Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-11-05
4 cocoIzIv aeonE an uE xAAho

In it, is proved ny the ruined church burial
ground one secs couple of miles to the north
of San Nigel. the principal town. Close by the
church ruins Is the site OF ancient village now
traceable only by its stone foundations.
Whatever the may have been. it came
about In the course of time that the island Of
Cozumel was abandoned as a place of residence.
It must have remained unoccupied for several
generations. for when Stevens touched there with
the object Of exploring its ruined temples. OF
which many are known to exist. the entire sur
face, with the exception of two clearings.
covered with dense growth of dwarf but thick
timber. Stevens satisfied himself that this forest
covered the whole area
One of the open spaces referred to above
a clearing made by man named Molas. a no.
torious character. half political refugee. half
pirate. who had been exiled from Yucatan. Molas
lived for many years in Cozumel, and doubtless
would have died in his bed"-the end most de-
sired by all freebooters told-had he
never returned to the mainland. for his enemies
were afraid to attack him in his stronghold. One
fatal day. however, he sailed his schooner across
the channel and landed near to where the Valla-
dolid trail comes down to th3 beach. Molas'
two sons-who had voiuntarily shared their ia
Tiers eXile-accompanied him this trip. hav-
ing in vain tried to dissuade him from making
it. Molas insisted that his should remain
aboard the schooner until he gave the signal
that all was clear. The signal never came. Walt
ing so long for it that they felt sure all not
well. the lads went ashore at last to investigate.
The ever-vgilant foe had seen Moas' boat max
ing Tor the mainland. A snort distance from the
beach, yet hidden by the jungle. they found their
fathers mutilated body.
The boys returned the island only to remove
their personal belongings and what they could
carry away of the family effects. and then went
to live in a remote part of Yucatan. far
moved from Cozumel and its sad associations
they could get. Thus 1t came about that the
Isle of Swallows" again without human in
habitants
The other clearing mentioned was the deserted
oP Tin hon "ae 10
him without revealing his surname. Stevens met
Don Albino in Valladolid. and heard from the
ranchmans own lips why he left Cozumel In
Valladolid a cotton mil-famous in the annals
of the town the first to be erected in Mexico
had started operations and the owner. an enter
prising Spaniard, paying high prices for the
raw material and offering entcing premiums to
encourage more extensive cultivation Of the plant
Now Don Albino possessed land. had he
the means wherewith to buy some; nevertheless
he yearned to profit by the mill owners bounty.
So he conceived the idea of going over to Cozu-
mel which by that time regarded sort
OF mo Mans Land" to raise cotton He could
easily convey the lint across the channel In ca
noes, and although from the coast to the mill
was a journey of several days for pack mules
there would be sufficient margin in the price to
Justify the expense of transportation Full of
enthusiasm, Don Albino gathered around him as
MANY of the more destitute natives he could
induce by the lavish OF glowing promises to
accompany him and sail for Cozumel.
But the motley band tired of the monoto-
nous life on the lonely island, They were restless
spirits who had lived by what really little
short of brgandage. tilling the land only to the
extent OF being of their staple food, maize
and "friioles' tbeans) Sullen under the crav-
ings for the comparative excitement ohtainable
in their native pueblos, they before long picked
a quarrel with their patron" and, selling the
only canoe returned TO Yucatan