Page:Mexico's dilemma.djvu/94

 76 dollars from one of the companies. The corporation had already paid a large sum and could not afford to meet his requirements; but Pelaez was, at the time, an unlimited monarch. He made war or peace as freely as the German Kaiser. And inasmuch as Pelaez had the army to destroy the company's wells the treasurer knew the taxes had to be paid, so he bought twenty thousand dollars in counterfeit money and gave it to Pelaez. The general did not examine the bills, and everything was satisfactory.

The next day Pelaez paid his soldiers, and when they attempted to pass it in the small villages the shopkeepers refused anything but metal coin. The general notified the treasurer and demanded real money immediately. The treasurer explained that he could not come to camp for several days but that he would adjust the matter. It was quite evident that a mistake had been made!

Three days later he appeared at Pelaez 's headquarters.

"Where is that money?" he asked.

Pelaez handed it back. The treasurer took from his pocket a rubber stamp that he had had made and, one by one, stamped each bill with the following:

"Now if you can't get your soldiers to accept this money of your own government," the