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ade his way farther into the government territory before running into some one who would challenge him。 But it seemed safer and simpler to get it over here。
〃_Salud！_〃 he had shouted。 〃_Salud； milicianos！_〃
He heard a bolt snick as it was pulled back。 Then； from farther down the parapet； a rifle fired。 There was a crashing crack and a downward stab of yellow in the dark。 Andr閟 had flattened at the click； the top of his head hard against the ground。
〃Don't shoot； Comrades；〃 Andr閟 shouted。 〃Don't shoot！ I want to come in。〃
〃How many are you？〃 some one called from behind the parapet。
〃One。 Me。 Alone。〃
〃Who are you？〃
〃Andr閟 Lopez of Villaconejos。 From the band of Pablo。 With a message。〃
〃Have you your rifle and equipment？〃
〃Yes； man。〃
〃We can take in none without rifle and equipment；〃 the voice said。 〃Nor in larger groups than three。〃
〃I am alone；〃 Andr閟 shouted。 〃It is important。 Let me come in。〃
He could hear them talking behind the parapet but not what they were saying。 Then the voice shouted again； 〃How many are you？〃
〃One。 Me。 Alone。 For the love of God。〃
They were talking behind the parapet again。 Then the voice came； 〃Listen； fascist。〃
〃I am not a fascist；〃 Andr閟 shouted。 〃I am a _guerrillero_ from the band of Pablo。 I come with a message for the General Staff。〃
〃He's crazy；〃 he heard some one say。 〃Toss a bomb at him。〃
〃Listen；〃 Andr閟 said。 〃I am alone。 I am completely by myself。 I obscenity in the midst of the holy mysteries that I am alone。 Let me come in。〃
〃He speaks like a Christian；〃 he heard some one say and laugh。
Then some one else said； 〃The best thing is to toss a bomb down on him。〃
〃No；〃 Andr閟 shouted。 〃That would be a great mistake。 This is important。 Let me come in。〃
It was for this reason that he had never enjoyed trips back and forth between the lines。 Sometimes it was better than others。 But it was never good。
〃You are alone？〃 the voice called down again。
〃_Me cago en la leche_；〃 Andr閟 shouted。 〃How many times must I tell thee？ I AM ALONE。〃
〃Then if you should be alone stand up and hold thy rifle over thy head。〃
Andr閟 stood up and put the carbine above his head； holding it in both hands。
〃Now come through the wire。 We have thee covered with the _m醧uina_；〃 the voice called。
Andr閟 was in the first zigzag belt of wire。 〃I need my hands to get through the wire；〃 he shouted。
〃Keep them up；〃 the voice commanded。
〃I am held fast by the wire；〃 Andr閟 called。
〃It would have been simpler to have thrown a bomb at him；〃 a voice said。
〃Let him sling his rifle；〃 another voice said。 〃He cannot come through there with his hands above his head。 Use a little reason。〃
〃All these fascists are the same；〃 the other voice said。 〃They demand one condition after another。〃
〃Listen；〃 Andr閟 shouted。 〃I am no fascist but a _guerrillero_ from the band of Pablo。 We've killed more fascists than the typhus。〃
〃I have never heard of the band of Pablo；〃 the man who was evidently in command of the post said。 〃Neither of Peter nor of Paul nor of any of the other saints nor apostles。 Nor of their bands。 Sling thy rifle over thy shoulder and use thy hands to come through the wire。〃
〃Before we loose the _m醧uina_ on thee；〃 another shouted。
〃_Qu椤oco amables sois！_〃 Andr閟 said。 〃You're not very amiable。〃
He was working his way through the wire。
〃_Amables_；〃 some one shouted at him。 〃We are in a war； man。〃
〃It begins to appear so；〃 Andr閟 said。
〃What's he say？〃
Andr閟 heard a bolt click again。
〃Nothing；〃 he shouted。 〃I say nothing。 Do not shoot until I get through this fornicating wire。〃
〃Don't speak badly of our wire；〃 some one shouted。 〃Or we'll toss a bomb on you。〃
〃_Quiero decir； qu椤uena alambrada_；〃 Andr閟 shouted。 〃What beautiful wire。 God in a latrine。 What lovely wire。 Soon I will be with thee； brothers。〃
〃Throw a bomb at him；〃 he heard the one voice say。 〃I tell you that's the soundest way to deal with the whole thing。〃
〃Brothers；〃 Andr閟 said。 He was wet through with sweat and he knew the bomb advocate was perfectly capable of tossing a grenade at any moment。 〃I have no importance。〃
〃I believe it；〃 the bomb man said。
〃You are right；〃 Andr閟 said。 He was working carefully through the third belt of wire and he was very close to the parapet。 〃I have no importance of any kind。 But the affair is serious。 _Muy； muy serio_。〃
〃There is no more serious thing than liberty；〃 the bomb man shouted。 〃Thou thinkest there is anything more serious than liberty？〃 he asked challengingly。
〃No； man；〃 Andr閟 said； relieved。 He knew now he was up against the crazies； the ones with the black…and…red scarves。 〃_Viva la Libertad！_〃
〃_Viva la F。 A。 I。 Viva la C。N。T。_；〃 they shouted back at him from the parapet。 〃_Viva el anarco…sindicalismo_ and liberty。〃
〃_Viva nosotros_；〃 Andr閟 shouted。 〃Long life to us。〃
〃He is a coreligionary of ours；〃 the bomb man said。 〃And I might have killed him with this。〃
He looked at the grenade in his hand and was deeply moved as Andr閟 climbed over the parapet。 Putting his arms around him； the grenade still in one hand； so that it rested against Andr閟's shoulder blade as he embraced him； the bomb man kissed him on both cheeks。
〃I am content that nothing happened to thee； brother；〃 he said。 〃I am very content。〃
〃Where is thy officer？〃 Andr閟 asked。
〃I command here；〃 a man said。 〃Let me see thy papers。〃
He took them into a dugout and looked at them with the light of a candle。 There was the little square of folded silk with the colors of the Republic and the seal of the S。 I。 M。 in the center。 There was the _Salvoconducto_ or safe…conduct pass giving his name； age； height； birthplace and mission that Robert Jordan had written out on a sheet from his notebook and sealed with the S。 I。 M。 rubber stamp and there were the four folded sheets of the dispatch to Golz which were tied around with a cord and sealed with wax and the impression of the metal S。 I。 M。 seal that was set in the top end of the wooden handle of the rubber stamp。
〃This I have seen；〃 the man in command of the post said and handed back the piece of silk。 〃This you all have； I know。 But its possession proves nothing without this。〃 He lifted the _Salvoconducto_ and read it through again。 〃Where were you born？〃
〃Villaconejos；〃 Andr閟 said。
〃And what do they raise there？〃
〃Melons；〃 Andr閟 said。 〃As all the world knows。〃
〃Who do you know there？〃
〃Why？ Are you from there？〃
〃Nay。 But I have been there。 I am from Aranju雤。〃
〃Ask me about any one。〃
〃Describe Jos椤incon。〃
〃Who keeps the bodega？〃
〃Naturally。〃
〃With a shaved head and a big belly and a cast in one eye。〃
〃Then this is valid；〃 the man said and handed him back the paper。 〃But what do you do on their side？〃
〃Our father had installed himself at Villacast韓 before the movement；〃 Andr閟 said。 〃Down there beyond the mountains on the plain。 It was there we were surprised by the movement。 Since the movement I have fought with the band of Pablo。 But I am in a great hurry； man； to take that dispatch。〃
〃How goes it in the country of the fascists？〃 the man commanding asked。 He was in no hurry。
〃Today we had much _tomate_；〃 Andr閟 said proudly。 〃Today there was plenty of dust o