百年孤独(英文版)-第59部分

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g　crowd。　They　had　brought　over　the　fritter　and　drink　stands　from　the　Street　of　the　Turks　and　the　people　were　in　good　spirits　as　they　bore　the　tedium　of　waiting　and　the　scorching　sun。　A　short　time　before　three　o’clock　the　rumor　spread　that　the　official　train　would　not　arrive　until　the　following　day。　The　crowd　let　out　a　sigh　of　disappointment。　An　army　lieutenant　then　climbed　up　onto　the　roof　of　the　station　where　there　were　four　machine…gun　emplacements　aiming　at　the　crowd　and　called　for　silence。　Next　to　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　there　was　a　barefooted　woman；　very　fat；　with　two　children　between　the　ages　of　four　and　seven。　She　was　carrying　the　smaller　one　and　she　asked　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo；　without　knowing　him；　if　he　would　lift　up　the　other　one　so　that　he　could　hear　better。　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　put　the　child　on　his　shoulders。　Many　years　later　that　child　would　still　tell；　to　the　disbelief　of　all；　that　he　had　seen　the　lieutenant　reading　Decree　No。　4　of　the　civil　and　military　leader　of　the　province　through　an　old　phonograph　horn。　It　had　been　signed　by　General　Carlos　Cortes　Vargas　and　his　secretary；　Major　Enrique　García　Isaza；　and　in　three　articles　of　eighty　words　he　declared　the　strikers　to　be　a　“bunch　of　hoodlums？and　he　authorized　the　army　to　shoot　to　kill。
　　　After　the　decree　was　read；　in　the　midst　of　a　deafening　hoot　of　protest；　a　captain　took　the　place　of　the　lieutenant　on　the　roof　of　the　station　and　with　the　horn　he　signaled　that　he　wanted　to　speak。　The　crowd　was　quiet　again。
　　　“Ladies　and　gentlemen；？the　captain　said　in　a　low　voice　that　was　slow　and　a　little　tired。　“you　have　five　minutes　to　withdraw。？
　　　The　redoubled　hooting　and　shouting　drowned　out　the　bugle　call　that　announced　the　start　of　the　count。　No　one　moved。
　　　Five　minutes　have　passed；？the　captain　said　in　the　same　tone。　“One　more　minute　and　we’ll　open　fire。？
　　　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo；　sweating　ice；　lowered　the　child　and　gave　him　to　the　woman。　“Those　bastards　might　just　shoot；？she　murmured。　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　did　not　have　time　to　speak　because　at　that　instant　he　recognized　the　hoarse　voice　of　Colonel　Gavilán　echoing　the　words　of　the　woman　with　a　shout。　Intoxicated　by　the　tension；　by　the　miraculous　depth　of　the　silence；　and　furthermore　convinced　that　nothing　could　move　that　crowd　held　tight　in　a　fascination　with　death；　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　raised　himself　up　over　the　heads　in　front　of　him　and　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　raised　his　voice。
　　　“You　bastards！？he　shouted。　“Take　the　extra　minute　and　stick　it　up　your　ass！？
　　　After　his　shout　something　happened　that　did　not　bring　on　fright　but　a　kind　of　hallucination。　The　captain　gave　the　order　to　fire　and　fourteen　machine　guns　answered　at　once。　But　it　all　seemed　like　a　farce。　It　was　as　if　the　machine　guns　had　been　loaded　with　caps；　because　their　panting　rattle　could　be　heard　and　their　incandescent　spitting　could　be　seen；　but　not　the　slightest　reaction　was　perceived；　not　a　cry；　not　even　a　sigh　among　the　pact　crowd　that　seemed　petrified　by　an　instantaneous　invulnerability。　Suddenly；　on　one　side…of　the　station；　a　cry　of　death　tore　open　the　enchantment：　“Aaaagh；　Mother。？A　seismic　voice；　a　volcanic　breath。　the　roar　of　a　cataclysm　broke　out　in　the　center　of　the　crowd　with　a　great　potential　of　expansion。　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　barely　had　time　to　pick　up　the　child　while　the　mother　with　the　other　one　was　swallowed　up　by　the　crowd　that　swirled　about　in　panic。
　　　Many　years　later　that　child　would　still　tell；　in　spite　of　people　thinking　that　he　was　a　crazy　old　man；　how　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　had　lifted　him　over　his　head　and　hauled　him；　almost　in　the　air；　as　if　floating　on　the　terror　of　the　crowd；　toward　a　nearby　street。　The　child’s　privileged　position　allowed　him　to　see　at　that　moment　that　the　wild　mass　was　starting　to　get　to　the　corner　and　the　row　of　machine　guns　opened　fire。　Several　voices　shouted　at　the　same　time：
　　　“Get　down！　Get　down！？
　　　The　people　in　front　had　already　done　so；　swept　down　by　the　wave　of　bullets。　The　survivors；　instead　of　getting　down；　tried　to　go　back　to　the　small　square；　and　the　panic　became　a　dragon’s　tail　as　one　pact　wave　ran　against　another　which　was　moving　in　the　opposite　direction；　toward　the　other　dragon’s　tail　In　the　street　across　the　way；　where　the　machine　guns　were　also　firing　without　cease。　They　were　Penned　in。　swirling　about　in　a　gigantic　whirlwind　that　little　by　little　was　being　reduced　to　its　epicenter　as　the　edges　were　systematically　being　cut　off　all　around　like　an　onion　being　peeled　by　the　insatiable　and　methodical　shears　of　the　machine　guns。　The　child　saw　a　woman　kneeling　with　her　arms　in　the　shape　of　a　cross　in　an　open　space；　mysteriously　free　of　the　stampede。　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　put　him　up　there　at　the　moment　he　fell　with　his　face　bathed　in　blood；　before　the　colossal　troop　wiped　out　the　empty　space；　the　kneeling　woman；　the　light　of　the　high；　drought…stricken　sky；　and　the　whorish　world　where　？rsula　Iguarán　had　sold　so　many　little　candy　animals。
　　　When　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　came　to　he　was　lying　face　up　in　the　darkness。　He　realized　that　he　was　riding　on　an　endless　and　silent　train　and　that　his　head　was　caked　with　dry　blood　and　that　all　his　bones　ached。　He　felt　an　intolerable　desire　to　sleep。　Prepared　to　sleep　for　many　hours；　safe　from　the　terror　and　the　horror；　he　made　himself　fortable　on　the　side　that　pained　him　less；　and　only　then　did　he　discover　that　he　was　lying　against　dead　people。　There　was　no　free　space　in　the　car　except　for　an　aisle　in　the　middle。　Several　hours　must　have　passed　since　the　massacre　because　the　corpses　had　the　same　temperature　as　a　plaster　in　autumn　and　the　same　consistency　of　petrified　foam　that　it　had；　and　those　who　had　put　them　in　the　car　had　had　time　to　pile　them　up　in　the　same　way　in　which　they　transported　bunches　of　bananas。　Trying　to　flee　from　the　nightmare；　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　dragged　himself　from　one　car　to　an　other　in　the　direction　in　which　the　train　was　heading；　and　in　the　flashes　of　light　that　broke　through　the　wooden　slats　as　they　went　through　sleeping　towns　he　saw　the　man　corpses；　woman　corpses；　child　corpses　who　would　be　thrown　into　the　sea　like　rejected　bananas。　He　recognized　only　a　woman　who　sold　drinks　in　the　square　and　Colonel　Gavilán；　who　still　held　wrapped　in　his　hand　the　belt　with　a　buckle　of　Morelia　silver　with　which　he　had　tried　to　open　his　way　through　the　panic。　When　he　got　to　the　first　car　he　jumped　into　the　darkness　and　lay　beside　the　tracks　until　the　train　had　passed。　It　was　the　longest　one　he　had　ever　seen；　with　almost　two　hundred　freight　cars　and　a　lootive　at　either　end　and　a　third　one　in　the　middle。　It　had　no　lights；　not　even　the　red　and　green　running　lights；　and　it　slipped　off　with　a　nocturnal　and　stealthy　velocity。　On　top　of　the　cars　there　could　be　seen　the　dark　shapes　of　the　soldiers　with　their　emplaced　machine　guns。
　　　After　midnight　a　torrential　cloudburst　came　up。　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　did　not　know　where　it　was　that　he　had　jumped　off；　but　he　knew　that　by　going　in　the　opposite　direction　to　that　of　the　train　he　would　reach　Macondo。　After　walking　for　more　than　three　hours；　soaked　to　the　skin；　with　a　terrible　headache；　he　was　able　to　make　out　the　first　houses　in　the　light　of　dawn。　Attracted　by　the　smell　of　coffee；　he　went　into　a　kitchen　where　a　woman　with　a　child　in　her　arms　was　leaning　over　the　stove。
　　　“Hello；？he　said；　exhausted。　“I’m　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　Buendía。？
　　　He　pronounced　his　whole　name；　letter　by　letter；　in　order　to　convince　her　that　he　was　alive。　He　was　wise　in　doing　so；　because　the　woman　had　thought　that　he　was　an　apparition　as　she　saw　the　dirty；　shadowy　figure　with　his　head　and　clothing　dirty　with　blood　and　touched　with　the　solemnity　of　death　e　through　the　door。　She　recognized　him。　She　brought　him　a　blanket　so　that　he　could　wrap　himself　up　while　his　clothes　dried　by　the　fire；　she　warmed　some　water　to　wash　his　wound；　which　was　only　a　flesh　wound；　and　she　gave　him　a　clean　diaper　to　bandage　his　head。　Then　she　gave　him　a　mug　of　coffee　without　sugar　as　she　had　been　told　the　Buendías　drank　it；　and　she　spread　his　clothing　out　near　the　fire。
　　　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　did　not　speak　until　he　had　finished　drinking　his　coffee。
　　　“There　must　have　been　three　thousand　of　them？he　murmured。
　　　“What？？
　　　“The　dead；？he　clarified。　“It　must　have　been　an　of　the　people　who　were　at　the　station。？
　　　The　woman　measured　him　with　a　pitying　look。　“There　haven’t　been　any　dead　here；？she　said。　“Since　the　time　of　your　uncle；　the　colonel；　nothing　has　happened　in　Macondo。？In　the　three　kitchens　where　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　stopped　before　reaching　home　they　told　him　the　same　thing。　“There　weren’t　any　dead。　He　went　through　the　small　square　by　the　station　and　he　saw　the　fritter　stands　piled　one　on　top　of　the　other　and　he　could　find　no　trace　of　the　massacre。　The　streets　were　deserted　under　the　persistent　rain　and　the　houses　locked　up　with　no　trace　of　life　inside。　The　only　human　note　was　the　first　tolling　of　the　bells　for　mass。　He　knocked　at　the　door　at　Colonel　Gavilán’s　house。　A　pregnant　woman　whom　he　had　seen　several　times　closed　the　door　in　his　face。　“He　left；？she　said；　frightened。　“He　went　back　to　his　own　country。？The　main　entrance　to　the　wire　chicken　coop　was　guarded　as　always　by　two　local　policemen　who　looked　as　if　they　were　made　of　stone　under　the　rain；　with　raincoats　and　rubber　boots。　On　their　marginal　street　the　West　Indian　Negroes　were　singing　Saturday　psalms。　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　jumped　over　the　courtyard　wall　and　entered　the　house　through　the　kitchen。　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　barely　raised　her　voice。　“Don’t　let　Fernanda　see　you；？she　said。　“She’s　just　getting　up。？As　if　she　were　fulfilling　an　implicit　pact；　she　took　her　son　to　the　“chamberpot　room。？arranged　Melquíades？broken…down　cot　for　him　and　at　two　in　the　afternoon；　while　Fernanda　was　taking　her　siesta；　she　passed　a　plate　of　food　in　to　him　through　the　window。
　　　Aureliano　Segundo　had　slept　at　home　because　the　rain　had　caught　him　time　and　at　three　in　the　afternoon　he　was　still　waiting　for　it　to　clear。　Informed　in　secret　by　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad；　he　visited　his　brother　in　Melquíades？room　at　that　time。　He　did　not　believe　the　version　of　the　massacre　or　the　nightmare　trip　of　the　train　loaded　with　corpses　traveling　toward　the　sea　either。　The　night　before　he　had　read　an　extraordin