CHAPTER29

anselmofoundrobertjordansittingattheplanktableinsidethecavewithpablooppositehim.theyhadabowlpouredfullofwinebetweenthemandeachhadacupofwineonthetable.robertjordanhadhisnotebookoutandhewasholdingapencil.pilarandmariawereinthebackofthecaveoutofsight.therewasnowayforanselmotoknowthatthewomanwaskeepingthegirlbacktheretokeepherfromhearingtheconversationandhethoughtthatitwasoddthatpilarwasnotatthetable.

robertjordanlookedupasanselmocameinundertheblanketthathungovertheopening.pablostaredstraightatthetable.hiseyeswerefocusedonthewinebowlbuthewasnotseeingit.

“icomefromabove,”anselmosaidtorobertjordan.

“pablohastoldus,”robertjordansaid.

“thereweresixdeadonthehillandtheyhadtakentheheads,”anselmosaid.“iwasthereinthedark.”robertjordannodded.pablosattherelookingatthewinebowlandsayingnothing.therewasnoexpressiononhisfaceandhissmallpig-eyeswerelookingatthewinebowlasthoughhehadneverseenonebefore.

“sitdown,”robertjordansaidtoanselmo.

theoldmansatdownatthetableononeofthehide-coveredstoolsandrobertjordanreachedunderthetableandbroughtupthepinch-bottleofwhiskeythathadbeenthegiftofsordo.itwasabouthalf-full.robertjordanreacheddownthetableforacupandpouredadrinkofwhiskeyintoitandshoveditalongthetabletoanselmo.

“drinkthat,oldone,”hesaid.

pablolookedfromthewinebowltoanselmo’sfaceashedrankandthenhelookedbackatthewinebowl.

asanselmoswallowedthewhiskeyhefeltaburninginhisnose,hiseyesandhismouth,andthenahappy,comfortingwarmthinhisstomach.hewipedhismouthwiththebackofhishand.

thenhelookedatrobertjordanandsaid,“canihaveanother?”

“whynot?”robertjordansaidandpouredanotherdrinkfromthebottleandhandeditthistimeinsteadofpushingit.

thistimetherewasnottheburningwhenheswallowedbutthewarmcomfortdoubled.itwasasgoodathingforhisspiritasasalineinjectionisforamanwhohassufferedagreathemorrhage.

theoldmanlookedtowardthebottleagain.

“therestisfortomorrow,”robertjordansaid.“whatpassedontheroad,oldone?”

“therewasmuchmovement,”anselmosaid.“ihaveitallnoteddownasyoushowedme.ihaveonewatchingformeandnotingnow.lateriwillgoforherreport.”

“didyouseeanti-tankguns?thoseonrubbertireswiththelongbarrels?”

“yes,”anselmosaid.“therewerefourcamionswhichpassedontheroad.ineachofthemtherewassuchagunwithpinebranchesspreadacrossthebarrels.inthetrucksrodesixmenwitheachgun.”

“fourguns,yousay?”robertjordanaskedhim.

“four,”anselmosaid.hedidnotlookathispapers.

“tellmewhatelsewentuptheroad.”

whilerobertjordannotedanselmotoldhimeverythinghehadseenmovepasthimontheroad.hetolditfromthebeginningandinorderwiththewonderfulmemoryofthosewhocannotreadorwrite,andtwice,whilehewastalking,pabloreachedoutformorewinefromthebowl.

“therewasalsothecavalrywhichenteredlagranjafromthehighcountrywhereelsordofought,”anselmowenton.

thenhetoldthenumberofthewoundedhehadseenandthenumberofthedeadacrossthesaddles.

“therewasabundlepackedacrossonesaddlethatididnotunderstand,”hesaid.“butnowiknowitwastheheads.”hewentonwithoutpausing.“itwasasquadronofcavalry.theyhadonlyoneofficerleft.hewasnottheonewhowashereintheearlymorningwhenyouwerebythegun.hemusthavebeenoneofthedead.twoofthedeadwereofficersbytheirsleeves.theywerelashedfacedownoverthesaddles,theirarmshanging.alsotheyhadthemáquinaofelsordotiedtothesaddlethatboretheheads.thebarrelwasbent.thatisall,”hefinished.

“itisenough,”robertjordansaidanddippedhiscupintothewinebowl.“whobesideyouhasbeenthroughthelinestothesideoftherepublic?”

“andrésandeladio.”

“whichisthebetterofthosetwo?”

“andrés.”

“howlongwouldittakehimtogettonavacerradafromhere?”

“carryingnopackandtakinghisprecautions,inthreehourswithluck.wecamebyalonger,saferroutebecauseofthematerial.”

“hecansurelymakeit?”

“nos?thereisnosuchthingassurely.”

“notfortheeeither?”

“nay.”

thatdecidesthat,robertjordanthoughttohimself.ifhehadsaidthathecouldmakeitsurely,surelyiwouldhavesenthim.

“andréscangetthereaswellasthee?”

“aswellorbetter.heisyounger.”

“butthismustabsolutelygetthere.”

“ifnothinghappenshewillgetthere.ifanythinghappensitcouldhappentoanyone.”

“iwillwriteadispatchandsenditbyhim,”robertjordansaid.“iwillexplaintohimwherehecanfindthegeneral.hewillbeattheestadomayorofthedivision.”

“hewillnotunderstandallthisofdivisionsandall,”anselmosaid.“alwayshasitconfusedme.heshouldhavethenameofthegeneralandwherehecanbefound.”

“butitisattheestadomayorofthedivisionthathewillbefound.”

“butisthatnotaplace?”

“certainlyitisaplace,oldone,”robertjordanexplainedpatiently.“butitisaplacethegeneralwillhaveselected.itiswherehewillmakehisheadquartersforthebattle.”

“whereisitthen?”anselmowastiredandthetirednesswasmakinghimstupid.alsowordslikebrigades,divisions,armycorpsconfusedhim.firsttherehadbeencolumns,thentherewereregiments,thentherewerebrigades.nowtherewerebrigadesanddivisions,both.hedidnotunderstand.aplacewasaplace.

“takeitslowly,oldone,”robertjordansaid.heknewthatifhecouldnotmakeanselmounderstandhecouldneverexplainitclearlytoandréseither.“theestadomayorofthedivisionisaplacethegeneralwillhavepickedtosetuphisorganizationtocommand.hecommandsadivision,whichistwobrigades.idonotknowwhereitisbecauseiwasnottherewhenitwaspicked.itwillprobablybeacaveordugout,arefuge,andwireswillruntoit.andrésmustaskforthegeneralandfortheestadomayorofthedivision.hemustgivethistothegeneralortothechiefofhisestadomayorortoanotherwhosenameiwillwrite.oneofthemwillsurelybethereeveniftheothersareoutinspectingthepreparationsfortheattack.doyouunderstandnow?”

“yes.”

无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看！

“thengetandrésandiwillwriteitnowandsealitwiththisseal.”heshowedhimthesmall,round,wooden-backedrubberstampwiththesealofthes.i.m.andtheround,tin-coveredinkingpadnoerthanafifty-centpiecehecarriedinhispocket.“thatsealtheywillhonor.getandrésnowandiwillexplaintohim.hemustgoquicklybutfirsthemustunderstand.”