The Start 5 



on the rocky bed beneath. He escaped with two broken 

 ribs, two teeth knocked out, and a knee partially dislo- 

 cated, but was practically all right again when he started 

 with us. 



In its composition ours was a typical American ex- 

 pedition. Kermit and I were of the old Revolutionary 

 stock, and in our veins ran about every strain of blood 

 that there was on this side of the water during colonial 

 times. Cherrie's father was born in Ireland, and his 

 mother in Scotland; they came here when very young, 

 and his father served throughout the Civil War in an 

 Iowa cavalry regiment. His wife was of old Revolu- 

 tionary stock. Father Zahm's father was an Alsacian 

 immigrant, and his mother was partly of Irish and partly 

 of old American stock, a descendant of a niece of Gen- 

 eral Braddock. Miller's father came from Germany, 

 and his mother from France. Fiala's father and mother 

 were both from Bohemia, being Czechs, and his father 

 had served four years in the Civil War in the Union 

 Army — ^his Tennessee wife was of old Revolutionary 

 stock. Harper was born in England, and Sigg in Swit- 

 zerland. We were as varied in religious creed as in 

 ethnic origin. Father Zahm and Miller were Catholics, 

 Kermit and Harper Episcopalians, Cherrie a Presby- 

 terian, Fiala a Baptist, Sigg a Lutheran, while I belonged 

 to the Dutch Reformed Church. 



For arms the naturalists took 16-bore shotguns, one 

 of Cherrie's having a rifle barrel underneath. The fire- 

 arms for the rest of the party were supplied by Kermit 

 and myself, including my Springfield rifle, Kermit's two 

 Winchesters, a 405 and 30-40, the Fox 12-gauge shot- 



