64 THE WOODLANDS ORCHIDS 



which he would pay a good sum, and asked if there were any 

 in the neighbourhood. 



The Cura replied at once, ' You won't get one here. 

 Many years ago my people found one in the forest, but they 

 never saw another before or since,' 



' What did they do with it .'' ' Roezl asked breathlessly. 



' Fixed it on the church, of course.' 



The man was stupid, but in those parts an idiot can see 

 any opening for trade. To suppose that a cock-fighting 

 Guatemalan priest could have scruples about stripping his 

 church would be grotesque. If he did not snatch at the 

 chance to make money, when told that the stranger would 

 pay for his whim, it must be because the removal of that 

 plant would be so hazardous that he did not even think of 

 it. Roezl dropped the subject. 



They ate — more especially, they drank. The leading 

 men of the village came in to hear the sad story of the cock- 

 fight. Not one word on any other topic was spoken until 

 they withdrew to bed. But Roezl was not bored after a 

 while. So soon as he grasped the situation, his quick wits 

 began speculating and contriving means to tempt the Padre. 

 And as he listened to the artless if not innocent discourse of 

 these rustics, gradually a notion formed itself. 



The issue of the great match had been a disaster all 

 round. In the first place, there was an antique feud with 

 the victors. Secondly, their cocks had been defeated so 

 often that for two years past they had lain low, saving their 

 money to buy champion birds at the capital. And this was 

 the result ! In the assurance of triumph they had staked 

 all they could raise upon the issue. That money was lost, 

 and the cocks besides. Utter rout and bankruptcy ! No 

 wonder the priest sent his boy ahead to break the awful 

 news. 



Despairingly they speculated on the causes of their bad 



