The Carlisle independent., 1909-05-20

on the Ddck or llS neck.
 Tt happened when I was young in the service. and 1t was due to my am bition and foolhardiness. a combina- tion that is dangerous in any ones system. The adventure came near costing me my life l 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 giv- en lot of trouble to the government in one way and another. but the con- sequence l 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 a bevy of them across the frontier.
 Things began to take a lively turn as soon as I reached Presidio, my headquarters, a village of mud huts and rambling shanties on the Rio Grande. I left the Southern Pacific at Nopal and rode many weary miles across country. Over the river in Mexico. was the dirty village of Presi- dio del Norte. It is impossible to imagine a more forsaken looking place. The Rio Conchos, river of uncertain habits. flowed into the Rio Grande here. It was by means of this river that coolies were brought to Presidio del Norte.
 T had arrived in Presidio wearing a heavy Scotch hat. It had been cool when I left Washington and this was my first trip 10 the Texas border. saw at once that my hat was a back number. Jarrall, the customs officer suggested that I get a Panama, telling me that I could secure a smuggled one at a reasonable price from dealer in the village.
 He said he knew they were snug gled, but that there was no remedy for it as the government didn't think it of sufficient importance to put it's agents on the case, and he was pow erless without them. I took his ad- vice and bought q Panama. the largest and whitest and most nspicuous one
 The next morning after my arrival I crossed over to the Mexican village to look around a bit and see if I couldn't pick up some valuable infor- nation. I was wandering about, star ing at the crude hats and the naked babies, when I encountered an Ameri- can wearing a hat that was dupli- cate of my own. only his showed marks of hard usage.
 Hello he said, when did you get in?'
 T was on the point of telling him that he had made mistake, but something prompted me to play him along and see what he was up to. I merely replied:
 Yesterday.
 Where is Munson?' he queried, looking me over carefully.
 He will be here later, replied at a venture
 Now lets get down to business he began.
 All right. I replied.
 "We have 300 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 4SL L d tudHEE 4Ol d4l tiA4A4e5 u 5O wrong at that end of the line.
 He paused a moment to mix au- other highball which he swallowed at a gulp.
 You know where to meet us to- night? he queried.
 ".The instructions haven't been too plain. I replied.
 Blame that mutton-headed Indian,' he swore I might have known that he couldn't get anything straight, We'll. I will have to tell you all over again. You and Munson be at the cot tonwood towhead two miles above town at 11:30 tonight to check up the cattle and pay over the money. Take the north trail from Presidio and turn to the left at the giant cactus. You cant miss the way. It is about two miles. The cattle-path at the cactus will lead you out to the landing at the towhead Andrews and I will come over with the first boat and we can check up as they land. I suppose you have the papers, he concluded.
 No, Munson has them I ventured, feeling sure that if Munson didn't have them I did not know where they were.
 Well, be sure than Munson brings them along he admonished.
 This concluded the interview and I 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 I heard horses hoofs pounding the sand to the south. I could almost have shout ed, for I was sure that it was Davis and his rangers. It was only the mes senger whom we had dispatched in the morning. He was covered with gray dust and his throat was so choked he couldn't speak. He literally fell from his horse before Jarrall's door. and we had to support him as be