's_ personal interest had ceased, and he had completely disappeared
from the scene of action. When we returned at three o'clock to resume
work, only the guards were there to help us. One and another subject,
invited to be measured, showed no interest in advancing science. So, Mr.
Wilson went to see the _jefe_ in his office; the old man was furious and
actually ran out, with the statement that he had plenty of his own work
to do. When this scene had been reported, it in no wise increased the
readiness of subjects to undergo the operation. Finding that we were
accomplishing nothing, we decided upon desperate measures. Going to the
office of the governor's private secretary, we insisted on his telling
the chief executive that we were losing time, that no one was assisting
us, that subjects were obdurate and stubborn, and that something must
be promptly done. We waited but a few minutes. The fiat went forth; the
_jefe politico_ appeared, puffing and blowing, and wildly excited. He
was closeted a moment with the governor. On his reappearance, we greeted
him cordially, and told him that the people present would not be
measured and indicated one particularly stubborn subject, who was dealt
with, promptly, and without gloves. The _jefe_ remained long enough to
reestablish order, though, under his breath, he muttered curses and
threats, and expressed his feeling to any official, who chanced to pass.
He said the business was driving him clean crazy; that he was doing what
he did, not for love of us, but from respect to the orders of his chief.
Having set the ball to rolling, he left us and there were no more
delays.

When the labor of the day was over, we stopped at the _jefe's_ office
to inform him that we should continue work the following day, and
emphasized the fact that we wished one hundred cases, and, as yet, had
less than half that number. We suggested that systematic arrangements
would not only facilitate _our_ labor, but would lessen his own task.
The result was evident; on the following day delegations, ordered by the
_jefe_, and consisting of from six to a dozen persons each, began to
come in from the outlying villages. This made our work easy, indeed. In
one respect, Tlaxcala differs from all the other Mexican states with
which we are acquainted. Most of the people live in very little towns,
which cluster around the larger places. Thus, around the capital city,
Tlaxcala, there are some seventeen of these small pueblos