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For an hour and a half the coach lumbered slowly over a hot and dusty road, which passed between small, bare, gray or brown rock hills, rising to a higher level only a little before we reached Teotitlan itself. Hastening to the jefatura, I discovered that the jefe had gone to Mexico, leaving the presidente of the town as his lieutenant. This man was neither willing, interested, nor efficient.

The Superintendent of the Transport Company was named Dorcas, a bustling, heavy-bearded man that you couldn't hold still and that talked fast and jerky like a piston rod. I met him in the Plaza next morning going into the City Hall. "Come on," he says. "We'll fix it. What? Jefe was stuck. Come to me. Now then. Got an idea. Suit him first-rate. You see. Struck me this morning," says Dorcas.

As to the other boats, they arrived at Tarifa the following evening, with 583; but the Admiral ordered the Mahomet II. to Cadiz, where soon after midnight he landed, and, by negotiation with a "Jefe", in an hour had a train for Madrid. As he was about to step in, the Treasurer touched his shoulder. "What, Admiral, off by land?"

Going to the jefatura, the young clerk there was much impressed by the documents we presented, and asked us if we would accompany him to the jefe's house, as thus no time would be lost. Upon arriving at the house of the jefe, we found that a wedding was about to be celebrated in the church.

Even then he did not change his habits; for he was drinking and playing cards half the day and night with the comandante, the collector of customs, the Jefe Politico and other gay dogs among the native officials. One day Dicky saw Pasa, the daughter of Madama Ortiz, sitting in the side-door of the Hotel de los Estranjeros.

Two days before, we had sent word to the authorities at Cuquila, that we should breakfast with them on our way back to Tlaxiaco, and ordered them to be ready for our coming. This was the opportunity which had been promised them for redeeming themselves and avoiding complaint to their jefe.

Jose was summoned by the president of the town, the honeyed, affable "Señor Presidente," the same who had been called the drunken scoundrel, now accommodating, a true and emotional friend. Jose sent a thousand excuses, and finally defiance. "That man," cried the professor, showing his writ of authority from the jefe politico of the district, "I order to be arrested." Jose did not flee.

To myself, as leader of the company, he was attentive and ceremonious in the highest degree, and on several occasions he took my companions to task for their ignorance regarding the proper deference to display toward me. He inquired whether we were acquainted with Señor Arroyo, jefe politico of Tulancingo, and then informed us, with pride that that gentleman was his "Señor Padre."

Every day she goes to the carcel, but is denied admission, and every day she comes to plead with the jefe de armas for her husband's life. But he will not see her, and the soldiers only laugh at her tears." "A common story! These women and their babies are very annoying," observed the general. "She says that her husband is to be shot." "Very likely! Our prisons are full.

Second, I had the misfortune to be involved in trouble in the district of Del Doria, which forced me to flee from that district to escape the jefe.