The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-05-19

<<vYES, did promise to tell you
how I got this wound" re-
piled Capt. Dickson. when l
recalled his mention, in q
former "Reminiscences. of the ugiy scar
on the back of his neck.
1T happened when I was young in
the service, and 1t was due to my am
hilton and foolhardiness. combina-
ton that is dangerous in any ones
system The adventure came near
costing me my life. I have always
connected THAT affair with a Panama
hat. A Panama hat got me into trouble
and got me out again, in the end
saving my life"
The Chinese exclusion act has Civ
en- a lot of trouble to the government
in one way and another, but the con-
sequence I am most familiar with is
the smuggling of coolies into this
country through Mexico and Canada.
COolie labor is cheap, and it is profit
able job to slip bevy of them across
the frontier.
Things began to take lively turn
as soCn as l reached Presidio. my
headquarters. village of mud huts
and rambling shanties on the Rio
Grande left the Southern Pacific at
Nopal and rode many weary miles
across country Over the river, in
Mexico. was the dirty village of Presi-
do del NOrte. 1t is impossible to
ina CINE a more forsake1 looking place.
The Rio Conchos, river of uncertain
habits. flowed into the Rio Grande
here 1t was by means of this river
that coolies were brought to Preside
del Norte
Il had arrived in Preside wearing
heavy Scotch hat. 1t had been cool
when left Washington and this was
nay first trip to the Texas border. |
saw at once that my hat was a back
number. Jarrall. the customs officer.
suggested that ] get Panama, telling
me- that could secure a struggled one
at a reasonable price from a dealer in
the village.
He said he knew they We're SNUG
for it as the government didn't think
it of sufficient importance 10 put its
agents On the case. and he was DOW
eriess without them. | took his ad-
vice and bought Panama. the largest
and whitest and most conspicuous one.
The next morning after my arrival
I crossed over 10 the Mexican village.
to look around bit and see if /
couldn't pick up some valuable infOr-
nation. was wandering about. star
ing at the crude hats and the naked
babies. when l encountered an Ameri-
can wearing hat that was a dupli-
cate of my own. only his showed
marks of hard usage.
Hello" he said, when did you get
i'm
Il was on the point of telling him
that he had made a mistake, but
something prompted me to play him
along and see what he was up to. /
merely replied:
YESTERDAY
Where is Munson?' he queried.
hcohih6 liz osSl
He will be here later replied at
venture.
NOV let's get down to business,
he began.
'All right replied.
We have 800 coming down to-
night. he said. and 200 more in three
days. The boats are ready and Man
uel is in charge at Huataz so there
isn't a chance for anything to go
wrong at that end of the line
He paused moment to mix an
other hishball which he swallowed at
gulp.
'..Ycu know where to meet us to-
night? he Queried.
The instructions haven't been too
plain replied.
'Blame that authenticated India. :
he swore. I might have known that
he couldn't get anything straight.
We'll, will have to tell you all over
again. You and Munson be at the cot
tonwood iowhead two miles above
town at 1880 tonight to check up the
cattle and pay over the money. Take
the north trail from Preside and turn
to the left at the giant cactus You
can't miss the way. 1t is about two
miles. The cattle-path at the cactus
will lead you out to the landing at the
towhead. Andrews and | viii come
over with the first boat and We can
check up as they land. l suppose you
have the papers, he concluded.
No. MuEson has them. l ventured
feeling sure that if Munson didn't
have them l did not know where they
were. --=
We'll. be sure than Munson brings
them along he admonished.
This concluded the interview and
lost no time in getting back across
the river to tell Jarrall of my adven.
ture. He was delighted at my luck.
AT five minutes after ten l heard
horses hoofs pounding the sand 10
the south. could almost have shout
ed. for l was sure that ii was Davis
and his rangers. 1t was only the mes
senser whom We had dispatched in
the morning. He was covered with
gray dust and his throat was sc
chOked he couldn't speak. He literally
fell from his horse before Jarrall's
door, and We had TO support him as be
XXy