As A Rule He Rode On A Big Black
Horse Which Admirably Suited His Figure And The Scarlet Colour And
Silver Of His Costume.
On arrival Don Amaro was conducted to the drawing-room, followed by
all the others; and when all were seated, including the four old
gauchos wearing swords, the Alcalde addressed my parents and informed
them of the object of the visit.
He had received an imperative order
from his superiors, he said, to take at once and send to headquarters
twelve more young men as recruits for the army from his small section
of the district. Now most of the young men had already been taken, or
had disappeared from the neighbourhood in order to avoid service, and
to make up this last twelve he had even to take boys of the age of
this one, and Medardo would have to go. But this woman would not have
her boy taken, and after spending many words in trying to convince her
that she must submit he had at last, to satisfy her, consented to
accompany her to her master's house to discuss the matter again in her
master and mistress's presence.
It was a long speech, pronounced with great dignity; then, almost
before it finished, the distracted mother jumped up and threw herself
on her knees before my parents, and in her wild tremulous voice began
crying to them, imploring them to have compassion on her and help her
to save her boy from such a dreadful destiny.
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