The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-17
Freed at Last.

When l awokc it was dark. The first
storm of the rainy season had broken
and it was the downpour of rain in
my face that stirred me. Before
realized where I was and how I was
situated / attempted to rise and the
stake holding my right hand pulled out
of the rain softencd ground l was
s61e 10 turn on enc aide and after long
and patient work pull the other hand
free. After a while | was able to pull
my leg stakes out and Heavens, what
fight | put up TO keep life in my
body till the night was over and | could
move, to make an effort at escape frorl
went from bush TO bush IN the dark,
draining the rain water ont of the hol-I
lowed leaves until my thirst was slakcd
and with the first light of dawn Il
began the hunt for food. The popular
idea Of the tropics has one point OIL
fallacy II is common belief amongl
people who have never been IN the
tropical wilds that every other tree is
palm, banana, bread fruit or such
tree that bears something ht to eat.
The truth of the matter is that food
bearing trees arc rare and the birds
and monkeys keep them stripped 1t Isl
only when man has planted them thatl
there is an abundance ] kept on thcl
hunt, however, until l had filled MY
stomach and then ] began to take my
bearings.
After two hours creeping through the
jungle guiding my way by the slope ofl
the watershed | felt that | was near
the location of the ruined buildings and
began to move with great care. | had
made up my mind that | could not set,
off across country without arms or sup
plies and the one way to prepare myself
was to play stratcgical game. I could
hide in the jungle near the game till
I had some opportunity OF waylaying
some straggler or of stealing in and
getting what | must have 1t was dcs-
perate. desperate thing to do and [
think that with all my efforts TO keep
a strong hand on my self that | must
have been half mad
Slowly / crcpt nearer the place. ap-
preaching from the side on which the
ccnote was situated. There was no one
about the water hole and making n
detour | was soon near enough TO the
ruins 10 tell that they. too, were ap-
parently deserted. Long and carefully
I listened and watched and when satIs-
fed that the band had departed l VEN
tured forth openly
From the discarded trappings and
from my own boxes of Instruments
which they had been unable to carry.l
! got together 1nakeshift outfit. riggedi
some bird snares, made myself a rude
knife. contrived a water bottle. and
shaped myself stout club and then
with all the scraps of food I could col
loct I struck out In the direction of
II must have been about week later
that I became aware, as | made by
way across the short brush country
of the arid section of Hucatan, that
there was something or someone fol
lowing me. l hid behind i clump of
bushes and waited. In a moment there
stole out OF the growth heneQuen
planter who had seen me from horse
back at distance and had dismountcd
10 stalk me. wondering what strange
creature I could be. AT sight of him |
sprang forward and dropped uncon
scious before | reached him and when
recovered consciousness It was weeks
later in the hospital at Merida
This was the man / saw from the
deck Of the ship as I sailed from South
hampton and / hope if he reads these
lines that he will write 10 me, care OF
he Lambs Club, New York City and
give me the opportunity OF thanking
him for rescuing fellow human being
n desperate straits