Show Graveyard Campers Camper Face Death From Bandits on Burma Road S' S 1 F J 1 f K i t I 1 w. w g f. f 5 f I k y a N S Sl l sv ry p Scene on ancient Burma Road Chinas China's line life but worlds world's deadliest highway for travelers I Right Hassoldt Davis I JAPANESE bombs are not the deadliest haz hazards nowadays on the Burma Road Chinas China's line life-line in her war with Nippon Sudden landslides malaria and above all the notorious Dacoit bandits are much more lethal according to Hassoldt Davis American explorer er and author of Land uLand of the Eye who has just returned from the forbidden country of Nepal The Dacoits are currently earning earning earn earn- ing a new le reputation Davis says as the world s most cold blooded killers This is partly due he points out to a trait almost unique among Dacoits are ue not only unafraid of live men they also do not fear the dead Davis and his party bound for Nepal were held up by a land land- slide lide So they took the usual precaution precaution precaution pre pre- caution against superstitious ban ban- They pitched their camp in ina a graveyard For two nights they remained unmolested But late the third night they were were awakened awakened awakened awak awak- ened out of sound sleep by yells and the sound of running feet Dacoits had sneaked up on onus onus onus us Davis said and were seeking seeking seek seek- ing a way to get in and begin the killing But the tents were close together and in the darkness the bandits did not know where to rush in and use their knives their favorite weapon On our part art although although al al- al though we sat up grabbing our revolvers we did not dare shoot for fear of killing one of our own party 1 i I r I r ft n K Jy r 7 I Then I seized my flashlight and got to tot the he entrance of my tent The beam fell on three Dacoits Dacoits Da Da- Da- Da coits almost naked with their lon long knives in hand Blinded by the light they realized they presented presented presented pre pre- a perfect target t and might be shot at any moment They ran The beam of my flashlight which was kept loaded with fresh batteries followed the three bandits bandits ban ban- like n a ray of sun as they raced out of the trie cemetery We fired repeatedly at them but their zig-zag zig course as they ran prevented a hit We have no doubt that without the light some of us probably us probably all would all would have been murdered Davis says that news of the the party's flashlight equipment must have preceded them to other Dacoit bands Although the they traveled continuously through infested bandit-infested country they had no more trouble with night prowlers |