What Would He Be, She
Cried, A Boy Of His Tender Years Dragged From His Home, From His
Mother's Care,
And thrown among a crowd of old hardened soldiers, and
of evil-minded men - murderers, robbers, and criminals of all
Descriptions drawn from all the prisons of the land to serve in the
army!
It was dreadful to see her on her knees wringing her hands, and to
listen to her wild lamentable cries; and again and again while the
matter was being discussed between the old Alcalde and my parents, she
would break out and plead with such passion and despair in her voice
and words, that all the people in the room were affected to tears. She
was like some wild animal trying to save her offspring from the
hunters. Never, exclaimed my mother, when the struggle was over, had
she passed so painful, so terrible, an hour! And the struggle had all
been in vain, and Dardo was taken from us.
One morning, some weeks later, the dull roar from distant big guns
came to our ears, and we were told that a great battle was being
fought, that Rosas himself was at the head of his army - a poor little
force of 25,000 men got together in hot haste to oppose a mixed
Argentine and Brazilian force of about 40,000 men commanded by the
traitor Urquiza. During several hours of that anxious day the dull,
heavy sound of firing continued and was like distant thunder:
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