CHAPTER XVIII
THE SOLDIERS
The inhabitants of Orbajosa heard in the twilight vagueness of theirmorning slumbers the same sonorous clarionet, and they opened theireyes, saying:
"The soldiers!"
Some murmured to themselves between sleeping and waking:
"At last they have sent us that rabble."
Others got out of bed hastily, growling:
"Let us go take a look at those confounded soldiers."
Some soliloquized in this way:
"It will be necessary to hurry up matters. They say drafts andcontributions; we will say blows and more blows."
In another house were heard these words uttered joyfully:
"Perhaps my son is coming! Perhaps my brother is coming!"
Everywhere people were springing out of bed, dressing hastily, openingthe windows to see the regiment that caused all this excitement enteringthe city in the early dawn. The city was gloom, silence, age; the armygayety, boisterousness, youth. As the army entered the city it seemed asif the mummy received by some magic art the gift of life and sprangwith noisy gayety from its damp sarcophagus to dance around it. Whatmovement, what shouting, what laughter, what merriment! There is nothingso interesting as a regiment. It is our country in its youthful andvigorous aspect. All the ineptitude, the turbulence, the superstitionat times, and at times the impiety of the country as represented in theindividual, disappears under the iron rule of discipline, which of somany insignificant figures makes an imposing whole. The soldier, or soto say, the corpuscle, separating at the command "Break ranks!" fromthe mass in which he has led a regular and at times a sublime life,occasionally preserves some of the qualities peculiar to the army. Butthis is not the general rule. The separation is most often accompaniedby a sudden deterioration, with the result that if an army is the gloryand honor of a nation, an assemblage of soldiers may be an insupportablecalamity; and the towns that shed tears of joy and enthusiasm when theysee a victorious battalion enter their precincts, groan with terror andtremble with apprehension when they see the same soldiers separate andoff duty.
This last was what happened in Orbajosa, for in those days there wereno glorious deeds to celebrate, nor was there any motive for weavingwreaths or tracing triumphal inscriptions, or even for making mentionof the exploits of our brave soldiers, for which reason all was fearand suspicion in the episcopal city, which, although poor, did not lacktreasures in chickens, fruits, money, and maidenhood, all of whichran great risk from the moment when the before-mentioned sons of Marsentered it. In addition to this, the native town of Polentinos, as acity remote from the movement and stir brought with them by traffic, thenewspapers, railroads, and other agents which it is unnecessary now tospecify, did not wish to be disturbed in its tranquil existence.
Besides which, it manifested on every favorable occasion a strongaversion to submitting to the central authority which, badly or well,governs us; and calling to mind its former privileges and ruminatingupon them anew, as the camel chews the cud of the grass which itate yesterday, it would occasionally display a certain rebelliousindependence, and vicious tendencies much to be deplored, which at timesgave no little anxiety to the governor of the province.
It must also be taken into account that Orbajosa had rebelliousantecedents, or rather ancestry. Doubtless it still retained someof those energetic fibres which, in remote ages, according to theenthusiastic opinion of Don Cayetano, impelled it to unexampled epicdeeds; and, even in its decadence, occasionally felt an eager desire todo great things, although they might be only barbarities and follies.As it had given to the world so many illustrious sons, it desired,no doubt, that its actual scions, the Caballucos, Merengues, andPelosmalos, should renew the glorious _Gesta_ of their predecessors.
Whenever there was disaffection in Spain, Orbajosa gave proof that itwas not in vain that it existed on the face of the earth, although itis true that it was never the theatre of a real war. The spirit of thetown, its situation, its history, all reduced it to the secondary partof raising guerillas. It bestowed upon the country this national productin 1827, at the time of the Apostolics, during the Seven Years' War, in1848, and at other epochs of less resonance in the national history. Theguerillas and their chiefs were always popular, a fatal circumstance dueto the War of Independence, one of those good things which have beenthe origin of an infinite number of detestable things. _Corruptio optimipessima_. And with the popularity of the guerillas and their chiefscoincided, in ever-increasing proportion, the unpopularity of every onewho entered Orbajosa in the character of a delegate or instrument ofthe central power. The soldiers were held in such disrepute there that,whenever the old people told of any crime, any robbery, assassination,or the like atrocity, they added: "This happened when the soldiers werehere."
And now that these important observations have been made, it will bewell to add that the battalions sent there during the days in which theevents of our story took place did not go to parade through the streets,but for another purpose which will be clearly and minutely set forthlater on. As a detail of no little interest, it may be noted that theevents here related took place at a period neither very remote nor veryrecent. It may also be said that Orbajosa (called by the Romans UrbsAugusta, although some learned moderns, enquiring into the etymology ofthe termination _ajosa_[*] are of the opinion that it comes by it frombeing the richest garlic-growing country in the world) is neither verynear Madrid nor very far from it; nor can we say whether its gloriousfoundations are laid toward the north or toward the south, toward theeast or toward the west; but that it may be supposed to be in any partof Spain where the pungent odor of its garlic is to be perceived.
[*] Rich in garlic.
The billets of residence being distributed by the authorities, eachsoldier went to seek his borrowed home. They were received bytheir hosts with a very ill grace and assigned the most atrociouslyuninhabitable parts of the houses. The girls of the city were not indeedamong those who were most dissatisfied, but a strict watch was kept overthem, and it was considered not decent to show pleasure at the visit ofsuch rabble. The few soldiers who were natives of the district only weretreated like kings. The others were regarded as invaders.
At eight in the morning a lieutenant-colonel of cavalry entered thehouse of Dona Perfecta Polentinos with his billet. He was received bythe servants, by order of its mistress, who, being at the time in adeplorable state of mind, did not wish to go down stairs to meet thesoldier, and by them he was shown to the only room in the house which,it seemed, was disposable, the room occupied by Pepe Rey.
"Let them settle themselves as best they can," said Dona Perfecta, withan expression of gall and vinegar. "And if they have not room enough,let them go into the street."
Was it her intention to annoy in this way her detested nephew, or wasthere really no other unoccupied room in the house? This we do not know,nor do the chronicles from which this true history is taken say a wordon this important point. What we know positively is that, far fromdispleasing the two guests to be thus boxed up together, it gave themgreat pleasure, as they happened to be old friends. They were greatlysurprised and delighted when they met, and they were never tired ofasking each other questions and uttering exclamations, dwelling on thestrange chance that had brought them together in such a place and onsuch an occasion.
"Pinzon--you here! Why, what is this? I had no suspicion that you werein this neighborhood."
"I heard that you were in this part of the country, Pepe; but I had noidea, either, that I should meet you in this horrible, this barbarousOrbajosa."
"But what a fortunate chance! For this chance is mostfortunate--providential. Pinzon, between us both we are going to do agreat thing in this wretched town."
"And we shall have time enough to consult about it," answered the other,seating himself on the bed in which the engineer was lying, "for itappears that we are both to occupy this room. What the devil sort of ahouse is this?"
"Why, man, it is my aunt's. Spea
k with more respect about it. Have younot met my aunt? But I am going to get up."
"I am very glad of it, for then I can lie down and rest; and badly Ineed it. What a road, friend Pepe, what a road, and what a town!"
"Tell me, have you come to set fire to Orbajosa?"
"Fire!"
"I ask you because, in that case, I might help you."
"What a town! But what a town!" exclaimed the soldier, removing hisshako, and laying aside sword and shoulder-belt, travelling case andcloak. "This is the second time they have sent us here. I swear to youthat the third time I will ask my discharge."
"Don't talk ill of these good people! But you have come in the nick oftime. It seems as if Providence has sent you to my aid, Pinzon. I have aterrible project on hand, an adventure,--a plot, if you wish to callit so, my friend,--and it would have been difficult for me to carryit through without you. A moment ago I was in despair, wondering how Ishould manage, and saying to myself anxiously, 'If I only had a friendhere, a good friend!'"
"A project, a plot, an adventure! One of two things, SenorMathematician: it is either the discovery of aerial navigation, or elsesome love affair."
"It is serious, very serious. Go to bed, sleep a while, and afterward wewill talk about it."
"I will go to bed, but I will not sleep. You may say all you wish tome. All that I ask is that you will say as little as possible aboutOrbajosa."
"It is precisely about Orbajosa that I wish to speak to you. But haveyou also an antipathy to this cradle of illustrious men?"
"These garlic-venders--we call them the garlic-venders--may be asillustrious as you choose, but to me they are as irritating as theproduct of the country. This is a town ruled by people who teachdistrust, superstition, and hatred of the whole human race. When we haveleisure I will relate to you an occurrence--an adventure, half-comic,half-tragic--that happened to me here last year. When I tell it to you,you will laugh and I shall be fuming. But, in fine, what is past ispast."
"In what is happening to me there is nothing comic."
"But I have various reasons for hating this wretched place. You mustknow that my father was assassinated here in '48 by a party of barbarousguerillas. He was a brigadier, and he had left the service. TheGovernment sent for him, and he was passing through Villahorrenda on hisway to Madrid, when he was captured by half a dozen ruffians. Here thereare several dynasties of guerilla chiefs--the Aceros, the Caballucos,the Pelosmalos--a periodical eruption, as some one has said who knewvery well what he was talking about."
"I suppose that two infantry regiments and some cavalry have not comehere solely for the pleasure of visiting these delightful regions."
"Certainly not! We have come to survey the country. There are manydeposits of arms here. The Government does not venture, as it desires,to remove from office the greater number of the municipal councilswithout first distributing a few companies of soldiers through thesetowns. As there is so much disturbance in this part of the country,as two of the neighboring provinces are already infested, and as thismunicipal district of Orbajosa has, besides, so brilliant a record inall the civil wars, there are fears that the bravos of the place maytake to the roads and rob all they can lay hands on."
"A good precaution! But I am firmly convinced that not until thesepeople die and are born over again, not until the very stones havechanged their form, will there be peace in Orbajosa."
"That is my opinion too," said the officer, lighting a cigarette. "Don'tyou see that the guerilla chiefs are the pets of this place? Those whodesolated the district in 1848 and at other epochs, or, if not they,their sons, are employed in the market inspector's office, at the towngates, in the town-hall, in the post-office; among them are constables,sacristans, bailiffs. Some have become powerful party leaders and theyare the ones who manage the elections, have influence in Madrid, bestowplaces--in short, this is terrible."
"And tell me, is there no hope of the guerilla chiefs performing someexploit in these days? If that should happen, you could destroy thetown, and I would help you."
"If it depended upon me----They will play their usual pranks no doubt,"said Pinzon, "for the insurrection in the two neighboring provinces isspreading like wildfire. And between ourselves, friend Rey, I thinkthis is going to last for a long time. Some people smile and say that itwould be impossible that there should be another insurrection like thelast one. They don't know the country; they don't know Orbajosa andits inhabitants. I believe that the war that is now beginning will haveserious consequences, and that we shall have another cruel and bloodystruggle, that will last Heaven knows how long. What is your opinion?"
"Well, in Madrid I laughed at any one who spoke of the possibility of acivil war as long and as terrible as the Seven Years' War; but since Ihave been here----"
"One must come to the heart of this enchanting country, see the peopleat home, and hear them talk, to know what the real state of affairs is."
"Just so. Without knowing precisely on what I base my opinion, the factis that here I see things in a different light, and I now believe thatit is possible that there may be a long and bloody war."
"Exactly so."
"But at present my thoughts are occupied less by the public war than bya private war in which I am engaged and which I declared a short timeago."
"You said this was your aunt's house. What is her name?"
"Dona Perfecta Rey de Polentinos."
"Ah! I know her by reputation. She is an excellent person, and the onlyone of whom I have not heard the garlic-venders speak ill. When I washere before I heard her goodness, her charity, her innumerable virtues,everywhere extolled."
"Yes, my aunt is very kind, very amiable," said Rey.
Then he fell into a thoughtful silence.
"But now I remember!" exclaimed Pinzon suddenly. "How one thing fits inwith another! Yes, I heard in Madrid that you were going to be marriedto a cousin of yours. All is clear now. Is it that beautiful andheavenly Rosario?"
"Pinzon, we must have a long talk together."
"I imagine that there are difficulties."
"There is something more; there is violent opposition. I have need of adetermined friend--a friend who is prompt to act, fruitful in resource,of great experience in emergencies, astute and courageous."
"Why, this is even more serious than a challenge."
"A great deal more serious. It would be easy to fight with another man.With women, with unseen enemies who work in the dark, it is impossible."
"Come, I am all ears."
Lieutenant-colonel Pinzon lay stretched at full length upon the bed.Pepe Rey drew a chair up to the bedside and, leaning his elbow onthe bed and his head on his hand, began his conference, consultation,exposition of plan, or whatever else it might be called, and continuedtalking for a long time. Pinzon listened to him with profound attentionand without interrupting him, except to ask an occasional question forthe purpose of obtaining further details or additional light upon someobscure point. When Pepe Rey ended, Pinzon looked grave. He stretchedhimself, yawning with the satisfaction of one who has not slept forthree nights, and then said:
"You plan is dangerous and difficult."
"But not impossible."
"Oh, no! for nothing is impossible. Reflect well about it."
"I have reflected."
"And you are resolved to carry it through? Consider that these thingsare not now in fashion. They generally turn out badly and throwdiscredit on those who undertake them."
"I am resolved."
"For my part, then, although the business is dangerous and serious--veryserious--I am ready to aid you in all things and for all things."
"Can I rely upon you?"
"To the death."