MESSING AROUND IN MEXICO 



how long we'll be allowed to stay, and the un- 

 certainty, the insecurity, is getting on our 

 nerves. Those of us farther south are doing 

 fairly well at present, but here in Sonora, of 

 course, the Indians are in charge." 



"How many Yaquis are there?" I inquired. 



"Probably not more than a thousand bad 

 ones." 



"And they have paralyzed the entire state? " 

 I was indeed amazed. 



"The greater part of it. The government 

 could clean them up in no time if it cared to, 

 but it doesn't. Why, if a Yaqui should run 

 a nail in his foot, the local military commander 

 would send regrets and hang crape on the bar- 

 racks door. You see, without Yaquis there 

 would be no soldiers; no soldiers, no generals; 

 no generals, no graft. It's a poor sort of war, 

 but it is steady, and it pays the same wages as a 

 good war. The situation works out about like 

 this: When things get too quiet, the soldiers 

 round up the peaceful Yaquis in some town, 

 deport part of them, or possibly shoot a few. 

 Naturally the 'bronchos' hear about it and re- 

 taliate by raiding a ranch or holding up a train, 

 whereupon there is great excitement and a new 

 campaign is started. It's tough on ranchers 



227 



