station had been improved; the old shack, where we slept in 1896, had been torn down, and a construction track occupied its place; on the little rise behind, a pretty and large hotel had been erected; on the higher land, to the right, a line of well-built houses, making some pretension to architectural effect, had been constructed.  It was only after landing, and walking through the older portions of the town, that any familiar scenes were recognized.  Though we were ready to land at five, and wished to catch the train at seven, we were forced to wait for the official inspection, and saw the longed-for train—­and there would be no other for two days—­pull out before our eyes.  Finally, at nine o’clock, we were permitted to land.  To my surprise, my shipping document was called for, but, being produced, we were subjected to no difficulty.  The balance of the day was spent in wandering about the village, meeting former acquaintances, attending to odds and ends of shipment, and strolling on the familiar beach, which was still covered with scurrying crabs and sprinkled with white “sand dollars.”  During the night, a terrific norther blew, and the next day, cold, dull gray, rainy, kept us in-doors.  By this time, the purser of the “Hidalgo,” who had himself had yellow fever, and said he was familiar with it, had convinced us that Ramon really had had a slight touch of that dread disease, but having passed his tenth day of sickness, was destined to recover, and would be no serious menace to other people.

CHAPTER XXIII

OX-CART EXPERIENCES

(1901)

On the following morning, at seven, we took the railroad train, and at five at night had reached Tehuantepec, and were pleasantly located in our old hotel, the Europa.  On February 28, we visited the market, called at the house of the jefe politico for a letter to the town authorities of Huilotepec, and visited Dr. Castle, whom we found much the same as ever.  We failed to find the jefe at his office, though we went there several times, but found him sitting in a tienda much the worse for drinking.  He was charmed to see us, embraced us warmly, and told us that his thoughts had frequently been with us since our former sojourn in his district.  New supplies of wine, and, on the appearance of certain ladies, of champagne, were ordered in witness of his satisfaction.  In regard to our desires, he was delighted to learn that Louis was shooting birds, declaring that we were just in time; that he had a damnable order from Mexico to send on skins of all the birds of his district for the National Museum, and that he had not known what to do in the matter; we must prepare them; if we did so, willingly, we should be handsomely paid; but if not, he would be compelled to force us.  The jail was ready, and men die easily in Southern Mexico.  With this, he made some suggestions that it was easy for a person to be officially reported as accidentally killed, or dead from vomito.  He insisted that we should not go alone to Huilotepec, but that he himself would accompany us and make sure that everything was done according to our wishes.  All these dire threats and great promises were completely forgotten on the following day, when we sallied forth alone.