It was a thing I would not have done for twenty
pounds. And meanwhile our local neutrality was at an end.
He made the anti-Fascist salute, which I returned.
They had already placed guards in the observatory.
It must have been late that evening that the troops
from Valencia firstappeared in the streets.
In any case the sound of gunfire isunmistakable if
one is used to it. But at the time I was notinterested in that aspect of
things.
As usual, completely innocent people were
beingarrested owing to police bungling.
I had to tell him that after this affair I could
not join anyCommunist-controlled unit. A foreigner is at a hopeless
disadvantage.
It was noticeable, however, that thetrams did not
start running.
I had got to the point when every time a door
banged Igrabbed for my pistol. I trained my rifle on him and shouted across:Hi! In
this chapter I have described only my personal experiences. It might be the
Governmentthat controlled the waterworks, or it might be the C. I dimly foresaw that
when the fighting ended the entire blamewould be laid upon the P. But it is
necessary to try and establish the truth, so far as it ispossible. I ran into the
street tofind that it was only some Assault Guards shooting a mad dog. And meanwhile
our local neutrality was at an end. The dinwas so loud that I made sure someone must
be firing at us with a field-gun.
On the way up we looked in at the
food-market.
Asthough there wasnt enough of that kind of thing
at the front!
A Civil Guard, in shirt-sleeves and livid with
fright, cameout of the door to parley with Kopp. There was, however,practically
nothing to eat. Meanwhile there was adelicate job to be done. Yet their attitude was
completely indifferent.
In one room a baby wascrying, crying
ceaselessly.
As usual, Spanish standards of marksmanship
hadsaved me. And meanwhile our local neutrality was at an end.
TheContinental had been collectivized by the
Generalite and not, like most of thehotels, by the C. They had hauled down their
redflag and hoisted the Catalan national flag. Every time they emerged from the
side-street at thecorner the P. In the face of the accusations that werebeing flung
about it was impossible to remain neutral. Thompson said promptly:Im going to keep
out of this.
But it is necessary to try and establish the truth,
so far as it ispossible. The French lorry drivers brought quantities oftheir oranges
into the hotel. About half a mile away from us there was a street where some ofthe
main offices of the C.
But you never do, because at such times the
physical details alwaysoutweigh everything else.
Asthough there wasnt enough of that kind of thing
at the front!
There were generally about six of us up there.