"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.