CHAPTER22

“cutmepinebranches,”robertjordansaidtoprimitivo,“andbringthemquickly.”“idonotlikethegunthere,”hesaidtoagustin.

“why?”

“placeitoverthere,”robertjordanpointed,“andlateriwilltellthee.”

“here,thus.letmehelpthee.here,”hesaid,thensquatteddown.

helookedoutacrossthenarrowoblong,notingtheheightoftherocksoneitherside.

“itmustbefarther,”hesaid,“fartherout.good.here.thatwilldountilitcanbedoneproperly.there.putthestonesthere.hereisone.putanotherthereattheside.leaveroomforthemuzzletoswing.thestonemustbefarthertothisside.anselmo.gettheedowntothecaveandbringmeanax.quickly.”

“haveyouneverhadaproperemplacementforthegun?”hesaidtoagustin.

“wealwaysplacedithere.”

“kashkinneversaidtoputitthere?”

“no.thegunwasbroughtafterheleft.”

“didnoonebringitwhoknewhowtouseit?”

“no.itwasbroughtbyporters.”

“whatawaytodothings,”robertjordansaid.“itwasjustgiventoyouwithoutinstruction?”

“yes,asagiftmightbegiven.oneforusandoneforelsordo.fourmenbroughtthem.anselmoguidedthem.”

“itwasawondertheydidnotlosethemwithfourmentocrossthelines.”

“ithoughtso,too,”agustinsaid.“ithoughtthosewhosentthemmeantforthemtobelost.butanselmobroughtthemwell.”

“youknowhowtohandleit?”

“yes.ihaveexperimented.iknow.pabloknows.primitivoknows.sodoesfernando.wehavemadeastudyoftakingitapartandputtingittogetheronthetableinthecave.oncewehaditapartandcouldnotgetittogetherfortwodays.sincethenwehavenothaditapart.”

“doesitshootnow?”

“yes.butwedonotletthegypsynorothersfrigwithit.”

“yousee?fromthereitwasuseless,”hesaid.“look.thoserockswhichshouldprotectyourflanksgivecovertothosewhowillattackyou.withsuchagunyoumustseekaflatnessoverwhichtofire.alsoyoumusttakethemsideways.see?looknow.allthatisdominated.”

“isee,”saidagustin.“butwehaveneverfoughtindefenseexceptwhenourtownwastaken.atthetrainthereweresoldierswiththemáquina.”

“thenwewillalllearntogether,”robertjordansaid.“thereareafewthingstoobserve.whereisthegypsywhoshouldbehere?”

“idonotknow.”

“whereisitpossibleforhimtobe?”

“idonotknow.”

pablohadriddenoutthroughthepassandturnedonceandriddeninacircleacrossthelevelspaceatthetopthatwasthefieldoffirefortheautomaticrifle.nowrobertjordanwatchedhimridingdowntheslopealongsidethetracksthehorsehadleftwhenhewasriddenin.hedisappearedinthetreesturningtotheleft.

ihopehedoesn’trunrightintocavalry,robertjordanthought.i’mafraidwe’dhavehimrighthereinourlaps.

primitivobroughtthepinebranchesandrobertjordanstuckthemthroughthesnowintotheunfrozenearth,archingthemoverthegunfromeitherside.

“bringmore,”hesaid.“theremustbecoverforthetwomenwhoserveit.thisisnotgoodbutitwillserveuntiltheaxcomes.listen,”hesaid,“ifyouhearaplanelieflatwhereverthouartintheshadowsoftherocks.iamherewiththegun.”

nowwiththesunupandthewarmwindblowingitwaspleasantonthesideoftherockswherethesunshone.fourhorses,robertjordanthought.thetwowomenandme,anselmo,primitivo,fernando,agustin,whatthehellisthenameoftheotherbrother?that’seight.notcountingthegypsy.makesnine.pluspablogonewithonehorsemakesten.andrésishisname.theotherbrother.plustheother,eladio.makesten.that’snotone-halfahorseapiece.threemencanholdthisandfourcangetaway.fivewithpablo.that’stwoleftover.threewitheladio.wherethehellishe?

godknowswhatwillhappentosordotodayiftheypickedupthetrailofthosehorsesinthesnow.thatwastough;thesnowstoppingthatway.butitmeltingtodaywilleventhingsup.butnotforsordo.i’mafraidit’stoolatetoevenitupforsordo.

ifwecanlastthroughtodayandnothavetofightwecanswingthewholeshowtomorrowwithwhatwehave.iknowwecan.notwell,maybe.notasitshouldbe,tobefoolproof,notaswewouldhavedone;butusingeverybodywecanswingit.ifwedon’thavetofighttoday.godhelpusifwehavetofighttoday.

idon’tknowanyplacebettertolayupinthemeantimethanthis.ifwemovenowweonlyleavetracks.thisisasgoodaplaceasanyandiftheworstgetstobetheworsttherearethreewaysoutofthisplace.thereisthedarkthentocomeandfromwhereverweareinthesehills,icanreachanddothebridgeatdaylight.idon’tknowwhyiworriedaboutitbefore.itseemseasyenoughnow.ihopetheygettheplanesupontimeforonce.icertainlyhopethat.tomorrowisgoingtobeadaywithdustontheroad.

well,todaywillbeveryinterestingorverydull.thankgodwe’vegotthatcavalrymountoutandawayfromhere.idon’tthinkeveniftheyriderightupheretheywillgointhewaythosetracksarenow.they’llthinkhestoppedandcircledandthey’llpickuppablo’stracks.iwonderwheretheoldswinewillgo.he’llprobablyleavetrackslikeanoldbullelkspookingoutofthecountryandworkwayupandthenwhenthesnowmeltscirclebackbelow.thathorsecertainlydidthingsforhim.ofcoursehemayhavejustmuckedoffwithhimtoo.well,heshouldbeabletotakecareofhimself.he’sbeendoingthisalongtime.iwouldn’ttrusthimfartherthanyoucanthrowmounteverest,though.

isupposeit’ssmartertousetheserocksandbuildagoodblindforthisgunthantomakeaproperemplacementforit.you’dbeingandgetcaughtwithyourpantsdowniftheycomeoriftheplanescome.shewillholdthis,thewaysheis,aslongasitisanyusetoholdit,andanywayican’tstaytofight.ihavetogetoutofherewiththatstuffandi’mgoingtotakeanselmowithme.whowouldstaytocoveruswhilewegotawayifwehavetofighthere?

justthen,whilehewaswatchingallofthecountrythatwasvisible,hesawthegypsycomingthroughtherockstotheleft.hewaswalkingwithaloose,high-hipped,sloppyswing,hiscarbinewasslungonhisback,hisbrownfacewasgrinningandhecarriedtwobighares,oneineachhand.hecarriedthembythelegs,headsswinging.

“hola,roberto,”hecalledcheerfully.

robertjordanputhishandtohismouth,andthegypsylookedstartled.heslidoverbehindtherockstowhererobertjordanwascrouchedbesidethebrush-shieldedautomaticrifle.hecroucheddownandlaidtheharesinthesnow.robertjordanlookedupathim.

“youhijodelagranputa!”hesaidsoftly.“wheretheobscenityhaveyoubeen?”

“itrackedthem,”thegypsysaid.“igotthemboth.theyhadmadeloveinthesnow.”

“andthypost?”

“itwasnotforlong,”thegypsywhispered.“whatpasses?isthereanalarm?”

“thereiscavalryout.”

“redios!”thegypsysaid.“hastthouseenthem?”

“thereisoneatthecampnow,”robertjordansaid.“hecameforbreakfast.”

“ithoughtiheardashotorsomethinglikeone,”thegypsysaid.“iobscenityinthemilk!didhecomethroughhere?”

“here.thypost.”

“ay,mimadre!”thegypsysaid.“iamapoor,unluckyman.”

“ifthouwertnotagypsy,iwouldshootthee.”