When they first appeared in the rural town — probably not much different from McMinnville — no one knew how they got there or why they chose that particular place.But the townspeople knew cattle were dying in the fields. And some of their citizens were disappearing, presumed victims of something unimaginably horrible.The spiders, some “as big as a German shepherd” dog, had invaded the sleepy little community. First, the National Guard was called in with heavy machine guns and flamethrowers.