"Oh, he's not here, gentlemen, I assure you! We mere-
ly 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 re-
spectable. . . ."

"Spinsters, hell! What about these kids here?" Pan-
cracio 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