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244 DAYS IN THE SUN
the hills to town with a flat tin container, holding as
much as four or five liters buckled over his chest; he
crawls along paths trodden only by goats. Directly
under him, but many feet below, rolls the river, with
the listening guard on the other side of it. A rolling
stone or clod of earth will be sufficient to put the guard
on his mettle, the gypsy will be caught and sent to
prison, or he will make a bold effort at flight and be
shot down. Sometimes he may escape, but he loses his
wares. If he succeeds in getting through the lines, he
has made a pretty good taking for one day, judged by
Granada standards.
All day long the smuggler sleeps in the sunlight on
the mountain slope, his head hidden under a fig-cactus;
or he buries himself in his cave and plays cards. He is
as passionate a gambler as any other Spaniard and
frequently is drawn into quarrels with his partners.
Then all “lights must be put out,” that is to say, dag-
gers are drawn to adjust the difficulties of the game.
During the cleaning of wicks a light occasionally does
go out, but the authorities do not like to intervene in
matters concerned with life in the caves, and it would
be of little avail, since the wounded or dying man is
likely to take the side of his opponent and refuse to
give any information.
The gypsies are still fond of self-aid and are of the
opinion that feuds are a matter only for the persons
concerned. In this, as well as in many other connec-
tions, they engage in a desperate struggle with the au-
thorities, and the latter close eyes to much that goes
on in the mountains. For if each court of law should
intervene in the cases falling under its jurisdiction,
there would be no persons left in the hills.
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