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〃Then there is no problem；〃 Anselmo said。 〃I can do anything that I am ordered。〃
〃For us will be the bridge and the battle； should there be one；〃 Robert Jordan said and saying it in the dark； he felt a little theatrical but it sounded well in Spanish。
〃It should be of the highest interest；〃 Anselmo said and hearing him say it honestly and clearly and with no pose； neither the English pose of understatement nor any Latin bravado； Robert Jordan thought he was very lucky to have this old man and having seen the bridge and worked out and simplified the problem it would have been to surprise the posts and blow it in a normal way； he resented Golz's orders； and the necessity for them。 He resented them for what they could do to him and for what they could do to this old man。 They were bad orders all right for those who would have to carry them out。
And that is not the way to think； he told himself； and there is not you； and there are no people that things must not happen to。 Neither you nor this old man is anything。 You are instruments to do your duty。 There are necessary orders that are no fault of yours and there is a bridge and that bridge can be the point on which the future of the human race can turn。 As it can turn on everything that happens in this war。 You have only one thing to do and you must do it。 Only one thing； hell； he thought。 If it were one thing it was easy。 Stop worrying； you windy bastard； he said to himself。 Think about something else。
So he thought about the girl Maria； with her skin； the hair and the eyes all the same golden tawny brown； the hair a little darker than the rest but it would be lighter as her skin tanned deeper； the smooth skin； pale gold on the surface with a darkness underneath。 Smooth it would be； all of her body smooth； and she moved awkwardly as though there were something of her and about her that embarrassed her as though it were visible； though it was not； but only in her mind。 And she blushed with he looked at her； and she sitting； her hands clasped around her knees and the shirt open at the throat； the cup of her breasts uptilted against the shirt； and as he thought of her； his throat was choky and there was a difficulty in walking and he and Anselmo spoke no more until the old man said； 〃Now we go down through these rocks and to the camp。〃
As they came through the rocks in the dark； a man spoke to them； 〃Halt。 Who goes？〃 They heard a rifle bolt snick as it was drawn back and then the knock against the wood as it was pushed forward and down on the stock。
〃Comrades；〃 Anselmo said。
〃What comrades？〃
〃Comrades of Pablo；〃 the old man told him。 〃Dost thou not know us？〃
〃Yes；〃 the voice said。 〃But it is an order。 Have you the password？〃
〃No。 We come from below。〃
〃I know；〃 the man said in the dark。 〃You come from the bridge。 I know all of that。 The order is not mine。 You must know the second half of a password。〃
〃What is the first half then？〃 Robert Jordan said。
〃I have forgotten it；〃 the man said in the dark and laughed。 〃Go then unprintably to the campfire with thy obscene dynamite。〃
〃That is called guerilla discipline；〃 Anselmo said。 〃Uncock thy piece。〃
〃It is uncocked；〃 the man said in the dark。 〃I let it down with my thumb and forefinger。〃
〃Thou wilt do that with a Mauser sometime which has no knurl on the bolt and it will fire。〃
〃This is a Mauser；〃 the man said。 〃But I have a grip of thumb and forefinger beyond description。 Always I let it down that way。〃
〃Where is the rifle pointed？〃 asked Anselmo into the dark。
〃At thee；〃 the man said； 〃all the time that I descended the bolt。 And when thou comest to the camp； order that some one should relieve me because I have indescribable and unprintable hunger and I have forgotten the password。〃
〃How art thou called？〃 Robert Jordan asked。
〃Agust韓；〃 the man said。 〃I am called Agust韓 and I am dying with boredom in this spot。〃
〃We will take the message；〃 Robert Jordan said and he thought how the word _aburmiento_ which means boredom in Spanish was a word no peasant would use in any other language。 Yet it is one of the most common words in the mouth of a Spaniard of any class。
〃Listen to me；〃 Agust韓 said； and coming close he put his hand on Robert Jordan's shoulder。 Then striking a flint and steel together he held it up and blowing on the end of the cork； looked at the young man's face in its glow。
〃You look like the other one；〃 he said。 〃But something different。 Listen；〃 he put the lighter down and stood holding his rifle。 〃Tell me this。 Is it true about the bridge？〃
〃What about the bridge？〃
〃That we blow up an obscene bridge and then have to obscenely well obscenity ourselves off out of these mountains？〃
〃I know not。〃
〃_You_ know not；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃What a barbarity！ Whose then is the dynamite？〃
〃Mine。〃
〃And knowest thou not what it is for？ Don't tell me tales。〃
〃I know what it is for and so will you in time；〃 Robert Jordan said。 〃But now we go to the camp。〃
〃Go to the unprintable；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃And unprint thyself。 But do you want me to tell you something of service to you？〃
〃Yes；〃 said Robert Jordan。 〃If it is not unprintable；〃 naming the principal obscenity that had larded the conversation。 The man； Agust韓； spoke so obscenely； coupling an obscenity to every noun as an adjective； using the same obscenity as a verb； that Robert Jordan wondered if he could speak a straight sentence。 Agust韓 laughed in the dark when he heard the word。 〃It is a way of speaking I have。 Maybe it is ugly。 Who knows？ Each one speaks according to his manner。 Listen to me。 The bridge is nothing to me。 As well the bridge as another thing。 Also I have a boredom in these mountains。 That we should go if it is needed。 These mountains say nothing to me。 That we should leave them。 But I would say one thing。 Guard well thy explosive。〃
〃Thank you；〃 Robert Jordan said。 〃From thee？〃
〃No；〃 Agust韓 said。 〃From people less unprintably equipped than I。〃
〃So？〃 asked Robert Jordan。
〃You understand Spanish；〃 Agust韓 said seriously now。 〃Care well for thy unprintable explosive。〃
〃Thank you。〃
〃No。 Don't thank me。 Look after thy stuff。〃
〃Has anything happened to it？〃
〃No； or I would not waste thy time talking in this fashion。〃
〃Thank you all the same。 We go now to camp。〃
〃Good；〃 said Agust韓； 〃and that they send some one here who knows the password。〃
〃Will we see you at the camp？〃
〃Yes； man。 And shortly。〃
〃Come on；〃 Robert Jordan said to Anselmo。
They were walking down the edge of the meadow now and there was a gray mist。 The grass was lush underfoot after the pineneedle floor of the forest and the dew on the grass wet through their canvas rope…soled shoes。 Ahead； through the trees； Robert Jordan Could see a light where he knew the mouth of the cave must be。
〃Agust韓 is a very good man；〃 Anselmo said。 〃He speaks very filthily and always in jokes but he is a very serious man。〃
〃You know him well？〃
〃Yes。 For a long time。 I have much confidence in him。〃
〃And what he says？〃
〃Yes； man。 This Pablo is bad now； as you could see。〃
〃And the best thing to do？〃
〃One shall guard it at all times。〃
〃Who？〃
〃You。 Me。 The woman and Agust韓。 Since he sees the danger。〃
〃Did you think things were as b