THE INSURGENCE
of CHAN SANTA CRUZ
|
|
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR |
|
The village of Chankik,
four kilometers from Chan Santa Cruz, was presumed the birthplace of the
sorcerer, but not even the oldest resident remembered Miguel Chankik as a young
man or a boy, nor had their ancestors. The curandero... a curandero of their
village... had always been at the edge of town, appearing for a few days,
disappearing for a few months or years. These old people crossed themselves at
his mention.
No power had his name
against the Mexicans. The Federal forces captured the village with little
opposition on the twenty third of April. Two sublevados were killed and three
of the Mexicans wounded, besides which some prisoners also lost their lives.
The villagers retreated to Santa Cruz.
Following the vanguard
which had taken the village, the body of the Federal troops and the State
Guardia settled in at Chankik, with the expectation of an assault upon the
capital in two weeks' time, so as to be able to report victory back to Porfirio
Diaz on the occasion of the fifth of May, the anniversary of Mexican
liberation. Now commenced a short epoch of posting letters, shining boots and
saddles, polishing buttons and swords and making sure that all weapons were in
firing order for, although a great victory was assured, so also was great
slaughter assumed and, this time, every soldier understood that the prisoners
could not be expected to take the brunt of casualties. The campaign was making
ready for that demanding mistress Silvestro Kaak called don del Muerte as if
primping for a grand ball. Holes in trousers, long ignored, were sewn up, dirty
shirts carefully washed and folded and a certain civility even entered into the
last days of the campaign. Cheating at card tables dropped away, children
usually kicked aside or cuffed at the slightest provocation were tenderly held
and given sweets. Padre Juliano was kept up from dawn until the late hours of
night, hearing the confessions of the company.
RETURN to HOMEPAGE
– “THE INSURGENCE of CHAN SANTA CRUZ”
RETURN to GENERISIS HOMEPAGE