Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1909-05-22

on the back of his neck
1T happened when / was young in
the service, and it was due to my am
bition and foolhardiness, a combina-
ton that is dangerous in any ones
system. The adventure came near
costing me my life. / 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- lot of trouble to the government
in one way and another, but the con-
sequence | am most familiar with is
the smuggling of coolies into this
country through Mexico and Canada.
Coolie labor is cheap, and it is a profit
able job to slip a bevy of them across
the frontier
Things began to take a lively turn
as soon as / reached Preside, my
headquarters, a village of mud huts
and rambling shanties 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-
dio del Norte. 1t is impossible to
imagine more forsaken 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
a heavy Scotch hat. 1t had been cool
when | left Washington and this was
my first trip to the Texas border. I
saw at once that my hat was a back
suggested that I get Panama, telling
me that | could secure a smuggled one
at reasonable price from a 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. l took his ad-
vice and bought n Panama, the largest
and whitest and most conspicuous one.
The next morning after my arrival
/ crossed over to the Mexican village,
to look around a bit and see if l
couldn't pick up some valuable infor
nation. l was wandering about, star
ing at the crude hats and the naked
babies. when | encountered an Ameri-
can wearing a hat that was a dupli-
cate of my own, only his showed
marks of hard usage.
'Hello!' he said, when did you get
in?'
L 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-
merely replied:
Yesterday
Where is Mu2son?' he queried,
looking lie over carefully.
He will be here later replied at
a venture.
Nov let's get down to business
he began.
All right l replied.
I've have 500 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 a moment to mix an
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, | replied.
| Blame that authenticated Indian.
| he swore. / might have known that
| he couldn't get anything straight
| Well, | will have to tell you all over
| again. You and Munson be at the cot
| tonwood towhead two miles above
town at 1850 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. It is about two
| miles The cattle-path at the cactus
| will lead you out to the landing at the
| towhead. Andrews and / will come
| over with the first boat and we can
check up as they land. / suppose you
| have the papers, he concluded
No, Munson has them 1 ventured
| feeling sure that if Munson didn't
| have them | did not know where they
| We're
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 JarraH of my adyen-
ture. He was delighted at my luck.
AT five minutes after ten / heard
horses hoofs pounding the sand to
the south. 1 could almost have shout
ed, for / was sure that it was Davis
and his rangers 1t 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