about noon
I suggested that I should go forth alone , and , keeping well in the open in order that I might be effectively covered by the guns of the others in the event of anything in the nature of treachery being attempted , take a look round in the immediate neighbourhood of the house , and endeavour to ascertain what the outlaws were doing , or , if they had gone , what had become of them . At first no one would listen to the suggestion ; it was denounced as too utterly hazardous to be entertained for a moment ; and when I pointed out that it could only be hazardous if the enemy still remained upon the ground , Don Silvio proposed , by way of amendment , that the men should all sally forth in a body , for mutual protection . But to this I would not agree , arguing -- very reasonably , I think -- that if the outlaws had departed it would be as safe for me to go forth as for the whole of us ; while , if treachery happened to be afoot , the safety of the female portion of the party absolutely depended upon the men remaining in the house ready to defend it in the event of a renewed attack . These arguments of mine , coupled with the necessity , which everybody at length recognised , for us to make a move of some sort , finally prevailed ; and about noon I left the house , armed with a musket and a brace of pistols , all loaded , and fortified by some item of advice from each of my companions . My first act was to examine carefully the bodies that lay round about the house , taking those that lay nearest at hand , and then passing on to the others . The result of this examination was the discovery that the fallen numbered in all sixty-seven , fourteen of whom were still alive , but so seriously injured that they had been unable to withdraw to the safety of cover . I inquired of each of these men what had become of their companions , but they were unable to answer me ; they could but groan -- '' _ Agua , agua , por amor de Dios _ ! ''