- Anselmo enters the cave to find Robert Jordan and Pablo across from each other at the table, a bowl of wine between them.
- Pablo is, auspiciously, staring fixedly at the wine bowl.
- Anselmo reports that he has seen the fascists returning from the hill, and is asked to sit down by Robert Jordan. Pablo is silent. Anselmo catalogs the fascist movement he saw on the road.
- Robert Jordan wants to send someone through to the Republic with a dispatch to Navacerrada (the HQ). Anselmo tells him that he, Andrés, and Eladio could get there. Andrés would be the best to send.
- The dispatch, says Robert Jordan, is for the General at the Estado Mayor of the Division. Anselmo gets confused by all those military ranks and titles, so Robert Jordan explains them very slowly.
- Anselmo goes to get Andrés, while Robert Jordan begins the dispatch.
- Pablo, breaking his silence, tells Robert Jordan that there is no reason to be disheartened; they can still take the bridge without Sordo. He, Pablo, has confidence in Robert Jordan. To make it extra convincing, he continues to stare into the winebowl and sounds forlorn.
- Robert Jordan concentrates on writing a report to Golz, describing all he's seen and trying to find some way to convince him to call off the attack.