The Morning standard. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1910-191?, 1910-12-18
Freed at Last.

When I awoke it was dark. The first
storm ofsthc rainy season had broken
and il was the downpour of rain in
my face that stirred me Before
realized where | was and how | was
situated | attempted to rise and the
stake holdinge.sy right hand pulled out
of the rain softcned ground | was
able to turn on one side 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 10 keep life in my
move. 10 make an effort at escape from
the vicinity Of the band of Mayas, |
went from bush TO bush in the dark.
draining the ram water out of the hol-
lowed leaves until my thirst was slaked
and with the first light of dawn /
began the hunt for food. The popular
idea OF the tropics has one point of
fallacy 1t is common belief among
people who have never been in the
tropical wilds that every other tree is
a palm, banana. bread fruit or such
tree that bears something ht TO cat
The truth OF the matter is that food
bearing trees are rare and the birds
and monkeys keep them stripped. 1t IS
only when man has planted them that
there is an abundance / kept on the
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 of
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
of across country without arms or sup
plies and the one way TO prepare myself
was to play n stratcgic1l game. / could
hide in the jungle near the game till
I had some opportunity of waylaying
some stragglcr or Of stealing in and
getting what must have. 1t was des-
peratc. desperate thing TO do and |
think that with all my efforts to keep
strong hand on my self that | must
have been half mad.
Slowly / crept nearer the place. ap-
preaching from the side on which the
cenotc was situated There was no ono
about the water hole and making 4
detour / was soon near enough TO the
ruins to tell that they, too. were ap-
parently deserted. Long and carefully
| listened and watched and when salts
fed that the band had departed | ven.
tured forth openly
From the discarded trappings and
from my own boxes OF instruments
which they had been unable TO carry,
/ got together makcshift outfit. riggcd
some bird suarcs. made myself a rude
knife. contrived a water bottle, and
shaped myself stout club and thcr
with all the scraps of food | could col
lest ! struck out in the direction ol
Chinchancha
II must have been about a week later
that I became aware. as | made by
way across the short brush country
of the arid section Of Yucatan. that
there was something or someone fol
lowing me. / hid behind clump Of
bushes and waited. In moment there
stole out of the growth a hcnequeu
planter who had seen me from horse
back at a distance and had dismountcd
to stalk me. wondering what strange
creature | could be At sight of him ]
sprang forward and dropped uncop
scious before | reached him and wher
| recovered consciousness II was wcek<'
later in the hospital at Merida.
This was the man ! saw from the
deck Of the ship as sailed from South
hampton and hope If he reads these
lines that he will write 10 me. care OF
the Lambs Club. New York City and
give me the opportunity OF thanking
him for rescuing a fellow human being
in desperate straits.