with his fingers and drinks out of the finger bowl, every man does the same! The guests are not to be embarrassed."
The Americans, in a cordial but not a very polished manner, welcomed the Mexicans. At the table there was a great deal of talking at first, and every one waited for the general to begin to eat. But he didn't! And they waited a little longer, until the soup was cooled. Finally the American official, who had been in Mexico long enough to know that one must do as the Mexicans do, drank his soup. Without a smile or a murmur every one did the same. When the meat was served fingers and knives were used, and at the close of the meal toothpicks instead of finger bowls were passed. The general was delighted to think that he could eat with Americans and be so contented! To this day he is pro-American!
I had been in Mexico several weeks, and when an opportunity came to see a live bandit I was enthusiastic, and I got up as early on the morning we left as I did years ago when the circus came to Richmond, Indiana.
To reach the Mexican oil fields one must travel between sixty and eighty miles south of Tampico. At the wharf one boards a fast gasoline launch at sunrise and travels through the canal and Pánuco River some twenty miles to a landing station belonging to one of the oil companies. Eight miles out of the city one meets a band of eight Carranza soldiers. They are on outpost duty to
