| Show how a spider a nation when the french quartermaster dis jonval was confined in prison by the j dutch at utrecht ho bought to beguile i the tedium of his prison life by attentively studying the habits of the spiders which frequented hia cell and eight years of imprisonment gave him leisure to be well versed in their ways in december of 1784 the french army on whose victory over the dutch depended restoration to liberty were in holland and the victory seemed certain it the froat which was then of unprecedented severity continued the dutch envoys had failed to negotiate a peace and holland was despairing sp when the suddenly broke the dutch were now exalting and the french generals prepared to retreat but the spiders of cell forewarned him that the thaw would be of short duration and he knew that his little insect weather monitor never deceived him accordingly he contrived to communicate his weather knowledge to the army of his countrymen and its generals who duly estimated bis dis jon vals character relied upon hia assurance that within a few days the waters would again be frozen so as to bo passable to the french troops they delayed their retreat within twelve days a sharp freeze set in and the french army triumphed Dis jonval was released and a spider had brought ruin to the dutch nation st louis republic |
