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is it of yours killing the poor people? Have they done
anything?" said the jerk. Oh God, the bastard was
covered with pinta. His scabs were flaking off. He
got it badly. He just was beaten with the butt of a
gun. The box of mangos, nobody knows where it
went. Who knows if each of the soldiers, the killers,
got one. He was crying now. He was tied up. They
captured him alive. They were going to hang him.
They didn't hang him. He got down on his knees. He
was freed, but with a five peso fine.
He paid the five peso fine. His mangos disappeared.
Maybe each of the soldiers, the ones who
had killed people, got one apiece. Me, I went then. A
brown stallion was standing there, wearing a saddle.
It was standing in the woods now. It was eating
now. When I arrived, the shooting was over. They
were already crumpled up there. The blood was
already flowing. I got nine horses. Me, I captured
the horses here at Sek'emtik. I returned on horseback,
with a gun. "Well, but did you shoot at them?'
I was asked.
"I never did shoot at them, but I chased them far
away," I said. But I was telling the truth. I chased
them for a long distance. I couldn't reach them with
bullets. Me, I shot at them, but I never met any of
those who were fighting, on the road. They had
captured guns. They had captured blankets. [The
Villistas] had captured a seal. They were carrying an
apparatus [a stamp] of Ixtapa. Who knows where
those bastards, the Villistas, went doing evil. But,
well, but we were real men, hell! They never won.
They didn't come back again. They were scared
because [their men] had been killed. They didn't say
they'd come again.
The leader of the Villistas made peace. They
became friends. There was no mention of anyone
having died. They got on good terms [with us] now.
They guaranteed that we could travel [in safety]
anywhere, both on the other side of the Grijalva
River and here on our side.
Now we could [travel]. They didn't do anything
[to us] now.
You see, [their leader] was pacified. He asked for a
pair of boots and spats together with a jug of cane
liquor.
Then they were on good terms [with us]. Everything
was all set now. No one did anything to
anybody. No! "If you want to eat beef, brother, ask
me. Ask me and I'll slaughter them for you for
nothing," he said. Just the cattle of the rich. The
Villistas couldn't be meddled with, the bastards. The
devils had lots of guns, but they didn't come up to
steal anymore. The robbers were all lowland ranchers.
The real Villistas themselves never stole. The
ranchers fancied themselves [as Villistas]. They kept
XUN VASKIS 131
pendejo 7uk 7une. 7Ajj dyos, toj lilijel ssalil 7ikokoj i
xxokile ti kavron, muk' smelol naka chak tuk' 7iyich',
7a ti j-p'ej kajon mankoe che7e, mi rason bu bat,
jna7tik mi sta ju-p'ej ti solteroetike li jmilvanejetike,
te x7ok' xa 7och yak'il kuxul 7istzakik, ta 7ox
sjipanik 7un, mu sjipanik, 7ikeji, te kol pero pero
vo7ob pexu multa.
Bweno, yak' vo7ob pexu multae, 7a ti smankoe
ch'ay, ju-p'ej nan mi 7o sta li solteroetike much'utik
chmilvanike, libat xa li vo7one che7e, te xa xkotet
j-kot 7a li tzajal tot ka7, slapoj xila.
Bweno, te xkotet ta te7tik xa chve7 xa, vo7one
k'alal lik'ote che7e, laj xa 7ox i balae, te xa butajtik ta
xa x7okin ch'ich', 7a li ka7e 7ijta, balun-kot 7ijtzak i
ka7e vo7on Ii7 ta Sek'emtike che7e, kajalon xa yulel
chi7uk jun tuk'. "Bweno, pero mi 7avak' i k'ok'e?"
xiyutik 7un.
"Mu xa bu kak' a7a, pero yu7un no 7ox nat 7ijnutz
7un," xkut 7un. Pero yech kal yu7un no 7ox nat
7ijnutz, mu xa jta ta bala, vo7one kak' bala pero mu
xa bu jnup ta be much'u ch7abteje che7e, stzakojik
xa tuk', stzakojik xa chamaroil, stzakojik xa 7a li jun
seyo skuchojik xa 7a li jun 7aparato skwenta jnibak,
jna7tik bu 7a pochetuk i kavron Biyistoe, pero
bweno pero vinik karajo muk' 7o nox spas kanal 7un,
mu xa bu xul 7un, xi7 7o 7un, komo 7imileik, muk' bu
xal ta xtal.
Bweno, 7a li totil Biyisto che7e, 7ik'opoj ta lek,
7amiko xa spas sbaik mu xa bu ta 7alel mi 7o
chamem, solel xa lek, konforme xa kom 7un,
7akwerto xa spas sbaik xu7 xixanavotikotik buyuk mi
j-jech Nab mi Ii7 ta j-jech Ii7 ta jtojoltike.
Pwes xu7 xa, mu xa k'u xal.
K'usi laj 7o yo7one, 7isk'an j-chop sapatoil
xchi7uk spolanya tz'akal, xchi7uk j-p'ej limeton pox.
7Entonse, konforme komik 7un, lek xa listo ta
j-mek mu xa much'u xalbe ju-jun tal, ch'abal. "Mi
xak'an xati7 vakaxe, 7ermano, xak'an 7a li vo7on
xak'anbekon chajmilbeik ta yech no 7ox," xi. Naka
svakax jk'ulejetik 7un, 7a li Biyistoe che7e, mu tijbaj,
kavron, pukujik, 7o stuk'ik ta j-mek, pero mu xa bu
xjelav tal ta j7elek' 7un, 7a li j7elek'e che7e, naka
jranchero, 7a li batz'i mero Biyisto stuke, muk' bu
ch7elk'aj, jranchero ja7 tzpak'ta sba stik'ulan sbaik
7isk'opon i stotike, pero muk' spas kanal, 7ila—j, ja7