ed a certain influence over him. That _Chamorra_
was a bad soul! A thief, but of the sort that go the limit, not
recoiling before the necessity of shedding blood and with his knife
always handy beside his skeleton-keys. It was a matter of cleaning out a
certain house, upon which this fearful fellow had set his eye.
_Magdalena_ modestly excused himself. He wasn't made for such things; he
couldn't go so far. As for gliding up to a roof and pulling down the
clothes that had been hung out to dry, or snatching a woman's purse with
a quick pull and making off with it... all right. But to break into a
house, and face the mystery of a dwelling, in which the people might be
at home?...

But _Chamorra's_ threatening look inspired him with greater fear than
did the anticipation of such an encounter, and he finally consented.
Very well; he would go as an assistant,--to carry the spoils, but ready
to flee at the slightest alarm. And he refused to accept an old
jack-knife that his companion offered him. He was consistent.

"Petty thefts aplenty; but as to blood, not a single drop."

Late in the afternoon they entered the narrow vestibule of a house that
had no janitor, and whose inhabitants were all away. _Chamorra_ knew his
victim; a comfortably fixed artisan who must have a neat little pile
saved up. He was surely at the beach with his wife or at the bull-fight.
Above, the door of the apartment yielded easily, and the two companions
began to work in the gloom of the shuttered windows.

_Chamorra_ forced the locks of two chiffoniers and a closet. There was
silver coin, copper coin, several bank-notes rolled up at the bottom of
a fan-case, the wedding-jewelry, a clock. Not a bad haul. His anxious
looks wandered over the place, seeking to make off with everything that
could be carried. He lamented the uselessness of _Magdalena_, who,
restless with fear and with his arms hanging limp at his sides, was
pacing to and fro without knowing what to do.

"Take the quilts," ordered _Chamorra_, "We're sure to get something for
the wool."

And _Magdalena_, eager to finish the job as soon as possible, penetrated
into the dark alcove, gropingly passing a rope underneath the quilts and
the bed-sheets. Then, aided by his friend, he hurriedly made a bundle of
everything, casting the voluminous burden upon his shoulders.

They left without being detected, and walked off in the direction of the
outskirts of the town, towards a shanty of Arrancap