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he silent and solitary game that he had been playing with himself ever since that dawn execution。 Then he went out into the street and saw them。 There were three regiments； whose march in time to a galley drum made the earth tremble。 Their snorting of a manyheaded dragon filled the glow of noon with a pestilential vapor。 They were short； stocky； and brutelike。 They perspired with the sweat of a horse and had a smell of suntanned hide and the taciturn and impenetrable perseverance of men from the uplands。 Although it took them over an hour to pass by； one might have thought that they were only a few squads marching in a circle； because they were all identical； sons of the same bitch； and with the same stolidity they all bore the weight of their packs and canteens； the shame of their rifles with fixed bayonets； and the chancre of blind obedience and a sense of honor。 ？rsula heard them pass from her bed in the shadows and she made a crow with her fingers。 Santa Sofía de la Piedad existed for an instant； leaning over the embroidered tablecloth that she had just ironed； and she thought of her son； Jos？Arcadio Segundo； who without changing expression watched the last soldiers pass by the door of the Hotel Jacob。
Martial law enabled the army to assume the functions of arbitrator in the controversy； but no effort at conciliation was made。 As soon as they appeared in Macondo； the soldiers put aside their rifles and cut and loaded the bananas and started the trains running。 The workers； who had been content to wait until then； went into the woods with no other weapons but their working machetes and they began to sabotage the sabotage。 They burned plantations and missaries； tore up tracks to impede the passage of the trains that began to open their path with machinegun fire； and they cut telegraph and telephone wires。 The irrigation ditches were stained with blood。 Mr。 Brown； who was alive in the electrified chicken coop； was taken out of Macondo with his family and those of his fellow countrymen and brought to a safe place under the protection of the army。 The situation was threatening to lead to a bloody and unequal civil war when the authorities called upon the workers to gather in Macondo。 The summons announced that the civil and military leader of the province would arrive on the following Friday ready to intercede in the conflict。
Jos？Arcadio Segundo was in the crowd that had gathered at the station on Friday since early in the morning。 He had taken part in a meeting of union leaders and had been missioned； along with Colonel Gavilán； to mingle in the crowd and orient it according to how things went。 He did not feel well and a salty paste was beginning to collect on his palate when he noticed that the army had set up machinegun emplacements around the small square and that the wired city of the banana pany was protected by artillery pieces。 Around twelve o’clock； waiting for a train that was not arriving； more than three thousand people； workers； women； and children； had spilled out of the open space in front of the station and were pressing into the neighboring streets； which the army had closed off with rows of machine guns。 At that time it all seemed more like a jubilant fair than a waiting 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 machinegun 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 sideof 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； droughtstricken 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