Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-09


was an unattractive enough spot; but | de-
cided to stop there overnight rather than
risk swamp fever from night in the open.
The foreman, big Scotsman with an evil
face, had been drinking heavily, and was
consequently in the fiend of a humor. He
swore at me vilely, demanding to know
what right | had to seek shelter of him.
When he saw my credentials he pointed to
a pile of what looked like sticks, and told
me sullenly to make my bed there. Investi-
cation showed me that the sticks were of
to say, | made my bed on the floor, and SO
tired was l that l threw myself down fully
dressed.
1.-THE next morning / was awakened by
the Scotsman Juggling at my feet and yell
ing at me to get up and get out. A nearly
empty whisky bottle showed that he had
been drinking all night, and he was in
fendish mood. One of my spurs cut his
hand That Infatuated him, and reaching
over he grabbed my revolver. | ran out of
that hut for my life. Luckily for me, his
eyesight was blurred; for he fired shot after
shot at me. Then with unaccountable per-
versity he swung about, firing the last bullet
into the shanty. There was a roar that
shook the earth. My ears bled for three
days afterward from the tremendous con-
cussion. When | recovered my senses | ran
back to where the hut had been. BY some
freak of chance the foreman had not been
killed, though his arms and legs were broken.
/ got him medical attention, and at last re-
ports he was alive and well.
AFTER surveying the railroad thou
- sand miles west of Manaos, the engi-
neers built comfortable wooden cabin by
a bayou of the Amazon, and waited for the
track layers to catch up, Willing the time
away hunting and fishing and trapping
alligators. Won Teuber struck up warm
friendship with one of the engineers named
degree at Columbia. Together they took
scouting trips into the jungle, where they
discovered unusual hostility on the part of
the Indians.
The changed bearing of the savages was
explained when they learned that they were
on the outskirts of the Putomayo rubber
district, from whose camps manned, mutt
lated native slaves were continually escap-
ing, telling such tales of the white mans
barbarity to their brethren of the jungle
that whole tribes would take to the war
path. And many a railroad laborer who
strayed from his camp at night was found
in the morning with long, feathered shaft
through his body.
Won Teuber and his comrades were loung-
ing on their screened veranda one sultry
afternoon, when one of the engineers snapped
a picture of the group with Won Teuber's
camera, remarking laughingly:
@You never can tell what may happen
down here, and we might as well leave our
families souvenir
Poker was suggested, and all went inside
but Brown, who remained on the veranda,
lazily watching family of alligators splash
ing in the bayou. The five men at the card
table were suddenly brought to their feet
by three rapid shots. Running outside,
they were in time to see an Indian disap-
pearing into the jungle with Won Teubers
smoking rifle, which had been left leaning
against the cabin. Brown was writing on
the floor with three forty-four-c alber bull
lets in his body. Before he died he begged
Won Teuber to see that his body was buried
in Boston, and Won Teuber promised, scarce
1y realizing the extent of the undertaking.
After that heavy wooden box accompanied
him on all his journeys, until at last he was
able to turn it over to Samuel |. Brown of
Boston, the engineers uncle.
WON TEUBER was determined that this
trip should see his fortunes established
beyond the need of further adventuring. By
lucky speculation in broken-down steam
launch he made five thousand dollars,