OCR Text |
Show 54 BY PATH AND TRAIL. schools among them. But you can't tame the wolf. Not withstanding all our kindness and friendly efforts on their behalf, the tribe revolted again two years later. With the money we gave them, and the mission funds, which they took from the priests, they purchased rifles and ammunition from American adventurers and Mexi can renegades, and made for the mountains. In their flight for the hills they carried with them one of the mission priests and four of the Sisters of Charity, hold ing them captives for six months. This happened on July 31, 1897. " " Pardon me, general," I interposed, " but the most of us who are interested in the Mexican tribes, believe the Yaquis to be Christian." " They have a varnish of Christianity, it is true, but this religious wash only helps to conceal a deep sub stratum of paganism; at heart they are heathens and hold to their old superstitions and pagan practices. ' ' " So that, since 1897 that is to say, for ten years the Mexican government has been at war with the Yaquis 1 ' ' " That is not the right word. The Yaquis do not fight in the open, so that no real battles are fought. In detached commands we have to follow them into the mountains, and, as they know every rock and tree of the Bacatetes, we are pursuing ghosts." " How many Yaquis are there, Don Lorenzo?" " There are now some 4,000 left in Sonora. The ma jority of these are peaceful, but sympathize with the outlaws and assist them in many ways. They all speak Spanish, dress like poor Mexicans, and as the neutral Yaquis aid and give shelter to the fighters, we must re gard them all as enemies of the republic." |