Mexico Missouri message., 1914-07-02
CHAPTER !.

The slov-roIlIng winters sun rose
ooldiy. Gar TO the south. riding up
from behind the sav-toothed Sierras
Of MEXICO to throw a silTery halo on
Gadsden. the border city. A hundred
miles Of desert lay in it's psth--a waste
OF broken ridges, dry arroyos, and
sandy pl2ins--aDd then suddenly. as
Il By magic, the city rose cleaning In
abe sun.
u was a big city. for the West, and
svsrming with traffic and men Its
broad main street, lined with brick
Buildings and throbbtng with automo-
bfIes. ran from the railroad straight to
the south until. at a line, It stopped
short and was lost In the desert
That line which marked the sudden
end OF growth and progress was the
border OF the United States; the deser;
was Mexico. And the difference Was
not In the land, but in the government
As the morning air grew warm and
the boar frost dripped down from the
roofs the idleH OF the town crept
forth. leaving chill lodgings and stale
saloons for the street corners and the
sud
Against the dead wall of big store
the MeIicans gathered in shivering
groups. their blankets wrapped around
their necks and their brown ankles
n bunch of cowboys stood clannishly
aloof. eying the passing crowd for 9th
4ers OF their kind
In this dun stream which flowed
under the morning sun there were min
ing men. with high-laced boots and
bullying pockets; graybeards, with the
gossip OF the town In their cheeks /;
hoboes. still wearing their eastern
caps and still rustling for a quarter to
eat on: sombereyed refugees and sol
oilers OF fortune from Mexico-but
fdiers all. and each seeking his class
and kind
n any women passed that way they
walked fast, looking neither TO the
right nor to the left: for they. too, be
Ing so few. missed their class and
kind
Gadsden had become a city OF men
shn8eiinbed and powerful and with q
-qeesting look in their eyes: a city OF
adventurous gathered from the ends OF
'ths world. A common calamity hac
driven them from their mines and
ranches and giutted the town with
nen. for the war was on in Mexict
and from the farthermost corners o
Sonora they still came, hot from som,
new scene OF murder and pillage, Il
add to the general discomfort
AS the day wore on the crowd Oh
the bank corner, where the refugee
made their stand, changed its con-
pde1ion, grew big, and stretched far u
the street Men stood in shiftin
izrunps, talking. arguing. gazing MOOD
ny al those who passed
Here were hawk-eyed Texas cattle
men. thinking Of their scattered herd
at mababi or Fl Tigre; mining mer
with Idle prospects and deserted mine
aa FAR south as the Rio Yaqui; mil
ERen, ranchers and men OF trades; a
driven in from below the line and a
schAhng at the leash. While hundre
petty chiefs stood out against Nader
and lived by ransom and loot, the
must cool their heels In Gadsden an
wait for the end To come.
into this seething macs OF the di
possessed. many Of whom had lost
fortune by the war, there came tw
more, with their faces still drawn an
red from hard riding through the col
They stepped forth from the marb
entrance OF the big hotel and swuu
of down the street to see the town.
They walked slowly, gazing into n
strange faces in the vague hope
1Inding some friend; and Gadsden, n,
To be outdone, looked them over cul
oasiy and wondered whence they ha
HDme.
The bunch OF cowboys, still loiterir
On the corner, glanced scornfully
the smaller man. who sported a pa
Of puttees-and then at the big man
feet. Finding them encased in pro
sectors shoes they stared dumbly
hin Rind-burned face and mutter'
SxmoDg themselves.
ae was tall. and broad across Il
shoulders. with farseeing blue ey,
Ard 8 mop OF light hair: and he walk'
GA Ills toes, stiff-legged, swaying fro
hfs hips like a man ON horseback. II
Eurn6le Of comment roSe up again
ne racked past and then a cowbt
voice observed
"i7l bet ye he's a cow.punch,"
T'he big man looked back at the
naocklngiy out of the corner OF his e,
nod vent On without VOID