Evening star., 1937-04-06
BY DIR. ERNEST REED.

Unsperstty.
BY DIR. ERNEST REED.
MARACAIBO, Venezuela, March
10 (by courier from the Perija Noun
tains) When we arrived in Ma
chiques, the last outpost OF civiliza-
ton, government official, there for
the purpose of buying cattle, urged
me to 60 with him on trip to some
of the nearby ranches.
This opportunity greatly pleased me,
for saw In it my chance to feel out
the situation among those closest to
the Indians. We toured from barn
yard to field to barnyard in an OK cart
and met the ranchers. Each was told
that my partner and I planned to
enter the mountains and there was
evident amazement in each face.
The oxen were pulled to halt at
one place beside a river and 1t was
pointed out to me that, last year, two
tribes OF Indians from neighboring
valleys before us had waged q battle
on that spot. These two tribes are
still at odds over something.
wondered at the time why the In
dians had come down from their
haunts high in the mountain valleys
to stage their war, but later, as I
climbed to the homes Of one Of those
tribes, I saw the answer. To cross
the spur of the mountain separating
the valleys would have been a tre-
mendous task, and they would meet
in the thickness of jungles, 50 both
tribes descended their respective VAL
leys and these converged where we
were sitting in the oxcart.
Found English Missionary.
It seemed that no rational being
would set off to measure the heads OF
those belligerent savages and, in fact,
the venture did turn on the appear
ance and cooperation of one whom I
consider a most irrational man.
He was a young Englishman, who,
some five years or so ago, took onto
himself the spiritual salvation OF the
savages OF the Perija Mountains. He
was now at the village for the first
time In two years and was about to
leave for Mara caibo. He had not
been to the Indians on this trip, but
was planting mulberry seedlings in
Machiques for subsequent transplant-
ing in the mountains for the Indians,
looking forward to their producing
silk some day.
had often heard and read of such
self-sacrificing people and became in
terested in the man as a study in him.
self. He was soft-spoken and gentle,
with an extremely delicate sensitive
ness. He was a bundle of contradic-
tions, craving the comforts Of life,
which he apparently could well afford,
and inflicting upon himself much
needless discomfort and punishment.
But to us the principal question was:
Did he know the Indians and did they
know him? What was still more i'm
portant, was he liked or respected or
tolerated by the Indians? Could he
serve as password for me? He agreed
to 60 up the valley to the Indians and
seemed to have no concern whatsoever
about the savages being disagreeable to
the white man.
A Way Is Opened.
Thus the way was opened Tor at
| least an effort. I must admit that I
was 'in fog" about the whole mat
ter. How much Of this talk about the
hostility of the Indians was OF the
imagination9 Was our missionary
friend crazy? He was not attached
to any church or mission organiza-
ton, but was q free-lance soul saver.
In this business OF soul saving he was
sincere. This I now know, for he
gently, very gently, and with refined
delicacy, attempted the saving OF my
soul along with the souls OF the saw
ages.
The missionary and I agreed to go
to the Indians the following morning.
That evening man was shot and
there was great concern In the town,
for the Indians were at 1t again.
Anxious ones came later to our dobe
hut to tell US all about 1t and urge us
not to 90. For some reason wasn't
greatly concerned, for was now rely
ing on my missionary. His reaction
would guide me.
At 3 the next morning was up and
packing for the trip when in walked
my friend, the government man who
was a cattle buyer. With him was the
"hefy CIVIL" the chief civil magistrate
Of the village. They urged me not to
70 among the Indians for 1t was dan
gerous. They sincerely begged me not
to co. confiding to me that my mis-
sionary guide was queer, to put II
mildly.
They left, however, with no deci-
sion from me and soon my missionary
arrived, complaoent and courteous and
gentle. asked him If he had heard
any alarming news that night and ne
replied that he had retired carly and