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136 general, such as Napoleon liked; his bravery predominated over the other qualities desirable in a general in the proportion of a hundred to one,—a fact well proved by the event at Tucuman. Though able to call in a sufficient force, he persisted in giving battle with only a handful of men, accompanied by Colonel Diasvelez, who was not less brave than himself. Facundo had with him two hundred of infantry and his own Red Cavalry; Madrid had fifty-foot soldiers and a few squadrons of militia. At the beginning of the contest, Facundo and his cavalry were routed, and he himself did not return to the field of battle until all was over. Meanwhile the body of infantry stood firm; Madrid ordered his men to charge upon them, but not being obeyed, he actually rushed upon them alone. He was thrown from his horse, but, recovering himself, charged about him, slaying on the right, on the left, and before him, until horse and horseman fell pierced with balls and bayonets, and victory was decided in favor of the infantry.

Facundo now came back to recover his black flag which had been lost, and found his victory gained, and Madrid dead, actually dead. His equipments were there, sword, horse, and all, but his body could not be recognized among the stripped and mutilated corpses that lay upon the field. Colonel Diasvelez, ho was a prisoner, said that his ally had a bayonet wound in his leg, and no body was found with such a wound.

Madrid had dragged himself under some bushes where his aid found him raving deliriously about the battle; and at the sound of approaching footsteps, he