Fun Fact: Blogs rhymes with Dogs. It's true. Look it up.

And another kind of slow chapter. When it's so violent I want to throw up, I will be pleased.

So we find out more about the kid in the chapter. I don't know if it's a diagnosed symptom or whatnot, but the kid seems to be a pathological liar. We caught a glimpse in the previous chapter with the cattle drovers, but the kid lies through most of his interview with the Capitano. "How old are ya boy?" "Ninetee." Yeah. Ok. Then he starts again with the "They done did stolt ever'thing I got." Addicted to violence and lying. Sounds like an A+ winner.

"The war's over." The Mexican-American war I'm guessing. The Alamo and whatnot. I didn't pay attention in history.

It was only a few lines, but I liked how he glorified the sergeant's horse, you know, since he's spent a fair amount of time chastising the kid's mule. "Fitted with tooled leather with worked silver trim." It's showing how much better the kid could have it if he joined the army. Silver trim is waiting for you. Just sign the paper.

Captain goes off on the Mexicans. Well if they're so pathetic to be killed by stones of the Apache, then why is it that they can still kill American troops? Captain gives an example of a battle wherein only one American died, but come on, it's just a one time thing. Have to have more than one example buddy.

There were two lines that just didn't do it for me. The first: "How many youths have come home cold and dead from just such nights and just such plans." It feels like a different narrator for that line. Just doesn't work I don't think. Yeah, yeah, I'm being way nit-picky but I thought I would point them out. The second is when one of the corporals says "get back to that hole of misery." Yeah, that just doesn't work. 1849 corporal man doesn't say that.

Verb tense! Again!

Awwwwhhh. I was looking forward to a juicy scene (well as juicy as it got in 1849- "Oh man! She took her bonnet off!") between the whores and the fellas. No. Just a crazed old out-of-place Mennonite. And a Mennonite is pretty much just an Amish guy, save for a fridge and a car, which didn't even exist back then, so... wait a minute... Ah I don't even understand. I thought those sort of folk kept to their own kind and I never thought they existed down in Mexico/Texas area.

And does the mennonite kill Earl? He's dead and all, then papa mennonite comes in with some comment. A comment which I don't fully understand. Oh well.