The volunteers I mentioned above are intended to see that the criminal element do not run away. The barracks are always surrounded by a high wall like a prison, and have iron gates at which an officer and the guard always stand. No one goes in or out without a permit. When the wives of married soldiers bring their food (the Mexican soldier feeds himself) all the baskets are searched by the officer for prohibited articles. I have seen them at drill with a line of armed guards thrown out around the drill grounds to watch over the rest. It can be imagined what a round-shouldered, unkempt looking lot the majority of the troops are. The cavalry are a good deal better as a whole, as they are mostly volunteers. About five years ago, when there was some talk of war between Mexico and Guatemala, the police rounded up all the saloons and captured every one inside them to fill up the “Volunteer” regiments that this state was raising as its quota. They got some of my men, and I had to go up and identify them so as to get them out. CHAPTER XXVIII Federal Rurales—Robbery by servants—Wholesale thieving—Lack of police discipline—A story of Roosevelt. What I have said about the Mexican troops does not apply to the regiments of Federal Rurales (Irregular Horse), who are an entirely different class of men. Originally they were recruited from captured bandits, for the purpose of hunting down others. Now they are mostly recruited from the cowboy or _vaquero_ class. They have good uniforms, fine horses and arms, are splendid riders, and have almost unlimited authority in the capture and even execution of bandits or road-agents. They are the men who are used in most of the Indian fighting and in local uprisings such as happened some years ago on the Texas border.