Semi-weekly herald., 1914-06-04

last stage Of their flight from Mex
leo City. Americans, at the Mex;-
can end Of the gap, two and half
miles away, have spotted its white.
ness through their glasses and, know.
ing that 1t was in the hands Of Am
erican soldiers, have felt the fears
and alarms Of many weeks fall away
from them; the red, white and blue
flag. Itself, could not have cheered
them more than their first glimpse Of
the white turkish towel. By the wav,
the towel was taken away from a
man who, in the first days fighting A.
Vera Cruz, broke open a box in the
custom house, seeking loot, and tried
to get away with huge bath room
accessory.
Lieutenant Richardson and the SOL
der carrying the flag Of truce start
up the railroad grading and walk
third Of mile to where . woode.
shanty stands beside the track, guard
ed by Mexican sentinel. A Mexican
soldier comes out Of the shack with
another white flag. The Mexican flag
Of truce appears to have been mais
out Of bed sheet. Behind Lieuten-
ant Richardson, Mexicans, loaded
down with their personal belongings,
struggle. They are fugitives from
Vera Cruz.
Perhaps among the Mexicans there
will be an adverturesome foreigner
or two, who wants to get back t7
the capital. The horde Of travellers
pass tbs two white flAgs and, ths
moment they pass the Mexican flag
Of truce, they are in the hands Of
the Mexicans. All of the railroad
telegraph lines have been cut and 80
there IL no way Of knowing whether
there is Mexican train at the othe..
end Of the gap. The only thing 10
do is to wait. II it is there, 1t is at
standstill in the heart Of . trori-
cal, mosquito-infected forest: there
may be Americans on it, though
Lieutenant Richardson has no way Of
knowing, and the only thing he car
do 10 to wait.
With q field glass, you can look
over the heads Of the Mexicans, to
the pathway through the forest. II
the Mexican train is there, you
couldn't see It anyhow. for It stops
at . curve, out Of sight, at the top
Of . grade. The heat rising from the
hot rails simmer and makes 1t dit-
ficult to see what is happening ct the
distant end Of the gap. But suddenly,
someone makes out q group Of persons,
like tiny dots; soon you can see the
dust they are stirring, as they move
along the roadbed. They have long
hot walk before them; two and half
miles, in q broiling sun, loaded down
with as many of their belongings ~
they can carry; they have desertsd
their homes and farms and mines in
Mexico and what they're struggling
under now is all they have to show,
just at present, for their toll in Mex
leo.
In the meantime, while the refa-
gees are tramping toward the ira n
the soldiers on the American trsin
are taking all the precautions nece =
sary in warfare. They are in the
enemy's country. under = flag Of
truce. Mexican soldiers are hidden
in the hills roundabout; an ambn
cade Is thing q soldier much watch
for. They sweep the place with their
glasses. Sharpshooters hold their
rifles ready. Suppose the Mexican.
should jump on you. What could forty
Of you do you ask . soldier. "Ses
that wireless" says the sharpshootsr,
pointing to the rigging on top Of .
car, I'VE could soon get help"
You 20 into the car and SEE tbs
sharpshooters with . wireless kit
spread out on seat before them. All
the way out from Vera Cruz. viii
the train was moving, they were talk
ing with signal headquarters In Vera
Cruz. Now they're doing the sams
thing. The moment . Mexican shot
IL hred, Vera Cruz would know Il
and. within 30 minutes . big train
load Of American soldiers would ~
on the spot. Boon the refugees near
the train. You want to run out 10
NEST mad help them. ''StAnd baek." |"
shouts Richardson. @You can't 90 b.
yond that nag Of truce" And ~
yea watch ths exhausted pilgrins a.
- ths - II thsir hot long hike, Ut
~ matter how tirsd their fscss srs.
30 - thsir fAess light up wteA
sniSss = de,ieht - thsy sesp -
~ tho fo1An - tn flas n $780,