complete-guide

seats.
Suddenly a woman who has stood up holding a child
all the way from Irapuato, faints. A civilian takes the
child in his arms. The others pretend to have seen nothing.
Some women, traveling with the soldiers, occupy two
or three seats with baggage, dogs, cats, parrots. Some
of the men wearing Texan hats laugh at the plump arms
and pendulous breasts of the woman who fainted.
"Gentlemen, a well-dressed man stole my suitcase at
the station in Silao! All my life's savings . . . I haven't
got enough to feed my little boy now! . . ."
The old woman speaks rapidly, parrotlike, sighing and
sobbing. Her sharp eyes peer about on all sides. Here
she gets a bill, and further on, another. They shower
money upon her. She finishes the collection, and goes a
few seats ahead.
"Gentlemen, a well-dressed man stole my suitcase in
the station at Silao." Her words produce an immediate
and certain effect.
A well-dressed man, a dude, a tenderfoot, stealing a
suitcase! Amazing, phenomenal! It awakens a feeling of
universal indignation. It's a pity: if this well-dressed man
were here every one of the generals would shoot him
one after the other!
"There's nothing as vile as a city dude who steals!"
a man says, exploding with indignation.
"To rob a poor old lady!"
"To steal from a poor defenseless woman!"
They prove their compassion by word and deed: a
harsh verdict against the culprit; a five-peso bill for the
victim.
"And I'm telling you the truth," Blondie declares.
"Don't think it's wrong to kill, because when you kill,
it's always out of anger. But stealing--Bah!"