Evening star., 1932-12-26

DIR. WILLIAM MOSELEY BROWN.
Star Staff Photo.
merous In the forests, while heron, fla
mingoes and water fowl inhabit the
swampy sections. The forests are also
rich in medicinal plants and herbs and
are bright with orchids Of rare colors.
1t was il the land of the orchids
that Ulrich found adventure that be-
Titles the tales of Tarzan and the
legends of the renaissance explorers.
The party was crossing wide stretch
of land in search of river that was
to be their next channel of transporta-
ton into the dark wildS.
Water Supply Decreases.
The distance was greater than was
expected. The water supply decreased
until members Of the party were forced
to content themselves with only swal-
low Of water a day. Then it disap-
peared completely.
through the underbrllSh. The day was
hot. The soil was dry. Overhead para
keets chartered and screamed. The ma
tive Mestiza Indians grew nervous.
Every one was thirsty. Some picked up
pebbles to suck to increase saliva, in
order to allay the parching and SWELL
ing Of the inside Of the mouth.
Presently the character Of the coun-
try began to change. The verdure of
the forest increased The soil was
black and exuded a damp. warm odor.
Tho nndprhrlSh was prppnPr
Ulrich pushed on with the nervous
feeling of being watched Occasionally
he thought he saw grimacing native
peering at him through the matted
shrubbery Then there was that nag
ging. Grazing thirst.
And then they entered a strange new
section of nature-a recess Of the earth,
where no phase of civilization had tum-
bled-where no white man had ever
been
Thousands of birds of paradise, par
rotS and cockatooS made the forest
alive. And as background for the rain
bow display of feathered creatures were
trees as far as the eye could see, their
trunks covered with thick growths of
clinging crimson orchids-hundreds of
thousands of them. "A green inferno"
with thick daubs of bright red orchids
everywhere, Ulrich described it.
Prayers Are Said.
Several Tupi Indians who were in the
party raised their arms toward the sun
in prayer. Several gauchos dropped to
their knees, their parched tongues wag-
ging and hoarse croaking prayers tum-
bling from their lips. Tears flowed
from my eyes at the beauty Of it ALL
Ulrich wrote
Overhead humming birds whizzed by
from blossom to blossom to suck the
nectar therein. Tulips and hyacinthS
raised their heads through the green
grasses under foot.
Suddenly arrows flew down from sew
eral eucalyptus trees, striking some of
the natives in Ulrich'S party The
poisoned shafts found their mark in
the brown backs of the Indians, who
dropped and died shortly afterward.
Looking upward among the tree
branches. Ulrich could distinguish a
brown-skinned dwarf adjusting an
arrow to his bowstring. 1t was an
Amazon Indian-One Of the dreaded
wild pygmies that live in trees. He
had long, apelike arms and short
crooked legs AS Ulrich aimed his gun
at him the leering midget swung to a
branch of another tree. monkey-like
and disappeared in the foliage.
Ulrich's party forgot its thirst. They
gave chase. AS they stumbled along
tree creatures swinging along through
the trees.
Indians Take to Flight.
Suddenly there was a bright gleam
ahead. The sun was mirrored in a
Crystalline surface. Water. The word
dropped like a plummet into Ulrich's
mind. But with the Indian pygmies
overhead he wondered If he would live
to feel that cooling liquid on his hot
tongue.
brown body appeared through the
leaves of a tree at the waters edge.
Other members of the party saw brown
bodies, too. There was the staccato
cracking of rifle fire. Five bodies tum-
bled from trees along the water line.
The parrots and parrakeets set up a
wild chatter at the noise There was
a shrill cry and the remaining little
Indians took to flight through the
trees.
Ulrich and his party pushed forward.
Crocodiles were already consuming the
bodies of the slain Indians. The party
moved down stream. Here was water.
They dropped on their faces and began
to drink.
Later one of the Indian natives told
Ulrich the Amazon Indians worship
the crimson orchids and seek to kill all
persons who lock upon them.
The strange tribe of pygmies live
entirely in the trees, eating insects,
bugs and wild fruits.
So it is that the trail Of the ex-
plorer is still trail of blood. Today's
explorer dares as much or more than
old Cortez Court minstrels in samite
mantles don't sing his praises. The
clarion press occasionally gives him a
few inches of space. But he explores
on, forgetting the snarl of city traffic
in the tangle Of jungles with its snarl
of wild beast and the whiz of the
poison arrow. In 1888 Ulrich plans
another expedition into Brazil. After
that-well, the government of Hon:
duras has just given him official
authorization to explore its lIntrOd