CHAPTER21

awarmwindcamewithdaylightandhecouldhearthesnowmeltinginthetreesandtheheavysoundofitsfalling.itwasalatespringmorning.heknewwiththefirstbreathhedrewthatthesnowhadbeenonlyafreakstorminthemountainsanditwouldbegonebynoon.thenheheardahorsecoming,thehoofsballedwiththewetsnowthumpingdullyasthehorsemantrotted.heheardthenoiseofacarbinescabbardslappinglooselyandthecreakofleather.

“maria,”hesaid,andshookthegirl’sshouldertowakenher.“keepthyselfundertherobe,”andhebuttonedhisshirtwithonehandandheldtheautomaticpistolintheotherlooseningthesafetycatchwithhisthumb.hesawthegirl’scroppedheaddisappearwithajerkundertherobeandthenhesawthehorsemancomingthroughthetrees.hecrouchednowintherobeandholdingthepistolinbothhandsaimeditatthemanasherodetowardhim.hehadneverseenthismanbefore.

thehorsemanwasalmostoppositehimnow.hewasridingabiggraygeldingandheworeakhakiberet,ablanketcapelikeaponcho,andheavyblackboots.fromthescabbardontherightofhissaddleprojectedthestockandthelongoblongclipofashortautomaticrifle.hehadayoung,hardfaceandatthismomenthesawrobertjordan.

hereachedhishanddowntowardthescabbardandasheswunglow,turningandjerkingatthescabbard,robertjordansawthescarletoftheformalizeddeviceheworeontheleftbreastofhiskhakiblanketcape.

aimingatthecenterofhischest,alittlelowerthanthedevice,robertjordanfired.

thepistolroaredinthesnowywoods.

thehorseplungedasthoughhehadbeenspurredandtheyoungman,stillingatthescabbard,slidovertowardtheground,hisrightfootcaughtinthestirrup.thehorsebrokeoffthroughthetreesinghim,bumping,facedownward,androbertjordanstoodupholdingthepistolnowinonehand.

thebiggrayhorsewasgallopingthroughthepines.therewasabroadswathinthesnowwherethemanedwithascarletstreakalongonesideofit.peoplewerecomingoutofthemouthofthecave.robertjordanreacheddownandunrolledhistrousersfromthepillowandbegantoputthemon.

“gettheedressed,”hesaidtomaria.

overheadheheardthenoiseofaplaneflyingveryhigh.throughthetreeshesawwherethegrayhorsehadstoppedandwasstanding,hisriderstillhangingfacedownfromthestirrup.

“gocatchthathorse,”hecalledtoprimitivowhohadstartedovertowardhim.then,“whowasonguardatthetop?”“rafael,”pilarsaidfromthecave.shestoodthere,herhairstilldownherbackintwobraids.

“there’scavalryout,”robertjordansaid.“getyourdamnedgunupthere.”

heheardpilarcall,“agustin,”intothecave.thenshewentintothecaveandthentwomencamerunningout,onewiththeautomaticriflewithitstripodswungonhisshoulder;theotherwithasackfulofthepans.

“getuptherewiththem,”robertjordansaidtoanselmo.“youliebesidethegunandholdthelegsstill,”hesaid.

thethreeofthemwentupthetrailthroughthewoodsatarun.

thesunhadnotyetcomeupoverthetopsofthemountainsandrobertjordanstoodstraightbuttoninghistrousersandtighteninghisbelt,thebigpistolhangingfromthelanyardonhiswrist.heputthepistolinitsholsteronhisbeltandslippedtheknotdownonthelanyardandpassedtheloopoverhishead.

somebodywillchokeyouwiththatsometime,hethought.well,thishasdoneit.hetookthepistoloutoftheholster,removedtheclip,insertedoneofthecartridgesfromtherowalongsideoftheholsterandshovedtheclipbackintothebuttofthepistol.

helookedthroughthetreestowhereprimitivo,holdingthereinsofthehorse,wastwistingtherider’sfootoutofthestirrup.thebodylayfacedowninthesnowandashewatchedprimitivowasgoingthroughthepockets.

“comeon,”hecalled.“bringthehorse.”

asheknelttoputonhisrope-soledshoes,robertjordancouldfeelmariaagainsthisknees,dressingherselfundertherobe.shehadnoplaceinhislifenow.

thatcavalrymandidnotexpectanything,hewasthinking.hewasnotfollowinghorsetracksandhewasnotevenproperlyalert,letalonealarmed.hewasnotevenfollowingthetracksuptothepost.hemusthavebeenoneofapatrolscatteredoutinthesehills.butwhenthepatrolmisseshimtheywillfollowhistrackshere.unlessthesnowmeltsfirst,hethought.unlesssomethinghappenstothepatrol.

“youbettergetdownbelow,”hesaidtopablo.

theywerealloutofthecavenow,standingtherewiththecarbinesandwithgrenadesontheirbelts.pilarheldaleatherbagofgrenadestowardrobertjordanandhetookthreeandputtheminhispocket.heduckedintothecave,foundhistwopacks,openedtheonewiththesubmachineguninitandtookoutthebarrelandstock,slippedthestockontotheforwardassemblyandputoneclipintothegunandthreeinhispockets.helockedthepackandstartedforthedoor.i’vegottwopocketsfullofhardware,hethought.ihopetheseamshold.hecameoutofthecaveandsaidtopablo,“i’mgoingupabove.canagustinshootthatgun?”

“yes,”pablosaid.hewaswatchingprimitivoleadingupthehorse.

“miraquécaballo,”hesaid.“look,whatahorse.”

thebiggraywassweatingandshiveringalittleandrobertjordanpattedhimonthewithers.

“iwillputhimwiththeothers,”pablosaid.

“no,”robertjordansaid.“hehasmadetracksintohere.hemustmakethemout.”

“true,”agreedpablo.“iwillridehimoutandwillhidehimandbringhiminwhenthesnowismelted.thouhastmuchheadtoday,inglés.”

“sendsomeonebelow,”robertjordansaid.“we’vegottogetupthere.”

“itisnotnecessary,”pablosaid.“horsemencannotcomethatway.butwecangetout,bythereandbytwootherplaces.itisbetternottomaketracksifthereareplanescoming.givemethebotawithwine,pilar.”

“togooffandgetdrunk,”pilarsaid.“here,taketheseinstead.”hereachedoverandputtwoofthegrenadesinhispockets.

“quéva,togetdrunk,”pablosaid.“thereisgravityinthesituation.butgivemethebota.idonotliketodoallthisonwater.”

hereachedhisarmsup,tookthereinsandswungupintothesaddle.hegrinnedandpattedthenervoushorse.robertjordansawhimrubhislegalongthehorse’sflankaffectionately.

“quécaballomásbonito,”hesaidandpattedthebiggrayagain.“quécaballomásbonito.comeon.thefasterthisgetsoutofherethebetter.”

hereacheddownandpulledthelightautomaticriflewithitsventilatedbarrel,reallyasubmachinegunbuilttotakethe9mm.pistolcartridge,fromthescabbard,andlookedatit.“lookhowtheyarearmed,”hesaid.“lookatmoderncavalry.”

“there’smoderncavalryoverthereonhisface,”robertjordansaid.“vamonos.”

“doyou,andrés,saddleandholdthehorsesinreadiness.ifyouhearfiringbringthemuptothewoodsbehindthegap.comewiththyarmsandleavethewomentoholdthehorses.fernando,seethatmysacksarebroughtalso.aboveall,thatmysacksarebroughtcarefully.thoutolookaftermysacks,too,”hesaidtopilar.“thoutoverifythattheycomewiththehorses.vamonos,”hesaid.“letusgo.”

“themariaandiwillprepareallforleaving,”pilarsaid.thentorobertjordan,“lookathim,”noddingatpabloonthegrayhorse,sittinghimintheheavy-thighedherdsmanmanner,thehorse’snostrilswideningaspabloreplacedtheclipintheautomaticrifle.“seewhatahorsehasdoneforhim.”

“thatishouldhavetwohorses,”robertjordansaidfervently.

“dangeristhyhorse.”

“thengivemeamule,”robertjordangrinned.

“stripmethat,”hesaidtopilarandjerkedhisheadtowardwherethemanlayfacedowninthesnow.“andbringeverything,allthelettersandpapers,andputthemintheoutsidepocketofmysack.everything,understand?”

“yes.”

“vamonos,”hesaid.

pablorodeaheadandthetwomenfollowedinasinglefileinordernottotrackupthesnow.robertjordancarriedthesubmachinegunmuzzledown,carryingitbyitsforwardhandgrip.iwishittookthesameammunitionthatsaddleguntakes,hethought.butitdoesn’t.thisisagermangun.thiswasoldkashkin’sgun.

thesunwascomingoverthemountainsnow.awarmwindwasblowingandthesnowwasmelting.itwasalovelylatespringmorning.

robertjordanlookedbackandsawmarianowstandingwithpilar.thenshecamerunningupthetrail.hedroppedbehindprimitivotospeaktoher.

“thou,”shesaid.“canigowiththee?”

“no.helppilar.”