A cynical traveller once said, after noting the
innumerable number of statues in the land, "South America has evidently
produced a phenomenal number of heroes," but we are inclined to think
their tale has not been told if those who bore their trouble so bravely
that night are to be "unhonoured and unsung." Think what it meant, you
who may read this, in years to come, in civilised places, comfortably
seated in your armchairs, conveniently near the cellaret, and,--honour
our brave! They had at least two days to face (with no prospect of
obtaining supplies anywhere) and they discovered, here, that _the case
of whisky was lost,_ left behind, vanished--they knew not what, only
that it had disappeared!
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs not to moan or sigh,
E'en though their throats were dry,
Noble "Tacuruers"!
True, the comforting thought that they still had a bottle and a-half of
the precious drink with them may have helped them to keep their spirits
up with the hope of pouring spirits down, but a bottle and a-half is
not much amongst so many thirsty souls for three days, and, we repeat,
that great courage and bravery was shown by the equanimity with which
the party bore the news of their loss.
A minor loss was that the dinner napkins were not forthcoming, but that
surprised no one, for they were in the charge of The Kid, and, of
course, she had forgotten them at Lucero.
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