Chinamen, for they had arrived only one month before—all of them—from Sonora.
In one house we found as many as fourteen inmates. There was a woman past fifty with the strength of an Indian chief in her face and with words which went to the mark like an arrow to a target. There was a comfortable, home-like woman with a broad, pock-marked face, pleasant words and eyes which kindled with friendliness despite her troubles. There were two woman who watched their fire and listened only. There was a girl of fifteen, a bride of four months, but now alone, a wonderfully comely girl with big eyes and soft mouth, who sat with her back against the wall and smiled and smiled—until she cried. There was a sick woman who lay on the floor and groaned feebly but never looked up, and there were eight children.
"Last week we were fifteen," said the home-like woman, "but one has already gone. They never get well." She reached over and gently stroked the hair of the sister who lay on the floor.
"Were you all married?" I asked.
"All," nodded the old woman with the face of a chief.
"And where are they now?"
"Quien sabe?" And she searched our eyes deep for the motive of our questions.
"I am a Papago," reassured De Lara. "We are friends."
"You are not working," I remarked. "What are you doing?"
"Starving," said the old woman.
"We get that once a week—for all of us," explained the home-like one, nodding at three small chunks of raw beef—less than a five-cent stew in the United States—which had just been brought from the plantation store.
