Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-29

iieved he carried with him Shortly before
sunrise one morning Barrault was awak-
Sheo py slight noise outside his tent
Teerihg out ne saw six guides armed with
Lohs, sWofu-ilke knives, used principally
Tor cutting paths through the undergrowtb
steaithily advancing on the tent Barrault
sword IN hand, sprang out upon them. AL
though taken by surprise, the Indians stood
their ground, realizing that they were six
to one, and returned Barrault's sword
thrusts with plunges of their long knives
Barrault managed to keep his adversaries
in front of him until he had backed up
against huge tree trunk; then he went at
the Indians in dead earnest. His training
IN the French army stood him in good
stead, and right and left his sword flashed,
peat down the guards of the guides wound
ed three so that they fell to the ground
ana sent the other three in precipitous
night into the depths OF the forest,
That Little Daredevil Orchid Hunt
err"
After this adventure the affairs of the
expedition proceeded smoothly and Bar
rault brought back to town in pack saddles
i'Voo orchids and started them for Barran-
qulia by RATS on the River Magdalena.
he mad TO intrust this task to friendly
guides, for on coming out of the forest he
learned that both the Colombian troans
at a th ne rebels were on the watch for that
l@itue daredevil French orchid hunter
II was this information that made Bar
Fault give up the cherished idea of trying
TO work his way back 20 the coast with the
rare orchids that he was guarding day and
hsnt. 1t also sent him into the forest
again as his safest place of refuge and so
ne ana his half dozen Indian followers
tooh up once more the quest for the Won
dtflul Snow-White orchid
somewhere in the mountain wiIdernesses
around Bogota Barrault today is hunting
Tor this and other orchids and awaiting his
opportunity to escape from his enemies
. hn
that he might be able to get away hy n,vt
spring at the latest
But In the meantime" he went on IT
shail Keep on hunting for orchids and pro-
tecttnS the rare specimens now in my nos
session And l hope that | shall be able
to bring back with me a sperimep Of Inc
Monueri9i snow-white. flower that the In
uldh tod me about when [ first arrived in
TINS country. | could ask for no betts + re-
ward Tor the trials of the past four wears
llleu as they have been with wholly I'M
looked-fOr adventures"
In Philadelphia Mrs Wilson and Rar
raults friend, Alphonse Pericat the Wilson
gardener. are anXiously awaiting further
news of the intrepid orchid hunter They
are hoping for three things-that BarrauIt
Will come out of Colombia with a whole
skin in spite of his multitudinous adven-
lures: that he will bring with him many
specimens of orchids hitherto unknown and
that he will also return with the wonderful
snow-white flower that the Indian guide
described as the biggest of all orchids and
Il
eyes wide open all the years that he has
been in orchid land.
Mrs. Wilson's Famous Collection.
Mrs. Wilson got the fad for collecting or
chids six years ago. Since then she has
purchased the noted Erastus Corning col
lection of 1000 plants. gathered by heir
first owner at a cost of half million dol
lars and the y. r. Smith collection Of 1000
plants She herself has collected 1909
plants from all parts of the world and has
agents everywhere watching for rare sPeCi-
mems.
These orchids are kept in seven big hot
houses. Two are devoted to Mexican or
chids, one to Philippine orchds-the finest
collection of these plants in eXistence-lnd
another holds the specimens already re-
ceived from Barrault. In addition to these
seven, there is also house devoted to over
1000 seedlings, the handiwork of PerCat.
Among these seedlings is the only varie-
gated orchid known to exist. 1t is growing
in pot scarcely an inch and half in di-
ameter, and it has just peeped above the
earth. 1t has two tiny leaves, and each
leaf is one-half white and one-haf green.
Therein lies it's value
Sanders, the London orchid authority,
says that he will give $4,000 for just such
a plant to any one who will bring it to him.
GUY 7. VISKNISKKI.