OH, SHOOT! 



But it turned out to be a dull trip, and we 

 encountered nothing more dangerous than the 

 native cooking which lay in wait at every stop. 

 The country was inert, dead, but the in- 

 habitants of the scattered villages appeared 

 content despite their poor circumstances and 

 obvious idleness. The countrymen and the 

 boys were as dirty as one would expect in the 

 midst of such poverty, but the women were 

 surprisingly clean a condition that we could 

 not account for until we reasoned that they 

 perform the homely household duties. The 

 explanation is simple : they cannot roll tortillas 

 on their naked knees and mix white flour into 

 sticky pastries without losing some of the 

 let us say local color which renders them so 

 picturesque. 



In Guaymas, one got an impressive idea 

 of Mexico's present state. Here, as else- 

 where, one encountered the trail of destruc- 

 tion left by the serpent of social unrest. For 

 example, let me quote from a prospectus issued 

 by a large land-development company oper- 

 ating near that city true words when they 

 were written not very long ago : 



Mexico offers to the settler a delightful climate, fertile 

 farms, none better in the world; a rapidly developing coun- 



230 



