THE DESERT AND THE ROSE 81 



therefore you see how things are with him!" I do 

 see, every week. 



It is pretty to watch the two small boys run to 

 meet Juan returning from work, and while each 

 little hand is clasped in that of the father to hear 

 him question them thus: 



"Have the muchachitos been good today? Have 

 they gathered wood for la Mama?" — and so forth. 

 It should be further adduced that Mexicans in 

 general are good to each other in trouble or sick- 

 ness. 



The vicious drop in the blood where domestic 

 animals are in question crops out, however, even in 

 pleasing families like that of Juan. Pancho, the lit- 

 tlest boy, is a terror ! No sentient thing escapes his 

 diabolical handling. Ricardo, who adores animals, 

 is bitter in his denunciations of the small sinner. 



"I cannot leave my pony tied to a tree when 

 Pancho is around !" 



One day I took Pancho under advisement, his 

 father standing by, tolerant and amused, and in 

 awesome words described the tortures I would in- 

 flict upon him if ever again he tortured Ricardo's 

 pony or his mother's chickens (for some reason he 

 kept his infamous paws off mv livestock) and thus 

 temporarily cured him. Several years after this 

 incident I chanced to come upon Pancho, a grown 

 boy, working for friends of mine. He recognized 

 me immediately, and lifting his hat in the courteous 

 peon manner, held out his hand. As we "shook" 

 and exchanged greetings, a blush rose to his some- 

 what fair countenance, and he made it clear that he 



