They say, said the bold Concha, that in Paradise he
has grownyoung.
On the seventh day, let every man wash himself, and
put oil on his skin; let every woman. An old man was thrusting a youngcockerel
through the window-bars. Suddenly escape, and flee away to a white mans country,
where shecould once more breathe freely.
Seeing only another monster of theouter
void.
Get used to it that there must be abit of fear, and
a bit of horror in your life. She looked at him, almost hypnotized with amazement
that he shouldhave gone so far. Concha lurched up and took the cock,and instantly
she bawled in derision:Está muy flaco! Suddenly escape, and flee away to a white
mans country, where shecould once more breathe freely.
He said to himself: Surelythose are Mexicans
crying!
And people arrivingall the time out of the wild
country, with laden asses. Iron andstone render up their life, when the hour comes.
The only sound wasthe hoarse crowing of cocks in the moonlit night. He is dead, they
said, but unrelinquished. Two of the strange soldiers instantly rushed up and seized
the manby the arms. She paused and gathered herself together.
The patio was liquid with sunshine and shadows. The
young man took a sheet of paper, like an advertisement leaflet,from under his
blanket.
Girls inorgandie frocks, white, cherry-red, blue,
from the city. By the time the church bells clanged for sunset, the market
hadalready begun. And Julio, now nothing loth, took out a second paper. The red cock
fluttered, and suddenly crowed in thetransfer. And Mary the Mother ofSorrows lay
down on the bed of the white moon, weary beyond anymore tears.
They turned not at all, they glanced not one his
way. A falling star was running like a white dog over a plain. An old man was
thrusting a youngcockerel through the window-bars.
But the moonshine in America isnt the
same.
None of theanimation and the frank wild clamour of
a Mediterranean market.