Page:Into Mexico with General Scott (1920).djvu/260

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more fightin' than is necessary. 'Conquer a peace'; that's the word. And if we've conquered it this day, we'll give Santy Annie a chance to say so, after he's calmed down a bit."

"Right, then," Sergeant Mulligan agreed. "Let 'em think it over. For if we entered in too much of a hurry 'twud be only a half-baked p'ace after all."

The group broke up.

"Good-night," said Hannibal. "Whew, but I'm tired. It's been a great day, though. Oh, my eye, didn't we thrash 'em!"

"Rather guess," Jerry answered. "I kept track of Lieutenant Grant. He was right near me most the time."

"Where's Pompey?"

"Haven't seen him. He's hunting another money chest, like as not."

This night Jerry slept under a wagon, while the rain beat down. But the thought of the wounded lying out in the dark and storm bothered him. Battles were not pleasant.

After breakfast the First Division was marched back to Churubusco. The other divisions were encamped nearby. And what a sight that field of Churubusco was! The bodies of Mexicans were piled everywhere—in the road and in the breast-*works and in the muddy fields. All the trenches and the causeway and the road north was a mess of muskets, pistols, swords, bayonets, lances, haversacks, cartridge boxes, knapsacks, great coats, blankets, hats and caps, and drums, horns, fifes and the like, enough to equip fifty bands.

The Mexican loss was estimated at four thousand