Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-02
BY CARLETON BEALS.

ana atteN, we iNNtGlttH AtdNt VS.
tIDct tunes fer each ware. the coIuhT
makers ham over their a0se&
on BIRTHDAYS and feast days INC rftehoS
and guests begin singing at the VIM
cowS NJ the ce'ehrant ii the early morn
i,,g ra1,rs-swect caycls that SprinS oot
al jhs stn n5gl1t to the ears OF Sleep
less ones or It may bc love song:
filed with tenderness ana sweetness o.
a race tcvr1entcd with the "evu OF love,
Few Of these tunes are gay, thcush
many Of theva are Slyly humorous OF
b,tingl1 malicious They refeCt ule
national temperament; tragic sorrow ,,
and longing counternalanceu WIN
zee sncrrond ence: desperate fatallSm
SCI oT against absurd recklesSness:
S~esu7v isneunr whirled into magnificent
reseiorY. hun1bieNeSs as lovely as the
u-9yan pettaes on which the Mexican
xle>ps vef 4 magnificent love OF NE;
dark byoctirg pierced by the Suoaen
T7,,,e If lave and laughter, But sad
Or CAV. living or dying, the Mexican
sings.
This night. ere cf the arrieToS, &C
r0~>nan.inE t-ia,5ch "a, n guitar, 6nanleo
lite S,-gS. r.alutiye with beauty Efld
frte. He wore q rcd SASH about ms Dis
c23n-h q b,ue SaEapc over Ms Snoui-
Grvs. and S0mOrero tilted bach on
his head > SbCe-string caued belo"
1,fS .rSpr Tn HiS thick black i1ar
r.,1,. dawn over l.iS forehead IN wide
h,tnr down over his forehead III Wild
ta,2cle into his soft. animal eyes
We wr~e canpcd around a fire under
r,s7itahla ranada. a covered reef eX~
tending from The front Of the house. 1t
Is he custom Of the mountain people TO
h'lE,6 fires every night under the "a
r>7saS IS g welcome q chance traV-
eIa,z A picturesque sight these hreS,
blazing ali night long far up along the
I'M AIMED canyons.
The wild mountains OTeThanging US.
back ard sinister: the call OF flerce
Creatures lurking rear at hand IN INC
dark. the rush and roar OF the olacK
waters Of the river. the moan CT tne
wind in the tTees--all added their Welru
tp~Yorz. allaved only BY the sense OF
comfort and safety from the dancing
flames.
The wellbeing and fellowship Of
~e~n1a sitting around their living fires
In their cconed-up city apartments are
sight compared to those CT these chill
d--r of the vest outdoors. to whom tie
crimson fra. IN contrast with the sur
rounding bTacknesS and wilderness. Is
sen~u0uely vivid and compelling.
Tia fire itself is a song of courage
snd fantasy. ana from the rhythm Of
its flames are born many Of the songs
o. the people-eut Of the dancing fire,
OFT Of the melancholy, unruly music OF
thc lev waters. the twinging clamor OF
glacial. upland winds, the strange calls
en6 clam0Ts of the unknown dark.
was now On the route across the
E.erras headed fer Mexico City, my
Guest for hidden gold at last definitely
abandoned. Since we lad left Boyd'S
place we had made our way by train
70 the faot of the great mountains.
Ra1rla became I'll in the town Of Culia-
can and rested there until he was
strong enough 10 take q Job he had
beon promised By the American super
intendent Of local lighting company.
GONE mystic impulse kept me Gu the
- road. I felt that If / could not
reach the, goid cache :, that Michael
@ Shan hffe4svts map indicated was in
the Yaoui indian country. there was,
tcniehow, golden opportunity awaiting
ne in the Mexican capital.
Except for chance companions
found nv way along the mountain
trails Acne After the night Of song
with the arrieros I had picked up an
Indian mail carrier as guide ever the
s~vcbbied tran that leads to Tehuante
Pc ard the central Plateau
CLAN wind was tipping through
The p!res and whipping the life in me
into renewed zest. A primeval. naked
Dawn It was The morning light
spiashea crude purple on jagged cliff
ard stcne-carved valley 7 gazed
through a gate CT gcdlike crags across
g staggering sweep of valley that made
human life wholly inconsequent.
FIR one brief second I half sensed
half understood. the cruel bravado Of
these people. their reckless yet Spartan
character. nodded BY desert, crag and
drumming southland light, By clear
brittle, Winter cold and renorseless
winds rRpening over vast valleys
I felt that ] had found the life
artery Of the Mexican nation. Ny fin
gers we're On its prise
n this cruel land lay the secret Of
tie Mexican soul. ali the Mexican s
Cecsiessness rs 10 means, his elemental
gr3e5 fer crude fart: his passion for
emotional hnesse. his largess OF hos
p.tali1y, Of kindiiness, Of hate and ven
gea0ee his medieval f0ndnesS for tin
te.ed show generals epaulet and
CANDY braid. the bgilfightcr's flashing
bolec0-aU tlcse things n1nglinp and
bzCgasng Indian fataitsr1 and ironic
cisi1IlIsi@~ 1ent With existence that
flows Ia h.s very Veins, a soul sadness
almost 8 3o.l s!czneSs. inherited from
3r1fneg1grtat ancestors
T1ia fatal=ta t'1is di6illgsi0nment is
the auEegc4rrcnt that sinu0usiy, power
sally weaveg through all Mexican life
and history, AID that, bursting forth
Ia blind mass force, shakes and shat
ters -4}e nation, then Sits the tragic
fragments INTO an exhausted peace. into
s4,len. 2patnetic endurance
All that day ! kept on without rest or
food following the mail carrier who
Rad flung his letter sack On 4 mule and
- furious race climbed up and down
she lofty brides. over the ridges. down
rne prec3pitoua YaVines. No rest no
food b1t On and IN al relentless.
serce gait ny feet were soon rubbed
kT my hGaraches into bloody TaWnegg
The guides oWn feet we're hardened To
asv asrcojtT. HIS huaraches were worn
a. ire sciea % Watch~crystai thianess
and his heels fr9n walking on rocks
a1S gre el pere aplit into hornlike
gclinfers. On he raced, silent as a
scsdoT
Only cree did lie stop b look At the
yten AZ q place where the trail nosed
around . proc4plce "a natural fortress
If s9lc rock Tue enormous valley
t4feupeg sheer below lis $500 feet. 70 a
level foar studded With pigmy pines.
Far across the valley rose the en0r-
NOUS cra2s Of tho opposite range ] ne
morning SUD gllBtec on the surfaces
~ tae ROCKS touching them ~ith a
fnoussue tickle fjIts
Wfnceslao pointed out the strategic
POSSIBILITIES II the batlle1eEt on which
We stood
Here fo4r men Win guns and sup
plies could hold "a army 81 bay"
And for tho first time ia nay life
realized what !mpreguability meant 4
-eW men int~enohed LIS ta.a ghrgantuan
quebec could stand OF the whole world
T3 sppEthend villa or Zapata IN
GO crl.rtF-n q rnck- n0und oAtpostk