The Irish standard., 1903-03-21


which they had passed 1t was more
open. Instead of the Jungle Of
chaparral, Spanish bayonets, and
other forms of thorny plants, brush
and tree, the plateau on which they
now stood was a noble tropical
forest-a veritable park with glades,
rocks, picturesque ravines and gen.
! tie hills.
"This is more like it, said Sid
ney as they took seat on rock
beneath the spreading branches Of
a magnolia tree. eff the rest of the
island is like this our task is an
easy and pleasant one"
| Their view was one to entrance q
poet. They were at the edge of q
| glade covering about 40 acres. Here
and there a rock showed above the
waving grass and flowers, but other
wise the vista was unbroken.
This is superb spot" said Sid
ney. "Did you ever see such flowers
and trees? How tame the products
of conservatories seem compared
with natures work! There is q
bunch of roses which would be worth
500 in New York. What kind of q
tree is that?" Sidney pointed to q
medium-sized tree about is feet in
height, with broad spreading leaves.
"Why, it's banana tree" he ex-
claimed in great delight. "And what
is more, it is loaded with bananas"
A huge bunch of yellow and yell
| low-black bananas hung from the
point where the broad leaves spread
like stalk of celery. Sidney took
out his knife and cut several from
the bunch.
"You are sure these are bananas,
are you?" asked Mr.. Kent. Don't
poison yourself"
''They certainly are" said Sidney,
''and they are delicious. These are
the first ripe bananas 1 have ever
tasted. The stuff we get in New
York is no more like this than po-
tatoes are like pears. They pick
them green, months before they are
ripe, and ship them north to ripen
in easements or in tenement houses.
Did you ever taste anything so de-
licious?"
"They are fine" said Mr.. Kent.
"Cut some more"
They found scores of banana trees
with punches of fruit in various
stages of Development. They knew
that life can be supported for an in
definite period from the banana tree
alone, and while they had no inten-
ton of remaining on the island, the
thought was a comforting one.
They returned to the brook and
followed it in a northwesterly di-
rection. For some time they had
heard the sound of falling water,
had Il full view of beautiful cas-
cade. The brook leaped so feet; not
from the top of a precipice, but
from point fully 40 feet below the
top. 1t came yelling from cavern
and fell unbroken into pool below.
There could be no mistake as to this.
On the crest of the rocks there were
trailing vines and ivy directly above
the tunnel from which poured the
waterfall.
"There is the end of our brook
said Sidney as he studied the view
before him. II remember now that
underground rivers and brooks are
common in these southern attitudes
There are lots of them in Mexico and
especially in Yucatan. I wonder if
can scale those rocks?''
II know that / cannot" said Mr.
Kent as he sat down on boulder
go ahead and 1 will stay here and
watch you"
1t was hard climb, but Sidney
made it. He stood at last directly
over the waterfall. Without stop
ping to admire the view spread out
before him, he plunged into the for,
est which sloped upward. 1t grew
thicker as he advanced. Suddenly
he came to solid mass of trees
and brush, woven into thicket SO
dense that no animal larger than
rabbit could penetrate it for a
yard. Sidney walked along the edge
Of this jungle for half a mile or
more, but his search for an opening
was stopped by the fact that the
vegetable barrier finally extended
to the edge of the cliff. The ex-
plorer then selected Il tall logwood
tree, and after hard struggle
"shinncd" up to the lower branches
and climbed nearly to the top. From
this elevation he had fair view of
this part of the jungle, but could
only guess at it's extent. He found
that it continued unbro1en to the
top of a hill fully mile away, and
beyond he made out the outlines of
other and higher hills, probably four
or five miles away.
Sidney Hammond was not unfa-
miliar with such jungles, having
encountered them in the mountains
of New Mexico, but those northern
thickets were not to be compared
to the tropical mass which now con-
fronted him. He sat in the branches
of the tree for some time. Suddenly
he realized it was hot, and at the
same moment theasound of two shots
came from the valley. He was fear
full that his companion was in dan
ger. Mr.. Kent had selected the shot
gun, hoping to shoot grouse or quail.
These birds had been seen in abun-
dance, but it had been decided to bag
none until the time came to start
for camp. In few minutes Sidney
was at the bottom of the cliff. Mr..
Kent was not to be seen. Sidney