They made their way to Cojo's cave; El Mariane proposed that as a
punishment for his not having let them go in the day before, they
should pile a heap of grass before the entrance to the cave and set
fire to the place.
"No, man, that's monstrous," objected El Canco. "The fellow hires out
his cave to Rubia and Chata, who hang around here and have customers
in the barracks. He has to respect his agreements with them."
"Well, we'll have to give him a lesson," retorted El Mariane. "You'll
see." Whereupon he crawled into the cave and reappeared soon with El
Cojo's wooden leg in one hand and a stewpot in the other.
"Cojo! Cojo!" he shouted.
At these cries the cripple stuck his head out of the entrance to the
cave, dragging himself along on his hands, bellowing blasphemies in
fury.
"Cojo! Cojo!" yelled El Mariane again, as if inciting a dog. "There
goes your leg! And your dinner's following after!" As he spoke, he
seized the wooden leg and the pot and sent them rolling down the
slope.
Then they all broke into a run for the Ronda de Vallecas. Above the
heights and valleys of the Pacifico district the huge red disk of the
sun rose from the earth and ascended slowly and majestically behind a
cluster of grimy huts.
CHAPTER III
Meeting with Roberto--Roberto Narrates the Origin of a Fantastic
Fortune.
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