Dangerous jungle. Why the jungle is dangerous Ukraine: the zone of attraction of Chernobyl

Lyubov Burova

dangerous jungle

The jeep drove along a gravel road that led through the jungle like a small vessel through the mighty body of a majestic forest. The tree kingdom surrounded them with a solid wall. Here were giants several tens of meters high with wide roots and huge branches. Their powerful trunks, covered with smooth and shiny bark, reached several meters in diameter. Trees medium size and graceful palm trees, densely entwined with vines, towered over a tier consisting of flowering shrubs, ferns with huge feathery leaves and all kinds of herbs. Red begonias, white and golden orchids, pink bromeliads were everywhere, giving the jungle a unique charm.

The trunks of the giants went up. There, at the top, they scattered their huge crowns, interconnected by vines or epiphytic plants growing right on the branches. Because of this, from a bird's eye view, the jungle looked like a solid green massif.

Melissa has admired this amazing creation of nature many times in her life - during hiking, excursions by car and even from a helicopter, but this beauty could not be enough. It was a different world, where time and space felt different, and the soul was overwhelmed with admiration and delight.

One trip was the most memorable. During the celebration of her birthday - she was then twelve years old - her father arranged an unusual surprise and rented a balloon. It was an unforgettable adventure. The route was laid along one of the most beautiful places in Colombia - Lake Guatavita, located fifty kilometers northeast of the capital of Bogota in the mountains of Cundinamarca. This rounded and quiet lake, located in the crater of an extinct volcano and surrounded on all sides by a forest thicket, was associated with many myths and legends, including the famous legend of the land of gold - El Dorado.

Lake Guatavita in old times was the sacred lake of the Muisca - Indian tribes of the Chibcha language group, who were the creators of one of the most highly developed ancient civilizations in South America. The Muisca, like all Chibcha Indians, worshiped the forces of nature. Above all, they revered the sun and water, and in their honor, when the next king-priest ascended the throne, a solemn ceremony was held. With the help of thin tubes, the high priest was covered from head to toe with golden sand. Then, in the rays rising sun he plunged into the waters of the sacred lake, while the “golden” skin was washed off from him. Afterwards, figurines, rings, necklaces made of gold and adorned with precious stones were thrown into the water as an offering to the gods. The ceremony was held extremely rarely, but the fantasy of profit lovers made it a daily one. Thus was born the legend of the mythical country of El Dorado with its countless treasures and the "golden man" who rules this fabulously rich country.

They took off not far from the small town of Guatavita, located on the banks of a man-made reservoir and built in the sixties of the last century on the site of a flooded old village. White stucco houses with red-tiled roofs, neat cobbled paths, elegant wrought-iron lanterns and cozy taverns created the exquisite beauty and charm of Guatavita.

Prior to this, Melissa had never had a chance to fly on hot-air balloon and she was overwhelmed with emotion. As the balloon began to rise into the sky, she grabbed the edge of the basket. But very soon the feeling of flight and extraordinary lightness forced fear out of consciousness.

It was unforgettable to soar above the ocean of greenery. They flew up almost to the tops of the tallest trees, heard the cries of monkeys, trills of birds, and then suddenly a magnificent view of the lake opened up before them. It was shaped like a saucer, and the water had a rich emerald green hue.

This flight remained forever in her memory, as something magical.

Melissa's childhood was different from that of many other children. Her father is a lieutenant colonel air force Colombia - was an adherent of strict rules of education. He was sure that only home education could provide a level of knowledge worthy of his daughter, and also protect her from negative outside influences.

And, starting from the age of three, the girl spent half the day in classes with tutors and teachers, and the second half was devoted to reading, drawing and dancing.

Mom constantly quarreled with her father, believing that such a load is dangerous for health problems due to moral and physical exhaustion, but her father was adamant. He assured that since the daughter behaves calmly, and she has a good perception and assimilation of new information, then there is no overstrain. Moreover, classes usually alternated with walks or took place in the fresh air, which in itself helped to relieve stress.

By the age of seven, Melissa not only possessed the basic knowledge that was necessary for admission to school, but also spoke, read and wrote in Spanish, English and French. But her favorite pastime was drawing.

Melissa never complained to her parents that she was tired, did not shirk from classes and did not throw tantrums. Everything that her parents, experienced teachers and tutors tried to invest in her, she accepted calmly, with a feeling of genuine interest and a desire to absorb this knowledge. And when classes were held on the ocean, in a park or museum, it pleased her even more.

Melissa loved learning languages. It was so great to speak French with my mother, in English with Aunt Isabella - my mother's sister - and then all together sing funny songs in Spanish. Aunt lived in New York and came to visit them, and then it was truly magical days, full of joy and adventure. It was Isabella who instilled in her niece a love of painting. She herself had just started teaching at the New York University School of the Arts in the Department of Painting and Composition.

When Melissa was seven years old, she moved in with Isabella and entered the Dalton School, located in East New York, which prepared students for the university.

There was no mention of going to school in Columbia, and at first her father wanted to enroll her at Leman Manhattan Preparatory School, an elite boarding school located in downtown New York. He believed that it would be better for the girl and her upbringing, but Victoria and Isabella were categorically against this, insisting that Melissa was a home child, and a sharp change in lifestyle would have a bad effect on her psycho-emotional state. In the end, they managed to convince him that the girl entered the Dalton School, especially since the school had a good art studio, while the level of teaching painting at the Leman Manhattan Preparatory School was insufficient.

Thus, a stage began in Melissa's life, full of discoveries and new achievements, but at the same time overshadowed by separation from her parents.

Mom working as an anesthesiologist in a private clinic for plastic surgery in Bogota, could not visit her daughter as often as she would like. My father rarely came to New York, and they mostly saw each other when Melissa herself came to Columbia for the holidays. Therefore, Isabella and her husband Jason were almost completely engaged in her upbringing, with whom the girl immediately developed a good relationship. Their daughters, twins Jessica and Daniella, were four years her junior and she was their beloved older sister.

Only years later, Melissa fully realized what support and support Isabella and Jason were for her, and what love she was surrounded by in those difficult times. There were moments when she wanted to quit everything and go back to Colombia to her parents, especially in the first year, but Isabella always managed to find the right words, from which her soul became light and calm.

At the school where Melissa studied, there was a wonderful art studio. Classes were experienced teachers, and the girl continued to develop her abilities in painting. Her work constantly took pride of place in exhibitions held at the school itself, and won competitions that were arranged between art schools.

Already at the age of twelve, Melissa had her own small exhibition, and she began to conclude contracts for illustrating books. At first it was children's fairy tales about animals, textbooks, then several large publications, where she worked in a group with professional illustrators. Many works at that time were devoted to the beauties of native Colombia, its unusually diverse flora and fauna. While studying at school, taking prizes in many competitions, Melissa participated in the organization of joint exhibitions with other artists.

After graduating from the Preparatory School at the age of seventeen, she enrolled in the New York University School of the Arts for an undergraduate degree. A year later, the director of the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan offered her the position of curator.

Victoria and Isabella helped her make the necessary connections both in the US and in Spain, where Melissa's maternal grandparents lived. But in most cases, contracts and agreements were the merit of Melissa herself.

At the age of eighteen, a truly grand event took place in the life of a girl - the purchase of an apartment in Manhattan. It was her cherished dream, but the cost of such housing was very high. And what was Melissa's surprise when, on her eighteenth birthday, her father gave her most of the cost of the apartment, and indicated that he could buy the apartment in full, but he knew that his daughter would want to make her contribution.

The purchase was not regarded as pampering or excess - it was a practical investment Money, providing her daughter with her own housing and the realization of her old dream.

The girl was very surprised then by this generous gift from her father. And when, three years later, her father bought a luxury villa on the ocean in Colombia, her surprise knew no bounds. As his father explained then, he bought the apartment with his own savings accumulated over the years military service, and for the purchase of a villa he took a loan at low interest, which was provided to him by the Ministry of Defense.

Melissa loved her apartment. This was her kingdom, her small world where she lived, worked and created.

Melissa was sympathetic to her mother's decision. She herself tried many times to talk to her father, but, like her mother, she ran into a cold wall of unwillingness to communicate. Of course, she still continued to love her father, even despite his actions and behavior.

Everything ended almost painlessly for both parties. The necessary papers were signed, the property was divided. For about two months, Victoria lived with her daughter, and then flew to Spain, where her parents lived in Seville. Victoria's uncle, director of the Virgen del Rocío Clinic's cardiology center, offered her the position of lead anesthesiologist, which she could not refuse. Initially planning to live in New York, Victoria changed plans and stayed in Spain.

Melissa continued to work at the Museum of Modern Art, as well as teaching at the university and writing her Ph.D. thesis at the same time. By the age of twenty-two, she had organized more than fifty exhibitions, twenty of which were her work.

In December, her mother told Melissa the good news - consent was received to organize an exhibition of her paintings in the Museum of Abstract Art in Cuenca. The girl was delighted with this museum and had long planned to arrange an exhibition there. Now she was faced with the task of selecting the paintings, coming to Spain, signing all Required documents and think through all the subtleties of the organization.

Then there were intense five months of work, curating exhibitions in Canada and France, creating new series works. All this completely exhausted Melissa both physically and mentally, so she decided to go to Colombia to visit her father, and at the same time celebrate her birthday there and relax.

Arriving, the girl threw out of her head everything that was somehow connected with work, and plunged into rest with rapturous pleasure.

Melissa spent the first three days basking in the gentle rays of the sun on the ocean or taking walks on her father's yacht. Having restored physical forces, the girl left every day to admire the sights, visited her favorite places since childhood, met with relatives and friends. When they managed to go somewhere with their father, she was just happy. During these hours, she seemed to be returning to childhood, but for a complete idyll, her mother was not enough nearby.

To her great regret, during the week she spent here, her father was able to keep her company only twice. The first time they went to Medellin, where my father's cousin lived with his family. The second time, on her birthday, we walked through Simon Bolivar Park in Bogota, where her father rented a carriage with four horses, and then had dinner at a restaurant. The rest of the time she was always and everywhere accompanied by one of his people.

Melissa was well aware that her father had assigned him to her as a guard, and at first it weighed a little on her. Having hinted to her father that she could easily do without a bodyguard, and having received his categorical “no” in response, the girl at first simply put up with it. But after a couple of days, her attitude changed to a positive one. Andres turned out to be a very friendly, courteous and interesting young man of twenty-eight. He could support any conversation and had an amazing sense of humor. They quickly found a common language, although sometimes Melissa wanted to go somewhere alone. Especially after unpleasant conversations with his father, which happened several times during this time. The girl saw that her father had changed a lot, and tried to help him, but, as before, she came across only denial and aggression.

Ten days have passed. Melissa was full of impressions and emotions, and her hands reached for the brush and easel, and her soul burned with a thirst for creativity. Having bought everything necessary in the city of Cali, which was located an hour's drive from home, she plunged into her favorite element with pleasure.

The villa, built on a small hill, immersed in greenery and reminiscent of a palace, a snow-white yacht, the ocean and everything connected with them, was captured on paper from various angles.

White columns, a bizarrely curved roof covered with red tiles, balconies on the second floor with a gorgeous view of the ocean, palm trees with huge leaves, countless flowers, two pools with clear blue water. One of them went out to the ocean, and from a certain point you could imagine that you were swimming right into the ocean. Everything around was bright, colorful, insanely beautiful, and Melissa could not help but capture all this magnificence on paper.

Father often went to Cali, and several meetings were held in Bogotá. Usually, in such cases, a helicopter flew for him, but sometimes the meetings took place right at the villa. One time, three people came to see him, and Melissa ran into them right outside the front door, returning from the beach. The tone with which her father introduced her to the guests seemed to the girl irritated and a little agitated. It was like he was doing it by force. But then she chalked up her annoyance to fatigue and to the fact that the conversation that had just taken place was perhaps unpleasant.

Of course, the girl could not fail to notice that her father was almost always tense, thoughtful, and sometimes even lashed out at her or those around her. After failed attempts to talk to him, she tried to simply ignore his constant remarks and prohibitions. Melissa loved her father, tried to find an explanation for his behavior, but she did not always succeed. More often, her whole being rebelled against his restrictions, prohibitions and denial of many obvious things.

So the trip to the waterfall that she planned for tomorrow was nothing more than a challenge to her father and his established rules. Friends told her about this waterfall, and the girl caught fire to see it.

Somewhere in the depths of her soul, Melissa knew that she was doing a slightly reckless act. On the other hand, she wanted to make it clear to her father that she was already completely independent person and does not need accompanying persons, especially in his home country. And after their little quarrel yesterday, this desire has increased even more. She will calmly go to the waterfall, which she has not yet seen, and the next day she will be able to tell her father everything. It's just nonsense! He forbids her to take walks alone here, while she makes many trips every year almost all over the world.

The escape plan was developed and thought out by Melissa two days ago, after she saw an interesting exhibition in one of the city's museums in Cali. Having told her father about this, the girl emphasized that the exhibits presented on it have a high artistic value, and some of them simply need to be sketched. She also explained that there was a lot of work to be done, which would probably take a whole day, and the most logical solution would be if Andres took her to the museum in the morning and arrived in the evening.

At first, my father was against this plan. He did not understand why this work could not be divided into at least two days. But Melissa explained that the museum was already meeting her halfway, setting aside almost a whole day so that she could work in peace. After some thought, her father agreed, continuing to insist that Andres come and pick her up in the middle of the day and take her to a restaurant so that Melissa could at least have a proper lunch. She had a hard time convincing him that, firstly, there was a decent cafe in the museum, and secondly, she was not ready to say exactly when she could take a lunch break. After much persuasion, persuasion, and reasoning, her father's approval was finally obtained, and Melissa proceeded to the next step in her plan.

I had to think carefully about my wardrobe. For a walk to the waterfall, the girl chose mid-thigh denim shorts, a cotton T-shirt with small sleeves and a light sweater made of thin plush fleece, deciding that she would feel calmer with her. At first, she was tormented by doubts about whether she chose things too light. But then, having decided that in jeans she would simply die from the heat, and even more so, a path was probably laid to the waterfall, Melissa calmed down. She wasn't going to go far into the jungle. Especially since shorts and a T-shirt would take up very little space in the bag she was going to take with her.

Now it was time to decide what she would wear for the museum. Going through the wardrobe, Melissa paid attention to things that could be safely put away in the storage room and not worry that they might wrinkle. After half an hour of deliberation, she opted for a suit, which consisted of dark purple trousers and a lilac-colored tunic with an abstract pattern. Multicolour geometric print woven clogs with high heels and a wood-look platform completed the look.

The white bag in which Melissa usually carried a small easel was the right size to fit all the necessary things: clothes, light sneakers, a mobile phone and a wallet. There was no need to hide the camera, which made her unspeakably happy, since the bag was already almost full. In a separate bag, she put all the necessary things for sketching: an album, pencils, crayons, primed paper and a small notebook for sketching a waterfall. Then she will put it all in a bag.

At times, disturbing thoughts, whether she was doing the right thing, crept into her head, but she swept them away. Her father would never have allowed her to go alone, again reminding her of the unstable situation in the country. But what can happen?! In all her life, during all her travels in Colombia, even in the most remote and abandoned corners of it, nothing terrible or dangerous has ever happened. Of course, the country had its own problems and internal conflicts, but they seemed to take place in a parallel life, in another world that did not intersect with its reality in any way.

In the morning Melissa woke up determined. My heart was pounding as the car pulled up to the museum. Having once again told Andres that she would definitely call an hour before the expected end of work, and that she would definitely not finish before nine, the girl got out of the car, rejecting insistent offers to bring things, slammed the door and slowly walked towards the museum.

She felt like a spy or secret agent, and she liked the whole idea even more. Dad had a lot of things planned for today, and Melissa hoped he wouldn't call her to ask how things were going. In the end, if he later asks why he could not get through to her, she will explain that the museum’s storage has a bad connection, since it is in the basement.

The joyful excitement of adventure filled my heart. Everything should work without problems. She will calmly go to the waterfall, make a series of sketches and photographs, return back to the museum and even have time to sketch a few exhibits. If her father asks - although he never went into such details - why there are so few works, she will answer that she chatted with the curator of the exhibition. This could well have happened in reality, as she was always interested in talking with such people.

The girl entered the museum building and looked out the window overlooking the square in front of the main entrance. Andres left, which means that it was possible to proceed with the implementation of the plan. She called a taxi from the museum's public telephone, asking that the car not drive up to the main entrance of the museum, but to its east wing, and wait near the fountain. The dispatcher said that the car will be in fifteen minutes. This information delighted Melissa, she did not want to wait an extra minute.

After changing in the toilet, she moved the pencils and crayons and the album into her bag, neatly put her things in bags, hung the camera around her neck and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. The adventure has begun! Glancing at the clock on the wall—it was 08:45—she left the restroom and headed for the lockers. Putting the bags in a free cell, Melissa closed the door and locked the lock.

Putting the key in the pocket of her bag and hanging it over her shoulder, the girl walked to the east wing of the building and went outside. There was no car yet, and Melissa decided to go buy a bottle of water. When she returned, she saw a parked taxi. The car pulled up just in front of the fountain, as she asked.

Between her and the taxi was about twenty meters. Glancing around just in case, the girl quickly ran down the stairs, ran to the car and sat in the passenger compartment.

An hour and a half on the road flew by unnoticed, and when they arrived in the suburbs of La Plata, Melissa asked to be taken directly to the building of El viaje al sueno (The Journey of Your Dreams), which organizes excursions. This company was also recommended to her by friends who told her about the waterfall.

After paying the taxi driver, Melissa went into the building to find out more about the tour. This route was not yet popular with tourists, and so the receptionist first offered her another tour, but after seeing the photos, Melissa realized that she had already been there. She tried to explain the approximate location of the falls, and the receptionist seemed to understand what Melissa was talking about. in question. The girl called someone and asked to come to the reception desk. Two minutes later, a short Hispanic man in his fifties entered the room.

He was dressed in dark gray pants, sneakers and a bright shirt. Several of the top buttons were undone, and Melissa immediately noticed a necklace of large shells. The sleeves, rolled up to the elbow, showed tanned almost black arms. Walking over to the counter, he leaned on it, tapping his car keys on the countertop, and looked at Melissa.

- Buenos dias!

Melissa greeted back.

- This is one of our guides - Senor Cabrera! – administrator smiled at Melissa, and then looked at the man. – Marco, the girl is interested in an excursion to a recently discovered waterfall in the jungle. It's probably the one in square eight? She put the map on the table and pointed to the proposed site.

“Yes, most likely,” the guide circled the place on the map with a key, glancing at Melissa. “Not far from Casa Agapito!” We can go right now.

- Yes Yes!! Most likely, this is it! Melissa exclaimed happily. – My friends who went there mentioned Casa Agapito. Perhaps you were the one who took them there! Two girls in their twenties, a brunette and a blonde, and a young man. This was about a month ago.

Yes, I remember something like that. I'll be outside, - the conductor slowly walked to the exit.

- That's wonderful! When are you going to go? Do you have a group? the administrator asked.

“I would like to go right now, and I'm alone,” Melissa put her bag on the counter.

– Unfortunately, the minimum composition of the group we have three people. You can wait until the group gathers, but it will most likely not be today, - the girl said and quickly added: - But if you pay triple the amount for the missing people, you can go right now.

“Okay, I agree,” Melissa took out her wallet.

– You will go immediately after we complete the paperwork. Please fill out this form! Here you need to enter your details and contact phone number. Also read the contract for the provision of excursion services and please sign here. Two hundred and sixty-five thousand pesos from you!

Melissa read the contract and found it to be standard. Before filling out the form, she thought for a few seconds whether to write her real name and surname, or she needed conspiracy here too. Perhaps in the future she will again use the services of this company, and there may be problems with fictitious data when transferring money or ordering an excursion via the Internet. Moreover, she was going to tell her father about this trip anyway, so there was no point in this conspiracy. Filling out the form, Melissa handed the documents and money to the girl. When she got her change and check, she put the wallet back in her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

- Enjoy your holiday and new experiences! The administrator handed her a colorful booklet. - Here are descriptions of all our excursions. We will wait for you again. Goodbye!

- Thank you! Goodbye! Melissa smiled and walked quickly to the door.

As she stepped outside, she looked around. Marco sat nearby on a bench in the shade. big tree and smoked. Seeing the girl walking towards him, he took another deep drag and stubbed out his cigarette on the ground. Rising from the bench, he threw a cigarette butt into the urn with an accurate throw.

Melissa walked over to him and handed him the check.

– Can we go right now?

- Yes of course without problems. Let's go!

When they approached the jeep, the girl was pleasantly surprised. It was a Suzuki off-road vehicle of quite decent appearance, and most importantly, it was closed. She terribly disliked the drafts that arose in open jeeps, especially at high speed. And this car definitely has air conditioning, so you don’t have to worry about the heat. Marco opened the door for her and Melissa got into the car. The salon was cozy, the seat was comfortable, and the mood became even better.

When the conductor got into the driver's seat, Melissa decided that now was the right time to agree with him on some nuances.

- Senor Cabrera! My name is Melissa. I will be very grateful to you if we take the shortest possible route, and if possible, could you take me to Cali after the tour? - Saying this, she handed the man a bill of fifty thousand pesos.

Call me Marco. Agreed! - the conductor with a satisfied smile took the money, put it in the outer pocket of his shirt and fastened his seat belt. - We're recovering.

- Thank you very much!

The girl fastened her seat belt and prepared her camera to take pictures on the way. The car was air-conditioned, as she had hoped, and ten minutes later the temperature was quite acceptable.

Everything worked out for the best! The guide will take her to Cali, and by doing so she will gain almost an hour. And most importantly, no one will interfere with her drawing.

Since childhood, Melissa tried to draw the most beautiful landscapes, Landmarks, Plants And Flowers. She always had colored crayons, a set of pencils and a folder with sheets with her. At first, she was pleased that people came up, looked at the drawings, admired her talent, but gradually, with age, this began to interfere. Therefore, if possible, she tried to take individual tours everywhere or went with those people who respected her work.

They had been driving for about an hour. First, along the paved road through the suburbs of La Plata towards Algeciras, then, deepening into the jungle, we moved onto a gravel road. Throughout the journey, Marco several times drew her attention to the most beautiful views which they passed. Basically, he tried not to bother with idle chatter, having first asked if the girl needed detailed stories about Colombia, and received a negative answer.

About twenty minutes later, the jeep pulled off the road onto the grass and stopped.

- We arrived? Melissa asked, closing the lens cap and hanging the camera around her neck.

- Yes! It's still about five hundred meters from here, but there's a path there. It’s quite comfortable to go,” Marco turned off the engine.

- Amazing!

The girl opened the door, hung her bag over her shoulder, and jumped down onto the grass. Looking around, she listened and smiled. The singing of birds, the cries of parrots, the rustling of the wind in the dense foliage - all this gave the jungle a special enchanting power. Most of the sounds around set the general background. It was crackling, tapping, whistling, but almost every few seconds there was a beautiful bird trill.

In the dense abyss of the jungle lurks a lot of danger, which more than once exceeded human capabilities and attempts. survive.

But by taking into account all the guidelines listed below, you can not only withstand the wild conditions of the jungle, but also return home safe and sound.

No matter how sad it sounds, but, alas and ah, you are lost in the jungle. As they say, tears won’t help the cause, it’s time to move on to decisive action to survive:

2. Find food.

3. Find/Build a shelter.

4. Move in one direction.

5. Provide security.

Let's talk about each of the points in more detail.

1. Find a source of drinking water.

Unlike the dry desert climate, jungle forests have high humidity, so finding water is not difficult. So, the sources of drinking water will be:

Rain in the jungle is not uncommon. From large leaves of plants, you can make a funnel to collect rainwater. But before using it, it is better to boil the water in order to kill all the bacteria contained in it. A tin/aluminum can works well for this.

Bamboo stalks:

When it rains, bamboo accumulates some water. Tilt the bamboo stalk so that water enters the container provided for this.

Solar Water Collector:

Step 1: Dig a hole in the ground.

Step 2: Place a container in the center of the hole to collect water.

Step 3: Fill the area around the container with something damp, such as wet leaves.

Step 4: Cover the hole with a plastic sheet, placing stones around its edges.

Step 5: Place a small stone in the center of the sheet just above the water container.
Step 6: Condensed water will accumulate on inside sheet and move to its center, filling the container with distilled drinking water.

2. Find food:

As you know, it grows in the jungle great amount plants and an equal number of animals, so anything can become a source of food for survival. The only thing you need to decide is how to get it. Here are some good tips:

Hunting/Traps:

Don't waste your energy on hunting if you haven't done it before. It is better to set traps and save energy for other moments. survival. To increase your chances of having something edible on your table for dinner, let's set a few traps in different places Thus:

Step 1: Find three branches and a heavy rock.

Step 2: Make several notches on the sticks, as in the picture below.

Step 3: Hold the stone with your hand while installing sticks "A" and "C".

Step 4: When the stone has been propped up with sticks "A" and "C", install the descender stick "B".

Step 5: Carefully release the structure.

Step 6: When a bird or small animal tries to take the bait, the trigger stick will fall, and the stone will cover the victim with a fatal blow.

Fishing:

If you find a river or stream in the jungle, consider that you have another food source in front of you, which is full of fish. And in order to catch it, it will be more convenient to use a spear with four prongs, which we will try to make now:

Step 2: Place the smaller branches at a 45-degree angle along the entire length of the large branch on both sides.

Step 3: Cover the structure with foliage.

4. Movement / Rest:

If you are not sure that they will soon start looking for you, start your own rescue operation yourself. To do this, move in the jungle only during the daytime, sleep at night. With the aim of survival try to go only in one direction and memorize any objects along the way to avoid wandering in a circle.

Also pay attention to whether any animal has left traces. If you see any, see where they lead. Often they can lead you to a source of water or an open area where it will be easier for the rescue team to locate you.

By the way, to move through the dense thickets of the jungle, it would be good to stock up on a cane made from an ordinary tree branch. It will come in handy not only for clearing your path from encountered plants, but will also become a lifesaver and help you get out of loose sands.

5. Security

In the jungle, regardless of their location, predatory animals are found, so it is wise to always be on the alert. It is best to move through the jungle slowly, without sudden movements and creating unnecessary noise. Do not forget to look under your feet, so as not to accidentally step on a snake. If you did not have any weapons, you can use a spear made by yourself as a self-defense weapon.

Danger in jungle survival is also threatened by mosquitoes and other poisonous insects. For example, mosquitoes are carriers of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever.

If you do not have insect repellent, you can use the following methods to protect yourself from bites:

• Wear long sleeves and pants;
• Apply dirt to unprotected places;
• Build a headdress from a shirt;
• Before putting on a shirt or shoes, carefully check them for the presence of spiders and insects.

Before the end of the process of the war in Vietnam, the United States intensified the escalation of tension, inflicting a new terrible blow. This time in Cambodia.
But before that, a new stage in the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam began.
In April 1970, before the invasion of Cambodia, President Nixon promised next year withdraw 150,000 American troops from Vietnam.

He did not understand: if, while reducing the size of the US contingent, the positions of the communists in Cambodia were not weakened, then by the middle of 1971 the enemy would pose a serious threat to the allied forces in the OTR III Corps of the ARV (around Saigon), where in 1969 the Americans suffered more losses than in any other sector of South Vietnam.

In retrospect, if Nixon had not sent troops to Cambodia to help Lon Nol, he would have had to come up with an excuse to do the same later in 1970 to protect the dwindling American troops.

Cambodia

According to the Geneva Accords of 1954, Cambodia was a neutral state.

However, during the Vietnam War that unfolded in the late 1950s, the country's ruler, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, found that because of his geographical location Cambodia will inevitably be drawn into this armed conflict.

In 1965, Sihanouk severed diplomatic relations with the United States, and soon signed an agreement with North Vietnam, according to which the North Vietnamese army, secretly participating in hostilities in South Vietnam, received the right to use the eastern regions of Cambodia for their own purposes, which contradicted the neutral status of the country. By this time, the South Vietnamese partisans already had base camps here.

Since Cambodia formally remained neutral, US President Lyndon Johnson banned american army carry out any combat operations on its territory.

Taking advantage of this, units of the NLF and the North Vietnamese army crossed the border, carried out the tasks assigned to them combat missions in South Vietnam, and then retreated back to make up for losses and rest, knowing that the enemy would not pursue them.

US President Richard Nixon, peacekeepers and warmongers fought for his decision

By 1970, Cambodia was in a civil war. The guerrillas of the local communist movement, known as the Khmer Rouge, fought against the central government.

This forced Prince Sihanouk to rapprochement with the United States and give tacit consent to conducting covert aerial bombardments of the eastern regions of the country (Operation Menu).
In March 1970, when Sihanouk was on vacation in France, a military coup took place in Cambodia, as a result of which the pro-American prime minister (and part-time defense minister) General Lon Nol came to power.
Almost immediately after coming to power, Lon Nol banned the NLF guerrillas from using the seaport of Sihanoukville to transport weapons and supplies, and demanded that the North Vietnamese army leave the country.

In response, the North Vietnamese launched a major offensive against government forces. By mid-April, the Cambodian army was in dire straits and it was a matter of life or death for the Lon Nol government.

The North Vietnamese began to expand their zones of influence to areas of Cambodia located further and further from the border. As a result, in early 1970, the Cambodians began to turn away from Sihanouk. And then he himself, with unforgivable carelessness for the leader of the country, on March 10, 1970, left for a "walk" in France.

Before Sihanouk left the country, a heated struggle for power broke out at the top, and on March 18, the National Assembly of Cambodia, headed by Prime Minister Lon Nol, unanimously voted to remove Sihanouk from power.

On April 22, Nixon and his advisers at a meeting of the National Security Council that day held, Nixon concluded that the South Vietnamese should attack the Communist sanctuaries in the Parrot's Beak area, and the United States should support the allies from the air "within visually acceptable limits."

At that time, the President did not give an order ground forces United States also to participate in the action. A few days later, however, Nixon decided to strike US forces at another base area on the Cambodia-Vietnam border, the so-called "Fish Hook."

The factor that determined the president's decision was General Abrams's unequivocal statement that he did not guarantee the success of the raid into Cambodia if American troops did not take part in it.

US Army General Clayton Abrams, head of the US military mission in Vietnam.

It was he who convinced the wavering President Nixon of the need to invade Vietnam and carry out carpet bombing there.

On the morning of April 28, Nixon finally made up his mind: the South Vietnamese units would advance on the Parrot's Beak on April 29, and the Americans would storm the Fish Hook on May 1.
An invasion of Cambodian territory would send a message to North Vietnam (and the communist world at large) that Nixon was playing by the new rules, which meant that they would now have to deal with a more ruthless and more determined adversary.

The raids could move the negotiation process from dead center and give Nixon time to put the "political twins" on their feet - to successfully implement plans for the withdrawal of troops and Vietnamization. In addition, a successful campaign would show the people of South Vietnam and the United States the progress of Vietnamization.

The invasion of Cambodia had a number of objectives, including:

Provide support to government troops of Lon Nol;
--destroy the base camps of the NLF and the North Vietnamese army in the eastern part of the country;
--demonstrate to North Vietnam that the US administration, while continuing the peace talks in Paris, is ready to take decisive action on the battlefield if necessary;
--Check how much the combat effectiveness of the South Vietnamese army has improved as a result of the "Vietnamization" program;
--find and destroy central administration South Vietnam, the main headquarters of the communist forces in the South (this goal was formally proclaimed by Nixon among the main ones, in fact it was secondary).

The invasion of Cambodia was carried out by the American and South Vietnamese armies and was a series of 13 separate operations, in which a total of 80,000 to 100,000 troops took part. The South Vietnamese army had already made several reconnaissance sorties into Cambodia during March-April.

The next day, the combined US-Vietnamese forces launched an offensive in the Fishhook area. The scope of the operation is evidenced by the fact that units and subunits of five divisions were involved in it from the American side. Contrary to expectations, the attackers did not meet serious resistance.

The main part of the North Vietnamese troops at that time fought on the western front against the government army of Cambodia, and the units guarding the base camps conducted only diversionary actions against the invading forces.

Three American soldiers move through the Mimot rubber plantation in the Cambodian border Fish Hook on May 4, 1970, aiming at a fleeing suspect.

This rubber plantation, one of the largest in Indochina, was inactive the entire time it was in the war zone.

A GI of the US 199th Light Infantry Brigade steps over bodies piled up against a barbed wire fence at a US fire support base in Cambodia, May 14, 1970.

Fifty Viet Cong were killed and only four Americans were wounded when the North Vietnamese, apparently thinking the base was abandoned and empty, were ambushed by American troops.

Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees in an American helicopter evacuate from the US-Vietnam close combat zone in Cambodia, May 5, 1970.

They were taken to a refugee reception center at the Katum Special Forces Camp in South Vietnam, six miles from the Cambodian border.

For example, two brigades of the American 4th infantry division met with strong opposition from the enemy during the landing from helicopters, but in the next ten days of their stay in Cambodia they had only one serious fire contact.

The enemy defense system in the "Fish Hook" and "Parrot's Beak" areas implied the performance of encircling maneuvers by the advancing troops, and in the case of the "Fish Hook" also required a similar approach in air attacks.
The scheme of actions of the Americans assumed the offensive of the armored units1 target="app"> from the south to the "Fishhook" and a simultaneous attack from the east by the forces of the US 1st Air Cavalry Division, supported by the attack of the 3rd Airborne Brigade of the ARV from the north, as well as enveloping throw of helicopter landings of the 1st cavalry behind enemy lines. The attacking columns numbered only about 15,000 people.

A map of the scorched jungles of Cambodia, all living things, along with people, were burned alive

On D-Day (May 1), after preliminary raids by B-52 bombers, ground attack aircraft raids and artillery preparation, tanks rushed north, and infantry units began advancing west and south. There was no big fight.

The FER front retreated to the west, leaving the Americans and South Vietnamese with all the supplies stored in their base areas.
The operation in "Parrot's Beak" was a copy of the action in "Fish Hook".

Foxtrot Platoon, SEAL Team One, Vietnam, 1970

Traps for Americans

With the course of the war, the North Vietnamese learned to prepare traps for the aggressor, here they are

In such specific conditions, when even a few dirt roads turn into an impenetrable mess, and the use of aircraft is problematic, the technical superiority of the American army is leveled to a certain extent and the Vietnamese traps become very effective and deadly.

The famous Punji trap - set in abundance on forest paths, near American bases, and being disguised under a thin layer of grass, leaves, soil or water, was difficult to detect.

The size of the trap was calculated exactly for the foot in the boot. Stakes have always been smeared with feces, carrion and other bad substances. Getting a foot in such a trap, breaking through the soles with stakes and wounding almost certainly caused blood poisoning. Often had a more complex design.

A pierced boot, if on a hot battlefield, it meant almost death

Bamboo trap - installed at the door of rural houses.

As soon as the door was opened, a small log with sharp stakes flew out of the opening. Often the traps were set in such a way that the blow fell on the head - if successful, this led to severe injuries, often with fatal.

Sometimes such traps, but already in the form big log with stakes and a trigger mechanism using a trip wire, were installed on the trails in the jungle.
In dense thickets, the log was replaced with a spherical structure. It should be noted that the Vietnamese often made stakes not from metal, but from bamboo - a very hard material, from which South-East Asia make knives.

Trap Whip Trap (trap-whip) - often installed on the trails in the jungle.

To do this, a bamboo trunk with long stakes at the ends was bent and connected to a stretch through a block. It was worth touching a wire or fishing line (the Vietnamese often used it) and the released bamboo trunk with stakes hit with all its might in the area from the knees to the stomach of the one who hit. Naturally, all the traps were carefully camouflaged.

Big Punji is an enlarged version of Punji.

This trap inflicted much more serious injuries - here the leg was pierced already up to the thigh, including the inguinal region, often with irreversible injuries in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe "main male organ". The stakes were also smeared with something bad.

One of the scariest big Punji - with a revolving lid.

The lid was fixed on a bamboo trunk and rotated freely, always returning to a strictly horizontal position. On both sides, the lid was covered with grass and leaves.

Stepping on the platform cover, the victim fell into deep hole(3 meters or more) with stakes, the lid rotated 180 degrees and the trap was again ready for the next victim.

Trap Bucket Trap (bucket trap) - a bucket with stakes, and often with large fish hooks, dug into the ground, disguised.

The whole horror of this trap consisted in the fact that the stakes were firmly fastened in the bucket at an angle downwards, and when falling into such a trap, it was impossible to pull out the leg - when trying to pull it out of the bucket, the stakes only dug deeper into the leg. Therefore, the bucket had to be dug out, and the unfortunate man, along with the bucket on his leg, was evacuated with the help of MEDEVAC to the hospital.

Trap Side Closing Trap (trap with closing sides) - two boards with stakes were fastened with elastic rubber, stretched, thin bamboo sticks were inserted between them.

It was worth falling into such a trap, breaking the sticks, as the doors slammed shut just at the level of the victim's stomach. Additional stakes could also be dug into the bottom of the pit.

Trap-cartridge pressure action in a bamboo container. Various cartridges could be used, including hunting ones with shot or buckshot.

Although all these traps look impressive, of course, the damage from them cannot be compared to mines and grenades on tripwires. Constantly mining the territory and placing banners, the Vietnamese managed to turn the presence of the American military on foreign land into a real hell.

"Pineapple" (pineapple) - grenades, high-explosive shells and other ammunition suspended from tree branches. Branches had to be cut in order to work. One of the most common traps during the Vietnam War.

Stretching - installed on the ground or close to it. The situation was aggravated by the fact that in the forest floor of the jungle, in the twilight, it is very difficult to notice the trap, and even more so in the forty-degree heat and one hundred percent humidity, which clearly do not contribute to concentration.

In the photo from Vietnam - a well-installed banner with a Chinese hand grenade in grass. Even with the flash from the camera, it is very difficult to notice it.

Good frame. The explosion of ammunition at the base of the Marines as a result of sabotage.

So that their own would not fall into traps, the Vietnamese developed a whole signal system from sticks, leaves and broken branches located in a certain way. An experienced person from these marks could determine not only that a trap was installed nearby, but also the type of this trap.

Signs about traps

This is not to say that the Americans did not fight this. The traps and signaling system were carefully and constantly studied. Regular classes were held with the personnel, pocket instructions were issued on traps and their disposal. At the head of the groups began to put miners.

Disarming a trap

For reports of found traps, local residents were paid rewards.
USMC trap reporting reward announcement

However, the US military still continued to fall into traps and undermine throughout the war.

US Army offensive

Three ARVF task forces (8,700 in total), each consisting of three infantry battalions and one armored cavalry battalion (approximately 75 armored combat vehicles), surrounded base areas 706 and 367, located at the tip of the Parrot's Beak.

Having carried out a "cleansing operation", one of the operational-tactical groups turned west in the direction of the town of Svai Rieng and north to cover the base area No. showed.

Mountains of captured equipment were to be removed or destroyed, and storage facilities, training facilities and barracks were to be blown up or burned.

Allies received: 23,000 personal small arms, which could equip 74 fully equipped DIA battalions, 2,500 group weapons (for 25 battalions or divisions), 16,700,000 small arms cartridges (as much as the communists spent in a year), 6,500,000 kg of rice, 143,000 mortar mines, rockets and ammunition for recoilless guns, as well as about 200,000 ammunition for anti-aircraft guns.

The double operation cost the northerners 11,000 killed and 2,500 captured.

The Allies lost 976 killed (including 338 Americans) and 4,534 wounded (including 1,525 Americans). US troops withdrew from Cambodia on June 30, but South Vietnamese forces remained for a longer period.

Results of the invasion

From the point of view of the Americans and the South Vietnamese, the action was quite successful. The allies managed to help Lon Nol and his government, give them time to train their own troops.

The base areas were devastated, all facilities were destroyed, and a large number of weapons, ammunition and various supplies were seized. American and South Vietnamese troops killed and captured more than 13,000 enemy fighters, although, as usual, this figure is probably overestimated.

At the same time, the attackers were unable to find the headquarters of the CUSE, which, as is now known for sure, left the "Fish Hook" on March 19 and, having moved to the other side of the Mekong River, relocated in a north-westerly direction.

According to Sir Robert Thompson, a British expert in the field of suppression of insurrections, the raid into Cambodia and the loss of the port of Sihanoukville delayed the plans for the launch of the DIA offensive "by at least a year, perhaps a year and a half or even two years."
Henry Kissinger believed that the United States won for about a year and three months and that this win was very important for them.

As for political goals, the operations did not contribute to the progress of the negotiations, however, no one pinned special hopes on this.
The Cambodian raids reduced the threat posed by the withdrawal of American troops, facilitated the process of Vietnamization and brought disorganization to the camp of the North Vietnamese.

During the actions, the ARV showed a good level of combat capability, and the North Vietnamese lost the initiative.

Decay of the US Army

Since the late 1960s, the process of decomposition of the US army began A

Cases of desertion and going "AWOL" have become more frequent. The number of military personnel who used drugs was constantly growing. In 1970, there were 65,000 of them in Vietnam.

Alcohol, like marijuana and hashish, has become widespread. However, opioids have become the most serious problem 5 . In 1967, opium in Vietnam could be obtained for a dollar, and morphine for $5. Binoctal 6 tablets cost between $1 and $5 for a pack of 20. Demand among American soldiers gave rise to supply, already in 1970 the underground laboratories of the Golden Triangle 7 launched the production of high-quality heroin. Moreover, its use grew like a snowball, gradually replacing lighter drugs and alcohol. At this time, the Americans were trying to get out of the Vietnamese trap with all their might, and there was no end in sight to the war, which further undermined the morale of the troops.

In 1969, he was arrested for drug use. military police 8440 people, which was 0.157 people per 1000. In 1970, the number of military personnel arrested for the same reason was 11,058, that is, 0.273 people per 1,000.

Attacks on commanders began to occur in 1970 three times more often than in 1969.

In this still image from the video, Aries Fire Support Base soldiers in a small jungle clearing in Warzone D, 50km from Saigon, smoke marijuana while using the barrel of a Ralph shotgun for added effect.

The number of misdemeanors associated with insubordination increased from 0.28 per 1,000 in 1969 to 0.32 in 1970.

All the statistics at the disposal of the military leadership, plus the appearance of bearded and dirty soldiers performing their duties as if under duress, convinced the higher and senior officers in 1970 that the matter was leading to a loss of discipline by the military and the collapse of the military contingent.

However, the worst of the Americans was yet to come, in 1971.

In 1971, the number of arrests for the use and sale of hard drugs increased 7 times compared with the previous year. In 1971, the medical service estimated that between 10 and 15 percent of military personnel were heroin addicts. Approximately one third got hooked on it in the first month in Vietnam. Heroin was mostly smoked or snorted, and syringes were used much less frequently.

When the command was faced with a heroin problem, all that remained was to remember marijuana as childish pranks.

Here are the words of one officer

: "If it helped my guys get off hard drugs, I would buy all the marijuana and hashish in the [Mekong] delta."

It is very interesting to compare data on heroin use by US troops in Thailand (1%) and Vietnam (10-15%) in the same period. Which eloquently speaks of the brutal nature of that war. The peak of heroin use occurred in 1973, then in Vietnam there were units covering the departure of the main forces.

Just over a third of American soldiers used heroin that year. It is safe to say that the drug traffickers were the losers from the end of the war. That's who exactly cried during Operation Gusty Wind

After returning home, "G.I.'s" again found themselves in a relatively healthy social environment, however, they could no longer get off heroin, thus replenishing the army of drug addicts in their homeland. This gave rise to various social problems in the already troubled American society of the 60s and 70s.

As a result, despite the beginning of the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam, the war flared up with new force. The warmongers were not going to end it so easily.

The climatic and geographical features of tropical countries (constantly high temperatures and humidity, specific flora and fauna) create extremely favorable conditions for the emergence and development of various tropical diseases.

Moreover, in the tropics, due to the absence of seasonal fluctuations in climate, diseases also lose their seasonal rhythm. A significant role in the emergence and spread of tropical diseases is played by social factors, and first of all, the poor sanitary condition of settlements, especially rural ones, the lack of sanitary cleaning, centralized water supply and sewerage, non-compliance with elementary hygiene rules, insufficient measures to identify and isolate sick people, bacillus carriers, etc. .d.

If we classify tropical diseases according to the principle of causality, they can be divided into 5 groups. The first will include all diseases associated with human exposure to adverse factors of the tropical climate (high insolation, temperature and humidity): burns, heatstroke, and fungal skin lesions, the occurrence of which is promoted by constant skin hydration caused by increased sweating.

The second group combines nutritional diseases caused by a lack of certain vitamins in food (beriberi, pellagra, etc.) or the presence of toxic substances in it (poisoning with glucosides, alkaloids, etc.).

The third group includes diseases caused by the bites of poisonous snakes, arachnids, etc. Diseases of the fourth group are caused by various types of helminths, the wide distribution of which in the tropics is due to the specifics of soil and climatic conditions that contribute to their development in soil and water bodies (hookworm infections, strongyloidosis and etc.).

And finally, the fifth group of tropical diseases proper - diseases with pronounced tropical natural foci (sleeping sickness, schistosomiasis, yellow fever, malaria, etc.). It is known that in the tropics there is often a violation of heat transfer.

However, the risk of heat stroke occurs only at high physical activity, which can be avoided by observing the rational mode labor activity. Widespread in tropical zone fungal diseases (most often toes) caused by various types of dermatophytes.

This is explained, on the one hand, by the fact that the acidic reaction of soils favors the development of fungi pathogenic for humans in them, on the other hand, increased sweating of the skin, high humidity and ambient temperature contribute to the occurrence of fungal diseases.

Prevention and treatment of fungal diseases consist in constant hygienic foot care, lubrication of the interdigital spaces with nitrofungin, powdering with powders consisting of zinc oxide, boric acid, etc. A very common skin lesion in a hot, humid climate is prickly heat, or, as it is called, tropical lichen (Miliaria rubra).

As a result of increased sweating, the cells of the sweat glands and ducts swell, are rejected and clog the excretory ducts, disrupting the normal excretion of sweat. In areas of intense sweating (on the back, shoulders, forearms, chest), a small rash appears, dot bubbles filled with a clear liquid. The skin at the site of the rash turns red. These phenomena are accompanied by sensations of burning areas of the affected skin.

Relief is brought by rubbing the affected areas of the skin with a mixture consisting of 100 g of 70% ethyl alcohol, 0.5 g of menthol, 1.0 g of salicylic acid, 1.0 g of resorcinol. For the purpose of prevention, regular skin care, washing with warm water, and drinking regimen are recommended. In stationary conditions - hygienic shower.

Of practical interest in terms of the problem of human survival in the rainforest are diseases of the second group, which develop acutely as a result of ingestion of toxic substances (glucosides, alkaloids) contained in wild plants.

If symptoms of poisoning appear, immediately rinse the stomach by drinking 3-5 liters of water with the addition of 2-3 crystals of potassium permanganate, and then artificially induce vomiting. In the presence of a first-aid kit, the victim is injected with drugs that support cardiac activity and stimulate the respiratory center.

The same group of diseases includes lesions caused by the sap of plants such as guao, widespread in the tropical forests of Central and South America, on the islands of the Caribbean. The white juice of the plant turns brown after 5 minutes, and after 15 minutes becomes black. When the juice gets on the skin (especially damaged) with dew, raindrops, or when the leaves and young shoots are touched, numerous pale pink bubbles appear on it.

They grow rapidly, merge, forming spots with jagged edges. The skin swells, itches unbearably, appear headache, dizziness. The disease can last for 1-2 weeks, but always ends in a favorable outcome. This type of plant includes manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) from the spurge family with small, apple-like fruits. After touching its trunk during the rain, when water flows down it, dissolving the juice, through a short time there is a severe headache, pain in the intestines, the tongue swells so much that it is difficult to speak.

In Southeast Asia, the juice of the khan plant, somewhat reminiscent of appearance large nettles, causing deep painful burns. Poisonous snakes pose a terrible danger to humans in the rainforest. Every year, 25-30 thousand people become victims of poisonous snakes in Asia, 4 thousand in South America, 400-1000 in Africa, 300-500 in the USA, and 50 people in Europe.

Of the 2200 known snakes, approximately 270 species are venomous. These are mainly representatives of the families - Collbridae, Viperidae, Elapidae and Crotalidae. Poisonous snakes are usually small in size (100-150 cm), however, there are specimens that reach 3 m or more, for example bushmaster, King Cobra, big naya.

The venom of snakes is complex in nature. Toxic Substances, hemotoxins and neurotoxins, which have the effect of enzymatic poisons, affect the circulatory and nervous systems. Hemotoxins give a strong local reaction in the area of ​​​​the bite, which is expressed in severe pain, swelling and the occurrence of hemorrhages. After a short period of time, dizziness, abdominal pain, vomiting, thirst appear. Arterial pressure drops, temperature goes down, respiration quickens.

All these phenomena develop against a background of strong emotional arousal. Neurotoxins, acting on the nervous system, cause paralysis of the limbs, which then pass to the muscles of the head and trunk. There are disorders of speech, swallowing, incontinence of feces, urine, etc. When severe forms poisoning, death after a short time occurs from respiratory paralysis.

All these phenomena develop especially rapidly when the poison enters directly into the main vessels. That is why bites in the neck, large vessels of the limbs are extremely dangerous. The degree of poisoning depends on the size of the snake, the amount of poison that has entered the human body, on the period of the year.

So, for example, snakes are most poisonous in the spring, during the mating period, after hibernation. Of no small importance are the physical condition of the bitten person, his age, weight, etc. Some types of snakes, such as the black-necked cobra (Naja nigricollis), collared cobra(Haemachatus haemachatus), one of the subspecies of the Indian spectacle snake(Naja naja sputatrix), can strike their prey from a distance.

By sharply reducing the temporal muscles, the snake can create a pressure of up to 1.5 atmospheres in the venom gland, and the poison is sprayed out in two thin streams, which merge into one at a distance of half a meter. When the poison gets on the mucous membrane of the eye, the whole symptom complex of poisoning develops.

What the victim of a poisonous snake attack experiences is dramatically described in his book "Across the Andes to the Amazon" by the German naturalist Eduard Peppig, bitten by one of the most poisonous South American snakes - bushmaster (Crotalus mutus). “I was about to cut down the neighboring trunk that was interfering with me, when I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my ankle, as if molten sealing wax had been dropped on it.

The pain was so strong that I involuntarily jumped on the spot ... My leg was very swollen and I could not step on it ... The bite site, which had grown cold and almost lost sensitivity, was indicated by a blue, the size of a square vershok, a spot and two black dots, as from I was pricked with a pin... The pains got worse, I kept losing consciousness, death could follow the advancing insensible state...

Everything around me began to sink into darkness, I lost consciousness and felt no more pain. It was already well past midnight when I came to my senses - the young organism had triumphed over death. A severe fever, profuse perspiration, and excruciating pain in my leg indicated that I had been saved... For several days, the pain from the resulting wound did not stop, and the consequences of the poisoning made themselves felt for a long time. Only two weeks later, with outside help, I was able to get out of the dark corner and stretch out on the skin of a jaguar at the door of the hut" (1960).

Used for snake bites various methods first aid, which were supposed to either prevent the spread of poison through the blood vessels - applying a tourniquet above the bite site, or remove part of the poison - cutting the wound and sucking out the poison, or neutralize the poison - sprinkling with potassium permanganate powder (Grober, 1939).

However, studies carried out in last years question the effectiveness of some of them. This primarily applies to the recommendation to apply a tourniquet to a limb after a snakebite, as it is still found in both popular and specialist literature.

Studies conducted in laboratories and observations in hospitals have shown that the application of a tourniquet can bring immeasurable harm to the victim (Ginter, 1953; Sultanov, 1963; Machilaev, 1970; Pogosyan, 1972, etc.). This is primarily due to the fact that in the tissues below the site of the constriction, lymph and blood circulation is sharply disturbed or completely stopped, which leads to tissue destruction, accompanied by necrosis, and often to the occurrence of gangrene of the bitten limb.

In addition, when a tourniquet is applied due to the hyaluronidase activity of the poison and the release of serotonins, under the influence of which the permeability of capillaries and connective tissue increases sharply, conditions arise for the rapid spread of the poison throughout the body.

Experiments conducted by Z. Barkagan (1963) on rabbits, which, after injection into the muscles of the paw snake venom the ligature was superimposed for various times, showed that the constriction of the limb by 1.0 - 1.5 hours significantly accelerates the death of animals.

Many authors point out the inadmissibility of injuring a wound by cauterization with hot objects, potassium permanganate powder, etc., believing that this method not only has no benefit, but also leads to the destruction of already affected tissue (Barkagan, 1965, etc.). At the same time, a number of works note the need to remove at least part of the poison that has entered the wound from the wound.

This can be achieved with the help of deep cruciform incisions made through the wounds and subsequent suction of the poison by mouth or medicine jar (Valigura, 1961; Mackie et al., 1956, etc.). Poison suction is one of the most effective methods of treatment. It is safe enough for the caregiver if there are no wounds in the mouth. For safety reasons, in case of oral mucosal erosions, a thin rubber or plastic film is placed between the wound and the mouth (Grober et al., 1960).

The degree of success will depend on how soon and how completely the venom is sucked out after the bite. Some authors suggested chipping the bite site with a 1-2% solution of potassium permanganate, others believed that it was possible to confine oneself to abundant washing of the wound with water or a weak solution of any antiseptic at hand, followed by applying a lotion from a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.

The opinions found in the literature regarding the ingestion of alcohol during snake bites are very contradictory. Even in the writings of Mark Portia, Cato, Censorius, Celsius, cases of treatment of those bitten by snakes with large doses of alcohol are mentioned. This method is widely used among the inhabitants of India and other countries of Southeast Asia. However, convincing data have now been obtained on the adverse effects of alcohol on the condition of a person bitten by a poisonous snake.

It has been established that after the introduction of alcohol into the body, the nervous system reacts much more sharply to the action of snake venom. In addition, alcohol, as shown experimental studies I. Valtseva (1969), firmly fixes snake venom in the nervous tissue. Whatever therapeutic measures are taken, one of the prerequisites is to create maximum rest for the victim and immobilization of the bitten limb (as in a fracture).

Absolute rest contributes to a more rapid elimination of the local edematous-inflammatory reaction and a favorable outcome of poisoning. The most effective method of treatment is the immediate introduction of a specific serum subcutaneously or intramuscularly, and with rapid development symptoms - intravenously.

In this case, there is no need to inject serum into the bite site, since it gives not so much a local as a general antitoxic effect. The exact dose of serum depends on the type of snake and its size, the severity of poisoning, the age of the victim (Russel, 1960). MN Sultanov (1969) recommends dosing the amount of serum depending on the severity of the case: 500 - 1000 AU in the lungs, 1500 AU in the middle, 2000-2500 AU in severe cases.

A set of measures to help a person bitten by a venomous snake at the scene of the incident will consist of sucking the poison out of the wound, ensuring complete rest, immobilizing the affected limb, and giving plenty of drink. After delivering the victim to a medical institution, first of all, he needs to enter a specific serum. With further treatment, painkillers (except for morphine and its analogues), cardiac and respiratory analeptics (according to indications) are used.

Given the severe mental state of people bitten by a venomous snake, it is advisable to use tranquilizers (phenazepam, melliril, etc.). Poisonous snakes themselves rarely attack a person and, when meeting with him, strive to crawl away as quickly as possible. However, with carelessness, you can step on a snake, hook it. hand. Then the bite is inevitable.

That is why, making your way through the forest thicket, you must be extremely careful. It is much safer to yield the battlefield to the snake than to fight it. And only in last resort, when the snake has taken a fighting posture and an attack is imminent, you should immediately strike it on the head.

Among the numerous (more than 20 thousand species) order of spiders, there are many representatives that are dangerous to humans. The bite of some of them, such as Licosa raptoria, Phormictopus, living in the Amazonian selva, gives a severe local reaction (gangrenous tissue decay), and sometimes ends in death. Especially dangerous is the small spider Dendrifan-tes nocsius, whose bite is often fatal.

Making your way through the thicket of the tropical forest, you can be attacked by land leeches from the genus Haemadipsa, which hide on the leaves of trees and shrubs, on plant stems along the paths laid by animals and people. In the jungles of Southeast Asia, there are mainly several species of leeches: Limhatis nilotica, Haemadipsa zeylan nica, H.ceylonica (Demin, 1965, etc.).

According to our observations, the wound continues to bleed for about 40 - 50 minutes, and pain at the site of the bite persists for 2 - 3 days. It is easy to remove a leech by touching it with a lit cigarette, sprinkling it with salt, tobacco, or smearing it with iodine. The effectiveness of any of the above methods is approximately the same. The bite of a leech does not carry an immediate danger, however, secondary infection easily occurs in the jungle.

Currently, there are special formulations that lubricate the skin to repel leeches. From the numerous works of domestic and foreign authors, it is known that diseases caused by various types of worms (IV group) are widespread in tropical countries. Human infection usually occurs when larvae and eggs of helminths enter the body with food and water.

Group V includes diseases transmitted by flying blood-sucking insects (mosquitoes, mosquitoes, flies, midges) - filariasis, yellow fever, trypanosomiasis, malaria, etc. The greatest practical interest among these transmissible diseases in terms of the problem of survival is malaria.

Malaria is one of the most common diseases in the globe. The area of ​​​​its distribution are entire countries, such as Burma. The number of patients registered by WHO is 100 million people. The incidence is especially high in tropical countries, where its most severe form, tropical malaria, is found.

The disease is caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium, which are transmitted by different kinds mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. It is known that for the full development cycle of mosquitoes, the sum of -heat is extremely important. In the tropics, where average daily temperatures reach 24-27°C, mosquito development occurs almost twice as fast as, for example, at 16°C, and during the season malarial mosquito can give 8 generations, breeding in myriad quantities.

Thus, the jungle, with its hot, humid air, slow circulation of air masses and an abundance of standing water, is an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes and mosquitoes. After a short incubation period, the disease begins with an attack of tremendous chills, fever, headaches, vomiting, etc. For tropical malaria, muscle pains are very characteristic, general symptoms of damage nervous system.

Often there are malignant forms of malaria, which are very difficult and give a high percentage of mortality. Protection against flying bloodsuckers is one of the most important health issues in the jungle, but liquid repellents are often ineffective in the hot daytime, as they are quickly washed off the skin with profuse sweat.

In this case, you can protect the skin from insect bites by lubricating it with a solution of silt or clay. Having dried up, it forms a dense crust, irresistible for the sting of insects. Mosquitoes, midges, mosquitoes are twilight insects, and in the evening and at night their activity increases sharply. Therefore, with the sunset, it is necessary to use all available means of protection: put on a mosquito net, lubricate the skin with repellent, make a smoky fire.

A number of drugs are used to prevent malaria: chloroquine (0.5 g), haloquine (0.3 g), chloridine (0.025 g), paludrin, and others. once a week.

Yellow fever. It is caused by the filterable Viscerophicus virus, which is carried by mosquitoes Aedes aegpti, A. africanus, A. Simpsony, A. haemagogus, etc. Yellow fever in its endemic form is widespread in Africa, South and Central America, South-East Asia.

After a short incubation period (3-6 days), the disease begins with a tremendous chill, fever, nausea, vomiting, headaches, followed by an increase in jaundice, lesions vascular system(hemorrhages, nose and intestinal bleeding). The disease proceeds very hard and in 5 - 10% ends with the death of a person.

A very reliable means of preventing yellow fever is vaccination with live vaccines. Trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, is a natural focal disease that is common only in Africa between 15 ° north latitude and 28 ° south latitude. This disease, which is considered the scourge of the African continent, threatens, according to World Organization health care, 35 million of its inhabitants.

Its pathogen, Tripa-nosoma gambiensis, is carried by the notorious tsetse fly. In the blood of a person bitten by a fly, trypanosomes multiply rapidly, having penetrated there with the saliva of an insect. And after 2-3 weeks the patient collapses in a severe fever. On the background high temperature the skin becomes covered with a rash, there are signs of damage to the nervous system, anemia, exhaustion; the disease often ends in the death of a person.

Mortality from sleeping sickness is so high that, for example, in some areas of Uganda, as N.N. Plotnikov (1961) points out, the population decreased from 300 to 100 thousand people over 6 years. In Guinea alone, 1500-2000 deaths were recorded annually. To combat this terrible disease, 36 countries of the African continent, where it is rampant, annually spend about 350 million dollars a year.

However, no vaccine against sleeping sickness has yet been developed. To prevent it, pentaminizothionate is used, which is administered intravenously at the rate of 0.003 g per 1 kg of body weight.

Only the strictest observance of the rules of personal hygiene, the implementation of all preventive and protective measures can prevent the occurrence of tropical diseases and maintain health under conditions of autonomous existence in the rainforest.

"Man in extreme conditions of the natural environment"
V.G. Volovich.

It is probably true that we live in an era of revolutionary upheaval, geological shifts of continents and destinies - otherwise how can we explain our increased craving for adventure literature? But the story of L. M. Burova "Dangerous Jungle" is not only an exciting adventure, but also a romantic story about love, about the courage of a fragile and charming girl Melissa, "whose heart was overflowing with the cheerful excitement of adventure." Being among the bandits, more dangerous than the pirates of Treasure Island, she managed to steadfastly endure the trials that fell to her lot and even won the heart of one of ... but, reader, and even more so reader, if you want to know how to find your happiness at gunpoint pistol, open the book ... and you won’t close it until you finish reading it to the end!

They had been driving for about an hour. First, along the paved road through the suburbs of La Plata towards Algeciras, then, deepening into the jungle, we moved onto a gravel road. Throughout the journey, Marco pointed out several times to her attention the most beautiful views they passed. Basically, he tried not to bother with idle chatter, having first asked if the girl needed detailed stories about Colombia, and received a negative answer.

About twenty minutes later, the jeep pulled off the road onto the grass and stopped.

- We arrived? Melissa asked, closing the lens cap and hanging the camera around her neck.

- Yes! It's still about five hundred meters from here, but there's a path there. It’s quite comfortable to go,” Marco turned off the engine.

- Amazing!

The girl opened the door, hung her bag over her shoulder, and jumped down onto the grass. Looking around, she listened and smiled. The singing of birds, the cries of parrots, the rustling of the wind in the dense foliage - all this gave the jungle a special enchanting power. Most of the sounds around set the general background. It was crackling, tapping, whistling, but almost every few seconds there was a beautiful bird trill.

Marco got out of the car, took a machete in a case from the back seat, fastened it to his belt, then locked the car and put the keys in his pocket.

As soon as they entered the forest, the elastic leaves of the plants began to whip the girl on her bare legs. Of course, short denim shorts and a T-shirt with small sleeves were not the best clothes for walking through the jungle, but she could not take jeans too. The most important thing is that some nasty insects do not meet along the way, and a couple of scratches do not bother her much.

Melissa was terribly afraid of spiders, large caterpillars and centipedes, but despite her many walks and excursions through the jungle, she never came face to face with them. They were usually bumped into by other members of the group, and she looked at them, if at all, from a respectful distance. Therefore, in the jungle, the girl felt calm, although she did not rule out that this calmness could evaporate at any moment.

She remembered how hysterical she was caused by a large centipede seen in the garden. But now, stomping her feet in comfortable sneakers on a carpet of woven tree roots and leaves, she did not think about the bad. There were only thoughts in her head about what was ahead of her, and what gorgeous pictures and drawings she would bring home today.

A couple of times, in the back of her mind, disturbing thoughts flashed again about the gangster groups with which her father frightened her, but Melissa reassured herself that they were not going to get into the wilderness. They follow the usual tourist route, which means that it simply has to be safe. Moreover, Casa Agapito and the area around are not considered dangerous and are controlled by the Colombian army.

The guide walked ahead, chopping leaves and branches with a machete with quick and precise movements. For tourists, a semblance of a path had already been laid here, but some branches still interfered. Melissa removed the cap from the lens, starting to hunt for interesting shots.

Scattered rays of light made their way through the dense foliage. Because of this, a greenish twilight reigned almost everywhere in the jungle, and when photographing, one had to deal with a banal lack of lighting and use a flash, but this could not be the reason for not taking pictures.

– Marco! Wait a minute, I'll take a couple of pictures.

He obediently froze, sheathing his machete and lighting a cigarette.

The girl took several pictures of a giant creeper fancifully wrapped around a tree trunk. She descended from somewhere above almost to the very ground and wrapped herself around a tree trunk in several rows.

Then they moved on, deeper into the jungle. By Melissa's calculations, they should have reached the falls by now. Finally, there was a noise ahead, and the air became even more humid. The girl peered impatiently into the thickets ahead, trying to make out the waterfall.

The noise got louder and louder. Suddenly the jungle parted, and an open space appeared ahead. Melissa followed Marco, and a picture of incredible beauty opened up before her.

- What a miracle!!! An exclamation of delight escaped from her chest.

Melissa hasn't seen this waterfall yet. She walked forward, admiring the magnificent creation of nature. A stream of water fell off a cliff about twenty meters high. Below was a small lake with the purest azure water, on one side of which adjoined a large clearing, half overgrown with huge ferns. The second half consisted of stones of all sizes.

Several huge blocks of stone lay right near the edge of the forest, like guards at the entrance to this paradise. From them to the lake itself there was a wide path of smaller stones, which then framed the lake in a semicircle.

Melissa walked closer to the lake, moving carefully from stone to stone.

- Be careful. You can easily twist your leg here, - Marco's warning came from behind.

- Yes thank you! I'm careful.

The girl stepped onto one of the stones with a fairly flat surface, which lay at the very edge of the lake, and, squatting down, touched the water. She was warm and transparent, but Melissa did not plan to swim. Firstly, there was simply no time for this, and secondly, in such lakes there may be leeches and other unpleasant and dangerous creatures, such as snakes. And now she doesn't need any more trouble. Putting her bag on the rock, she started taking pictures.

The guide sat a little further on the trunk of a fallen tree and smoked, watching the girl climb the stones. Several times he offered to help her, but Melissa decided that she could do just fine on her own.

After about a hundred different shots were taken, the girl put the camera in her bag. She was eager to capture this beauty on paper. Images flickered in my head of how it all could look on canvas, but with pencils she will make wonderful drawings, and with crayons she will create volume. You just need to choose a place where you can sit. Looking around, she saw that the tree on which the guide was sitting had a good view. I did not want to sit on the stones, even more so on the grass. Grabbing her bag, Melissa walked over to Marco.

- I have a big request for you. I will draw now and I want to sit on this tree. Could you make sure that I don't accidentally get some insect crawling on me?

- Yes, sure. No problem!

- Thank you very much.

Sitting on a tree, she began to get everything she needed from her bag. Marco moved a little further. Resting her notepad on her lap, Melissa spread crayons and pencils beside her. The presence of the conductor did not interfere with her at all, on the contrary, kind and unobtrusive energy emanated from him. And when she plunged into work, everything around, except for the object of the sketch, ceased to exist at all.

In forty minutes, two drawings were completed. The girl made a sketch overall picture and separately a waterfall, focusing on the water - here crayons were especially useful to her. During all this time, Marco got up several times and went around her from behind, checking if any insect had dared to encroach on her peace of mind.

Having made another series of sketches, Melissa smiled contentedly, feeling a pleasant feeling of satisfaction with the resulting work.

A few more ideas of drawings appeared in my head, which could be drawn at home, based on photographs, and for this it was necessary to take a certain number of frames. Putting her notebook and crayons into her bag, she took out her camera and got down to business.

After taking about twenty more shots, the girl decided that now she should ask Marco to take a picture of her. It would be an unforgivable mistake not to capture yourself here. Upon arrival in New York, these pictures will take pride of place in her photo album. Moreover, she remembered how friends told that the guide took pictures of them. Smiling, she approached Marco.

– Could you take a picture of me?

- Yes, sure.

- Amazing!

The girl handed him a camera and ran to the lake. Marco followed her.

After about thirty shots and changing three places, Melissa looked around the lake again for a minute. Behind the waterfall was a small depression in the rock. From there, you could get beautiful shots of water jets up close. And it would be great to take a picture from behind the waterfall. Maybe Marco will tell you, is it possible to climb there? And if so, will it help her? Thinking about it, she turned to Marco, about to ask a question, and froze in place in surprise.

Standing behind the conductor was a tall man wearing black pants, a dark gray T-shirt and what looked like a bulletproof vest. Marco did not even suspect that a man was standing half a meter behind him. The man's gaze was cold and concentrated, and from this the girl immediately became a little uncomfortable. He didn't look like a tourist, and he didn't look like a military man either. There was something frighteningly dangerous in his whole image.

“I need to tell Marco that someone is standing behind him,” the thought flashed, but the stranger was ahead of Melissa. Taking a quick step forward, he struck the conductor with a strong and sharp blow on the neck with the edge of his palm. He fell to the ground, face down, as if knocked down.

Everything happened so unexpectedly that in the first seconds the girl did not even understand what had happened. As if in slow motion, she saw how the camera fell out of Marco's hands, and he himself was at the feet of a stranger. A million of the most terrible thoughts and assumptions instantly flashed through my head.

A wave of fear, originating somewhere in the area of ​​the solar plexus, spread throughout the body in an instant, affecting every cell of it. A huge release of adrenaline in the blood made the heart pound furiously. His stomach clenched into a tiny ball, and his ears roared.

The man looked at Melissa intently. Two eyes met: one full of horror, the other cold calm. The stranger pointedly pressed his index finger to his lips, and the scream that was about to break from her lips stuck in her throat. The man at that time leaned over to Marco, searched his pockets and, taking out the car keys and phone, put them in his vest pocket.

Melissa felt her body shake violently. Who is this man?! What should she do?! Is Marco really dead, and she was left alone with the killer?! Thoughts whirled around in my head, mixed with the beginning of panic. The sight of the man destroyed the slightest hope of resistance. He was much taller and larger, and he definitely had a firearm or cold weapon with him. And she has nothing with which to even try to defend herself.

At this time, the stranger took the first step towards her, and the girl unconsciously backed away, remembering in time that there was a lake behind, and she was standing on a stone. As if in a fog, she examined the holstered pistol, the machete-knife attached to her belt, and the huge cleaver sheathed at her shin. It was all like in a terrible nightmare, when a person is in danger, but he cannot do anything. Legs do not obey, there is nowhere to run, and the enemy is getting closer.

Standing on a rock, she was trapped. An attempt to escape could end in failure. It was possible to fall on the stones in no time. But even if she could get to the path, there was no one here to help her. The stranger came closer, and Melissa, instinctively defending herself, held out her hand and murmured with trembling lips:

"Please don't kill me!" Take everything! I have money, phone. He is expensive. Also take a camera. I'm just begging - let me go!

The man did not pay the slightest attention to her words, and his chilling gaze seemed to nail the girl to the spot. My heart was ready to jump out of my chest. Up close, the stranger seemed even taller, and the danger emanating from him increased exponentially.

When he came close, Melissa held her breath, looked up at him, and her gaze was immediately riveted to his eyes. Saturated gray color with a cold metallic tint attracted and fascinated. One could drown and dissolve in them if these eyes belonged to another person and in a different situation. And now, from the look of those steel eyes, Melissa became terrified.

Maybe he's not going to kill her?! We must try to persuade him, to convince him that it is more profitable for him not to kill her. The brain feverishly gave out ideas, but one of them in this situation was the most logical.

- My father influential person! Contact him and he will pay you big money! Very big!

The man slowly looked around her face, as if studying her more carefully, and suddenly his deep voice was heard:

“Don’t make a sound and don’t you dare twitch, otherwise it will hurt!” Understood?

It acted on her like a boa constrictor on a rabbit, and Melissa, turning pale, nodded slowly, feeling her eyes sting with brewing tears. Maybe he will take the money, all the things and leave her alone? Hopeful thoughts were shattered as the man grabbed her by the arm and dragged her towards the nearest trees. What if he drags her into the jungle and kills her there?! The suggestion seemed crazy, but that didn't make it any less real. Completely forgetting about the warning, the girl rested her feet on the ground and tried to pull her hand away, but he did not seem to feel her resistance.

- Where are you taking me? Let go!!! Please!!! I am begging you!!! Do not do that!!!

- Quiet! – said the man, not even turning around, and only squeezed her hand tighter.

Melissa felt panic fill her completely, rolling in powerful waves over her consciousness, which rebelled against the mere thought of death. She no longer understood where she was, did not make out sounds and sensations.

- No!!! No need!!! Please!!! – pleading and choking with tears, the girl desperately tried to escape from the steel grip of the holding hand and unclench his fingers, but it was useless.

The stranger held tight, and all attempts to stop him were mercilessly thwarted by strong jerks by the hand. Forces left Melissa quickly, as well as clarity of thinking. When she realized that resistance was useless, a numbness came over her that was worse than hysteria. My legs refused to move, as if filled with lead.

The man stopped near some tree and turned to her, the girl looked at him incomprehensibly, sobbing, swallowing tears and breathing heavily. Why did he stop when they hadn't even reached the forest? Maybe he's not going to kill her after all?! The faint flame of hope in my soul flared up brighter.

“Please, I beg you, let me go!! Melissa pleaded.

The stranger at this time took out a small rope from his pants pocket and pulled the girl closer with a jerk. With a deft movement, he tied a knot on one of Melissa's hands, threw the resulting loop over the other and tightened the rope. Then he quickly tied the ends of the rope so that the girl's hands were above her head, pressed against the branch and securely fixed.

His actions completely confused Melissa. Did that mean he definitely wasn't going to kill her? But then why bind? This bandit could calmly stun her and take all the things. Yes, she herself would gladly give him everything if this was the reason for the attack, so that after he would leave her alone.

We must try again to talk to him, to convince him that helping her return home would be much more profitable for him. And so his prey will be only a phone with a camera and about a million pesos.

– Please listen to me! My father will pay you a large sum if you let me go! Let me call!

The man's action, following the words, was unexpected and lightning fast. Right hand flew up, fingers wrapped around her neck, and thumb lay down on the throat. Grey eyes flashed angrily.

I told you not a sound! You did not understand? I can explain differently! - he said, raising his voice a little, and pressed his finger on the larynx.

Melissa twitched in fright, but his hand was firmly fixed around her neck, and his hands were tied to a branch. The man pressed a little harder, making her cough. Frightened by these strange and unpleasant sensations in her throat, she croaked:

- Understood! Understood! Let go!

"I'm not used to saying it twice!" – throwing another warning glance, the stranger let go of her neck and walked in the direction where Marco was lying.

Melissa didn't even suspect that the usual pressure on the larynx could cause such discomfort, and she coughed, trying to swallow the lump formed in her throat. Raising her head, the girl watched him tie her up and twitched her hands to loosen the rope. Her fingers could not reach the knots, and they were probably tied so tightly that she could not have untied them even with her free hands. Melissa desperately twisted and twisted her wrists, the ropes painfully dug into the skin, but after a minute she finally realized that all this was useless. You can hang on a branch with all your weight and try to break it. Although what it can give her - nothing!

Even in her wildest dreams, Melissa could not imagine that she would ever find herself in such a situation. The uncertainty of the future scared me the most. The behavior of the stranger remained a mystery to her. This man was not very similar to an ordinary robber, but then who is he? Rebel?! As far as she knew, the rebels rarely went alone, but what if it was just a coincidence and he was still one of them? Then they will most likely demand a ransom for her.

Pangs of conscience and guilt began to grow in her soul as soon as she thought about her parents. Why did she do all this?! Her father warned her, trying to protect her from dangers, but she did not listen, trying to prove her independence. How stupid! And what stress will mom go through when she finds out about everything!

“Forgive me,” Melissa whispered, and the tears rolled down her cheeks again and fell onto the grass.