CHAPTER XX 
Benedicto and the Honey — Constantly collapsing from Exhaus¬ 
tion— A Strange Accident — Finding a River — People’s Mis¬ 
taken Ideas — Sixteen Days of Starvation — An Abandoned Hut 
— Repairing a Broken-down Canoe — Canoe founders — A Raft 
CONSTRUCTED OF GLASS 
O N September eleventh we had another terrible 
march, the forest being very dense and much en¬ 
tangled along the stream. We had great trouble 
in getting through, as there were many palms and ferns, 
and we had no more strength to cut down our way. We 
came to a big tree, which was hollow inside up to a great 
height, and round which were millions of bees. 
Benedicto, who was a great connoisseur in such 
matters, said that high up inside the tree there must be 
honey. The bees round that tree unfortunately were 
stinging bees. We drew lots as to who should go in¬ 
side the tree to get the honey. It fell to Benedicto. We 
took off most of our clothes and wrapped up his head 
and legs so that he might proceed to the attack. The 
job was not an easy one, for in the first reconnaissance 
he made with his head inside the tree he discovered that 
the honey must be not less than twenty feet above the 
ground, and it was necessary to climb up to that height 
inside the tree before he could get it. In order to hasten 
matters, as Benedicto was reluctant in carrying out the 
job, I tried my hand at it, but was stung badly by hun¬ 
dreds of bees behind my head, on my eyelids, on my arms 
and legs. When I came out of the tree I was simply 
covered with angry bees, which stung me all over. So 
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