CHAPTER XVI

THE MEXICAN FROM MEXICO

Enrique del Rio promptly became known to San Juan as the Mexican from Mexico, this to distinguish him from the many Mexicans, as San Juan knew them, who had never seen that turbulent field of intrigue and revolt from which their sires had come.  He showed himself from the outset to be a gentleman of culture, discernment, and ability.  He was suave, he was polished, he gave certain signs of refinement.

His first afternoon and evening he bestowed upon Jim Galloway.  The second day found him registered at Struve’s hotel.  The following morning he presented himself with a sheaf of credentials at the bank, asking for John Engle.  With him came Ignacio Chavez in the role of interpreter.  Del Rio spoke absolutely no English and had informed himself that Engle’s Spanish was inadequate for the occasion.

“He is Senor Don Enrique del Rio,” explained Ignacio, touched by the spell of the other’s munificence and immaculate clothes.  “He would like to shake the hand of Senor Engle to become acquainted and then friends. . . .  He brings papers to tell who and what he is in Mexico City, whence he has departed because of too damn much fight down there; he wishes to put some money here in the banco, which he can take away again to buy a big ranch and many cattle and horses.  He has the other money in a banco in New York, where he sent it out from Mexico two, three months ago.”

And so on, while Engle gravely listened and shrewdly, after his fashion in business hours, probed for the inner man under the outer polish, while del Rio nodded and smiled and never withdrew his night-black eyes from Engle’s face.

Del Rio, it appeared, had gone first to the Casa Blanca because he had heard of Jim Galloway as one of the most influential men of the county.  Since arriving in San Juan, however, he had heard this and that, mere rumors, which caused him to come to Engle.  He, a stranger, could ill afford in the beginning to have his name coupled with that of any man not known for his spotless integrity.  Senor Engle understood? . . .  Later, when del Rio had found the properties to his liking and had builded a home, his wife and two daughters would arrive.  Now they travelled in California.

In the end Engle accepted the Mexican’s deposits, which amounted to approximately a thousand dollars, and which were to be drawn against merely as an expense account until del Rio found his ranch.  And the first item of expense was the purchase from Engle himself of a fine saddle-animal, a pure-blooded, clean-limbed young mare, sister to Persis.  After which the Mexican spent a great deal of his time riding about the country, looking at ranches.  He visited Engle’s two places, called upon Norton at Las Flores, ferreting out prices, looking at water and feed, examining soil.

It was a bare fortnight after the coming of del Rio when out of Las Palmas came word of fresh lawlessness.  The superintendent of the three Quigley mines had been surprised the night before pay-day, forced at the point of a revolver to open his own safe, and robbed of several thousand dollars.  A man on horseback rushed word to San Juan, found Tom Cutter, who located Norton the same afternoon at his ranch at Las Flores.