Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04

In the roof Of the giant hall at the
LoItun CoUe entrance hole made
skyIight through which the sunlight
penetrated making possible this re-
nGrLable photo.
started out alone, numbly hoping that they
would all obey my instructions.
Reaching very dificult ledge, croucfled
low for safety and crawled cautiously over the
rocky floor. My feeble light nlumined the
vault above, but when I turned it down over
the ledge it pierced an endless bIackness. The
marrow crevice appeared bottomless in its feeble
light.
"But just then I glanced ahead-and paused
IN petrifed amazement!
What saw was not there 10 seconds before
that could swear. Yet there some two or
three hundred feet ahead Of me fickered and
glowed tiny light, casting weird shadows in
every direction. Common sense told me that
it could not belong to any human being. We
four were the only humans in the jungle for
miles about. Yet here in the very bowels Of
the earth in defiance of the impossible was
q light almost slid OF the edge into that
abySmaI depth.
EtT SHOUTED to my nearest guide to follow
me-and started forward. My amazement
increased. For there arose from the solid rocks,
apparently human head. Just head-and
it appeared to be shaved. Then, inch by inch,
the body emerged into view. was speeches.
with wonder when finally there stood before
me in the arc of my hashlght very old man.
But his dark, lwrinkled face showed abso-
lutely no expression of surprise at my presence.
He stood still, with peculiar tilt to his figure
as I approached him, an uncanny light cleaned
in his deep-sunken eyes, half-smile twisted
his lips. He had scraggly gray mustache.
but was beardless, by which feature I knew
him to be pure-blood Maya.
What had at first supposed was shaved
head proved to be thin half-gourd that he
wore improvised skullcap, from beneath
the edges of which hared q thatch of coarse,
iron-gray hair. Heavy white eyebrows stood
out beneath the gourd. He wore clean, white
shapeless garment that was secured above his
spare figure by twisted vine. with the back of
it gathered up loosely between his legs and
fastened with the belt Of vines.
His bare, shrunken legs had series Of heavy
wrinkles beneath the bony knees, and the claw
like hands, gnarled and heavily veined hung
loosely at his Sides He wore sandals with
thongs laced criSS-croSS around his legs exactly
as pictured by the ancient Mayas in the has
reliefs on the walls of ruined buildings.
1T was the weirdest experience of my life
Visualize this old man in these unearthly sur
roundings nlumined by the Pickering lights of
candle and two Smoke-trailing torches.
Il waited patiently while my guides COM
versed with the strange character and learned
with relief that he had agreed to guide us out
of the caves
by signs they told me that he was 1000
years old. was willing to admit that he might
be over 100. They also said that he was an
ancient Maya Hol-Pop, or master of cere-
monies" and that he had been a member Of
the bodyguard of Macmillan. He told nv
guides that he was guarding Maya gold and
sacred relics, and that he was a hermit who
had lived in the depths of the caves alone for
lifetime.
GIVE followed him in the weirdest procession
have ever joined. Instead of ascending,
he led us down into the narrow, almost vertical
shaft from which had watched him rise-and
thence into low tunnel At great length
after passing through a repetition of the pas
sages by which we had entered we emerged
into the huge cavern with the skylight and, to
my great relief, saw my cameras Just where
had left them. looked at my watch We
had been lost for five hoursl
AFTER many cautious Inaneuvers and ges-
lures I succeeded in posing the old hermit for
picture, and as he stood there in the bright
sunlight that streamed through the OPENING as
through cathedral window, the queer light
In his eyes was explained. He was almost blind.
Before we parted placed in his bony hand
few coins. at which he smiled simply. AS
money the coins were valueless to him, but
they were not meaningless. He recognized the
gift as an expression 1t my gratitude for. his
having saved our lives. .s5,,,t.. - *,