complete-guide

"Arms, arms . . . " the lady answers, a taste of
ashes on her tongue. "What arms do you expect us to
have! We are respectable, lonely old ladies!"
"Lonely, eh! Where's Senor Monico"
"Oh, he's not here, gentlemen, I assure you! We merely
rent the house from him, you see. We only know
him by name!"
Demetrio orders his men to search the house.
"No, please don't. We'll bring you whatever we have
ourselves, but please for God's sake, don't do anything
cruel. We're spinsters, lone women . . . perfectly respectable.
. . ."
"Spinsters, hell! What about these kids here" Pancracio
interrupts brutally. "Did they spring from the
earth"
The women disappear hurriedly, to return with an old
shotgun, covered with dust and cobwebs, and a pistol
with rusty broken springs.
Demetrio smiles.
"All right, then, let's see the money.
"Money Money But what money do you think a
couple of spinsters have Spinsters alone in the
world. . . . "
They glance up in supplication at the nearest soldier;
but they are seized with horror. For they have just seen
the Roman soldier who crucified Our Lord in the Via
Crucis of the parish! They have seen Pancracio!
Demetrio repeats his order to search.
Once again the women disappear to return this time
with a moth-eaten wallet containing a few Huerta bills.
Demetrio smiles and without further delay calls to his
men to come in. Like hungry dogs who have sniffed their