216 OBSERVATIONS OF A RANCHWOMAN 



possible consequences of his fool hardiness 

 if any. 



Occasionally, as has before been hinted, 

 the Mexican is substantially backed or en- 

 couraged, more especially if the case is one 

 of 'politics.' A few months ago a man, con- 

 spicuous since the early days of American 

 occupation of the Territory, not only in its 

 small-beer politics, but in its greater history, 

 undertook to cross forty miles of desert en 

 route to a neighbouring town, accompanied 

 only by his little son. From that day to 

 this they have never been heard of. They 

 vanished as suddenly and completely as 

 though the earth had opened and swallowed 

 them up. For weeks posse after posse scoured 

 the country all in vain. Conjectures were 

 rife ; charges and counter-charges darkened 

 the air ; the neighbourhood was for a while a 

 seething pot of mutual suspicion and re- 

 crimination ; large rewards were offered by 

 the Governor and private persons, but the 

 secret was well kept, and the vanished tell no 

 tales. The most that was absolutely known 

 was that the father in his legal capacity was 

 engaged to proceed against certain prisoners 



