128 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 



There was still enough of daylight to have a look around, so we 

 visited the various shops, the sawmill, brickyard and waterworks ; 

 inspected the native quarters, and got back just as supper was 

 announced. We spent the evening in the assembly room of the 

 officers, smoking big, black Mexican cigars that have no harmful 

 effect in that climate, but would be deadly in the north, and listening 

 to home music from a well equipped phonograph. 



We retired about eleven, and had hardly gotten a good grip on our 

 beauty sleep when a stir outside showed that something was doing. 

 Not to miss anything, I went out upon the broad verandah, and found 

 the young men saddling their horses, and equipping themselves for 

 a moonlight ride. Seeing me expectant, they informed me that nine 

 of the Tennessee negroes had skipped, doubtless to join some railroad 

 gang, and for a short time get higher wages. As the company had 

 paid their fare from the States to the plantation, and as the moral 

 effect on the others would be bad if they were not brought back, it 

 behooved those in charge to stop the runaways before they reached 

 the railroad. And they certainly went about the matter as if they 

 meant business. It was a thrilling sight to see them assembling, and 

 I forgot that I was pajama clad and barefooted, and stood in the 

 moonlight watching until they finally cantered off down through the 

 valley and over the hills, and were lost to sight in the black wall of 

 forest, into which the road ran. To finish this incident, I may add 

 that they overtook all of the runaways, and brought them back, and 

 they went to work again just as if nothing had happened. 



The next morning after inspecting the rubber, and getting samples 

 of earth for analysis, we took the road home, where we arrived safe, 

 sound, and happy except for the rodadors and pinoleos. 



Plant life in Mexico seems to be exceptionally free from pests of 

 all sorts. I did, in the course of my trip, see three caterpillar nests, but 

 not in the Tierra Calient e. I looked and inquired particularly for any 

 enemy of the Castilloa, but found trace of none, and heard only of an 

 ant that attacks the tree where it has been wounded at times, but that 

 only rarely. Of the few trees thus attacked, nearly all had thrown out 

 woody excrescence.s that were not only protecting the inner tissues, 

 but seemed actually to be crowding the devourers out. So rare is it 

 that a tree is thus attacked that the planters take no precaution against 

 it. 



Speaking of ants, these busy workers are in evidence nearly every- 

 where, and when the "marching ants" come in force, everything that 



