and wound our way up the valley
of the Tejend, which was now a beautiful brook.
We commenced our journey in terror, and ere long
met with an adventure that increased the rapidity
of our march. About midnight the braying of a
donkey intimated to some palpitating hearts that
we were in the neighbourhood of human beings,
where none should exist. The shout of " Allaman,
Allaman!" spread like lightning ; and the caravan,
in a moment, assumed the appearance of a regiment
in open column, closing up in double march to form
a square. The foremost camels squatted instantly,
and the others formed behind them. Matches were
lit on every side, swords were drawn, pistols loaded,
and the unhappy merchants capered in front of
their goods, half mad with fear and fury. The un-
armed portion of the caravan took post among the
camels, which really formed a tolerable square, in-
creased as they were to the number of one hundred
and twenty. The anxiety was intense, it was
general; the slaves were more terrified than the
rest, for they knew well the fate of capture by the
Toorkmuns. After about a quarter of an hour's
detention, one of the party discovered that the
Allamans, of whom we were standing in such awe,
were a party of twenty poor wandering Eimaks,