Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I at once returned to the clubhouse and related every detail connected with my wonderful
catch.Icouldonlybringforwardtwotheories:one,thatthisfishwantedtocommitsuicide;the
other, that it must have been an elder brother or sister of the ill-fated bait who, during heroic
efforts to free his unfortunate relative in order to give it decent burial, had had the misfortune
to become hooked, with lamentable results.
The shades of evening were already falling when a group of heroes came out of the club-
house; the day's sport had been a strenuous one, for it takes a 'he-man' to be a good tarpon
fisher - and I realised it.
Victor came out of hospital, but his physical condition was not good enough to allow him
to continue with me; fortunately, however, a friend gave him a job in a mechanical workshop
where he was given a wonderful chance to make a good start in life.
The evening before I left him he asked me if he might spend the last night with the horses.
He had become desperately fond of them, especially of Mancha, whom he would fondle all
day, and I shall never forget the way the boy expressed his sorrow when we left him. Having
no further use for his pony I sold it to a friend in Panama, where he found a good home.
We started our trip towards Costa Rica early in January, following an excellent concrete
road to the Pedro Miguel locks where we crossed the Canal.
I have been asked countless times how on earth we managed to cross the Panama Canal, and
this eternal question has become a regular nightmare with me. Hardly anybody ever asks me
how we crossed the numerous rivers that have no bridges, or how we travelled long stretches
of swampland, but every other person I meet wants to know how we crossed 'that Panama
Canal'.
In order to satisfy those readers who might also be wondering how such a stupendous and
amazingfeatcanbeaccomplished,Iwillexplainhowverysimpleitwas.TheGatunandPedro
Miguel locks each have a very large water-level gate, and when these are closed one can drive
over them with a car. All the other lock gates have railings to enable pedestrians to walk over
them with safety, but these gates are narrow, and it is not permitted to take horses over them.
However, the wide water-level gates at Gatun and Pedro Miguel are frequently used for this
purpose by the army. Near the latter locks there is also a ferry that takes horses, mules and
wagons across, and this also is used chiefly by the troops.
When the gate was closed I walked my horses over it. Then I took leave of some friends
who had come to bid me 'bon voyage', and started towards the U.S. army post on the oth-
er side near the famous Culebra Cut, a Canal Zone policeman accompanying me to show the
shortest way there
