How they did welcome us and
treat us in that country! 'Come right in, friend, and have a glass.'
'Many thanks.' 'The gentleman mustn't displease me; let's have a drink
in that cantine, eh? ...' And the drink flowed to your heart's
content. As I was the only one in the troupe that knew how to
figure--for I've had an education," interposed Don Alonso, "and my
father was a soldier--they named me director. In one of the towns I
reinforced the company with a ballerina and a strong man. The dancer's
name was Rosita Montanes; she's the one I thought of when you
mentioned the Rosita you were looking for. This Montanes was Spanish
and had married the strong man, an Italian whose real name was
Napoleon Pitti. The couple had with them as secretary a
Galician,--very intelligent chap, but as an artist, detestable. And
between Rosita and him they deceived Hercules. This wasn't very hard,
for Napoleon was one of the ugliest men I've ever laid eyes on. As for
strength, there was never his match; he had a back as solid as a front
wall; his ears were flattened from blows got in prize-fighting; he was
a barbarian for fair, and you know what they say: 'Tell a man by his
talk and a bullock by his horn.' And believe me, this little Galician
chap led Hercules by the horn, all right. The cursed smarty fooled me,
too, though not as he did Hercules, for I've always been a bachelor,
thank the Lord, partly through fear and partly through design.
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