Forty years at El Paso, 1858-1898; recollections of war, politics, adventure, events, narratives, sketches, etc., by W. W. Mills. Page: 83 of 163

86

FORTY YEARS AT EL PASO.

Conalitos, and now comes the interesting part of their
story-if it has any interest at all.
Mr. Zubiran was about to send an express to Hermisillo,
the capital of Sonora, to notify Governor
that the arms were ready for delivery, but it would have
been a long and dangerous journey, and as I had a
deputy collector of customs (one McWard) at Tucson,
nearer Hermisillo, Mr. Zubiran requested me to forward
his letter under cover to McWard, and ask him to send
it by messenger to Governor -
and ask him to
reply through the same channels. This was done, and in
due time there came a reply to Mr. Zubiran, written on
the printed letter-head paper of the "Executive of the
State of Sonora," signed by the Governor, and to every
appearance genuine. But the contents of this letter were
startling. It stated that the Governor regretted that
he could not receive or pay for the arms; that the Mexican
cause was hopeless, and it advised my friend Zubiran
(than whom Mexico had no stancher patriot) to
give in his allegiance to the Empire of Maximilian!
We were astounded; but there was the fact in plain
black and white.
Some weeks later an express rider came in great haste
from the Governor of Sonora, with a letter to Mr. Zubiran,
asking why such delay about the rifles, and urging
haste, and stating that the money to pay for them was
already at Conalitos.
We finally got at the explanation of this chapter of
misunderstandings. A former Governor of Sonora had
espoused the cause of Maximilian, had fled from his
country, and taken refuge at Tucson, carrying with him
some of the stationery of the State, and had become intimate
with Deputy McWard, who had betrayed to him
the contents of Zubiran's letter, thus enabling him to pre