Abilene Reporter-News from Abilene, Texas • 47

Intrepid Jungle Guide Averts Horrible Fate With Sheer Heroism By Muriel Eddy T) Mrs Leoda Eddison of San Francisco Cal belongs the unique distinction of being the only woman explorer living who has successfully met and combated the awful clutches of the man-eating cannibal tree of Mindanao Island and escaped death with scarcely a scratch as a relic of her hair-raising experience Mrs Eddison whose late husband well earned the reputation of being one of the most intrepid explorers of his time felt the urge upon his demise to follow in her footsteps and continue explorations where he had left off Her children were grown and she no longer had any family ties to bind her to the filial fireside' Thus it happened that one day last spring the plucky little widow who tips the scales at exactly 100 pounds packed her trekking outfit and started off to begin her adventure on the long and somewhat dubious trail into' the jungle lands of Mindanao Island Outside of having taken frequent excursions with her late hustand Mrs Ed-dison knew little or nothing about the land which she about to explore Once jhe had ventured into the Interior indent on diuca verting CCC1V ftmfl vegetable world in tne confines of the Mindanao jungle but owing to an exceptionally mvere electrical storm he had been forced to burn back It was Mrs IE dd iso firm intention to (finish her investigations as nearly as possible Aupic'iaM Start The plucky little Human -pur-iauad the Journey alone until atae beached the head waters of the (Suriffoa River where It became imiitomiy necesraxy for her to en-jnoe a native or Mato guide ae than the river changes Its whole course abruptly 'and to the unini-Itiated it is a discouraging pros-toect to attempt to follow those jnrtft extremely treacherous green Bambino the guide experienced difficulty in passing over Uaa talent rapids until lake Main-was reached Here camp was in the midst of a dry steau covered with tall wiry and Mrs awfaim slept that lit under the blood-red tropical moon undisturbed by any Qualms ha to the future So far in the vernacular of the day everything had been The next day dawned blazing fliot and the Moro pleaded with Ida demure to abandon her explorations into the heart of the hteamlng jungle for at least an-jother day The air was unspeakably clone and fetid which fore- aU too plainly to one accue-to that climate an oo- storm But Mrs Eddison was obdurate in her plans and Wood persuaded him despite his eta that no harm would while he guided her on her tkm Into the eeml-ever-of the lilanri A Stmnga Teas These was nut even a rustle at i or the eosmd of an Insert ae pair plod-led along finally a jungteOke growth of bright scarlet blossoms and stiff prickly green heart-shaped leaves Through a labyrinth of tropical wilderness Bambino led his unfaltering companion past the clustering flowers into a veritable forest of peculiarly shaped moes-hung tews that stood huddled together as If in deadly fear of J---rs into hitherto -red the jungte At Ha KiMissn pmuboi over ills uaasaal seen sha slopped short la hsr tracks if deliberating whether or not to follow the trail further Far there standing directly In her path stoed the see rest looking true it had ever been her good fortune or misfortune to witness! This tree stood about forty feet high and had aa ama singly mottled or ahiaited appearance Its trunk was swollen and distended and the bark was ashan cakirad severed in white leprous patches over which a tens canopy of heavy dull-green leaves dung closely together ae If hiding something extremely icpcBewt Native rear Down near the foot of the tree trank was a shiny sticky exudation Beneath this moisture coaid be seen a pdo of dry while bones the sun-blanched hoses of jangle animals Mrs Eddison thought little dreaming of the near-tragedy larking at that very moment so near herself and the More nU ti liar jiff go Tound dis way" cams from the dry lips of the now shaking native clutching at Mrs khaki skirt while tha nervous perspiration streamed down hie dusky face no want you get kwL Tree eat up peoples "Why Sam you funny fellow Of course a mere tree no matter how interesting or peculiar may look cannot bans -us If you're afraid XXI lead YOUI Come on!" So aaylng the fearless little widow swifted dauntlaaeiy through the unnaturally thick growth of congonal grass into tha very heart of tha ground on which stood the ujMtmwn tree At that precise iwrckiht a sudden and sprang up dispelling thctteitol beat of the day and cauwrg -tha branches of the tree to ewAkauddeely down and treat Mrs BiifjM to an unexpected none do if be caress As" sha 1 on a slender hand grasp onslat thaw peculiar dull green leaves to take hack home Caught in the tentacles of a devil-tree a strange iy- Mrs Leoda Eddison (inset) was snatched from the jaws tiaftirti fluffs of a horrible death by her bray un- it unexplain-nhiSfeuoepe to chpgtsgifiBeKQaseradwith aia tounidi she sentiTed with a tog dragging tHe body of Unti Litton along with him ae geciy as possible managed to evade the clutches of the dripping brokatt tendrils and reach the sheltering border of congonal grass where he crouched end bathed hie unconscious face with coc water from the Skin pouch he carried In the emergency kit As soon aa Mrs Eddison had recovered ronseiouaneas the gavw one look at the tree and urged hen guide to aid her In retracing her steps as quickly as possible EVEN AS SHE LOOKED THR HEAVENS DARKENED OMNl-i OUSLY AND THUNDER PEALED AND ROARED THROUGH THE IMPENDING! GLOOM SUDDENLY A VIVID PLASH OP LIGHT NINO RENT THE HEAVEN AND WITH INCREDIBLE SPEED THE DAZZLING BOLT OP "HELL-FIRE" AS THE NATIVES CALL XT STRUCK THE TREE WITH A REBOUNDING CRASH THAT ECHOED WEIRDLY THROUGH THE JUNGLE SPELLING THE DOOM OF TH All DEATH-DEALING TREE AND CLEARING THE JUNGLE FOREVER IT IS TO BE HOPED OF THAT ABHORRENT GROWTH THEN AS IP BY MAGIC THE HEAVENS CIRARED LEAVING unit EDDISON GASPING AWD PRAYING BOTH IN THE BAMS nnTATH felt herself Involuntarily growing weak and giddy unable to withstand the terrific strain on her nerves and body A Close Call Ibf not Bambias tha Mara guide had 'tha rare presence of mind not unasaal ia an aborigine of tho islands to throw his body oiickly upon that of Mta Eddison hearing her swiftly to tho earth nad eat of tho clatcbcs of the tree monster It is not at aU d-jubtfol aa to what might have been her fata No doabt her bonce would now bo bleaching beside thorn others under what is now left of that frightful man-eating cannibal tree! Now to add to hta native super- stition and dread of supposed to be confined within that tree the leaves commenced an attack upon Bambino but by this time tha wily anger was aroused and not to outwitted by a more devil tree he mched forth hli sinewy mown hands grasped each slippery tentacle violently end firmly and fimrtKs them between his sharp white -'teeth quickly severed the leaves from their risma As hs did so a slimy putrid oily slowly trickled from each severed tentacle of the tree Finally Bambino by dint of much bittna and iitektirlsaih terror that the foliage was un-lulaUng with increasing rapidity A FAINT HISSING NOISE HADE HER START IN TERROR KB SHE RECALLED TALES OF JUNGLE TILES RELATED TO HER BX HER LATE HUSBAND thRn like a flash OF LIOHTNINO THE TRUTH STRUCK HOME TO HER THIS MYSTERIOUS TREE WITH ITS 3TR ANGLING TENDRILS WAS NONE OTHER THAN THE DEATH-DEALING CANNIBAL TREE ABOUT WHICH HER EX-PLORER HUB2AND HAD OFTEN TOLD HER AND WARNED HER AOAIN9T! IN A TWINKUNQ SHE RECALLED THE DESCRIPTION OR IT WHICH HE HAD GIVEN HER AND TO HER INCREASED HORROR IT TALLIED EXACTLY WITH THE TREE WHICH NOW HELD HER A PRISONER! In vain tha terrified woman ought to break away from tha grasp of thews slimy talon-llka tentacles which were the branches pf the tree With doubled fists the tried to fight off those living pulsating houghs Tha branches were literally reaching out for her from every direction stretching down on their snaky stems with uncanny speed and sense of eecu-racy Tha air was full of horrible hlasimr sounds and tha woman plucky and bravo though she was.