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Show BY PATH AND TRAIL. 51 tassels of a colonel on the field of Mien. To the physical buoyancy and elasticity of younger days were now wed ded the conscious dignity of high reward and the no bility of facial expression which waits on honorable age. After an exchange of introductory courtesies, I made known at once the purport of my visit. " General, would you kindly give me some informa tion about the Yaquis? In my country we have heard the evidence of one side only, and that was not always favorable to the Mexican government. We would be pleased to know the truth, so as to be able to form a just and impartial judgment." The general very oblig ingly proceeded to satisfy my request. " The feud with the Yaquis," he smilingly replied, " goes back many years. The trouble began in the days of the conquest of Mexico. In 1539, when the Spaniards first crossed the Mayo river, and penetrated the lands of the Yaquis, they found them entrenched on the banks of the Yaqui river, awaiting the advance of the Euro peans, and ready for battle. Their chief, robed in the skin of a spotted tiger, profusely decorated with colored shells and the feathers of the trogon, stepped to the front of his warriors, drew a line upon the ground and defied the Spaniards to cross it. The Spanish captain protest ed that he and his men came as friends ; they were simply exploring the country, and all they asked for or wanted was food for themselves and horses. " ' We will first bind your men and then we will feed your horses/ was the answer of the Yaqui chieftain. While he was yet speaking he unwound a cougar lariat, and advanced as if he intended to rope the Castilian of ficer. This was the signal for a hot engagement, which ended in the retreat of the Spaniards. Later, in 1584, |