They were in the cave and the men were standing1 before the fire Maria was fanning. Pilar had coffee ready in a pot. She had not gone back to bed at all since she had roused Robert Jordan and now she was sitting on a stool in the smoky cave sewing the rip in one of Jordan's packs. The other pack was already sewed. The firelight lit up her face.
"Take more of the stew2," she said to Fernando. "What does it matter if thy belly3 should be full? There is no doctor to operate if you take a goring4."
"Don't speak that way, woman," Agust璯 said. "Thou hast the tongue of the great whore."
He was leaning on the automatic rifle, its legs folded close against the fretted5 barrel, his pockets were full of grenades, a sack of pans hung from one shoulder, and a full bandolier of ammunition6 hung over the other shoulder. He was smoking a cigarette and he held a bowl of coffee in one hand and blew smoke onto its surface as he raised it to his lips.
"Thou art a walking hardware store," Pilar said to him. "Thou canst not walk a hundred yards with all that."
"_Qu?va_, woman," Agust璯 said. "It is all downhill."
"There is a climb to the post," Fernando said. "Before the downward slope commences."
"I will climb it like a goat," Agust璯 said.
"And thy brother?" he asked Eladio. "Thy famous brother has mucked off?"
Eladio was standing against the wall.
"Shut up," he said.
He was nervous and he knew they all knew it. He was always nervous and irritable7 before action. He moved from the wall to the table and began filling his pockets with grenades from one of the rawhide-covered panniers that leaned, open, against the table leg.
Robert Jordan squatted8 by the pannier beside him. He reached into the pannier and picked out four grenades. Three were the oval Mill bomb type, serrated, heavy iron with a spring level held down in position by a cotter pin with pulling rig attached.
"Where did these come from?" he asked Eladio.
"Those? Those are from the Republic. The old man brought them."
"How are they?"
"_Valen m嫳 que pesan_," Eladio said. "They are worth a fortune apiece."
"I brought those," Anselmo said. "Sixty in one pack. Ninety pounds, _Ingl廥_."
"Have you used those?" Robert Jordan asked Pilar.
"Qu?va have we used them?" the woman said. "It was with those Pablo slew9 the post at Otero."
When she mentioned Pablo, Agust璯 started cursing. Robert Jordan saw the look on Pilar's face in the firelight.
"Leave it," she said to Agust璯 sharply. "It does no good to talk."
"Have they always exploded?" Robert Jordan held the graypainted grenade in his hand, trying the bend of the cotter pin with his thumbnail.
"Always," Eladio said. "There was not a dud in any of that lot we used."
"And how quickly?"
"In the distance one can throw it. Quickly. Quickly enough."
"And these?"
He held up a soup-tin-shaped bomb, with a tape wrapping around a wire loop.
"They are a garbage," Eladio told him. "They blow. Yes. But it is all flash and no fragments."
"But do they always blow?"
"_Qu?va_, always," Pilar said. "There is no always either with our munitions11 or theirs."
"But you said the other always blew."
"Not me," Pilar told him. "You asked another, not me. I have seen no _always_ in any of that stuff."
"They all blew," Eladio insisted. "Speak the truth, woman."
"How do you know they all blew?" Pilar asked him. "It was Pablo who threw them. You killed no one at Otero."
"That son of the great whore," Agust璯 began.
"Leave it alone," Pilar said sharply. Then she went on. "They are all much the same, _Ingl廥_. But the corrugated12 ones are more simple."
I'd better use one of each on each set, Robert Jordan thought. But the serrated type will lash10 easier and more securely.
"Are you going to be throwing bombs, _Ingl廥?_" Agust璯 asked.
"Why not?" Robert Jordan said.
But crouched13 there, sorting out the grenades, what he was thinking was: it is impossible. How I could have deceived myself about it I do not know. We were as sunk when they attacked Sordo as Sordo was sunk when the snow stopped. It is that you can't accept it. You have to go on and make a plan that you know is impossible to carry out. You made it and now you know it is no good. It's no good, now, in the morning. You can take either of the posts absolutely O.K. with what you've got here. But you can't take them both. You can't be sure of it, I mean. Don't deceive yourself. Not when the daylight comes.
Trying to take them both will never work. Pablo knew that all the time. I suppose he always intended to muck off but he knew we were cooked when Sordo was attacked. You can't base an operation on the presumption14 that miracles are going to happen. You will kill them all off and not even get your bridge blown if you have nothing better than what you have now. You will kill off Pilar, Anselmo, Agust璯, Primitivo, this jumpy Eladio, the worthless gypsy and old Fernando, and you won't get your bridge blown. Do you suppose there will be a miracle and Golz will get the message from Andr廥 and stop it? If there isn't, you are going to kill them all off with those orders. Maria too. You'll kill her too with those orders. Can't you even get her out of it? God damn Pablo to hell, he thought.
No. Don't get angry. Getting angry is as bad as getting scared. But instead of sleeping with your girl you should have ridden all night through these hills with the woman to try to dig up enough people to make it work. Yes, he thought. And if anything happened to me so I was not here to blow it. Yes. That. That's why you weren't out. And you couldn't send anybody out because you couldn't run a chance of losing them and being short one more. You had to keep what you had and make a plan to do it with them.
But your plan stinks15. It stinks, I tell you. It was a night plan and it's morning now. Night plans aren't any good in the morning. The way you think at night is no good in the morning. So now you know it is no good.
What if John Mosby did get away with things as impossible as this? Sure he did. Much more difficult. And remember, do not undervaluate the element of surprise. Remember that. Remember it isn't goofy if you can make it stick. But that is not the way you are supposed to make it. You should make it not only possible but sure. But look at how it all has gone. Well, it was wrong in the first place and such things accentuate17 disaster as a snowball rolls up wet snow.
He looked up from where he was squatted by the table and saw Maria and she smiled at him. He grinned back with the front of his face and selected four more grenades and put them in his pockets. I could unscrew the detonators and just use them, he thought. But I don't think the fragmentation will have any bad effect. It will come instantaneously with the explosion of the charge and it won't disperse18 it. At least, I don't think it will. I'm sure it won't. Have a little confidence, he told himself. And you, last night, thinking about how you and your grandfather were so terrific and your father was a coward. Show yourself a little confidence now.
He grinned at Maria again but the grin was still no deeper than the skin that felt tight over his cheekbones and his mouth.
She thinks you're wonderful, he thought. I think you stink16. And the _gloria_ and all that nonsense that you had. You had wonderful ideas, didn't you? You had this world all taped, didn't you? The hell with all of that.
Take it easy, he told himself. Don't get into a rage. That's just a way out too. There are always ways out. You've got to bite on the nail now. There isn't any need to deny everything there's been just because you are going to lose it. Don't be like some damned snake with a broken back biting at itself; and your back isn't broken either, you hound. Wait until you're hurt before you start to cry. Wait until the fight before you get angry. There's lots of time for it in a fight. It will be some use to you in a fight.
Pilar came over to him with the bag.
"It is strong now," she said. "Those grenades are very good, _Ingl廥_. You can have confidence in them."
"How do you feel, woman?"
She looked at him and shook her head and smiled. He wondered how far into her face the smile went. It looked deep enough.
"Good," she said. "_Dentro de la gravedad_."
Then she said, squatting19 by him, "How does it seem to thee now that it is really starting?"
"That we are few," Robert Jordan said to her quickly.
"To me, too," she said. "Very few."
Then she said still to him alone, "The Maria can hold the horses by herself. I am not needed for that. We will hobble them. They are cavalry20 horses and the firing will not panic them. I will go to the lower post and do that which was the duty of Pablo. In this way we are one more."
"Good," he said. "I thought you might wish to."
"Nay, _Ingl廥_," Pilar said looking at him closely. "Do not be worried. All will be well. Remember they expect no such thing to come to them."
"Yes," Robert Jordan said.
"One other thing, _Ingl廥_," Pilar said as softly as her harsh whisper could be soft. "In that thing of the hand--"
"What thing of the hand?" he said angrily.
"Nay, listen. Do not be angry, little boy. In regard to that thing of the hand. That is all gypsy nonsense that I make to give myself an importance. There is no such thing."
"Leave it alone," he said coldly.
"Nay," she said harshly and lovingly. "It is just a lying nonsense that I make. I would not have thee worry in the day of battle."
"I am not worried," Robert Jordan said.
"Yes, _Ingl廥_," she said. "Thou art very worried, for good cause. But all will be well, _Ingl廥_. It is for this that we are born."
"I don't need a political commissar," Robert Jordan told her.
She smiled at him again, smiling fairly and truly with the harsh lips and the wide mouth, and said, "I care for thee very much, _Ingl廥_."
"I don't want that now," he said. "_Ni tu, ni Dios_."
"Yes," Pilar said in that husky whisper. "I know. I only wished to tell thee. And do not worry. We will do all very well."
"Why not?" Robert Jordan said and the very thinnest edge of the skin in front of his face smiled. "Of course we will. All will be well."
"When do we go?" Pilar asked.
Robert Jordan looked at his watch.
"Any time," he said.
He handed one of the packs to Anselmo.
"How are you doing, old one?" he asked.
The old man was finishing whittling21 the last of a pile of wedges he had copied from a model Robert Jordan had given him. These were extra wedges in case they should be needed.
"Well," the old man said and nodded. "So far, very well." He held his hand out. "Look," he said and smiled. His hands were perfectly22 steady.
"_Bueno, y qu?_" Robert Jordan said to him. "I can always keep the whole hand steady. Point with one finger."
Anselmo pointed23. The finger was trembling. He looked at Robert Jordan and shook his head.
"Mine too," Robert Jordan showed him. "Always. That is normal."
"Not for me," Fernando said. He put his right forefinger24 out to show them. Then the left forefinger.
"Canst thou spit?" Agust璯 asked him and winked25 at Robert Jordan.
Fernando hawked26 and spat27 proudly onto the floor of the cave, then rubbed it in the dirt with his foot.
"You filthy28 mule," Pilar said to him. "Spit in the fire if thou must vaunt thy courage."
"I would not have spat on the floor, Pilar, if we were not leaving this place," Fernando said primly29.
"Be careful where you spit today," Pilar told him. "It may be some place you will not be leaving."
"That one speaks like a black cat," Agust璯 said. He had the nervous necessity to joke that is another form of what they all felt.
"I joke," said Pilar.
"Me too," said Agust璯. "But _me cago en la leche_, but I will be content when it starts."
"Where is the gypsy?" Robert Jordan asked Eladio.
"With the horses," Eladio said. "You can see him from the cave mouth."
"How is he?"
Eladio grinned. "With much fear," he said. It reassured30 him to speak of the fear of another.
"Listen, _Ingl廥_--" Pilar began. Robert Jordan looked toward her and as he did he saw her mouth open and the unbelieving look come on her face and he swung toward the cave mouth reaching for his pistol. There, holding the blanket aside with one hand, the short automatic rifle muzzle31 with its flash-cone jutting32 above his shoulder, was Pablo standing short, wide, bristly-faced, his small red-rimmed eyes looking toward no one in particular.
"Thou--" Pilar said to him unbelieving. "Thou."
"Me," said Pablo evenly. He came into the cave.
"_Hola, Ingl廥_," he said. "I have five from the bands of Elias and Alejandro above with their horses."
"And the exploder and the detonators?" Robert Jordan said. "And the other material?"
"I threw them down the gorge33 into the river," Pablo said still looking at no one. "But I have thought of a way to detonate using a grenade."
"So have I," Robert Jordan said.
"Have you a drink of anything?" Pablo asked wearily.
Robert Jordan handed him the flask34 and he swallowed fast, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.
"What passes with you?" Pilar asked.
"_Nada_," Pablo said, wiping his mouth again. "Nothing. I have come back."
"But what?"
"Nothing. I had a moment of weakness. I went away but I am come back."
He turned to Robert Jordan. "_En el fondo no soy cobarde_," he said. "At bottom I am not a coward."
But you are very many other things, Robert Jordan thought. Damned if you're not. But I'm glad to see you, you son of a bitch.
"Five was all I could get from Elias and Alejandro," Pablo said. "I have ridden since I left here. Nine of you could never have done it. Never. I knew that last night when the _Ingl廥_ explained it. Never. There are seven men and a corporal at the lower post. Suppose there is an alarm or that they fight?"
He looked at Robert Jordan now. "When I left I thought you would know that it was impossible and would give it up. Then after I had thrown away thy material I saw it in another manner."
"I am glad to see thee," Robert Jordan said. He walked over to him. "We are all right with the grenades. That will work. The other does not matter now."
"Nay," Pablo said. "I do nothing for thee. Thou art a thing of bad omen35. All of this comes from thee. Sordo also. But after I had thrown away thy material I found myself too lonely."
"Thy mother--" Pilar said.
"So I rode for the others to make it possible for it to be successful. I have brought the best that I could get. I have left them at the top so I could speak to you, first. They think I am the leader."
"Thou art," Pilar said. "If thee wishes." Pablo looked at her and said nothing. Then he said simply and quietly, "I have thought much since the thing of Sordo. I believe if we must finish we must finish together. But thou, _Ingl廥_. I hate thee for bringing this to us."
"But Pablo--" Fernando, his pockets full of grenades, a bandolier of cartridges36 over his shoulder, he still wiping in his pan of stew with a piece of bread, began. "Do you not believe the operation can be successful? Night before last you said you were convinced it would be."
"Give him some more stew," Pilar said viciously to Maria. Then to Pablo, her eyes softening37, "So you have come back, eh?"
"Yes, woman," Pablo said.
"Well, thou art welcome," Pilar said to him. "I did not think thou couldst be the ruin thou appeared to be."
"Having done such a thing there is a loneliness that cannot be borne," Pablo said to her quietly.
"That cannot be borne," she mocked him. "That cannot be borne by thee for fifteen minutes."
"Do not mock me, woman. I have come back."
"And thou art welcome," she said. "Didst not hear me the first time? Drink thy coffee and let us go. So much theatre tires me."
"Is that coffee?" Pablo asked.
"Certainly," Fernando said.
"Give me some, Maria," Pablo said. "How art thou?" He did not look at her.
"Well," Maria told him and brought him a bowl of coffee. "Do you want stew?" Pablo shook his head.
"_No me gusta estar solo_," Pablo went on explaining to Pilar as though the others were not there. "I do not like to be alone. _Sabes?_ Yesterday all day alone working for the good of all I was not lonely. But last night. _Hombre!_ _Qu?mal lo pas?_"
"Thy predecessor38 the famous Judas Iscariot hanged himself," Pilar said.
"Don't talk to me that way, woman," Pablo said. "Have you not seen? I am back. Don't talk of Judas nor nothing of that. I am back."
"How are these people thee brought?" Pilar asked him. "Hast brought anything worth bringing?"
"_Son buenos_," Pablo said. He took a chance and looked at Pilar squarely, then looked away.
"_Buenos y bobos_. Good ones and stupids. Ready to die and all. _A tu gusto_. According to thy taste. The way you like them."
Pablo looked Pilar in the eyes again and this time he did not look away. He kept on looking at her squarely with his small, redrimmed pig eyes.
"Thou," she said and her husky voice was fond again. "Thou. I suppose if a man has something once, always something of it remains39."
"_Listo_," Pablo said, looking at her squarely and flatly now. "I am ready for what the day brings."
"I believe thou art back," Pilar said to him. "I believe it. But, hombre, thou wert a long way gone."
"Lend me another swallow from thy bottle," Pablo said to Robert Jordan. "And then let us be going."
大家都在山洞里,男的站在炉灶前,玛丽亚在扇火 比拉尔已经煮好了一壶咖啡。她叫醒罗伯特 乔丹以后回去根本没睡过，这时正在这烟雾腾腾的山洞里，坐在爱子上，缝着乔丹一个背包上的裂口。另一个已经缝好。炉火照亮了她的脸。
“再吃些炖肉吧，”她对费尔南多说。“你肚子装满了，就无所谓啦。即使给牛角挑了，也没有医生动手术啊。”
“别说这种话，大娘，”奥古斯丁说。“你有条老婊子的舌头。”
他身子支在自动步枪上，枪脚架折起来貼着有网状散热孔的枪简，口袋里塞满了手棺弹，一只肩上背着一袋子弹盘，另一只肩上背着满满一条子弹带。他正在抽烟,一手拿着一碗咖啡，把碗举到屏边，在咖啡面上喷了一口烟。
“你变成一另活动五金店了，”比拉尔对他说。“带了这些东西,你走不到一百码远。”
“什么话，大娘。”奥古斯丁说。“一路都是下坡路嘛，““开始下坡之前。”费尔南多说，“哨所那儿有一段上坡路。”
“我会象山羊那样爬上去的。”奥古斯丁说。“你的兄弟呢?〃他问埃拉迪奥。“你那了不起的兄弟溜号了埃拉迪奥正靠墒站着”
“住口。”他说。
他神经很紧张，他明白大家都知道这个。行动前，他总是神经紧张而焦矂不安。他从墙边走到桌边，开始往自己衣袋里装手櫥弹；盛手榴弹的驮篮揭开了生皮盖,靠在桌子的一只脚旁。罗伯特‘乔丹挨着驮篮，蹲在他身边。他伸手到驮篮里拿了四顆手榴弹，有三親是椭圆形的、有祺盘格凹纹的米尔斯型手榴弹①，厚实的铁壳上端有一根用开尾销扣住的弹簧杆和拉环。
“这些手榴弹从哪儿来的？”他问埃拉迪奥。“这些吗？是从共和国搞来的。老头子捎来的，““好使吗？”
“分量挺重，不过挺管用，”埃拉迪奥说。“个个都是宝。”“是我捎来的，”安塞尔莫说。“一袋装六十颗。九十磅重,英国人。”
“你们用过这种手榴弹吗？〃罗伯特‘乔丹问比拉尔。“我们怎么没有用过？”妇人说。“巴勃罗就是用这种手榴弹干掉在奥特罗的哨所的。"
她一提到巴勃罗，奥古斯丁就破口大骂。罗伯特 乔丹在炉灶的火光中看到了比拉尔脸上的表情。
“别讲这个了。”比拉尔尖刻地对奥古斯丁说。“挂在嘴上没
田。”
“手榴弹准能爆炸吗。”罗伯特，乔丹握着一颗漆成灰色的手榴弹，用大拇指甲试试开尾销是不是结实。
“准能。”埃拉迪奥说。“我们用过的那一批中间没有一个瞎的。”
“爆炸快不快？”
“扔到之前不会爆炸。不过够快的。”“那么这些呢?”
他举起一只食品罐头形的手榴弹，拉环用一条带子绑着
①因发明家英国人威廉‘米尔斯爵士而得名，…九一五年由协约国军队在笫一次世界大战中首次使用。
“这些是废物"埃拉迪奥对他说。“会炸。不错。但是只有火,没有弹片。”
“可是准能炸吗。”
“哪有准能的事，”比拉尔说。“我们的军火也好，他们的军火也好，没有十拿十稳的。”
“坷是你刚才说那一种稳炸。〃
我没说过。”比拉尔对他说。“你问的是别人,不是我。我没见过有哪一种货色是卞字十寧的。”
“全都能炸。”埃拉迪 坚持说。“说实话吧，大娘“你怎么知道全都能炸?”出拉尔问他。“扔这些手榴弹的人是巴勃罗。你在奥特罗没杀过人。”“那老婊子养的。”奥古斯丁开口说。“别说了。”比拉尔斩钉截铁地说。她接着说，"这些手櫥弹都差不多，英国人。有纹槽的手榴弹使起来要简单些。”
罗伯特 乔丹想我还是每一扎里每种用一颗吧。不过那有凹纹的扎起来容易些，稳当些。
“你打算扔手棺弹吗，英国人?”奥古斯丁问。“干吗不?”罗伯特 乔丹说。
他蹲在那儿拣手榴弹，但是想的却是。”这不行明。我怎么可以在这事情上骗自己呢，这我不明白。敌人攻打“聋子”时我们感到沮丧，就象雪停时“聋子”感到沮丧一样厉害。这就是你所不愿正视的。你不得不千下去，制订了一个自己明知道没法完成的计划。你制订了个计划,而现在你明白这是没用的。唉，在这早燥是没用的。你能用现有的力量攻占两个哨所的哪一个都行，绝对不成问題，可是你没法同时攻占两个。我的意思是说，你是没有把握的。别骗自。啦，黎明快来临了，别骗自己啦，
想把那两个哨所都拿下来是根本不行的。巴勃穸始终明白这一点。我看他是一直打算开小差的，但是当“聋子”逭到攻击的时候，他明白我们完蛋了，你不能把行动计划建筑在可能出现奇迹的假想基础上。如果你没有比现在更好的条件，你会使他们全都栖牲，甚至桥也炸不成。你会使他们全都牺牲，比拉尔、安塞尔莫、奥古斯丁、普里米蒂伏、这个神经质的埃拉迪奥、废物吉膂赛人以及费尔南多,而你的桥还是炸不掉。你以为将出现奇迹，戈尔兹会收到了安德烈斯的信件,停止进攻？如果不出现奇迹的话，你这些命令将叫他们全都送命，玛丽亚也在内。这些命令会叫她也送命。你连她也解救不了吗？巴勃罗真该死，他想。不，别发脾气了，发脾气象吓破胆一样粮糕。不过，你原不该和你的情人睡觉，而应该跟那个女人骑了马整夜到这山区各地去物色足够的人马来使事情办成。他想,是锕,如果我这一来遭到不测，我就不能在这儿炸桥了。是柯，就是这个问题。这就是你不去别处的原因。你也不能派别人出去，因为你不能冒损失人手的危险,以致再少一个人。你必须保持现有的力量,根据它来制订行动计划。
可是你的计划糟透了。粮透了，我对你说呀。这是夜间制订的计划，而现在已是早晨。夜间制订的计划在早晨用不上。你晚上的想法在早晟是没用的。你现在总算明白了，这是没用的。
约翰，莫斯比曾侥幸办成过同样几乎不可能办成的事情①，那又怎么样呢？他当然办成过，尽管困难得多。记住啦，别低估突然袭击的作用。记住这一点。记住啦，如果你能坚持到底,那不算蠹。可是这不是你应该采用的方法。你应该使它不仅成为可能而且可靠。可是瞧瞧情况已经发展到了什么地步吧。唉，事情一开头就错了，这种情況加强了灾难的程度，就象湿雪地上滚雪球那样。
他蹲在桌边,抬头望去，望见了玛丽亚,她在对他傲笑。他也朝她露齿笑笑，但这笑意只停留在表面上。他再挑了四颗手榴弹，放进衣袋。我可以扭松手榴弹中的雷管，就拿它来引爆，他想。手榴弹壳爆裂不会引起不良的后果。掸壳一爆裂,立刻就能引爆炸药包,不会使炸药包飞散。至少我认为不会飞散。我肯定不会飞散。①他对自已说,要有点信心。你啊，昨夜你还在想，你和你祖父多么了不起，而你父亲却是个懦夫，现在显出一点信心来吧。
他又饍齿对玛丽亚笑笑，伹这一笑仅仅绷紧了颧骨和嘴边的皮肤，这笑意仍然只停留在表面上。
她认为你了不起呢，他想。我看你糟透了。还有那神妙的境界跟你那一派胡扯，全都糟透了。你有着了不起的想法，是不？你算彻底了解这个世界了，是不？这一切都见鬼去吧。
别焦媒，他对自己说。别发脾气了。发脾气无非也是一种出路。出路总是有的。你现在不得不解决最棘手的事啦。没有必要只因你将失去现有的一切而否定它。别象一条断了脊梁的该死的蛇那样噬啮自己 再说,你的脊梁并没有断,你这条猎狗。等你受了伤再开始哀叫吧。等战斗打响了你再发怒吧。战斗中有的是时间可以发怒。这在战斗中对你倒有点儿用处。比拉尔拿着背包走到他跟前。
①因为背包里的引壜器、雷管和火幘等物都被巴勃罗偷掉了，乔丹只能考虑把手榷弹扎在安在桥面下关键地点的炸药包上，然后把一大卷漆包线的—端系在手榷弹的拉环上，从桥面上柄挢堍走，一路上放出漆包线，到离桥相当距离的地点,到时侯只消一拉，就能使手榴弹引壜炸药包。但他又怕弹壳炸裂吋，把炸药包一起炸飞了,抟在河里,不能把桥一炸两断，
“现在结实了，”她说。“这些手榴弹很好,英国人。你可以信得过它们。”
“你觉得怎样，大娘？”
她望着他，摇摇头，笑笑。他不知道她这一笑有多深,看来是够深的。
“不错，”她说。“还能凑合，“
她接着蹲在他身旁,说现在真要动手了，你觉得怎么样?”“我们的人太少。”罗伯特‘乔丹马上对她说。“我也这样想。”她说。“太少了。”接着她仍对他一个人说，“玛丽亚能独个儿管马，不用我管这个了。我们可以把马脚拴住。这些马是骑兵队的，听到枪声不会受惊。我去对付下面的那个哨所，去承担巴勃罗的任务。这样我们就多一个人啦。”
〃好。”他说。“我早想到你可能有这打算。”“不,英国人。”比拉尔目不转睛地望着他。“别发愁。一切都会顺利的。你得记住，他们不会料到将发生这种事。”“对。”罗伯特‘乔丹说。
“还有一件事，英国人，”比拉尔用她那粗哑的矂音尽量温和地小声说。“至于手的事一”“什么手的事?”他恼怒地说。
“不,听着。别生气，小兄弟。至于手相的事情,那全是吉普赛人的胡扯 我拿它来抬髙自己罢了。哪有这种事呢。”“别谈这个了。”他冷冰冰地说。
“不,她粗哑而亲切地说。”我的话只是骗人的胡扯。今天荽打仗,希望你别发愁。”
“我不愁，”罗伯特，乔丹说。
“不对，英国人，”她说。“你很愁,这不是没道理的。不过一切都会顺利的，英国人。我们生来就是为了干这一个的啊。”“我不需要政治委员，”罗伯特 乔丹对她说。她对他又笑了笑，她那粗厚的嘴唇和咧开的大嘴带着一个好看而真挚的笑容,她说。”我很軎欢你,英国人。”
“我现在不需要这个，”他说。“既不要你,也不要上帝。”“要。”比拉尔用粗哑的声音小声说。“我知道。我只不过想对你说说罢了。别发愁。我们一切都会干得很顺利的。”
“当然啦，”罗伯特 乔丹淡淡一笑说。“我们当然会这祥的。一切都会顺利的。”
“我们什么时侯出发?”比拉尔问。罗伯特 乔丹看了看表。“随时都可以出发。”他说。他把一个背包递给安塞尔莫。〃你准备得怎么样了，老头子”他问。老头儿根据罗伯特‘乔丹给他的样品，削了一堆木楔,即将削好最后一个。这些額外的木楔是以防万一的。
“好。”老头儿说着,点点头。“到现在为止，都很好。”他伸出—只手来。“瞧，”他说,微镦一笑。他的手一点也不抖。
“好,那又怎么样？”罗伯特 乔丹对他说。“整个手不抖，我总是办得到，你伸出一个指头试试。”
安塞尔莫伸出一个指头。指头在抖。他望着罗伯特‘乔丹,“我也这样，”罗伯特 乔丹伸出一个指头给他看。"总是这样。那是正常的。”
“我可不是这样，”费尔南多说。他伸出右手的食指,给他们看,然后伸出左手的食指。
“你能啐出唾沫来吗?”奥古斯丁问他，对罗伯特，乔丹眨眨眼
费尔南多咳了一声,骄傲地朝山洞的地上晬了一口，然后用脚在泥地上擦掉。
“你这头脏骡子，”比拉尔对他说。“你一定要逞英雄的话,往炉火里啐嘛。〃
“如果我们不打算离开这里，比拉尔，我就不会啐在地上了“费尔南多一本正经地说。
“留神你今天啐唾沫的地方。”比拉尔对他说，“说不定正是你离不开的地方。〃
“这个人老是说丧气话。”奥古斯丁说。他用玩笑来掩饰紧张,这正是他们大伙儿共同的心情。“我是说笑话，”比拉尔说。
“我也是，”奥古斯丁说。“可操他奶奶的,要等到动了手，我才心安理得稞。”
“吉普赛人在哪儿?”罗伯特 乔丹问埃拉迪奥。“跟马在一起，”埃拉迪奥说。“你从洞口望得到他。”“他怎么啦”
埃拉迪奥撂齿笑笑。“害怕极了。”他说。谈到别人的害怕，使他感到安心。
“听,英国人~”比拉尔开口说。罗伯特“乔丹朝她望去，只见她张开了嘴，脸上露出一副诧异的神色 他一边伸手拔手枪,一边飞快地转身对着洞口。洞口站着一个人，他一手拉开毽子，短自动步枪的锥形枪口露出在肩胛上面；这个人又矮又宽,满脸胡子，眼脸发红，一双小眼睛茫茫然地不知在望着谁。正是巴勃罗。
“你一”比拉尔诧异地对他说。“你。”“我，”巴勃罗不卑不亢地说。他走进山洞。“喂，英国人，”他说。〃我把埃利亚斯和亚历杭德罗队里的五个弟兄和他们的马带来了。”
“引爆器和雷管呢？”罗伯特 乔丹说。“还有别的东西呢?”“我扔到峡谷下面的河里去了，”巴勃罗还是茫茫然地不知在望着谁。“不过我想出了一个用手描弹引爆的办法，““我也想到了。”罗伯特 乔丹说。“你有什么酒吗?”巴勃罗疲倦地问他。罗伯特 乔丹递给他那个扁瓶子,他急急地喝着，然后用手背抹抹嘴。
“你是怎么回事?”比拉尔问。
“没什么。”巴勃罗说,又抹抹嘴。“没什么。我回来了。”“那到底怎么回事?”
“没什么。我一时软弱。我走了，可我现在回来了。 他转身对罗伯特 乔丹说，“其实我不是胆小鬼，“可你何止是个胆小鬼，罗伯特。乔丹想。你不是才怪呢。可是我见到你很高兴，你这个婊子养的。
“从埃利亚斯和亚历杭德罗那儿我只能搞到五个人。”巴勃罗说。“我离开了这儿，一直骑着马奔走。你们九个人是绝对应付不了的。绝对不行。英国人昨晚讲的时候我就明白，绝对不行。下面的哨所里有七个士兵和一个班长，要是有蕾报器，或者他们拚命抵抗呢?”
他这时打量着罗伯特，乔丹。“我走的时候想，你会明白这是不行的,你就会撤手不干。后来我扔掉了你的器材后,对这件事倒另有一番想法了。”
“我见到你很髙兴。”罗伯特，乔丹说。他走到他身边。“我们有手榴弹。那也能行。别的东西无关紧要。”
“唉。”巴勃罗说。“我不为你干。你是个恶兆头。这一切都出在你身上。‘聋子’送命也是由于你。不过，我扔掉你的东西后,觉得自己太孤单了。”“你的妈一”比拉尔说。
“所以我骑了马去找人，想能不能把这次袭击摘成功。我把能找到的最棒的人找来了。我把他们留在山头上，好让我先来跟你谈谈。他们以为我是头头哪。”
“你荽想当头头的诺，”比拉尔说，“你是头头。”巴勃罗望着她，一句话也没有。他接着直截了当地悄声说，“‘聲子’出事以后，我想得很多。我看嗶，如果我们不得不完蛋的话，就一起完蛋吧。可是你啊,英国人。我恨你给我们带来这厄运。”
“不过，巴勃罗一”费尔南多开口说。他衣袋里装满了手榴弹，一个肩上背着一条子弹带,他还在用一块面包抹他盘子里的肉汁。“你认为这一仗不会打赢？可前天晚上你说过你相信会打赢的。”
“再给他些炖肉，”比拉尔恶狠狠地对玛丽亚说，然后眼色变得温柔些，对巴勃罗说。”你到底回来了，呃。”“是啊，太太，”巴勃罗说
“好，欢迎你，”比拉尔对他说。"我原想你还不至于堕落到那种地步。”
“这次出走了，叫人感到孤单得受不了，”巴勃罗悄悄地对她
说。
“那种事叫你受不了。”她嘲笑他。“十五分钟就叫你受不了“别取笑我，太太。我回来啦。”
“欢迎你。”她说。“刚才我不是已经说了吗？喝了啪啡，我们走。这么做作叫我厌烦了。”“那是咖啡吗?”巴勃罗问。"当然罗，”费尔南多说。
“给我一些，玛丽亚，”巴勃罗说。“你好吗？”他看都不对她
“好，”玛丽亚对他说，端给他一碗咖啡。“你要炖肉吗？”巴勃罗摇摇头。
“独个儿真不是滋味呀，”巴勃罗继续向比拉尔解释，好象在场的只有他们两个人。“我不喜欢孤单单的。明白吗？昨天一整天我为大家的利益做事，不觉得孤单。可是昨天晚上哪。好家伙真不好受啊！”
加略人犹大，你的臭名昭著的老袓宗，最后是上吊自尽的①。”比拉尔说。
别这 样跟我说话,太太，”巴勃罗说。“我回来了,你没着见吗？别讲犹大什么的了，我回来了。”
“你带来的是些什么人?”比拉尔问他。“带来的人可顶用都是好汉，”巴勃罗说。他趁机正面对她望了一眼，然后望着别处。
①耶稣十二门徒之一犹大为了三十块银洋，把耶稣出实给罗马统治者。等到耶稣狻定了死罪，犹大后悔了。他 把那三十块钱，拿回来给祭司长和长老说，我卖了无華之人的血，是有罪了。他们说，那与我们有什么相干，你自己承当吧。犹大就把那银钱丢在殿里，出去吊死了。”（见‘圣轻㈣马太禰者、第二十七鞏苐三到五节）
“好汉和傻子。准备送死就是了。配你口味的。你軎欢的就是这种人，“
巴勃罗又朝她的哏睛望着，这次不再往别处看了。他那双眼睑通红的小小的渚眼直盯着她。
“你呀，”她说,她那粗哑的声音又变得亲热了。“你呀。我看一个男人有过一点骨气的话，是永远不会完全丢掉的。”
“准备好了。”巴劫罗说，这时直瞪瞪地盯着她。“不论今天怎么样，我都准备好啦。”
“我相信你回心转意了。”比拉尔对他说。“我相信，“。不过，你啊，去的时间可不短軻。”
“你瓶里的再让我喝一口。”巴勃罗对罗伯特 乔丹说 “然后我们动身吧。”
收听单词发音 |
1
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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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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goring
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| v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破( gore的现在分词 ) | |
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fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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8
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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munitions
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| n.军火，弹药；v.供应…军需品 | |
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corrugated
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| adj.波纹的；缩成皱纹的；波纹面的；波纹状的v.（使某物）起皱褶(corrugate的过去式和过去分词) | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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stinks
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| v.散发出恶臭( stink的第三人称单数 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透 | |
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16
stink
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| vi.发出恶臭；糟透，招人厌恶；n.恶臭 | |
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accentuate
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| v.着重，强调 | |
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disperse
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| vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散 | |
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squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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whittling
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| v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的现在分词 ) | |
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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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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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hawked
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| 通过叫卖主动兜售（hawk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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primly
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| adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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37
softening
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| 变软，软化 | |
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38
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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