第58部分(第3/7 页)

oats　when　a　word　would　bring　a　rade　to　his　side。

I　may　add　that　his　conduct　was　foolish　as　well　as　unselfish；　since　in　such　a　business　two　can　fire　quicker　than　one。　Also　the　sound　of　his　first　shot　would　of　course　have　wakened　me　with　the　result　that　I　should　have　rushed；　bewildered　and　unprepared；　into　the　fray　and　probably　have　been　cut　down　before　I　understood　the　situation。

However；　as　it　happened；　we　escaped；　thanks　to　that　noble　animal；　the　dog。　So　did　the　cold…blooded　villains　who　had　planned　our　murder　in　order　to　enrich　themselves。

What　a　land　of　bloodshed　Mexico　has　been；　is　still；　in　this　year　of　revolution；　and　some　prophetic　spirit　tempts　me　to　add；　shall　be！　The　curse　of　the　bloody　Aztec　gods　seems　to　rest　upon　its　head。　There；　from　generation　to　generation；　blood　calls　for　blood。　And　yet；　if　only　it　were　inhabited　by　some　righteous　race；　what　a　land　it　might　be　with　its　richness　and　its　beauty！　For　my　part；　I　believe　that　it　would　be　well　for　it　if　it　should　pass　into　the　power　of　the　United　States。

From　this　place　of　a　forgotten　name　we　proceeded　to　the　mine　on　mules。　It　was　a　fearful　journey；　but　how　long　it　took　to　acplish　I　cannot　remember。　For　the　first　part　of　it　the　road；　if　it　could　be　called　a　road；　consisted　of　a　kind　of　corduroy　of　little　ridges　with　mud…holes　of　from　one　to　three　feet　deep　between　them；　which　had　been　gradually　hollowed　out　by　the　feet　of　mules；　the　ridges　being　those　portions　of　the　ground　on　which　these　did　not　tread。　As　heavy　rains　had　fallen　and；　indeed；　were　still　falling；　the　pleasures　of　such　a　ride　may　well　be　imagined。　Once　we　stopped　at　a　hacienda　where　there　was　a　cocoa　plantation　that　I　was　told　produced　a　great　deal　of　money　in　that　fertile　soil。　I　shall　never　forget　the　place；　or　at　l