Soon Pastiri noticed a group of rustics with their broad hats and
short trousers.
"_Aluspiar_, here come a few birds and we may work them for
something," he said, and he planted himself and his card table
directly in the path of the country-folk and began his game.
El Bizco bet two pesetas and won; Manuel followed suit with the same
results.
"This fellow is a cinch," said Vidal in a loud voice, turning to the
group of hayseeds. "Have you seen all the money he's losing? That
soldier there just won six duros."
Hearing this, one of the rustics drew near, and seeing that Manuel and
El Bizco were winning, he wagered a peseta and won. The fellow's
companions advised him to retire with his winnings; but his greed got
the best of him and he returned to bet two pesetas, losing them.
Then Vidal bet a duro.
"Here's a five-peseta piece," he declared, ringing the coin upon the
ground, He picked out the right card and won.
Pastiri made a gesture of anoyance.
The rustic wagered another duro and lost; he glanced anxiously at his
fellow countrymen, extracted another duro and lost that, too.
At this moment a guard happened along and the group broke up; noting
Pastiri's movement of flight, the hayseed tried to seize him, grabbing
at his coat, but the trickster gave a rude tug and escaped in the
crowd.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221