He sent a lying message back to Espinal that
the railway tracks were torn up and he could not reach Chihuahua,
and so, of course, he was ordered to return. That was bad enough,
but he loaded his bandits upon other trains--he locked them into
freight-cars like cattle so that not a head could be seen--and the
devil himself would never have guessed what was in those cars. Of
course he succeeded. No one suspected the truth until his infamous
army was in Espinal. Then it was too late. The carnage was
terrible. But do you call that a nice action? It was nothing but
the lowest deceit. It was enough to make our soldiers furious."
Dolores giggled. "They say he went to his officers and told them:
'Compadres, we are now going into Espinal. I will meet you at the
Plaza, and I will shoot the last man who arrives there.' Dios!
There ensued a foot-race."
"It is well for him to train his men how to run fast," said Jose,
frowning sternly, "for some day they will meet Luis Longorio, and
then--you will see some of the swiftest running in all the world."
"Yes! Truly!" Dolores was trembling with excitement, her voice was
shrill. "God will need to lend them speed to catch this army of
Longorio's.
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