Senor Tomas' tavern he found Manolo Berlanga playing _tute_ with
several friends. The silversmith was drunk, and his arrogant, defiant
voice dominated the others. Slowly, with a careless and taciturn air,
the engineer approached the group.

"Good evening, all," said he.

At first, no one answered him, for everybody's attention was fixed on
the wayward come-and-go of the cards. When the game was done, one of the
players exclaimed:

"Hello there, Amadeo! I didn't see _you_! But I saw your wife and kid
yesterday. Some boy! And that's a pretty woman you've got, too. I don't
say that just because you're here. It's true. Anybody can see you make
all kinds of money, and spend it all on your wife!"

"Yes, and if he didn't," put in Berlanga, offering Zureda a glass of
wine, "there'd be plenty more who would. How about that, Amadeo?"

Zureda remained impassive. He gulped the wine at one swallow. Then he
ordered a bottle for all hands.

"Come on, now, I'll go you a game of _mus_," he challenged Berlanga.
"Antolin, here, will be my partner."

The silversmith accepted.

"Go to it!" said he.

The players all sat down around the table, and the game began.

"I'll open up."

"Pass."

"I'll stay in."

"I'm out."

"I'll stick."

"I'll raise that!"

"I renig!"

Now and then the players stopped for a drink, and a few daring bets
brought out bursts of laughter.

"Whose deal, now?"

"Mine!"

All at once Amadeo, who was looking for some excuse to get into a row
with the silversmith, cheated openly and took the pot. Manolo saw him
cheat. Incensed, he threw his cards on the floor.

"Here now, that don't go!" he cried. "I don't care if we _are_ friends,
you can't get away with _that_!"

All the other players, angered, backed up the silversmith.

"No, sir! No, that don't go, here!" they echoed.

Very quietly the engineer demanded:

"Well, what have _I_ done?"

"You threw away this card, the five o' clubs," replied Berlanga, "and
slipped yourself a king, that you needed! That's all. You're cheating!"

The engineer answered the furious insult of the silversmith with a blow
in the face. They tackled each other like a couple of cats. Chairs and
table rolled on the floor. Senor Tomas came running, and he and the
other players succeeded in separating them. A crowd, attracted by the
noise of the fight, gathered like magic. The tumult of these
curiosity-seekers helped Amadeo hide his words as he and Manolo left the