OVER THE BORDER 189 



so much," he continued, emphasizing the pro- 

 noun, " because we are out of doors all the time." 



A Northern tenderfoot might naturally be less 

 inured to frigidity, he seemed to imply ; but I 

 remarked that he wore the heaviest of overcoats 

 with the collar up. Warm days (much like New 

 England June), cool nights, clear skies, constant 

 winds, dryness and dust — such is the January 

 climate of El Paso, if my four days have given 

 me a fair impression of its quality. 



Presently we crossed a short bridge. 



" Was that the river? " I asked my seatmate, 

 a minute afterward, a sudden suspicion coming 

 over me, though it seemed so absurd that I was 

 half ashamed to betray it. 



" Yes, sir ; that was the Rio Grande. You 're 

 in Mexico now," he answered. 



Yes, and that must have been the Mexican 

 Custom House officer whom I had seen step out 

 of the door of a small building on the southern 

 bank of the river and salute our conductor so 

 politely. None of us looked like smugglers, I 

 suppose. At aU events, the car was not " held 

 up," as happened at the other end of the bridge, 

 a day or two later, while two rather boisterous 

 young fellows on the rear seat made themselves 

 merry over the attempt of Uncle Sam's official 

 representative to collect a duty. International 



