hemingway, ernest - for whom the bell tolls-第20部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃'Now；' said Pablo。
〃'Where？' asked the man。
〃'Here；' said Pablo。 'Here。 Now。 Here and now。 Have you anything to say？'
〃'_Nada_；' said the _civil_。 'Nothing。 But it is an ugly thing。'
〃'And you are an ugly thing；' Pablo said。 'You murderer of peasants。 You who would shoot your own mother。'
〃'I have never killed any one；' the _civil_ said。 'And do not speak of my mother。'
〃'Show us how to die。 You； who have always done the killing。'
〃'There is no necessity to insult us；' another _civil_ said。 'And we know how to die。'
〃'Kneel down against the wall with your heads against the wall；' Pablo told them。 The _civiles_ looked at one another。
〃'Kneel； I say；' Pablo said。 'Get down and kneel。'
〃'How does it seem to you； Paco？' one _civil_ said to the tallest； who had spoken with Pablo about the pistol。 He wore a corporal's stripes on his sleeves and was sweating very much although the early morning was still cool。
〃'It is as well to kneel；' he answered。 'It is of no importance。'
〃'It is closer to the earth；' the first one who had spoken said； trying to make a joke； but they were all too grave for a joke and no one smiled。
〃'Then let us kneel；' the first _civil_ said； and the four knelt； looking very awkward with their heads against the wall and their hands by their sides； and Pablo passed behind them and shot each in turn in the back of the head with the pistol； going from one to another and putting the barrel of the pistol against the back of their heads； each man slipping down as he fired。 I can hear the pistol still； sharp and yet muffled； and see the barrel jerk and the head of the man drop forward。 One held his head still when the pistol touched it。 One pushed his head forward and pressed his forehead against the stone。 One shivered in his whole body and his head was shaking。 Only one put his hands in front of his eyes； and he was the last one； and the four bodies were slumped against the wall when Pablo turned away from them and came toward us with the pistol still in his hand。
〃'Hold this for me； Pilar；' he said。 'I do not know how to put down the hammer；' and he handed me the pistol and stood there looking at the four guards as they lay against the wall of the barracks。 All those who were with us stood there too； looking at them； and no one said anything。
〃We had won the town and it was still early in the morning and no one had eaten nor had any one drunk coffee and we looked at each other and we were all powdered with dust from the blowing up of the barracks； as powdered as men are at a threshing； and I stood holding the pistol and it was heavy in my hand and I felt weak in the stomach when I looked at the guards dead there against the wall； they all as gray and as dusty as we were； but each one was now moistening with his blood the dry dirt by the wall where they lay。 And as we stood there the sun rose over the far hills and shone now on the road where we stood and on the white wall of the barracks and the dust in the air was golden in that first sun and the peasant who was beside me looked at the wall of the barracks and what lay there and then looked at us and then at the sun and said； '_Vaya_； a day that commences。'
〃'Now let us go and get coffee；' I said。
〃'Good； Pilar； good；' he said。 And we went up into the town to the Plaza； and those were the last people who were shot in the village。〃
〃What happened to the others？〃 Robert Jordan asked。 〃Were there no other fascists in the village？〃
〃_Qu椤a_； were there no other fascists？ There were more than twenty。 But none was shot。〃
〃What was done？〃
〃Pablo had them beaten to death with flails and thrown from the top of the cliff into the river。〃
〃All twenty？〃
〃I will tell you。 It is not so simple。 And in my life never do I wish to see such a scene as the flailing to death in the plaza on the top of the cliff above the river。
〃The town is built on the high bank above the river and there is a square there with a fountain and there are benches and there are big trees that give a shade for the benches。 The balconies of the houses look out on the plaza。 Six streets enter on the plaza and there is an arcade from the houses that goes around the plaza so that one can walk in the shade of the arcade when the sun is hot。 On three sides of the plaza is the arcade and on the fourth side is the walk shaded by the trees beside the edge of the cliff with； far below； the river。 It is three hundred feet down to the river。
〃Pablo organized it all as he did the attack on the barracks。 First he had the entrances to the streets blocked off with carts as though to organize the plaze for a _capea_。 For an amateur bullfight。 The fascists were all held in the _Ayuntamiento_； the city hall； which was the largest building on one side of the plaza。 It was there the clock was set in the wall and it was in the buildings under the arcade that the club of the fascists was。 And under the arcade on the sidewalk in front of their club was where they had their chairs and tables for their club。 It was there； before the movement； that they were accustomed to take the ap閞itifs。 The chairs and the tables were of wicker。 It looked like a caf椤ut was more elegant。〃
〃But was there no fighting to take them？〃
〃Pablo had them seized in the night before he assaulted the barracks。 But he had already surrounded the barracks。 They were all seized in their homes at the same hour the attack started。 That was intelligent。 Pablo is an organizer。 Otherwise he would have had people attacking him at his flanks and at his rear while he was assaulting the barracks of the _guardia civil_。
〃Pablo is very intelligent but very brutal。 He had this of the village well planned and well ordered。 Listen。 After the assault was successful； and the last four guards had surrendered； and he had shot them against the wall； and we had drunk coffee at the caf椤hat always opened earliest in the morning by the corner from which the early bus left； he proceeded to the organization of the plaza。 Carts were piled exactly as for a _capea_ except that the side toward the river was not enclosed。 That was left open。 Then Pablo ordered the priest to confess the fascists and give them the necessary sacraments。〃
〃Where was this done？〃
〃In the _Ayuntamiento_； as I said。 There was a great crowd outside and while this was going on inside with the priest； there was some levity outside and shouting of obscenities； but most of the people were very serious and respectful。 Those who made jokes were those who were already drunk from the celebration of the taking of the barracks and there were useless characters who would have been drunk at any time。
〃While the priest was engaged in these duties； Pablo organized those in the plaza into two lines。
〃He placed them in two lines as you would place men for a rope pulling contest； or as they stand in a city to watch the ending of a bicycle road race with just room for the cyclists to pass between； or as men stood to allow the passage of a holy image in a procession。 Two meters was left between the lines and they extended from the door of the _Ayuntamiento_ clear across the plaza to the edge of the cliff。 So that； from the doorway of the _Ayuntamiento_； looking across the plaza； one coming out would see two solid lines of people waiting。
〃They were armed with flails such as are used to beat out the grain and they were a good flail's length apart。 All did not have flails； as enough flails could not be obtained。 But most had flails obtained from the store of Don Guillermo Martin； who was a fascist and sold all sorts of agricultural implements。 And those who did not have flails had heavy herdsman's clubs； or ox…goads； and some had wooden pitchforks； those with wooden tines that are used to fork the chaff and straw into the air after the flailing。 Some had sickles and reaping hooks but these Pablo placed at the far end where the lines reached the edge of the cliff。
〃These lines were quiet and it was a clear day； as today is clear； and there were clouds high in the sky； as there are now； and the plaza was not yet dusty for there had been a heavy dew in the night； and the trees cast a shade over the men in the lines and you could hear the water running from the brass pipe in the mouth of the lion and falling into the bowl of the fountain where the women bring the water jars to fill them。
〃Only near the _Ayuntamiento_； where the priest was complying with his duties with the fascists； was there any ribaldry； and that came from those worthless ones who； as I said； were already drunk and were crowded around the windows shouting obscenities and jokes in bad taste in through the iron bars of the windows。 Most of' the men in the lines were waiting quietly and I heard one say to another； 'Will there be women？'
〃And another said； 'I hope to Christ； no。'
〃Then one said； 'Here is the woman of Pablo。 Listen； Pilar。 Will there be women？'
〃I looked at him and he was a peasant dressed in his Sunday jacket and sweating heavily and I said； 'No； Joaqu韓。 There are no women。 We are not killing the women。 Why should we kill their women？'
〃And he said； 'Thanks be to Christ； there are no women and when does it start？'
〃And I said； 'As soon as the priest finishes。'
〃'And the priest？'
〃'I don't know；' I told him and I saw his face working and the sweat coming down on his forehead。 'I have never killed a man；' he said。
〃'Then you will learn；' the peasant next to him said。 'But I do not think one blow with this will kill a man；' and he held his flail in both hands and looked at it with doubt。
〃'That is the beauty of it；' another peasant said。 'There must be many blows。'
〃'_They_ have taken Valladolid。 _They_ have Avila；' some one said。 'I heard that before we came into town。'
〃'_They_ will never take _this_ town。 _This_ town is ours。 We have struck ahead of them；' I said。 'Pablo is not one to wait for them to strike。'
〃'Pablo is able；' another said。 'But in this finishing off of the _civiles_ he was egoistic。 Don't you think so； Pilar？'
〃'Yes；' I said。 'But now all are participating in this。'
〃'Yes；' he said。 'It is well organized。 But why do we not hear more news of the movement？'
〃'Pablo cut the telephone wires before the assault on the barracks。 They are not yet repaired。'
〃
