A WOMAN'S EXPERIENCES IN VENEZUELA. 99 



the north. And there we were living on the bone of con- 

 tention itself. 



It was about this time that I began to see the advisability of 

 being more than ordinarily civil; and so it happened that I 

 was led into playing cards for the first and only time for 

 money and that on a Sunday! We had been working almost 

 incessantly and I had begun to feel that, even if it was to 

 Mr. Grell that we were indebted for the hospitality, it was 

 not quite nice for us to appear only at " feeding time," par- 

 ticularly as our long days out of doors gave us such appalling 

 appetites. So on this occasion when I was asked to make a 

 fourth at cards, I saw no way out of it. Moreover, the battle- 

 ship lay in the harbor of La Guayra, and my countrymen 

 were in sad disfavor in Venezuela. AY - had ignominiously 

 deserted and gone to bed, so there was only one sleepy little 

 woman left to uphold the honor of a great nation! 



The game was " Side y media" - " seven and a half." I 

 forget the rules now. I only remember that they seemed very 

 intricate as explained to me in Spanish. Fortunately for me, 

 the stakes were low, for I steadily lost all the time. " Grano 

 por grano la gallina come" quoted Mr. Lugo, "grain by 

 grain the hen eats." 



Later he remarked how he hated to win from the senorita 

 but the senorita observed that he hated it much as the famous 

 walrus wept for the oysters while 



" ... he sorted out 

 Those of the largest size, 

 Holding his pocket-handkerchief 

 Before his streaming eyes." 



I was wofully tired and sleepy. I did not at all know the 

 etiquette of gambling! And I thought the loser must not be a 

 " quitter " even if the extent of her losses was only " dos 

 reales" or twenty-five cents. So I played on until at mid- 

 night the game was declared over. 



