e were not times to be thinking about such a thing。 For a week he had been carrying an old…fashioned pistol under his shirt。 He kept his eyes on his friends。 In the afternoon he would go have coffee with Jos？Arcadio and Rebeca； who had begun to put their house in order； and from seven o’clock on he would play dominoes with his father…in…law。 At lunchtime he was chatting with Arcadio； who was already a huge adolescent； and he found him more and more excited over the imminence of war。 In school； where Arcadio had pupils older than himself mixed in with children who were barely beginning to talk； the Liberal fever had caught on。 There was talk of shooting Father Nicanor； of turning the church into a school； of instituting free love。 Aureliano tried to calm down his drive。 He remended discretion and prudence to him。 Deaf to his calm reasoning； to his sense of reality； Arcadio reproached him in public for his weakness of character。 Aureliano waited。 Finally； in the beginning of December； ？rsula burst into the workshop all upset。
“War’s broken out！？
War； in fact； had broken out three months before。 Martial law was in effect in the whole country。 The only one who knew it immediately was Don Apolinar Moscote； but he did not give the news even to his wife while the army platoon that was to occupy the town by surprise was on its way。 They entered noiselessly before dawn； with two pieces of light artillery drawn by mules； and they set up their headquarters in the school。 A 6 P。M。 curfew was established。 A more drastic search than the previous one was undertaken； house by house； and this time they even took farm implements。 They dragged out Dr。 Noguera； tied him to a tree in the square； and shot him without any due process of law。 Father Nicanor tried to impress the military authorities with the miracle of levitation and had his head split open by the butt of a soldier’s rifle。 The Liberal exaltation had been extinguished into a silent terror。 Aureliano； pale； mysterious； continued playing dominoes with his father…in…law。 He understood that in spite of his present title of civil and military leader of the town； Don Apolinar Moscote was once more a figurehead。 The decisions were made by the army captain； who each morning collected an extraordinary levy for the defense of public order。 Four soldiers under his mand snatched a woman who had been bitten by a mad dog from her family and killed her with their rifle butts。 One Sunday； two weeks after the occupation； Aureliano entered Gerineldo Márquez’s house and with his usual terseness asked for a mug of coffee without sugar。 When the two of them were alone in the kitchen； Aureliano gave his voice an authority that had never been heard before。 “Get the boys ready；？he said。 “We’re going to war。？Gerineldo Márquez did not believe him。
“With what weapons？？he asked。
“With theirs；？Aureliano replied。
Tuesday at midnight in a mad operation； twenty…one men under the age of thirty manded by Aureliano Buendía； armed with table knives and sharpened tools； took the garrison by surprise； seized the weapons； and in the courtyard executed the captain and the four soldiers who had killed the woman。
That same night； while the sound of the firing squad could be heard； Arcadio was named civil and military leader of the town。 The married rebels barely had time to take leave of their wives； whom they left to their our devices。 They left at dawn； cheered by the people who had been liberated from the terror； to join the forces of the revolutionary general Victorio Medina； who； according to the latest reports； was on his way to Manaure。 Before leaving； Aureliano brought Don Apolinar Moscote out of a closet。 “Rest easy； father…in…law；？he told him。 “The new government guarantees on its word of honor your personal safety and that of your family。？Don Apolinar Moscote had trouble identifying that conspirator in high boots and with a rifle slung over his shoulder with the person he had played dominoes with until nine in the evening。
“This is madness； Aurelito；？he exclaimed。
“Not madness；？Aureliano said。 “War。 And don’t call me Aurelito any more。 Now I’m Colonel Aureliano Buendía。？
Chapter 6
COLONEL AURELIANO BUEND？A organized thirty…two armed uprisings and he lost them all。 He had seventeen male children by seventeen different women and they were exterminated one after the other on a single night before the oldest one had reached the age of thirty…five。 He survived fourteen attempts on his life； seventy…three ambushes； and a firing squad。 He lived through a dose of strychnine in his coffee that was enough to kill a horse。 He refused the Order of Merit； which the President of the Republic awarded him。 He rose to be mander in Chief of the revolutionary forces； with jurisdiction and mand from one border to the other； and the man most feared by the government； but he never let himself be photographed。 He declined the lifetime pension offered him after the war and until old age he made his living from the little gold fishes that he manufactured in his workshop in Macondo。 Although he always fought at the head of his men； the only wound that he received was the one he gave himself after signing the Treaty of Neerlandia； which put an end to almost twenty years of civil war。 He shot himself in the chest with a pistol and the bullet came out through his back without damaging any vital organ。 The only thing left of all that was a street that bore his name in Macondo。 And yet； as he declared a few years before he died of old age； he had not expected any of that on the dawn he left with his twenty…one men to join the forces of General Victorio Medina。
“We leave Macondo in your care。？was all that he said to Arcadio before leaving。 “We leave it to you in good shape； try to have it in better shape when we return。？
Arcadio gave a very personal interpretation to the instructions。 He invented a uniform with the braid and epaulets of a marshal； inspired by the prints in one of Melquíades？books； and around his waist he buckled the saber with gold tassels that had belonged to the executed captain。 He set up the two artillery pieces at the entrance to town； put uniforms on his former pupils； who had been amused by his fiery proclamations； and let them wander through the streets armed in order to give outsiders an impression of invulnerability。 It was a double…edged deception； for the government did not dare attack the place for ten months； but when it did it unleashed such a large force against it that resistance was liquidated in a half hour。 From the first day of his rule Arcadio revealed his predilection for decrees。 He would read as many as four a day in order to decree and institute everything that came into his head。 He imposed obligatory military service for men over eighteen； declared to be public property any animals walking the streets after six in the evening； and made men who were overage wear red armbands。 He sequestered Father Nicanor in the parish house under pain of execution and prohibited him from saying mass or ringing the bells unless it was for a Liberal victory。 In order that no one would doubt the severity of his aims； he ordered a firing squad organized in the