MESSING AROUND IN MEXICO 



civilized person. But as for being cannibals 

 the word is, of course, only a figure of 

 speech. They are thoroughly lawless, and the 

 stories of their evil deeds are probably true; 

 doubtless they are as dishonest as some of our 

 own citizens, but, all in all, they do not 

 greatly differ from some of the foreigners in 

 the crowded quarters of our great cities, and 

 they smell very much the same. 



It was queer to find, so near to our own 

 border, a people so low down the scale of 

 progress. They do not even appear to pos- 

 sess any of the customary Indian skill at handi- 

 work. There were no baskets, no pottery, no 

 cloth, no evidence of any sort of industry. 

 Nevertheless, they were healthy, strapping, 

 energetic individuals, and illustrated the agree- 

 able theory that work is a luxury pure and 

 simple. Doubtless the blood will run out 

 before long, for there are but two villages left, 

 and they number not more than two hundred 

 souls. 



In such a community as this it does not 

 take long to see the sights. When they had 

 taken all the gifts we offered and we had taken 

 all the pictures we cared for, the afternoon 

 began to drag. We did manage to get a little 



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