OVER THE BORDER 189 



so much," he continued, emphasizing the pro- 

 noun, " because we are out of doors all the time." 



A Northern tenderfoot might naturally be less 

 inured to frigidity, he seemed to imply ; but I 

 remarked that he wore the heaviest of overcoats 

 with the collar up. Warm days (much like New 

 England June), cool nights, clear skies, constant 

 winds, dryness and dust such is the January 

 climate of El Paso, if my four days have given 

 me a fair impression of its quality. 



Presently we crossed a short bridge. 



" Was that the river? " I asked my seatmate, 

 a minute afterward, a sudden suspicion coming 

 over me, though it seemed so absurd that I was 

 half ashamed to betray it. 



" Yes, sir ; that was the Rio Grande. You 're 

 in Mexico now," he answered. 



Yes, and that must have been the Mexican 

 Custom House officer whom I had seen step out 

 of the door of a small building on the southern 

 bank of the river and salute our conductor so 

 politely. None of us looked like smugglers, I 

 suppose. At all events, the car was not " held 

 up," as happened at the other end of the bridge, 

 a day or two later, while two rather boisterous 

 young fellows on the rear seat made themselves 

 merry over the attempt of Uncle Sam's official 

 representative to collect a duty. International 



