Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-21
HOT JUNGLE RULES
KHMER BACK TRAIL
Discoverer of Prah-Khan
Forced to Fight Brush,
Beast and Sun.
BY ROBERT J. CASEY.

Ch,caao Daily News. Copyright, 1H1Sl
KAMpONG-THOM Cambodia. De-
,, ccmbcr 1O.-~Onc smaShcs through the
&c miles Of jungle on the way to the
unknown relics OF the Khmers beyond
the Iron Mine road buoyed up by an
inquisitive instinct--lured by the mys-
terry and hope of discovery. Necessity
for close application to the compass and
the haphazard map prevents much at
tention to other considerations. But the
back trail is more serious matter.
Only by keeping close to the bottom
land and flats can one hope to get
through the tangle at all. In the dry
wash.i there is evidence that the great
volumes Of water which come down with
the first rains In the wet season pre-
vent any such growth of creeper and
bamboo as those farther inland. There
are spots where the trees stop alto
gethcr. and then one can move across a
soggy open space neck high in snake
grass.
III such places the ciinging reeds and
the danger of an encounter with a
cobra or python are forgotten as the
sun makes a steam out of the stagnant
pools undcrfoot. There are cool places
In the jungle--on the high spots, where
the mcandering breeze gets chance
to filter through the underbrush and
the tropical sun is shut out. But OH
the flats the heat waves shake the
landscape and normal eyes are blinded
by the glare.
Jungle Takes Alarm.
As one moves among the trees the
Jungle aWakes in alarm Gibbons crash
about in the upper branches OF the
fromagcre and smaller animals race
through the bamboos. A bird with
song like three notes on a flute and
wide spread of brilliant blue wing sounds
continuous whistle. Other birds far
back in the blue shadows take up the
note. Hundreds Of them seem to be
! competing in chorus.
And then when one stops dead still to
listen there Is instant silence.
1t Is an uncanny effect. Manifestly
the birds IN the distant background
cannot see whether or not one is NOV
ing. Their outburst must be governed
by some bird overhead and as repeated
experiment determines this fact one
cannot but recall the story OF the pilot
bird that does the scouting for my lord
the tiger.
Thereafter one is always conscious
that he is being spied upon that these
small creatures that he cannot see are
following him.
Natives Avoid Region.
There are no natives In the imme-
| diate vicinity OF Prah Khan. Living is
too precarious there even were the Cam
bodian natives less considerable about in
vading the home of the tiger. But about
S miles eastward there Is creek
crossing. and where there are creeks In
this country there are certain to be
plenty OF fish.
Natives are TO be found along this
little river. perhaps In villages that their
French overlords know nothing about,
perhaps only in family camps. But at
any rate they are there-~natives entire
~ untouched by the civilization that is
moving northward along the automobile
road out of the Little Paris that Is
Saigon.
These folks. men. women and chill
dren. are just as they were when the
Khmers had completed the last step on
their journey to degradation. They
wear no clothes at all and look at the
| white man with the frank interest OF
aborigines who have heard nothing OF
the methods by which Caucasians are
accustomed TO spread the light among
the SavageS.
As one approaches them they kneel
and clasp their hands together at their
foreheadS. then smile and chatter yolu-
bly, IN Cambodian. They understand no
French. The names Prah-Khan, Ang-
kor kampong- Thorn apparently mean
nothing TO them. and the whir OF the
molten picture camera sends them sour
rying into the jungle.
But they are kindly. friendly peo-
pie, who offer to- share their dubious
messes OF rice and fish and bring for
ward totally undrinkable water In coco
nut shells. They look without under
standing at protfers OF Indo- Chinese pi-
aSterS. Money means nothing I'D here.
and yet not more than Is miles away
civilization. as represented by road en-
gineers and mining men. Is tearing the
heart out OF the jungle TO make a path
for iron ore.
Darkness Comes Quickly.
b In the late afternoon the darkness
comes down quickly. The trail blazcd
ON the up journey by the smashing of
reeds and the trampling OF grass and
the placing OF occasional markers OF
twlgs Is suddenly ohliterated In the long
due shadows. Peacocks come out In
stately parades to look at one from n
sale distance. Grouse and pheasan,s
stir almost under ones feet.
And then. as II at a concerted signal
there Is silence as deep rs that OF the
empty halls OF Prah-Khan. The birds
cease To worry about the interloper who
comes crashing through the brush. The
gibbons curl up In their tree tops and
80 to sleep. My lord the tiger Is left 10
shift for himself, "
Then there Is nothing TO do but build
ring OF fires and lie down 10 wait for
the hot dawn.