Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-04-02
GENERAL Villas own
STORY OF HIS LIFE
(continued from FIrst 900

% men and we We're hiding In the hills
about is or is miles from Chihuahua
City. One day we saw coming a force
OF 800 federals. know now they were
COMMANDED by General Navarro. Leav-
our horses, we snealSed up behind
wall where this force would have to
pass.
A Bit Of Villa stratasem.
We did not fire on any OF Navarros
force until I saw an ambulance APP
preaching. and knew the general must
be in that, for federal generals usually
rode in that style in those days. Not
that the commander was i'll, but he was
just lazy. He was not expecting any
attack so near Chihuahua city, but
had been sent out to suppress orozco
in western Chihuahua. The federal
soldiers were raw at fighting, too, SO
that our attack completely surprised
them. My force was made up OF good
shots, Navarros men were very poor.
The % of US fought 600 federals and
killed many of their men. because we
had a good position. When / saw we
could not hold out against the gath
erlng numbers any longer. I told my
followers to leave their hats sticking
ONGA AAAC wan tlAld w 1luWk ndCh 10
where we had hid our horses in the
brush.
The federals, seeing only our hats,
believed we were waiting behind the
wall for them 70 charge, and did not
dare take the risk, for they knew how
straight we shot. Ii was some time
before they approached the empty hats,
but Pancho Villa and his men were
far on their way when the federals got
up courage enough to dare to attack
the wall. All they found were our
hats, and we did not mind doing with
out them until we had chance to
get more. for the weather was mild.
BY this time l Rad passed the word
that ! was going to revolt, and this
word spreads fast in Mexico. Follow
ers started to flock to me, and / went
back to Parral, where l made my old
hut my headquarters again. 1t was
then / had one Of the norrowest es-
capes OF my career. and 1t was only
the luck and cunning Of Pancho Villa
that saved me.
Dash for Life.
/ BY this time, when ] slept, was
always restless, and I could hear
sounds far off. it seeming that even
the swapping OF twig would wake me,
SO light did I doze. My hearing and
senses had been so trained that 1 had
/ the instincts OF an animal and could
hear and perceive danger as quickly as
deer. 1t was a very high sense of
feeling-I can't explain it-and very
keen hearing. / guess you call it In
stinct.
was asleep and heard rumbling
noise. / knew had been betrayed
again. / shook my compadre, who was
asleep in this hut with me, and told
him some force was approaching. We
prepared to fight. for we knew the
house would be be surrounded. They
always bring a big force, for they had
learned they needed 1t when they
| wanted to take Paneho Villa. (The
force the United States has sent into
Mexico for this mission seems to bear
out Villas belief now.)
! My friend, who was a brother in law
of PascuaI Orozeo, the Red F1agger,
but my compadre. was a good man,
and | heard voices, and we took our
| stand behind the door. or course,
Orozco was always my enemy. It was
a bright, moonlight night and we could
see the shadows and outlines Of the
soldiers approaching. recognized the
shakos of the federal soldiers. AS
soon as they were close enough. we
began to shoot, and we killed several
of our attackers. They retired to a
safer distance and SWEET the hut with
their fire, breaking all the windows,
but the bullets would not penetrate the
adobe sides, so we were safe. l knew,
however that as soon as our ammuni-
ton was gone and we could not return
the fire. we would be lost They would
Iwait for time when We stopped shoot
ing before coming to close quarters,
but once convinced we had no more
ammunition, they would take us.
I'VE must rush out and try to get
away before It gets daylight" told
my friend.
We put on our shoes and. during a
lull in the firing, we ran through the
door and rushed the large number of
soldiers. We took the enemy by sur
prise, as l always try to do, and we
fought our way To the hills. this hut
as have said. being in good posi-
ton to escape from. l have learned
since. this force. which surrounded my
hut and came to capture us. was part
of the Seventh regiment and the de-
taehment was in command Of Captain
Alvarez, an officer in the federal army
Once more Pancho Villa had escaped
into tho hills which were his own. We
had had no time TO put on any
clothes. and IT was bitterly cold in the
early morning, We wanted to rest. but
the perspiration froze on us and we
had to keep going TO keep warm until
we found some of our men, when we
gathered horses and clothes. From
that time. royed the hills gathering
men.
4 Dance and tie Aftermath.
One. night. we rode into the little
town Of San Andres. In the very foot
hills 81 the Sierra Madres mountains
II ID the last town before going right
up into the hills. There I stopped at
a little store to buy some food and
/ was served by very pretty girl. Her