Friars and Filipinos Part 36

PLAYING CARDS WITH THE SHADES.

A cloudy sky hides the moon, and a cold wind, the omen of approaching December, whirls the dry leaves and dust in the narrow path leading to the cemetery.

Under the gate, three forms are conversing in a low tone.

"Have you spoken to Elias?" asked a voice.

"No; you know he is very odd and discreet. But he ought to be with us. Don Crisostomo saved his life."

"I accepted the offer for the same reason," said the first voice. "Don Crisostomo is having my wife treated at a doctor's house in Manila. I have agreed to take charge of the convent in the attack, so that I can settle my accounts with the curate."

"And we, we will have charge of the attack on the cuartel, so that we can say to the members of the Guardia Civil that our father had sons."

"How many will there be of you?"

"Five! Five will be enough. Don Crisostomo's servant says that there will be twenty in all."

"And if things don't turn out well?"

"St!" said one, and they all became silent.

In the semi-darkness, a form could be seen crawling along the fence. From time to time it stopped, as if to look behind.

And it did so not without reason. Behind, at some twenty paces, came another form. This one was taller and seemed to be darker than the first. Each time that the first stopped this second one would disappear as if the earth had swallowed it.

"They are following me," murmured the one ahead. "Is it a Guardia Civil? Has the sacristan lied?"

"It appears that the appointment is here," said the second, in a low voice. "They are up to something bad, when the two brothers hide it from me."

The first form finally arrived at the gate of the cemetery. The three who were already there advanced.

"Is it you?"

"Is it you?"

"Let us separate. Some one is following me. To-morrow we will have the arms and to-morrow night will be our time. The cry is 'Viva Don Crisostomo!' Begone!"

The three persons disappeared behind the wall. The recent arrival hid himself in the hollow of the gate and waited silently.

"Let's see who is following me!" he murmured.

The second person came along very cautiously, and stopped to look around.

"I have arrived late!" said he in a half intelligible voice. "But perhaps they will return."

And, as a fine rain began to fall and threatened to continue, he took refuge under the gate. Naturally, he met the other.

"Ah! who are you?" asked the one who had just come up, in a manly voice.

"And who are you?" replied the other tranquilly.

There was a moment's pause. Each tried to recognize the other by the tone of his voice and to distinguish the other's features.

"What are you waiting here for?" asked the one with the heavy voice.

"Till the clock strikes eight, so as to have a game of cards with the dead. I want to win some money to-night," replied the other, in an ordinary tone. "And you: what do you come here for?"

"A--a--for the same thing."

"Well! I am glad. So I will not be without a companion. I have brought some cards. At the first stroke of the bell, I put down the albur (the first two cards put on the board in monte). At the second stroke, I put down the gallo (the second pair). The cards which move after I have put them down, are those which the dead choose for themselves. Did you also bring some cards?"

"No."

"Then?"

"It is simple. Just as you act as 'banker' for them, so I hope that they will 'bank' for me." (In monte the banker deals the cards and bets that one of the cards in either the albur or gallo is turned up by dealing off the pack, before the card chosen by the other person is turned up. A banker can play against two others.)

"And if the shades do not care to 'bank'?"

"What can be done? The game is not obligatory upon the dead."

There was a moment's silence.

"Did you come armed? What if you have to fight with the shades of the dead?"

"I'll use my fists," replied the taller of the two.

"Ah! The devil! Now, I remember! The dead do not bet when there is more than one live person around. There are two of us."

"Is that true? Well, I don't want to go away."

"Nor I. I need some money," replied the smaller one. "But let us do this: We will decide by the cards which one shall go away."

"All right!" replied the other, showing a certain amount of displeasure.

"Then let us go in. Have you any matches?"

They entered the cemetery and in the obscurity they searched for a place where they might decide the question with the cards. They soon found a niche upon which they sat down. The shorter one took from his hat some playing cards and the other lighted a match.

Each one looked at the other in the light which the match made, but, judging from the expression on their faces, they did not recognize each other. However, we can recognize in the taller one, the one with the manly voice, Elias; and in the smaller one, Lucas, with the scar on his cheek.

"Cut the cards!" said the latter, without ceasing to look at the other.

He pushed aside some bones which were found on the niche and turned up an ace and a jack for the albur. Elias lighted one match after another.

"On the jack!" said he and, in order to show which of the cards he was betting on, he placed upon it a piece of vertebrae.

"I deal!" said Lucas and, after turning up four or five cards, an ace came up.