“It is such a large place, you see—seven hundred thousand people.”
“Seven hundred thousand—expect that’s a heap of people, ain’t it?”
His father, a portly, well-dressed man, soon came in, and learning that I had been in Mexico, said, “I suppose there’s a heap of Americans flocking in and settling up that country along on the line, ain’t there, sir?”
“No, sir, very few. I saw none, in fact—only a few Irishmen and Frenchmen, who called themselves Americans. Those were the only foreigners I saw, except negroes.”
“Niggers! Where were they from?”
“They were runaways from Texas.”
“But their masters go there and get them again, don’t they?”
“No, sir, they can’t.”
“Why not?”
“The Mexicans are friendly to the niggers, and protect them.”