Chapter 6

           ColonelAurelianoBuendiaorganizedthirty—twoarmeduprisingsandhelostthemall.Hehadseventeenmalechildrenbyseventeendifferentwomenandtheywereexterminatedoneaftertheotheronasinglenightbeforetheoldestonehadreachedtheageofthirty-five.Hesurvivedfourteenattemptsonhislife,seventy-threeambushes,andafiringsquad.Helivedthroughadoseofstrychnineinhiscoffeethatwasenoughtokillahorse.HerefusedtheOrderofMerit,whichthePresidentoftheRepublicawardedhim.HerosetobeCommanderinChiefoftherevolutionaryforces,withjurisdictionandcommandfromonebordertotheother,andthemanmostfearedbythegovernment,butheneverlethimselfbephotographed.HedeclinedthelifetimepensionofferedhimafterthewaranduntiloldagehemadehislivingfromthelittlegoldfishesthathemanufacturedinhisworkshopinMacondo.Althoughhealwaysfoughtattheheadofhismen,theonlywoundthathereceivedwastheonehegavehimselfaftersigningtheTreatyofNeerlandia,whichputanendtoalmosttwentyyearsofcivilwar.Heshothimselfinthechestwithapistolandthebulletcameoutthroughhisbackwithoutdamaginganyvitalorgan.TheonlythingleftofallthatwasastreetthatborehisnameinMacondo.Andyet,ashedeclaredafewyearsbeforehediedofoldage,hehadnotexpectedanyofthatonthedawnheleftwithhistwenty-onementojointheforcesofGeneralVictorioMedina.

           "WeleaveMacondoinyourcare."wasallthathesaidtoArcadiobeforeleaving.