Jorge Luis Borges
That a man in a suburb of Buenos Aires, but a sad compadrito without virtue infatuation courage, he went into the deserts equestrian Brazil's border and reach captain smugglers, it seems impossible beforehand. People who understand this, I want to tell the fate of Benjamin Otálora, who perhaps does not remain a memory in Balvanera and died in his law, shot in the confines of Rio Grande do Sul I do not know the details of his adventure, when I revealed, I will rectify and expand these pages. For now, this summary may be helpful. Benjamin
Otálora account, around 1891, nineteen years. It is a young man of forehead, of sincere blue eyes, of manliness Basque, a stab happy has revealed that it is a brave man; not concerned about the death of his adversary, not the immediate need to flee the republic. The leader of the parish gives a letter to a certain Azevedo Bandeira, Uruguay. Otálora embarks the journey is stormy and crispy, the other day, wandering the streets of Montevideo, with unspoken and perhaps sadly ignored. Not in Azevedo da Bandeira, around midnight in a warehouse in the Paso del Molino, attends an argument between herdsmen. A knife gleams; Otálora not know which side is right, but what attracts the pure taste of danger, as the deck or other music. For, in the brawl, stabbed a pawn down throws a man of dark hat and poncho. This, then turns out to be Azevedo Bandeira. (Otálora, to unknowingly break the letter because debérselo prefer everything to himself.) Azevedo da Bandeira, but sturdy, the unwarranted impression of being deformed, in your face, always too close, are the Jewish, black and Indian ; on its packaging, monkey and tiger, the scar that crosses his face is a more decorative, such as black bristly mustache. Projection
alcohol or error, the argument stops at the same speed with which it occurred. Otálora baby with the drovers and then accompanies a binge and then a mansion in the Old City, with the sun well up. In the last yard, which is of earth, men tend his message sleeping. Darkly that night Otálora compared with the previous steps on solid ground now, friends. What worries some remorse, yes, not surprising to Buenos Aires. Sleeps up to prayer, when he wakes up the peasant who assaulted him, drunk, Bandeira. (Otálora remember that this man has shared with the other week of tumult and joy and Bandeira was sitting to his right and forced him to continue drinking.) Man tells the employer sends him to search. In a sort of desk facing the hallway (Otálora never seen a vestibule side doors) is waiting Azevedo Bandeira, with a clear and contemptuous woman with red hair. Bandeira as weights, offers you a glass of sugarcane, he repeats that he is looking like a brave man, he suggests going to the North with others to bring an army. Otálora accepts, to the morning are on the way towards Tacuarembó. Otálora
then begins a different life for a life of vast dawns and days that have the smell of horse. That life is new to him, and sometimes bad, but already in his blood, because the same thing that men of other nations worship and sense the sea and us (also the man who weaves these symbols) crave the endless plains that resonates under the helmets. Otálora bred in the neighborhoods of career and cuarteador, before a year is gaucho. Learn to riders, entropillar the estate, to slaughter, to manage the bond holding and the bolas that knock down, to resist sleep, storms, frost and sun, to herd with the whistling and shouting. Only once, during that time of learning, see Azevedo Bandeira, but he is well aware, as a man of Bandeira is to be considered and feared, and that before any man, the gauchos say Bandeira do better. Someone believes that Bandeira was born across the Cuareim, Rio Grande do Sul, that, that should lower it, dimly populated forests, enhanced, of swamps, intractable and almost infinite distances. Gradually, Otálora understands that businesses are Bandeira multiple and that the main smuggling. Be drover to be a servant; Otálora proposed amount to a smuggler. Two colleagues, one night, cross the border to return items with a cane; Otálora causes one of them, it hurts and takes his place. It also moves a dark ambition and loyalty. That man (think) ends understand that I am worth more than all his oriental together.
Another year passed before Otálora return to Montevideo. Walk the shores, the city (which seems very large Otálora) come home from the pattern, the men tend the messages in the last yard. Days pass and has not seen Otálora Bandeira. Say, with fear, who is ill, a tan is often up to his bedroom with the boiler and the mate. One evening, I entrust this task Otálora. This feels vaguely humiliated but happy too.
The bedroom is dismantled and dark. There is a balcony overlooking the West, there is a long table with a glowing thalers disorder of herders, tapes, firearms and weapons, there is a remote mirror that has tarnished the moon. Bandeira lying on your back, sleep and complains, a vehemence of the sun finally defined. The large white bed seems to impair and obscure; Otálora notice the gray hair, fatigue, weakness, cracking the years. The revolts that is sending that old. Think that a blow sufficient to account for it. In this, look in the mirror that someone has entered. It is the red-haired woman, is half-dressed and barefoot and watch it with cold curiosity. Bandeira is incorporated, while talking about things of the season and shipped mate after mate, her fingers play with the braids of women. Finally, it gives license to Otálora to go.
days later, I get the order to go north. Arrive to stay lost, it's like anywhere in the endless plains. No trees or a stream of cheer, the first and the last sun hit it. There are stone corrals for the estate, which is guampuda and needy. The sigh is called the poor establishment. Otálora
conference hears Bandeira pawns will soon come to Montevideo. She asked why, someone explains that there is a stranger who is willing to send agauchado too. Otálora understands that it is a joke, but it flattered that joke already possible. See, then, that Bandeira has alienated one of the political leaders and it has withdrawn its support. I like this news.
boxes guns arrive, get a pitcher and a basin of silver for the women's room, come intricate damask curtains, comes from the blades, one morning, a dark rider of beard and a poncho. Ulpiano called Smith and is the capanga or bodyguards de Azevedo Bandeira. He speaks very little and a abrasilerada way. Otálora not know whether to attribute booked hostility, contempt or mere barbarism. You know, though, that for the plan that the machine has to earn his friendship. Sign
after the fate of Benjamin Otálora a red rope that brings black South Azevedo Bandeira and looks implement carona plywood and edged with tiger skin. That horse is a symbol of liberal authority of the employer and the greed that the boy, who also comes to desire, with desire rancorous women hair shining. Women, implement and color are attributes or adjectives of a man he seeks to destroy.
Here the plot thickens and deepens. Azevedo Bandeira is skilled in the art intimidation of progressive, in the satanic move to humiliate the party gradually, combining truly and ridicule; Otálora ambiguous decided to apply this method to the hard task proposed. Solve supplant, slowly, Azevedo Bandeira. Achieved, in days of danger, the friendship of Suarez. He confides his plan, Smith promised his help. Many things are happening later, which I know a few. Otálora not due to Bandeira, gives to forget, to correct, to invest their orders. The universe seems to conspire with him and quick facts. One afternoon, occurs in areas of gunfire with people Tacuarembó Rio Grande do Sul; Otálora usurps the place of Bandeira and commands East. Pierced his shoulder by a bullet, but that afternoon Otálora sigh back to the red of the head and that afternoon a few drops of blood stain the skin of a tiger and that night the woman sleeps with shiny hair. Other versions change the order of these facts and deny that they occurred in a single day.
Bandeira, however, always is nominally the head. He orders that do not run, Benjamin Otálora not touch it, a mixture of routine and pity.
The last scene of the story corresponds to the turmoil of the last night of 1894. That night, the men of freshly butchered lamb Sigh eat and drink a brawler alcohol, someone infinitely laborious strums a milonga. At the head Tables, Otálora, drunk, stands on exultation exultation, joy on joy, that tower of vertigo is a symbol of their irresistible destination. Bandeira, taciturn among those who shout, let it flow clamorous night. When the twelve strokes resound, stands as one recalls an obligation. He gets up and gently knocks at the door of women. It opens at once, as if waiting for the call. Sale half-dressed and barefoot. With a voice that is effeminate and drag, the boss tells you: "Since you
and Buenos Aires are to be both, right now you'll give a kiss to view.
Adds a brutal fact. The woman wants to resist, but two men have seized his arm and throw it on Otálora. Filled with tears, kisses his face and chest. Ulpiano Suarez has wielded the gun. Otálora understand, before he died, that from the beginning they have betrayed, who has been sentenced to death, which have allowed the love command and win, because they gave up for dead, because he was already dead Bandeira.
Suárez, almost with disdain, guns.
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