CHAPTER23

“gettheedown,”robertjordanwhisperedtoagustin,andheturnedhisheadandflickedhishanddown,down,toanselmowhowascomingthroughthegapwithapinetree,carryingitoverhisshoulderlikeachristmastree.hesawtheoldmandrophispinetreebehindarockandthenhewasoutofsightintherocksandrobertjordanwaslookingaheadacrosstheopenspacetowardthetimber.hesawnothingandheardnothingbuthecouldfeelhisheartpoundingandthenheheardtheclackofstoneonstoneandtheleaping,droppingclicksofasmallrockfalling.heturnedhisheadtotherightandlookingupsawprimitivo’srifleraisedandloweredfourtimeshorizontally.thentherewasnothingmoretoseebutthewhitestretchinfrontofhimwiththecircleofhorsetracksandthetimberbeyond.

“cavalry,”hesaidsoftlytoagustin.

agustinlookedathimandhisdark,sunkencheekswidenedattheirbaseashegrinned.robertjordannoticedhewassweating.hereachedoverandputhishandonhisshoulder.hishandwasstillthereastheysawthefourhorsemenrideoutofthetimberandhefeltthemusclesinagustin‘sbacktwitchunderhishand.

onehorsemanwasaheadandthreerodebehind.theoneaheadwasfollowingthehorsetracks.helookeddownasherode.theotherthreecamebehindhim,fannedoutthroughthetimber.theywereallwatchingcarefully.robertjordanfelthisheartbeatingagainstthesnowygroundashelay,hiselbowsspreadwideandwatchedthemoverthesightsoftheautomaticrifle.

themanwhowasleadingrodealongthetrailtowherepablohadcircledandstopped.theothersrodeuptohimandtheyallstopped.

robertjordansawthemclearlyoverthebluedsteelbarreloftheautomaticrifle.hesawthefacesofthemen,thesabershanging,thesweat-darkenedflanksofthehorses,andthecone-likeslopeofthekhakicapes,andthenavarreseslantofthekhakiberets.theleaderturnedhishorsedirectlytowardtheopeningintherockswherethegunwasplacedandrobertjordansawhisyoung,sunandwind-darkenedface,hisclose-seteyes,hawknoseandtheoverlongwedge-shapedchin.

sittinghishorsethere,thehorse’schesttowardrobertjordan,thehorse’sheadhigh,thebuttofthelightautomaticrifleprojectingforwardfromthescabbardattherightofthesaddle,theleaderpointedtowardtheopeningwherethegunwas.

robertjordansunkhiselbowsintothegroundandlookedalongthebarrelatthefourridersstoppedthereinthesnow.threeofthemhadtheirautomaticriflesout.twocarriedthemacrossthepommelsoftheirsaddles.theothersathishorsewiththerifleswungouttotheright,thebuttrestingagainsthiship.

youhardlyeverseethematsuchrange,hethought.notalongthebarrelofoneofthesedoyouseethemlikethis.usuallytherearsightisraisedandtheyseemminiaturesofmenandyouhavehelltomakeitcarryupthere;ortheycomerunning,flopping,running,andyoubeataslopewithfireorbaracertainstreet,orkeepitonthewindows;orfarawayyouseethemmarchingonaroad.onlyatthetrainsdoyouseethemlikethis.onlythenaretheylikenow,andwithfouroftheseyoucanmakethemscatter.overthegunsights,atthisrange,itmakesthemtwicethesizeofmen.

thou,hethought,lookingatthewedgeofthefrontsightplacednowfirmintheslotoftherearsight,thetopofthewedgeagainstthecenteroftheleader’schest,alittletotherightofthescarletdevicethatshowedbrightinthemorningsunagainstthekhakicape.though,hethought,thinkinginspanishnowandpressinghisfingersforwardagainsttheerguardtokeepitawayfromwhereitwouldbringthequick,shocking,hurtlingrushfromtheautomaticrifle.thou,hethoughtagain,thouartdeadnowinthyyouth.andthou,hethought,andthou,andthou.butletitnothappen.donotletithappen.

hefeltagustinbesidehimstarttocough,felthimholdit,chokeandswallow.thenashelookedalongtheoiledblueofthebarreloutthroughtheopeningbetweenthebranches,hisfingerstillpressedforwardagainsttheerguard,hesawtheleaderturnhishorseandpointintothetimberwherepablo’strailled.thefourofthemtrottedintothetimberandagustinsaidsoftly,“cabrones!”robertjordanlookedbehindhimattherockswhereanselmohaddroppedthetree.

thegypsy,rafael,wascomingtowardthemthroughtherocks,carryingapairofclothsaddlebags,hisrifleslungonhisback.robertjordanwavedhimdownandthegypsyduckedoutofsight.

“wecouldhavekilledallfour,”agustinsaidquietly.hewasstillwetwithsweat.

“yes,”robertjordanwhispered.“butwiththefiringwhoknowswhatmighthavecome?”

justthenheheardthenoiseofanotherrockfallingandhelookedaroundquickly.butboththegypsyandanselmowereoutofsight.helookedathiswristwatchandthenuptowhereprimitivowasraisingandloweringhisrifleinwhatseemedaninfinityofshortjerks.pablohasforty-fiveminutes’start,robertjordanthought,andthenheheardthenoiseofabodyofcavalrycoming.

“noteapures,”hewhisperedtoagustin.“donotworry.theywillpassastheothers.”

theycameintosighttrottingalongtheedgeofthetimberincolumnoftwos,twentymountedmen,armedanduniformedastheothershadbeen,theirsabersswinging,theircarbinesintheirholsters;andthentheywentdownintothetimberastheothershad.

“tuves?”robertjordansaidtoagustin.“thouseest?”

“thereweremany,”agustinsaid.

“thesewouldwehavehadtodealwithifwehaddestroyedtheothers,”robertjordansaidverysoftly.hishearthadquietednowandhisshirtfeltwetonhischestfromthemeltingsnow.therewasahollowfeelinginhischest.

thesunwasbrightonthesnowanditwasmeltingfast.hecouldseeithollowingawayfromthetreetrunksandjustaheadofthegun,beforehiseyes,thesnowsurfacewasdampandlacilyfragileastheheatofthesunmeltedthetopandthewarmthoftheearthbreathedwarmlyupatthesnowthatlayuponit.

robertjordanlookedupatprimitivo’spostandsawhimsignal,“nothing,”crossinghistwohands,palmsdown.

anselmo’sheadshowedabovearockandrobertjordanmotionedhimup.theoldmanslippedfromrocktorockuntilhecreptupandlaydownflatbesidethegun.

“many,”hesaid.“many!”

“idonotneedthetrees,”robertjordansaidtohim.“thereisnoneedforfurtherforestalimprovement.”

bothanselmoandagustingrinned.

“thishasstoodscrutinywellanditwouldbedangeroustoplanttreesnowbecausethosepeoplewillreturnandperhapstheyarenotstupid.”

hefelttheneedtotalkthat,withhim,wasthesignthattherehadjustbeenmuchdanger.hecouldalwaystellhowbadithadbeenbythestrengthofthedesiretotalkthatcameafter.

“itwasagoodblind,eh?”hesaid.

“good,”saidagustin.“toobscenitywithallfascismgood.wecouldhavekilledthefourofthem.didstthousee?”hesaidtoanselmo.

“isaw.”

“thou,”robertjordansaidtoanselmo.“thoumustgotothepostofyesterdayoranothergoodpostofthyselectiontowatchtheroadandreportonallmovementasofyesterday.alreadywearelateinthat.stayuntildark.thencomeinandwewillsendanother.”

“butthetracksthatiwillmake?”

“gofrombelowassoonasthesnowisgone.theroadwillbemuddiedbythesnow.noteiftherehasbeenmuchtrafficoftrucksoriftherearetanktracksinthesoftnessontheroad.thatisallwecantelluntilyouaretheretoobserve.”

“withyourpermission?”theoldmanasked.

“surely.”

“withyourpermission,woulditnotbebetterformetogointolagranjaandinquiretherewhatpassedlastnightandarrangeforonetoobservetodaythusinthemanneryouhavetaughtme?suchaonecouldreporttonightor,better,icouldgoagaintolagranjaforthereport.”

“haveyounofearofencounteringcavalry?”

“notwhenthesnowisgone.”

“istheresomeoneinlagranjacapableofthis?”

“yes.ofthis,yes.itwouldbeawoman.therearevariouswomenoftrustinlagranja.”

“ibelieveit,”agustinsaid.“more,iknowit,andseveralwhoserveforotherpurposes.youdonotwishmetogo?”

“lettheoldmango.youunderstandthisgunandthedayisnotover.”

“iwillgowhenthesnowmelts,”anselmosaid.“andthesnowismeltingfast.”

“whatthinkyouoftheirchanceofcatchingpablo?”robertjordanaskedagustin.

“pabloissmart,”agustinsaid.“domencatchawisestagwithouthounds?”

“sometimes,”robertjordansaid.

“notpablo,”agustinsaid.“clearly,heisonlyagarbageofwhatheoncewas.butitisnotfornothingthatheisaliveandcomfortableinthesehillsandabletodrinkhimselftodeathwhiletherearesomanyothersthathavediedagainstawall.”

“isheassmartastheysay?”

“heismuchsmarter.”