The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-02-11

Oh Jno Ieueral OUlCer SuuueH nlBHJ
from camp for there was a troop of
about ten who pursued him, but were
owing to the fact that
the major had a fresh horse and the
horses were worn out. New
it was an exciting chase as
l watched them until they had entered
the monte almost two miles away.
They could have easily shot him, but
their instructions were to take him if
possible without the waste of ammuni
tion.
Our yard was now full of soldiers
and their horses and those who had
been successful in getting fresh
horse were busy changing their sad.
dies so as to lead the tire one.
| returned to the inide of the office
to find the colonel sitJlng beside the
telephone and unconcerned, smoking
a cigarette. The others came in one
at time and greeting us with "Buenos
tardes" (good afternoon) sat down.
The colonel after a few minutes COM
manded that we have our cooks pre-
pare supper for his three hundred
men. Our superintendent Immediately
left the office to carry these instruc-
tions to the Cinnamon, and we three
office men and a foreman likewise
retired to the outside of the office be-
ing unable to do any more work. 81
have been in Mexico for twenty-one
years and have never before seen any
thing like this" said our official inter
prefer, a man of probably fifty-fve
years of age. Nor have / never seen
an army of soldiers in Mexico take
horse or mule without first saying
to you that they were going to take 1t
and giving you receipt for it, or en-
ter camp Of Americans to eat with
out waiting little while to receive
an invitation" said our construction
foreman, who has lived in the country
for fifteen years. The soldiers were
now busy emptying the contents of
the corn crib to their horses.
Our supper bell soon range and we
fifteen Americans, the members of
our camp, filed into the dining room
Immediately and took our regular
chairs. Having lost my appetite /
looked around to watch the other boys.
They seemed to have lost theirs also
for they sat there looking at the table
or going to the outside in deep soli-
tude. This was very unusual for we
had had soldiers in camp at least
half dozen times before since | had
been here and probably a hundred
times since some of the other boys
had been in camp. Was it because Of
the presence OF the soldiers, or was
1t the news the marconigram we re
ceived in the afternoon contained
that made every one of us so quiet.
serious in thought and so pale look
ing? 1t was neither singly, but it
was the fact that we had this troop OF
outlaw bandits and not soldiers, for
there was no more Villista organiza-
tion, and that II was a parallel situa-
tion facing us that the miners had suf-
fered four days before as told in the
marconigram. 1t Is absolutely impos,
sible Tor me to describe our or even
my own feelings at that time. We did
not remain In the dining room very
long for the heads of this troop soon
began to push their way into the din.
ing room and we all left together to
give them the room. | don't think we
remained in the dining room for more
than eight minutes but there was not a
word spoken by any of us during that
meal for | think we all thought II
would be our last.
We each then went to our bed rooms
and put on our best clothes and
shoes, whether to save them from be.
ing stolen, to be ready to vacate the
camp or whether we were preparing
ourselves with our strouds before
death, we did not know.
myself was not allowed to remain
but for short time in my room, since
| carried the keys and had charge of
the commissary warehouses; and other
buildings and was ordered to unlock
them. Likewise the cashier was or.
dered to open the office safe. Soon
the other boys were ordered from their
rooms and assembled in house of
u single bed room. You can imagine
our predioament We did not know
one minute what we were to be or.
dered to do the next.
The time dragged along. 1t had
seemed like days to me but | think II
was about midnight when | had fin
ished waiting upon these fellows at
the points of their guns to all of their
wants, when | sat down in the office
After about an hour, don't know Just
how It started, but became engaged
In conversation with the officer in
charge OF the telephone. lie to my
surprise was very well educated
Mexican, quite refined and could speak