"That I should have two horses," Robert Jordan said fervently.
"Danger is thy horse."
"Then give me a mule," Robert Jordan grinned.
"Strip me that," he said to Pilar and jerked his head toward where the man lay face down in the snow. "And bring everything, all the letters and papers, and put them in the outside pocket of my sack. Everything, understand?"
"Yes."
"Vamonos," he said.
Pablo rode ahead and the two men followed in a single file in order not to track up the snow. Robert Jordan carried the submachine gun muzzle down, carrying it by its forward hand grip. I wish it took the same ammunition that saddle gun takes, he thought. But it doesn't. This is a German gun. This was old Kashkin's gun.
The sun was coming over the mountains now. A warm wind was blowing and the snow was melting. It was a lovely late spring morning.
Robert Jordan looked back and saw Maria now standing with Pilar. Then she came running up the trail. He dropped behind Primitivo to speak to her.
"Thou," she said. "Can I go with thee?"
"No. Help Pilar."
She was walking behind him and put her hand on his arm.
"I'm coming."
"Nay."
She kept on walking close behind him.
"I could hold the legs of the gun in the way thou told Anselmo."
"Thou wilt hold no legs. Neither of guns nor of nothing."
Walking beside him she reached forward and put her hand in his pocket.
"No," he said. "But take good care of thy wedding shirt."
"Kiss me," she said, "if thou goest."
"Thou art shameless," he said.
"Yes," she said. "Totally."
"Get thee back now. There is much work to do. We may fight here if they follow these horse tracks."
"Thou," she said. "Didst thee see what he wore on his chest?"
"Yes. Why not?"
"It was the Sacred Heart."
"Yes. All the people of Navarre wear it."
"And thou shot for that?"
"No. Below it. Get thee back now."
"Thou," she said. "I saw all."
"Thou saw nothing. One man. One man from a horse. Vete. Get thee back."
"Say that you love me."
"No. Not now."
"Not love me now?"
"Dejamos. Get thee back. One does not do that and love all at the same moment."
"I want to go to hold the legs of the gun and while it speaks love thee all in the same moment."
"Thou art crazy. Get thee back now."
"I am crazy," she said. "I love thee."
"Then get thee back."
"Good. I go. And if thou dost not love me, I love thee enough for both."
He looked at her and smiled through his thinking.
"When you hear firing," he said, "come with the horses. Aid the Pilar with my sacks. It is possible there will be nothing. I hope so."
"I go," she said. "Look what a horse Pablo rides."
The big gray was moving ahead up the trail.
"Yes. But go."
"I go."
Her fist, clenched tight in his pocket, beat hard against his thigh. He looked at her and saw there were tears in her eyes. She pulled her fist out of his pocket and put both arms tight around his neck and kissed him.
"I go," she said. "Me voy. I go."
He looked back and saw her standing there, the first morning sunlight on her brown face and the cropped, tawny, burned-gold hair. She lifted her fist at him and turned and walked back down the trail, her head down.
Primitivo turned around and looked after her.
"If she did not have her hair cut so short she would be a pretty girl," he said.
"Yes," Robert Jordan said. He was thinking of something else.
"How is she in the bed?" Primitivo asked.
"What?"
"In the bed."
"Watch thy mouth."
"One should not be offended when-"
"Leave it," Robert Jordan said. He was looking at the position.
22
"Cut me pine branches," Robert Jordan said to Primitivo, "and bring them quickly."
"I do not like the gun there," he said to Agustin.
"Why?"
"Place it over there," Robert Jordan pointed, "and later I will tell thee."
"Here, thus. Let me help thee. Here," he said, then squatted down.
He looked out across the narrow oblong, noting the height of the rocks on either side.
"It must be farther," he said, "farther out. Good. Here. That will do until it can be done properly. There. Put the stones there. Here is one. Put another there at the side. Leave room for the muzzle to swing. The stone must be farther to this side. Anselmo. Get thee down to the cave and bring me an ax. Quickly."
"Have you never had a proper emplacement for the gun?" he said to Agustin.
"We always placed it here."
"Kashkin never said to put it there?"
"No. The gun was brought after he left."
"Did no one bring it who knew how to use it?"
"No. It was brought by porters."
"What a way to do things," Robert Jordan said. "It was just given to you without instruction?"
"Yes, as a gift might be given. One for us and one for El Sordo. Four men brought them. Anselmo guided them."
"It was a wonder they did not lose them with four men to cross the lines."
"I thought so, too," Agustin said. "I thought those who sent them meant for them to be lost. But Anselmo brought them well."
"You know how to handle it?"
"Yes. I have experimented. I know. Pablo knows. Primitivo knows. So does Fernando. We have made a study of taking it apart and putting it together on the table in the cave. Once we had it apart and could not get it together for two days. Since then we have not had it apart."
"Does it shoot now?"
"Yes. But we do not let the gypsy nor others frig with it."
"You see? From there it was useless," he said. "Look. Those rocks which should protect your flanks give cover to those who will attack you. With such a gun you must seek a flatness over which to fire. Also you must take them sideways. See? Look now. All that is dominated."
"I see," said Agustin. "But we have never fought in defense except when our town was taken. At the train there were soldiers with the maquina."
"Then we will all learn together," Robert Jordan said. "There are a few things to observe. Where is the gypsy who should be here?"
"I do not know."
"Where is it possible for him to be?"
"I do not know."
Pablo had ridden out through the pass and turned once and ridden in a circle across the level space at the top that was the field of fire for the automatic rifle. Now Robert Jordan watched him riding down the slope alongside the tracks the horse had left when he was ridden in. He disappeared in the trees turning to the left.
I hope he doesn't run right into cavalry, Robert Jordan thought. I'm afraid we'd have him right here in our laps.
Primitivo brought the pine branches and Robert Jordan stuck them through the snow into the unfrozen earth, arching them over the gun from either side.
"Bring more," he said. "There must be cover for the two men who serve it. This is not good but it will serve until the ax comes. Listen," he said, "if you hear a plane lie flat wherever thou art in the shadows of the rocks. I am here with the gun."
Now with the sun up and the warm wind blowing it was pleasant on the side of the rocks where the sun shone. Four horses, Robert Jordan thought. The two women and me, Anselmo, Primitivo, Fernando, Agustin, what the hell is the name of the other brother? That's eight. Not counting the gypsy. Makes nine. Plus Pablo gone with one horse makes ten. Andres is his name. The other brother. Plus the other, Eladio. Makes ten. That's not one-half a horse apiece. Three men can hold this and four can get away. Five with Pablo. That's two left over. Three with Eladio. Where the hell is he?