Imperial Valley press., 1937-03-07

tween jumping a merchant ship
and quitting the Navy? But Spike
had talked of oaths of allegiance,
duty and honor; probably he was
right. I stuck it out.
X t&t*
EVOLUTION in Mexico
X seemed certain. In New York
you heard of Diaz Don Port
ficio Diaz, who found that his
army of $4,000 totaled only 15,-
900. Two-thirds of the names on
his muster rolls made up an un-
disciplined mob with antiquated
equipment. Diaz seemed sched-
uled for oblivion. A handful of
Mayan, Yaqui and Tehuan In
dians broke loose in Chihuahua.
Other names =. Jose de la Luz
Blanco Pascual Orozco
Pancho Villa Madero now
Provisional President of Mexico
;. Camargo, Santa Rosalia fell.
Things had gone far enough
without me. My Navy time was
served, and I was paid off-all
conforming to Spikes warning. I
shipped out on the first fruit boat
for the West Indies . crossed
to Galveston, took ship west
ward on the way to Laredo. Here
met Captain Anderson, late of
the Seventh Infantry now free,
seeking action and adventure. A
tall, fine-proportioned man, he
grew friendly and taught me rifle
work and skirmishing.
VILLAS at Camargo. 1t might
be a good idea to look him up,
Romaldo. I hear he's quite a fell
low"
If Madero himself had been
closer, probably we'd have called
and offered our services directly.
Villa had gathered mob of anti
re-electionists." whatever that
meant.
We made San Andres. a little
town overrun by swarthy men in
sombreros, carrying bandarillos
of cartridges, Colt ass. Groups of
Indians roaming the street
In bright serape8. Poems in white
cotton :. cdrgadores in blue den-
i'm. No discipline.
A dozen guerrillas, very drunk
=. rolling kegs of tequila up the
street. More of these, looting the
cantinas, shooting in the air, then
drunkenly aiming at mems legs.
IN A doorway showed a dark
hulk of a man. black jowled, in
blue-denim trousers. A dirty shirt
of cotton. Two guns at his sag
ging belt. He shouted:
"Derecha! Derechaw His voice
roared like bulls. but the
drunks didn't hear.
The man in the door swung out
his Colt. 1t barked twice. Two
men sprawled in the heavy dusk.
An Indian drew his machete as
the man fired again. The native
pitched forward, hands to his
stomach. In the shadowed door of
the adobe building stood Pancho
Villa, firing from the hip, casu-
ally potting human fowl which
disobeyed. He did not shout again;
it wasn't necessary The motley
crowd dropped knives on the
ground; hands reached into the
air, guns clattered. In less than a
minute four men had died. the
rest took no chances.
Villa strode out, broad and pow
erful-called his sergeants. posted
guard, told them to shoot anyone
caught drinking or looting. Twen-
ty men with arms over their
heads he ordered "pegged out"
spread-eagled on the ground for
"a hours. He was enforcing disci-
pline.
Captain Anderson and crossed
the street, stepped over dead
bodies, and stood before him. His
hand strayed lovingly to his gun
as he scowled at us.
"St, am Pancho Villa. What in
the hell will you do about it?"
Join up" Anderson said. and
! nodded. "St-join with you,
senor Make you cause our own. .
For good pay, eh7" Villa
looked dark for moment, then
his lips spread in thick smile
This is fine, what all men should
do. You know what one does with
lice the tired body of Mexico