They had already crossed the Salado
river and were within two or three easy marches of us, when the small
disciplined force met and gave them battle and utterly routed them.
Indians and gauchos were sent flying south like thistle-down before
the wind; but all being well-mounted, not many were killed.
So ended that danger, and I think we boys were all a little
disappointed that no use had been made of our bright beautiful
bullets. I am sure my brother was; but soon after that he left home
for a distant country, and our shooting and other adventures together
were ended for ever.
CHAPTER XXII
BOYHOOD'S END
The book - The Saledero, or killing-grounds, and their smell - Walls
built of bullocks' skulls - A pestilential city - River water and Aljibe
water - Days of lassitude - Novel scenes - Home again - Typhus - My first
day out - Birthday reflections - What I asked of life - A boy's mind - A
brother's resolution - End of our thousand and one nights - A reading
spell - My boyhood ends in disaster.
This book has already run to a greater length than was intended;
nevertheless there must be yet another chapter or two to bring it to a
proper ending, which I can only find by skipping over three years of
my life, and so getting at once to the age of fifteen.
