Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-04-27

height. with broad spreading leaves.
why, it's q 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?s asked Mr.. Kent. Don't
poison yourself
''They certainly are. said Sidney,
land they are delicious. These are
the first ripe bananas | 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 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,
and soon circled a ledge of rock and
had full view of beautiful cas-
cade. The brook leaped so feet; not
from the top of precipice, but
from a point fully 40 feet below the
| top. 1t came yelling from cavern
and fell unbroken into Il 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. Il remember now that
underground rivers and brooks are
common in these southern attitudes.
| There are lots of them in Mexico and
especially in Yucatan. ] wonder if
| can scale those rocks?"
81 know that I cannot said Mr..
| Kent as he sat down on boulder.
go ahead and 1 will stay here and
watch you"
1t was a hard climb, but Sidney
made it. He stood at last directly
over the waterfall. WithC ut 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 a solid mass of trees
and brush, woven into a thicket so
dense that no animal larger than
a rabbit could penetrate it for a
yard. Sidney walked along the edge
of this jungle for half 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 a tall logwood
tree, and after a hard struggle
''shinned'' 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 its extent. He founC
that it continued unbroken to the
top of hill fully mile away, ant
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 mountain:
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 branche:
of the tree for some time. Suddenl.
he realized it was hot, and at TIL
same moment the sound of two shot
| 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 ba.
none until the time came to star
I for camp. In few minutes Sidne.
: was at the bottom of the cliff. MI
5 Kent was not to be seen. Sidne
ran to where he had left the millo.
e aire Spectator. He then yelled a
f the top of his voice.
l An answering call came from
4 ravine to the left. Sidney ran i
y that direction. Mr.. Kent was stand
j ing under a tree, with the shotgun
> half raised. He was looking intent
: at jagged pile of rocks a short dis
lance AWAY At his feet was q dea