The bee., 1916-02-18
A Close Call
BY DONALD Ct1AMeERLlN

During the administration OF Presi
dent Huerta Of Mexico | was employ.
ed by the United States government to
do certain service for the state depart.
ment | went by land, crossing the
Rio Grande at Laredo and entering
Coahuila. soon fell I'm with a promi.
nent leader Of the rebel forces, who,
after l had satisfied him that my mis-.
sion was not detrimental to his inter
ests, expressed a willingness that l
should go to my destination, the City
Of Mexico.
How would you like to earn some
money! asked the general
II would gladly earn money II l can
do 50 without compromising my EN-
ployers at washington"
what have in mind would not In
terfere with that at all. l desire to
get a message through to a certain
person in the City Of Mexico. As a
messenger Of the United States you
would not be suspected. Your govern
ment has not taken sides In this mat
ter, and there is nothing to prevent
your being the bearer Of letter from
me to a friend"
But supposlng l am caught with
such letter on my personT' asked
I'm that case you would be shot"
"And what would receive for TAX
ing this risk2''
He named a sum that tempted me.
II seemed to me that, being In the en-
ploy Of the United States government.
there would be little or no risk In my
bearing the generals message 1 need
ed the sum he offered for a certain
purpose and concluded to stake being
shot against It
He wrote his message on a bit of
thin paper about three inches square.
was to take It to man high in favor
with President Huerta. His name and
address were given me. but were not
written on the message, though II was
signed by a fictitious name. l decided
to carry It in the upper vest pocket ON
the left side, my object being to have
It where l could easily get 1t to de-
stroy It In case l was cornered. The
general paid me the money for the
service was about to render, for I
was to receive It whether 1 succeeded
In delivering the message or not.
Going southwark on the generals
pass l struck the Federal lines not
far from the City of Mexico. / In
formed the commanding officer OF my
mission and was received by him with
the courtesy due one in the United
States service Indeed. being stationed
at point where be saw no one except
his Officers and men be seemed pleased
to see me, and since I reached his
quarters N the evening - lHaisteA on
enteytGinIag - VtFEAShA
Ne pf0xd y b. an hVOterate gam
blpA ana hotAiAg VOuA a0 buA that
I fnnsl HAy cards with him. dared
hot gntASonise him 81 rOfuSiAS and
attAe tAs evening nlSal Sat ddwR with
HIN IN ~ tSnt = pAy. IA soon won
al ~ eAGA / had DnaRtdnI for my
Journey, AAd.G proposed ~ quit He
seemed kRlpd to pAAy on. and
feared 70 rseHsS hAn- AaA - mon
~ The ESasral had EtE@ NJ . roll
OF btAs, N my pocket and Waa 0oaiOad
70 pP0daeS ~
Ny OppoOent IOSkSd At thAS latEs
quantity OF Mexican money With In
terOgt. He said nothing ab6hA q but
from that moment he began to talk
about the difficulty Of my getting on
in the morning and expressed the Opin-
ion that l would be delayed. His
prophecy came true, for he gave or
ders that no conveyance was to be
furnished me.
The next morning | asked my enter
talner to cash a draft on the Amer
lean consul at the capital. He prom
ised to do so, but made no move to pro
duce the funds. His actions were so
suspicious that | began to think |
had better seize upon any OppOftu
nifty to destroy the generals message
But / was given no opportunity. My
host never left me for q moment un-
less there was some one else in the
room. All the while he was telling
me that he was endeavOrlng to secure
conveyance for me, that he expected
a team very soon, and when It came
he would furnish me with money for
the journey.
About 10 o'clock I'm the morning |
saw n sergeant posting a guard about
the house. My heart stood still. was
suspected, would be searched. and the
message would be found on me. That
meant death. The officer was looking
over some military papers at a table,
with an unlighted cigarette between
his lips Taking a cigar from my pock-
ct, and with a show Of GOODNESS | did |
not feel, deliberately cut Off the end |
with my penknife and asked him II he
had a match. He produced one, struck
it and was about to light his cigarette
when, remembering pOliteness, he ex-
tended the match to me.
after you" l said.
He touched It to the end Of his ciga-
rette and handed 1t to me. put the |
fame to the end Of my cigar, but pur-
pOsely failed to close my lips tight In
order TO prevent suction. When the |
match had burned near my fingers l
took the message from my vest pocket,
put one end TO the flame and lit my
cigar with It, taking sufficient time for
% 10 hn