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Show 2/ 8 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. not avoid them as they passed for gentlemen, and really acted as such. One was a small, heavy- set Dutchman, who seemed to know all about the big mail robbery on the southern route in 1875, as ^ so about the robbing of Golinsky, of Silver City. The other was a young man from Silver City who robbed an old Dutchman of some fifteen hundred dollars, not far from Mecilla, while they were traveling together. The old man had been to California for five years, had mortgaged his farm, or bought it with a mortgage given as security, he had saved the money to pay up and was on the way home full of joy to meet his wife and children. He had traveled all the way from California on horseback and alone, not even a pocket pistol to protect himself. He carried a fifteen hundred draft and some little money. He looked quite poor. No one would have suspected him worth robbing. This young man got in company with the old fellow and they traveled and camped together. The Dutchman confided his good luck to the lad, who could not stand the temptation but made the old man give up ; the boy rode ahead and got across the line, changed his draft and skipped. We saw both while in El Paso, The old man came in hunting the robber, where we heard his story. The young fellow told my son Wiley all about the job, and expressed himself sorry, saying he was of good family but was now ruined for life. * In talking to the people we found that many adhered to and respected their ancient traditions. They also retained a respect for their native lineage. This spirit prevailed strongest among the Liberals. The power of Catholicism had been broken and a new constitution adopted under the leadership of Juarez, who had overcome Maximilian. Juarez was a pure- |
