the player mistakes the number of fingers he throws out, he loses; if he
hits the number with both voice and fingers he wins. It is played with
tempestuous interest, and is altogether fiendish in appearance.] in the
shade, or pitilessly pursuing strangers, and offering them boats. For my
own part, I refused the subtlest advances of this kind which were made me
in Chiozzotto, but fell a helpless prey to a boatman who addressed me in
some words of wonderful English, and then rowed me to the Sea-wall at
about thrice the usual fare.

These primitive people are bent, in their out-of-the-world, remote way,
upon fleecing the passing stranger quite as earnestly as other Italians,
and they naively improve every occasion for plunder. As we passed up the
shady side of their wide street, we came upon a plump little blond boy,
lying asleep on the stones, with his head upon his arm; and as no one was
near, the artist of our party stopped to sketch the sleeper. Atmospheric
knowledge of the fact spread rapidly, and in a few minutes we were the
centre of a general assembly of the people of Chioggia, who discussed us,
and the artist's treatment of her subject, in open congress. They handed
round the airy chaff as usual, but were very orderly and respectful,
nevertheless,--one father of the place quelling every tendency to tumult
by kicking his next neighbor, who passed on the penalty till, by this
simple and ingenious process, the guilty cause of the trouble was
infallibly reached and kicked at last. I placed a number of soldi in the
boy's hand, to the visible sensation of the crowd, and then we moved away
and left him, heading, as we went, a procession of Chiozzotti, who could
not make up their minds to relinquish us till we took refuge in a church.
When we came out the procession had disappeared, but all round the church
door, and picturesquely scattered upon the pavement in every direction,
lay boys asleep, with their heads upon their arms. As we passed laughing
through the midst of these slumberers, they rose and followed us with