Andr廥 had challenged at the government position. That is, he had lain down where the ground fell sharply away below the triple belt of wire and shouted up at the rock and earth parapet. There was no continual defensive1 line and he could easily have passed this position in the dark and made his way farther into the government territory before running into some one who would challenge him. But it seemed safer and simpler to get it over here.
"_Salud!_" he had shouted. "_Salud, milicianos!_"
He heard a bolt snick as it was pulled back. Then, from farther down the parapet, a rifle fired. There was a crashing crack and a downward stab of yellow in the dark. Andr廥 had flattened2 at the click, the top of his head hard against the ground.
"Don't shoot, Comrades," Andr廥 shouted. "Don't shoot! I want to come in."
"How many are you?" some one called from behind the parapet.
"One. Me. Alone."
"Who are you?"
"Andr廥 Lopez of Villaconejos. From the band of Pablo. With a message."
"Have you your rifle and equipment?"
"Yes, man."
"We can take in none without rifle and equipment," the voice said. "Nor in larger groups than three."
"I am alone," Andr廥 shouted. "It is important. Let me come in."
He could hear them talking behind the parapet but not what they were saying. Then the voice shouted again, "How many are you?"
"One. Me. Alone. For the love of God."
They were talking behind the parapet again. Then the voice came, "Listen, fascist3."
"I am not a fascist," Andr廥 shouted. "I am a _guerrillero_ from the band of Pablo. I come with a message for the General Staff."
"He's crazy," he heard some one say. "Toss a bomb at him."
"Listen," Andr廥 said. "I am alone. I am completely by myself. I obscenity in the midst of the holy mysteries that I am alone. Let me come in."
"He speaks like a Christian," he heard some one say and laugh.
Then some one else said, "The best thing is to toss a bomb down on him."
"No," Andr廥 shouted. "That would be a great mistake. This is important. Let me come in."
It was for this reason that he had never enjoyed trips back and forth4 between the lines. Sometimes it was better than others. But it was never good.
"You are alone?" the voice called down again.
"_Me cago en la leche_," Andr廥 shouted. "How many times must I tell thee? I AM ALONE."
"Then if you should be alone stand up and hold thy rifle over thy head."
Andr廥 stood up and put the carbine above his head, holding it in both hands.
"Now come through the wire. We have thee covered with the _m嫭uina_," the voice called.
Andr廥 was in the first zigzag5 belt of wire. "I need my hands to get through the wire," he shouted.
"Keep them up," the voice commanded.
"I am held fast by the wire," Andr廥 called.
"It would have been simpler to have thrown a bomb at him," a voice said.
"Let him sling6 his rifle," another voice said. "He cannot come through there with his hands above his head. Use a little reason."
"All these fascists7 are the same," the other voice said. "They demand one condition after another."
"Listen," Andr廥 shouted. "I am no fascist but a _guerrillero_ from the band of Pablo. We've killed more fascists than the typhus."
"I have never heard of the band of Pablo," the man who was evidently in command of the post said. "Neither of Peter nor of Paul nor of any of the other saints nor apostles. Nor of their bands. Sling thy rifle over thy shoulder and use thy hands to come through the wire."
"Before we loose the _m嫭uina_ on thee," another shouted.
"_Qu?poco amables sois!_" Andr廥 said. "You're not very amiable8."
He was working his way through the wire.
"_Amables_," some one shouted at him. "We are in a war, man."
"It begins to appear so," Andr廥 said.
"What's he say?"
Andr廥 heard a bolt click again.
"Nothing," he shouted. "I say nothing. Do not shoot until I get through this fornicating wire."
"Don't speak badly of our wire," some one shouted. "Or we'll toss a bomb on you."
"_Quiero decir, qu?buena alambrada_," Andr廥 shouted. "What beautiful wire. God in a latrine. What lovely wire. Soon I will be with thee, brothers."
"Throw a bomb at him," he heard the one voice say. "I tell you that's the soundest way to deal with the whole thing."
"Brothers," Andr廥 said. He was wet through with sweat and he knew the bomb advocate was perfectly9 capable of tossing a grenade at any moment. "I have no importance."
"I believe it," the bomb man said.
"You are right," Andr廥 said. He was working carefully through the third belt of wire and he was very close to the parapet. "I have no importance of any kind. But the affair is serious. _Muy, muy serio_."
"There is no more serious thing than liberty," the bomb man shouted. "Thou thinkest there is anything more serious than liberty?" he asked challengingly.
"No, man," Andr廥 said, relieved. He knew now he was up against the crazies; the ones with the black-and-red scarves. "_Viva la Libertad!_"
"_Viva la F. A. I. Viva la C.N.T._," they shouted back at him from the parapet. "_Viva el anarco-sindicalismo_ and liberty."
"_Viva nosotros_," Andr廥 shouted. "Long life to us."
"He is a coreligionary of ours," the bomb man said. "And I might have killed him with this."
He looked at the grenade in his hand and was deeply moved as Andr廥 climbed over the parapet. Putting his arms around him, the grenade still in one hand, so that it rested against Andr廥's shoulder blade as he embraced him, the bomb man kissed him on both cheeks.
"I am content that nothing happened to thee, brother," he said. "I am very content."
"Where is thy officer?" Andr廥 asked.
"I command here," a man said. "Let me see thy papers."
He took them into a dugout and looked at them with the light of a candle. There was the little square of folded silk with the colors of the Republic and the seal of the S. I. M. in the center. There was the _Salvoconducto_ or safe-conduct pass giving his name, age, height, birthplace and mission that Robert Jordan had written out on a sheet from his notebook and sealed with the S. I. M. rubber stamp and there were the four folded sheets of the dispatch to Golz which were tied around with a cord and sealed with wax and the impression of the metal S. I. M. seal that was set in the top end of the wooden handle of the rubber stamp.
"This I have seen," the man in command of the post said and handed back the piece of silk. "This you all have, I know. But its possession proves nothing without this." He lifted the _Salvoconducto_ and read it through again. "Where were you born?"
"Villaconejos," Andr廥 said.
"And what do they raise there?"
"Melons," Andr廥 said. "As all the world knows."
"Who do you know there?"
"Why? Are you from there?"
"Nay. But I have been there. I am from Aranju褯."
"Ask me about any one."
"Describe Jos?Rincon."
"Who keeps the bodega?"
"Naturally."
"With a shaved head and a big belly10 and a cast in one eye."
"Then this is valid," the man said and handed him back the paper. "But what do you do on their side?"
"Our father had installed himself at Villacast璯 before the movement," Andr廥 said. "Down there beyond the mountains on the plain. It was there we were surprised by the movement. Since the movement I have fought with the band of Pablo. But I am in a great hurry, man, to take that dispatch."
"How goes it in the country of the fascists?" the man commanding asked. He was in no hurry.
"Today we had much _tomate_," Andr廥 said proudly. "Today there was plenty of dust on the road all day. Today they wiped out the band of Sordo."
"And who is Sordo?" the other asked deprecatingly.
"The leader of one of the best bands in the mountains."
"All of you should come in to the Republic and join the army," the officer said. "There is too much of this silly guerilla nonsense going on. All of you should come in and submit to our Libertarian discipline. Then when we wished to send out guerillas we would send them out as they are needed."
Andr廥 was a man endowed with almost supreme11 patience. He had taken the coming in through the wire calmly. None of this examination had flustered12 him. He found it perfectly normal that this man should have no understanding of them nor of what they were doing and that he should talk idiocy13 was to be expected. That it should all go slowly should be expected too; but now he wished to go.
"Listen, _Compadre_," he said. "It is very possible that you are right. But I have orders to deliver that dispatch to the General commanding the Thirty-Fifth Division, which makes an attack at daylight in these hills and it is already late at night and I must go."
"What attack? What do you know of an attack?"
"Nay. I know nothing. But I must go now to Navacerrada and go on from there. Wilt14 thou send me to thy commander who will give me transport to go on from there? Send one with me now to respond to him that there be no delay."
"I distrust all of this greatly," he said. "It might have been better to have shot thee as thou approached the wire."
"You have seen my papers, Comrade, and I have explained my mission," Andr廥 told him patiently.
"Papers can be forged," the officer said. "Any fascist could invent such a mission. I will go with thee myself to the Commander."
"Good," Andr廥 said. "That you should come. But that we should go quickly."
"Thou, Sanchez. Thou commandest in my place," the officer said. "Thou knowest thy duties as well as I do. I take this so-called Comrade to the Commander."
They started down the shallow trench15 behind the crest16 of the hill and in the dark Andr廥 smelt17 the foulness18 the defenders20 of the hill crest had made all through the bracken on that slope. He did not like these people who were like dangerous children; dirty, foul19, undisciplined, kind, loving, silly and ignorant but always dangerous because they were armed. He, Andr廥, was without politics except that he was for the Republic. He had heard these people talk many times and he thought what they said was often beautiful and fine to hear but he did not like them. It is not liberty not to bury the mess one makes, he thought. No animal has more liberty than the cat; but it buries the mess it makes. The cat is the best anarchist21. Until they learn that from the cat I cannot respect them.
Ahead of him the officer stopped suddenly.
"You have your _carabine_ still," he said.
"Yes," Andr廥 said. "Why not?"
"Give it to me," the officer said. "You could shoot me in the back with it."
"Why?" Andr廥 asked him. "Why would I shoot thee in the back?"
"One never knows," the officer said. "I trust no one. Give me the carbine."
Andr廥 unslung it and handed it to him.
"If it pleases thee to carry it," he said.
"It is better," the officer said. "We are safer that way."
They went on down the hill in the dark.
安德烈斯在政府军阵地前喊了口令。那是说，他伏在三重铁丝网下陡蛸地朝下削的地方，抬头朝着石块和土坯垒成的胸墙大声呼喊。这里没有延绵不断的防守线，在撞见盘问他口令的人之前，他本可以轻而易举地在黑夜里绕过这个据点，深入政府军的地区。但是,通过这二关卡看来更安全而简单。“你们好，”他大声喊道。“你们好,民兵们!”他听到枪栓往后扳的卡嗒声。接着，在过去一点的胸墒后面，有人放了一枪。枪声砰地一响，黑暗中倏的出现了一道向下的黄光。安德烈斯听到检栓声,立刻卧倒，头顶狠狠地抵住地面。“别开枪,同志们。”安德烈斯喊道。“别开枪 我要过去。”“你们几个人?”胸墙后有人喊着。“一个。我。只有一个，““你是谁?”
“维利亚赓纳霍斯人安德烈斯〃洛佩斯。巴勃罗队里的人带着份信件。”
“你带着步枪和弹药吗”“带着，老兄。”
“我们不放带步枪和弹药的人进来，”那声音说。“三个人以上也不准进东。”
“我是一个人，”安德烈斯喊道。“有要紧事情。让我过去吧。”他听到他们在胸墙后面说话，伹听不清说什么。接着那声音又喊道。”你们是几个人？”
“我。只有一个。看天主的份上。”他们又在胸墙后面说活了。接着那声音说。听着，法西斯。““我不是法西斯，”安德烈斯喊道。“我是巴勃罗队里的游击队员，我来带信给总参谋部。”
“他疯了，”他听到有人在说。“给他扔个手雷。”“听着，”安德烈斯说。“只有我一个。光杆儿一个。我操他妈的就是一个人,别疑神疑鬼啦。让我过去吧。““他说话象个基督徒。”他听到有人笑着说。接着另外有人说,“最好还是给他扔个手雷。”“别，”安德烈斯喊道。“那就错透了。是要紧事情柄。放我过去吧。”
就为了这种原因，他一直不喜欢出入火线。有时盘问得宽些,但总是不愉快的。
“只有你一个人？”那声音又朝下面喊道。
“我操他妈的，”安德烈斯喊道，“我得跟你们说多少回啊？”
“要二个人,那么站起来，举枪过头，“安德烈斯站起来,双手握着卡宾枪,举过了头。。”
“现在从铁丝两里钻进来。我们用机枪对着你，”那声音喊道。
安德烈斯进入第一道之字形铁丝网。“我得用手拨开铁丝网啊。”他喊道。
“别把手放下，”那声音命令道。 ；
“我被铁丝网勾住了，”安德烈斯大声说。“还是简单点，给他扔个手雷，”有一个声音说。“让他把枪背着。”另一个声音说。“他举着双手是没法钴铁丝网的。要讲点理嘛。”
“法西斯分子全是一路货，”另一个声音说。“他们得寸进尺。”“听着，”安德烈斯喊道。“我不是法西斯，是巴勃罗队里的游击队员。我们杀掉的法西斯比斑疹伤寒杀死的法西斯还多。”
“我从没听说过巴勃罗的游击队，”那人说，他显然是这个据点的长官。“也没听说过什么彼得、保罗和什么其他的圣徒和门徒①。也没听说过他们的游击队。把枪背在肩上，用手钴铁丝网吧。”
“快钻，别等我们向你扫机关枪，”另一个叫着。“你们真不够朋友 ”安德烈斯说。他正在费力地钻着铁丝网。
“眵朋友1”有人对他喊道。“我们是在打仗哪，伙计。”“有点打仗的意思了，”安德烈斯说。
①彼得是耶妹十二。徒之一。惲罗原名扫罗，在公元—世纪中，起先着力迫害早期的基督徒。据说有次在去大马士革的路上，耶妹向他显灵，他才皈依基 教，到小亚细亚、希腊、罗马等地热憒宣传基督敉，最后被罗马人所.捕，于公元六七年左右被杀。后来教会尊他为圣保罗。保罗这名字在西班牙语中为巴勃罗，故此处那长官因听到巴勃罗的名字而开玩笑地提起彼得等其他圣徒及门徒，
“他说什么?”
安德烈斯又听到卡嗒一声扳枪栓的声音。“没什么，”他喊道。“我没说什么。别开枪，让我从这个他妈的铁丝网里钻进去。”
“不许骂我们的铁丝网，”有人叫道。“再骂，我们给你来个手雷。”
“我是想说，多好的铁丝网明，”安德烈斯喊道。“多漂亮的铁丝网。好比天主掉在茅坑里啦。多可爱的铁丝网啊。我快要和你们在一起啦，弟兄们。”
“给他扔个手雷，”他听到有个声音说。“我跟你说，对付这种鬼把戏，这是最爽快的办法。”
“弟兄们，”安德烈斯说。他大汗淋漓，知道这个鼓动扔手雷的人完全可能随时扔出来。“我没什么了不起“这我相信，”簌动扔手雷的人说。
“你说对了，”安德烈斯说。他正在小心翼翼地钻第三重铁丝网，离胸墒很近了。“我一点也没什么了不起。但是事情很要紧。非常、非常要紧。”
“没有比自由更要紧的事了。”鼓动扔手雷的人说。“你以为有什么比自由更重要的？”他挑衅地问。
“没有，伙计，”安德烈斯说，松了口气。他知道他面前的是帮狂热分子，那些佩戴红黑围巾的家伙。“自由万岁！”
“伊比利亚无政府主义者联合会万岁，全国劳工联合会万岁，”他们从胸墒上大声呼应着。“无政府一工团主义和自由万岁。”
“咱们大伙儿万岁，”安德烈斯喊道。““他是我们一派的，”鼓动扔手雷的人说。“幸亏我没用这个叫他完蛋，“
他望着手里的手榷弹，看到安德烈斯翻过胸墙,他深深感动了。这个鼓动扔手雷的人双臂搂住他，一手仍握着手榴弹,因此当他拥抱安德烈斯的时侯，手榴弹搁在安德烈斯的肩胛上。他吻着安德烈斯的两颊。
“还好你没有出事，兄弟。”他说。“还好还好。”“你们的长官在哪儿？”安镰烈斯问。“这里归我指挥，”有一个人说。“给我看你的证件。”他把证件拿进掩体，借着烛光看。一小方折叠起来的印着共和国国旗的绸子，中央盖着军事情报部的公章。一张罗伯特 乔丹用笔记本上的纸写的列具他姓名、年龄、身髙、出生地点和任务的安全通行证,上面盖着军事情报部橡皮图章,坯有给戈尔兹的急件,一共四张折好的纸，用一根绳子扎好,用火漆封好,火漆上打上安在军事情报部橡皮图章木抦顶端的金属章。
“这个我见过，”这据点的长官说，把那块绸子还给他。“这个你们大家都有，我知道。不过有了它坯不说明什么问趣,还得有这个。”他拿起通行证，又看了一遍。“你生在什么地方?”“维利亚康纳霍斯。”安德烈斯说。“那儿种些什么庄稼?”“甜瓜，”安德烈斯说。“那是世界闻名的。”“你认识那儿的什么人?”。问这个干什么？你是那儿人吗？”“不。不过我到过那儿。我是阿兰胡埃斯①人。”“问我哪个人都行。”
①阿兰胡埃斯在马德里正南,位于肥沃平原上，盛产水果蓰菜,供应马德里市场， 、
“讲讲何塞〃林贡的摸样吧。”“开酒店的那个吗？”“自然啦。“
“剃的是光头，腆着个大肚子,一眼斜视。”“这就行了，”那人说，交还证件。“可你在他们那边是干什么的，“”
“革命前我父亲在维利亚卡斯，“定居下来。”安德烈斯说-“那是在山脉另一边的平原上。革命突然爆发时我们就在那儿-革命开始以来，我就随着巴勃罗一伙打仗，不过，我很着急呢，伙计，得送那份急件，“
“法西斯占区的情况怎么样？”那军官问。他不着急，“我们今天很热乎，”安德烈斯骄傲地说。“今天公路上热闹了一整天。今天他们把'聋子’一伙干掉啦。”
“‘聋子’是谁,对方轻蔑地问。 、
“山里一支了不起的游击队的头头。”“你们都应该到共和国来参军。”军官说。“愚鸞的游击队搞得太多啦。你们大家都该过来，服从我们自由派的纪律。到时候，如果我们想派游击队，就可以根据襦要调派，“
安镩烈斯这个人的耐心简直好到极点。他心平气和地对付这次过铁丝网的事。这样的盘问一点也没使他着慌。他认为这是完全正常的。”这个人不理解他们，也不理解他们正在做些什么;他满口蠹话,原是意料之中的。慢条斯理的作风也是意料之中的，但是他这时希望走了。
“听着’好朋友，”他说。“你的话很可能有道理。可是我受命给指挥三十五师的将军送一份急件，天亮时要在这一带山里发动进攻,现在夜深了，我得走啦。”。。。
“什么进攻？你有进攻的消息吗？”
"不。我什么也不知道。可我现在必须到纳瓦塞拉达去，到了那里还要上路。带我到你的指挥官那儿去，让他派交通工具把我送去，好吗？马上派个人和我去找他，不要耽搁时间了。”
“我对这一切非常怀疑，”他说。“还是乘你走近铁丝网的时候，早把你毙了的好。”
“你看过我的证件啦，同志，我也解释了我的任务，”安德烈斯耐心地对他说。
“证件可以伪造的，”军官说。“这样的任务，哪个法西斯分子都编得出。我亲自带你去见指挥官。”
“好，”安德烈斯说。“你去就好。不过让我们快去。”“你，桑切斯。你代我指挥,军官说。“你跟我一样明闫你的职责。我带这个所谓的同志去见指挥官，“
他们俩顺着山脊背后的浅战壕朝下走，安德烈斯在黑暗中闻到防守山顶的这些士兵拉在长着羊齿植物的山坡上的屎尿的典气。他不喜欢这些象无法无天的孩子般的人；他们肮脏，可厌,不受管束,伹亲切，可爱’无知又愚盡,然而有着武器，因此总是危险的。他，安德烈斯除了拥护共和国之外，没有自己的政见。他多次听到这些人说话，他认为他们所说的听起来往往是很美好的，但是他不喜欢。他想:人拉了屎尿不掩埋，不能说是自由。没有比猶更自由的动物了，而猫是把自己拉的屎掩埋起来的。猫是最好的无政府主义者。除非他们向猫学习埋尿，不然我可不会尊敬他们。
那军官在他前面突然站住了。“你仍旧带着卡宾枪，”他说。“是，”安德烈斯说。“干暍不?”
〃把枪给我，”军官说。“说不走你在我背后用枪打我。”“干吗打呀？”安德烈斯问他。“我干吗要从背后打你?”“谁料得到？”军官说。“我谁也不信。把卡宾枪给我，“安德烈斯解下卡宾枪，递给他。“你髙兴拿枪就拿吧“他说。“这样好些。”军官说。“这样我们安全些，“。于是，他们在黑暗中继续向山下走去。 ，“
收听单词发音 |
1
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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fascist
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| adj.法西斯主义的；法西斯党的；n.法西斯主义者，法西斯分子 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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zigzag
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| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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7
fascists
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| n.法西斯主义的支持者( fascist的名词复数 ) | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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flustered
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| adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词) | |
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idiocy
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| n.愚蠢 | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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foulness
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| n. 纠缠, 卑鄙 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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anarchist
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| n.无政府主义者 | |
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