MESSING AROUND IN MEXICO 



them while he lay wounded and begging for 

 mercy. One woman managed to save herself 

 by feigning death. The man seated next to 

 her was killed at the first volley, but she 

 dipped her hand in his blood and smeared 

 herself with it. They stripped her dress off 

 her without discovering the ruse." 



"What has been done about it?" 



"Done'?" My informant was puzzled. 

 "Oh, there was considerable excitement, and 

 the troops went out for a while " 



"Didn't our government take any action?" 

 I ventured to inquire. 



"Quit your kidding. This is Mexico, not 

 Europe. That sort of thing has been going on 

 down here for years. Those are the chances we 

 have to take, the price we Americans pay for 

 trying to make a living outside our own border." 



The so-called "danger zone" began at 

 Torres and extended south to the Yaqui River. 

 At the former point, our train took on two 

 armored cars, equipped with machine guns 

 and a crew of soldiers clad in pajamas. Be- 

 hind a freight train, which acted as pilot, we 

 continued our journey, beguiled, meanwhile, 

 by stories of bloodcurdling atrocities calcu- 

 lated to put us fully at our ease. 



229 



