I replied: “I do not know that my enemies are all reconciled to me, but they are all _dead_, and that is better, or at least _safer_.” And it is the literal truth. All my bitterest foes have been taken hence, most of them by violence, and I neither rejoice at nor regret their taking off. I do not claim that I was always right and they always wrong, for I tried to return blow for blow, but it is certain that they often resorted to means which I would, under no circumstances, employ. Alas, most of my friends are gone also. Why I have been spared through it all is a mystery which I do not attempt to explain.
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The author’s spelling and usage of English and Spanish words, including hyphenation, and variations therein, have been maintained, except in the following cases:
{ by --> my} permanent home { Page 31} stand { my --> by} him. { Page 46} Quein sabe --> Quien sabe { Page 78} Las { Crues --> Cruces} { Page 85} { amublance --> ambulance} { Page 110} { composd --> composed} { Page 111} { that that the Mail Company --> that the Mail Company} { Page 133} { grat --> great} { Page 133} { a --> an} acequia. { Page 149} { Bosquies --> Bosques} { Page 154}
Variations in spelling of proper names have been standardized.
While spellings for place names have been maintained, following are corrected or modern-day spellings:
Candelario Mountains for Candelerio Mountains Canutillo for Canntilla or Canutilla Fredericksburg for Fredricksburg Hermosillo for Hermisillo, Sonora Hueco Tanks for Waco Tanks Juarez for Jaurez Mesilla for Messilla San Elizario for San Elezario Socorro for Sorocco Tijeras for Tejaras
Italicized words and phrases are presented by surrounding the text with _underscores_.
End of Project Gutenberg's Forty Years at El Paso, by William Wallace Mills