Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-04

northern Mexico. The CONSTITUTIONAL
| lists We're in possession of that part of
the country, and travelling was dan
! gerous. In the first place, the region
was infested by robbers; in the Sec
| ond, any point was liable to be attack
ed by federals or rebels, and in the
third one hailing from Mexico City ran
the risk of being taken for a spy.
While eating dinner one day at no
tel in Chihuahua, looking up suddenly,
l met the gaze of man bent on me
intently. The moment 1 looked at him
he dropped his eyes to his plate Two
or three times after that during the
meal 1 looked at him just in time to
catch him turning away his gaze. He
did not look like soldier or n fighter
of any kind. He wore mutton chop
whiskers and was bald on the top of
his head.
was fearful that had seen him, or.
rather, he had seen me. at the capital;
that he was in sympathy with the
rebel cause.-the Constituencies held
the place-and suspected me of being
identified with the Huerta government.
l arose from the table before / had
finished my dinner in order to get
away from him.
1 was making for home, because on
account of the troubled conditions of
the country the selling of goods was
out of the question, and left immedi-
ately for Santa RoSalia, about a hum
bred miles to the southwark. There
/ stopped over to try to collect debt
The day after my arrival / was look
ing out of a window when, on the 9th
er side of the street, ] saw a figure
suddenly emerge from behind tree
box. 1t was the man who had stared
at me at Chihuahua.
l now became thoroughly alarmed.
Either the man had spotted me for a
spy and was logging me with view
to turning me over to the rebel author
tiles or he was after several hundred
pesos i had on my person. If the for
mer was his object he would watch
for his opportunity when near a band
of rebels; if the latter, when he could
get me alone, though rather suspect
ed. in this event, that he was in league
with band of robbers.
1 was a long distance from Mexico
City and despaired of getting through
without giving the man his opportuni
ty. We were constantly falling in
with rebel troops, and 1 was at times
obliged to move through lonely places.
was armed-every one in Mexico car
ried a revolver-but what use would
weapons be to me against a band of
rebels or robbers who quite often were
both?
left Santa Rosalia at midnight, hop
ing to elude my shadower, and instead
of going by direct route toward home
] struck out for Parral. 1 thought it
best to stop at the latter town for a
day or two in the hope OF losing my
man and remained within doors most |
of the time. But the second evening |
of my stay there i went out on the |
street TO get a little air, for the day |
had been intensely hot Stopping to !
look into a shop window, who should /
see inside but the man whom I was
trying TO get rid of. He was not pur-
chasing anything, but was talking with |
the shopkeeper. 1 had no doubt that /
he was describing me and asking the |
man If he had seen me.
i skunk back to my hotel and went to
my room.
1 remained housed for three days:
then, thinking that possibly / nigh.
have given my shadower the slip, i |
continued my journey. A week pass
ed, during which / was moving slowly
l began to feel easier with
regard TO him, for 1t seemed that If
he was still on my track l should have
seen something OF him. 1t was eyf-
dent that he had, lost me without
having found an opportunity to turn
me over to one of the rebel command
ers or rob me. l was getting nearer
all the while to federal territory. and
II could once get within 1t would feel
safe.
/ was doomed to disappointment.
Tampico seemed for me the easiest
point to reach, and from there I mighr