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190 The area of unrest presented the greatest difficulties to the expeditious movement of troops. But one line of railway existed to convey them to the front, and in the temporary destruction of that the insurgents evidently found little difficulty, to judge from the news that they had wrecked a troop train which was conveying a large body of men to Juarez. Neither did the supply of arms seem to present any difficulties to the rebels, who by some mysterious means were enabled to equip themselves with modern weapons from an evidently inexhaustible source. This source of supply had always been one of the mysteries of the Mexican Border, and its origin will probably remain an insoluble secret.

Under cover of the general disorder, Madero returned from his exile. In May, 1911, a "Peace Conference" was held, at which the leaders of the North demanded Diaz’s resignation. The aged President, seeing how the tide of popularity had set dead against him and his followers, acceded to the terms before the end of the month, and quitted Mexican soil for ever. A Provisional Government was installed under Señor de la Barra, and five months later a Presidential election was held on 2nd October, when Madero was chosen President without opposition.

Madero had entered Mexico city on 7th June, 1911, shortly after a terrific earthquake had shaken it to its very foundations. Several hundreds of the inhabitants were killed, and many of the principal buildings were totally wrecked. The superstitious Mexicans, seeing in the catastrophe a sign of the divine wrath, brought upon them for the expulsion of their President, prayed wildly for forgiveness at every street corner, and a terrible panic ensued. On the appearance of Madero some hours later, it is not surprising that he failed to receive the triumphal reception that he looked for.

Needless to say, the Mexican people were in high hope that the new conditions would bring them all they had asked for, and dissolve the political chains and shatter the