百年孤独(英文版)-第26部分

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d　daylight　to　contact　the　dormant　Liberals；　who　would　go　out　hunting　on　the　following　morning　and　never　return。　When　they　saw　Riohacha　from　a　ridge　in　the　mountains；　General　Victorio　Medina　had　been　shot。　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía’s　men　proclaimed　him　chief　of　the　revolutionary　forces　of　the　Caribbean　coast　with　the　rank　of　general。　He　assumed　the　position　but　refused　the　promotion　and　took　the　stand　that　he　would　never　accept　it　as　long　as　the　Conservative　regime　was　in　power。　At　the　end　of　three　months　they　had　succeeded　in　arming　more　than　a　thousand　men；　but　they　were　wiped　out。　The　survivors　reached　the　eastern　frontier。　The　next　thing　that　was　heard　of　them　was　that　they　had　landed　on　Cabo　de　la　Vela；　ing　from　the　smaller　islands　of　the　Antilles；　and　a　message　from　the　government　was　sent　all　over　by　telegraph　and　included　in　jubilant　proclamations　throughout　the　country　announcing　the　death　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía。　But　two　days　later　a　multiple　telegram　which　almost　overtook　the　previous　one　announced　another　uprising　on　the　southern　plains。　That　was　how　the　legend　of　the　ubiquitous　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　began。　Simultaneous　and　contradictory　information　declared　him　victorious　in　Villanueva。　defeated　in　Guacamayal；　devoured　by　Motilón　Indians；　dead　in　a　village　in　the　swamp；　and　up　in　arms　again　in　Urumita。　The　Liberal　leaders；　who　at　that　moment　were　negotiating　for　participation　in　the　congress；　branded　him　in　adventurer　who　did　not　represent　the　party。　The　national　government　placed　him　in　the　category　of　a　bandit　and　put　a　price　of　five　thousand　pesos　on　his　head。　After　sixteen　defeats；　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　left　Guajira　with　two　thousand　well…armed　Indians　and　the　garrison；　which　was　taken　by　surprise　as　it　slept；　abandoned　Riohacha。　He　established　his　headquarters　there　and　proclaimed　total　war　against　the　regime。　The　first　message　he　received　from　the　government　was　a　threat　to　shoot　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　within　forty…eight　hours　if　he　did　not　withdraw　with　his　forces　to　the　eastern　frontier。　Colonel　Roque　Carnicero；　who　was　his　chief　of　staff　then；　gave　him　the　telegram　with　a　look　of　consternation；　but　he　read　it　with　unforeseen　joy。
　　　“How　wonderful！？he　exclaimed。　“We　have　a　telegraph　office　in　Macondo　now。？
　　　His　reply　was　definitive。　In　three　months　he　expected　to　establish　his　headquarters　in　Macondo。　If　he　did　not　find　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　alive　at　that　time　he　would　shoot　out　of　hand　all　of　the　officers　he　held　prisoner　at　that　moment　starting　with　the　generals；　and　he　would　give　orders　to　his　subordinates　to　do　the　same　for　the　rest　of　the　war。　Three　months　later；　when　he　entered　Macondo　in　triumph；　the　first　embrace　he　received　on　the　swamp　road　was　that　of　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez。
　　　The　house　was　full　of　children。　？rsula　had　taken　in　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　with　her　older　daughter　and　a　pair　of　twins；　who　had　been　born　five　months　after　Arcadio　had　been　shot。　Contrary　to　the　victim’s　last　wishes；　she　baptized　the　girl　with　the　name　of　Remedios。　I’m　sure　that　was　what　Arcadio　meant；？she　alleged。　“We　won’t　call　her　？rsula；　because　a　person　suffers　too　much　with　that　name。？The　twins　were　named　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　and　Aureliano　Segundo。　Amaranta　took　care　of　them　all。　She　put　small　wooden　chairs　in　the　living　room　and　established　a　nursery　with　other　children　from　neighboring　families。　When　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　returned　in　the　midst　of　exploding　rockets　and　ringing　bells；　a　children’s　chorus　weled　him　to　the　house。　Aureliano　Jos？　tall　like　his　grandfather；　dressed　as　a　revolutionary　officer；　gave　him　military　honors。
　　　Not　all　the　news　was　good。　A　year　after　the　flight　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　Jos？Arcadio　and　Rebeca　went　to　live　in　the　house　Arcadio　had　built。　No　one　knew　about　his　intervention　to　halt　the　execution。　In　the　new　house；　located　on　the　best　corner　of　the　square；　in　the　shade　of　an　almond　tree　that　was　honored　by　three　nests　of　redbreasts；　with　a　large　door　for　visitors　and　four　windows　for　light；　they　set　up　a　hospitable　home。　Rebeca’s　old　friends；　among　them　four　of　the　Moscote　sisters　who　were　still　single；　once　more　took　up　the　sessions　of　embroidery　that　had　been　interrupted　years　before　on　the　porch　with　the　begonias。　Jos？Arcadio　continued　to　profit　from　the　usurped　lands；　the　title　to　which　was　recognized　by　the　Conservative　government。　Every　afternoon　he　could　be　seen　returning　on　horseback；　with　his　hunting　dogs　and　his　double…barreled　shotgun　and　a　string　of　rabbits　hanging　from　his　saddle。　One　September　afternoon；　with　the　threat　of　a　storm；　he　returned　home　earlier　than　usual。　He　greeted　Rebeca　in　the　dining　room；　tied　the　dogs　up　in　the　courtyard；　hung　the　rabbits　up　in　the　kitchen　to　be　salted　later；　and　went　to　the　bedroom　to　change　his　clothes。　Rebeca　later　declared　that　when　her　husband　went　into　the　bedroom　she　was　locked　in　the　bathroom　and　did　not　hear　anything。　It　was　a　difficult　version　to　believe；　but　there　was　no　other　more　plausible；　and　no　one　could　think　of　any　motive　for　Rebeca　to　murder　the　man　who　had　made　her　happy。　That　was　perhaps　the　only　mystery　that　was　never　cleared　up　in　Macondo。　As　soon　as　Jos？Arcadio　closed　the　bedroom　door　the　sound　of　a　pistol　shot　echoed　through　the　house。　A　trickle　of　blood　came　out　under　the　door；　crossed　the　living　room；　went　out　into　the　street；　continued　on　in　a　straight　line　across　the　uneven　terraces；　went　down　steps　and　climbed　over　curbs；　passed　along　the　Street　of　the　Turks；　turned　a　corner　to　the　right　and　another　to　the　left；　made　a　right　angle　at　the　Buendía　house；　went　in　under　the　closed　door；　crossed　through　the　parlor；　hugging　the　walls　so　as　not　to　stain　the　rugs；　went　on　to　the　other　living　room；　made　a　wide　curve　to　avoid　the　dining…room　table；　went　along　the　porch　with　the　begonias；　and　passed　without　being　seen　under　Amaranta’s　chair　as　she　gave　an　arithmetic　lesson　to　Aureliano　Jos？；　and　went　through　the　pantry　and　came　out　in　the　kitchen；　where　？rsula　was　getting　ready　to　crack　thirty…six　eggs　to　make　bread。
　　　“Holy　Mother　of　God！？？rsula　shouted。
　　　She　followed　the　thread　of　blood　back　along　its　course；　and　in　search　of　its　origin　she　went　through　the　pantry；　along　the　begonia　porch　where　Aureliano　Jos？was　chanting　that　three　plus　three　is　six　and　six　plus　three　is　nine；　and　she　crossed　the　dining　room　and　the　living　rooms　and　followed　straight　down　the　street；　and　she　turned　first　to　the　right　and　then　to　the　left　to　the　Street　of　the　Turks；　forgetting　that　she　was　still　wearing　her　baking　apron　and　her　house　slippers；　and　she　came　out　onto　the　square　and　went　into　the　door　of　a　house　where　she　had　never　been；　and　she　pushed　open　the　bedroom　door　and　was　almost　suffocated　by　the　smell　of　burned　gunpowder；　and　she　found　Jos？Arcadio　lying　face　down　on　the　ground　on　top　of　the　leggings　he　had　just　taken　off；　and　she　saw　the　starting　point　of　the　thread　of　blood　that　had　already　stopped　flowing　out　of　his　right　ear。　They　found　no　wound　on　his　body　nor　could　they　locate　the　weapon。　Nor　was　it　possible　to　remove　the　smell　of　powder　from　the　corpse。　First　they　washed　him　three　times　with　soap　and　a　scrubbing　brush；　and　they　rubbed　him　with　salt　and　vinegar；　then　with　ashes　and　lemon；　and　finally　they　put　him　in　a　barrel　of　lye　and　let　him　stay　for　six　hours。　They　scrubbed　him　so　much　that　the　arabesques　of　his　tattooing　began　to　fade。　When　they　thought　of　the　desperate　measure　of　seasoning　him　with　pepper；　cumin　seeds；　and　laurel　leaves　and　boiling　him　for　a　whole　day　over　a　slow　fire；　he　had　already　begun　to　depose　and　they　had　to　bury　him　hastily。　They　sealed　him　hermetically　in　a　special　coffin　seven　and　a　half　feet　long　and　four　feet　wide；　reinforced　inside　with　iron　plates　and　fastened　together　with　steel　bolts；　and　even　then　the　smell　could　be　perceived　on　the　streets　through　which　the　funeral　procession　passed。　Father　Nicanor；　with　his　liver　enlarged　and　tight　as　a　drum；　gave　him　his　blessing　from　bed。　Although　in　the　months　that　followed　they　reinforced　the　grave　with　walls　about　it；　between　which　they　threw　pressed　ash；　sawdust；　and　quicklime；　the　cemetery　still　smelled　of　powder　for　many　years　after；　until　the　engineers　from　the　banana　pany　covered　the　grave　over　with　a　shell　of　concrete。　As　soon　as　they　took　the　body　out；　Rebeca　closed　the　doors　of　her　house　and　buried　herself　alive；　covered　with　a　thick　crust　of　disdain　that　no　earthly　temptation　was　ever　able　to　break。　She　went　out　into　the　street　on　one　occasion；　when　she　was　very　old；　with　shoes　the　color　of　old　silver　and　a　hat　made　of　tiny　flowers；　during　the　time　that　the　Wandering　Jew　passed　through　town　and　brought　on　a　heat　wave　that　was　so　intense　that　birds　broke　through　window　screens　to　e　to　die　in　the　bedrooms。　The　last　time　anyone　saw　her　alive　was　when　with　one　shot　she　killed　a　thief　who　was　trying　to　force　the　door　of　her　house。　Except　for　Argénida；　her　servant　and　confidante；　no　one　ever　had　any　more　contact　with　her　after　that。　At　one　time　it　was　discovered　that　she　was　writing　letters　to　the　Bishop；　whom　she　claimed　as　a　first　cousin。　but　it　was　never　said　whether　she　received　any　reply。　The　town　forgot　about　her。
　　　In　spite　of　his　triumphal　return；　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　was　not　enthusiastic　over　the　looks　of　things。　The　government　troops　abandoned　their　positions　without　resistance　and　that　aroused　an　illusion　of　victory　among　the　Liberal　population　that　it　was　not　right　to　destroy；　but　the　revolutionaries　knew　the　truth；　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　better　than　any　of　them。　Although　at　that　moment　he　had　more　than　five　thousand　men　under　his　mand　and　held　two　coastal　states；　he　had　the　feeling　of　being　hemmed　in　against　the　sea　and　caught　in　a　situation　that　was　so　confused　that　when　he　ordered　the　restoration　of　the　church　steeple；　which　had　been　knocked　down　by　army　cannon　fire；　Father　Nicanor　mented　from　his　sickbed：　“This　is　silly；　the　defenders　of　the　faith　of　Christ　destroy　the　church　and　the　Masons　order　it　rebuilt。？Looking　for　a　loophole　through　which　he　could　escape；　he　spent　hours　on　end　in　the　telegraph　office　conferring　with　the　manders　of　other　towns；　and　every　time　he　would　emerge　with　the　firmest　impression　that　the　war　was　at　a　stalemate。　When　news　of　fres