e found out about the agreement Mr。 Brown hitched his luxurious glassed…in coach to the train and disappeared from Macondo along with the more prominent representatives of his pany。 Nonetheless some workers found one of them the following Saturday in a brothel and they made him sign a copy of the sheet with the demands while he was naked with the women who had helped to entrap him。 The mournful lawyers showed in court that that man had nothing to do with the pany and in order that no one doubt their arguments they had him jailed as an impostor。 Later on； Mr。 Brown was surprised traveling incognito； in a third…class coach and they made him sign another copy of the demands。 On the following day he appeared before the judges with his hair dyed black and speaking flawless Spanish。 The lawyers showed that the man was not Mr。 Jack Brown； the superintendent of the banana pany； born in Prattville Alabama； but a harmless vendor of medicinal plants； born in Macondo and baptized there with the name of Dagoberto Fonseca。 A while later； faced with a new attempt by the workers the lawyers publicly exhibited Mr。 Brown’s death certificate； attested to by consuls and foreign ministers which bore witness that on June ninth last he had been run over by a fire engine in Chicago。 Tired of that hermeneutical delirium； the workers turned away from the authorities in Macondo and brought their plaints up to the higher courts。 It was there that the sleight…of…hand lawyers proved that the demands lacked all validity for the simple reason that the banana pany did not have； never had had； and never would have any workers in its service because they were all hired on a temporary and occasional basis。 So that the fable of the Virginia ham was nonsense； the same as that of the miraculous pills and the Yuletide toilets； and by a decision of the court it was established and set down in solemn decrees that the workers did not exist。
The great strike broke out。 Cultivation stopped halfway； the fruit rotted on the trees and the hundred…twenty…car trains remained on the sidings。 The idle workers overflowed the towns。 The Street of the Turks echoed with a Saturday that lasted for several days and in the poolroom at the Hotel Jacob they had to arrange twenty…four…hour shifts。 That was where Jos？Arcadio Segundo was on the day it was announced that the army had been assigned to reestablish public order。 Although he was not a man given to omens； the news was like an announcement of death that he had been waiting for ever since that distant morning when Colonel Gerineldo Márquez had let him see an execution。 The bad omen did not change his solemnity； however。 He took the shot he had planned and it was good。 A short time later the drumbeats； the shrill of the bugle； the shouting and running of the people told him that not only had the game of pool e to an end； but also the 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 many…headed 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 machine…gun 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 machine…gun 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 machine…gun 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