The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1912-10-17

the loot of Los Cuerros.
But on the other side it was trag
edy, real tragedy, for the soldiers of
the Dictator, peaceful little Mexican
peasants who had been torn from
their beloved fanatics and their
small ranches Of maze an
frijoles. Clad only in clothes of
light cotton, with sandaled feet and
straw sombreros, they had marched
over the mountain and desert, throu-
gh chilly nights and burning days.,
They had climbed rough and bould-
er-strewn paths, and waded canals
in which, even in January, the wat
ers were icy cold. And with empty
bellies and faint hearts they had
arrived. One volley had they fired,
then withered by the fire from our
rifle pits they had recoiled, only to
be driven again and again to the
firing line by their officers with
drawn swords. For four hours this
strange travesty of war had continu-
ed, when at last fearing our bullets
more than the wrath of their super
iors they broke!all bounds in terror
striken flight snd the sinking sun
heard the clear full notes of the
bugle sounding retreat.
With another leader we might
have sailed out and captured all,
but whether our general, who had
also been drinking of the loot of
Los Cuerros. remembered only too
we'll the proyerb which commands
the building of golden bridge for
fleeing enemy l do not know.
But this this l know, the night clos
ed in over the drunken disorder of
our trenches, and the miserable pic
ture on the government side, where
the dead and wounded lay abondon-
ed on the field. 1t was a wonder
full night, made luminous by silent
silvery crescent which seemed to
smile serenely down upon our petty
turmoil. Above in hundreds flew
the wild fowl, and across the plain
came the high pitched notes of the
lean little prarie wolves, as they
feasted upon the dead that scarce
were cold and watched with NAL
ignant eyes the feeble struggle of the
wounded.
1t was night to strip a mans
soul bare and show it forth in it's
true form as God and his fellow
man had made it. For while we
paced silently, the boy, whom we
called Slim, and |. Then he paused
and spoke. Listen. The coyotes are
both the undertakers and priests.
They are chanting the miserere over
the dead.
| smiled at his odd fancy. After
all, what was the difference, the
quick sharp tooth of the hungry
scavenger, or the slow worm. 1t
was only the death rite of the follow
ers of zoroaster in a strange land.
Anything had been better than lonell-
ness, and we were thankful each for
the others company.
He told me of the life which had
been his and the dreams of which
he had built for the future. OF his
past there was little to say. An ad-
venturous spirit that drives one to
deeds of heroism at one time may at
another cause the commisson of
criminal acts, for the right man in
the wrong place is as bad as the
man who is altogether wrong. 1t
was Of the golden future that I lis
tened with greatest delight, for his
was the mad i'm nous enthusiasm
Of youth. and an 4ition unnheck-
ed by the limi + the probable.
He told me of t land of Mex
leo.
One Mexico / knew, but the land
be produced before my imagination
that night was new and fascinat-
ing land. He spoke Of medieval
cities, of bounty and beauty, cathed-
rails; land it was of fertile soil and
untold mineral wealth, a vast regon
inhabited by a gentle and industri-
Gus people, awaiting only the man
of genius and resource to build for
himself an empire and live with the
magnifcence Of an eastern prince.
Slowly, loyipgly, lingeringiy he pro-
nounced the names of the provinces
in his future kingdom-Mexico, O.
ax-a-ca, Za-cat-e-cas, Co-ah uila.
Teh-uantepec and score of others,