Volume II Part 61 (1/2)

”Yes”

”Then listen I will tell you everything, even though you should laugh at e sum of money in my pocket, I was attacked by robbers The wretches locked me in a cell and let me starve One day I asked for food, and to uarded et asory?' asked the fellow (his nary

”'What!' I exclaie, 'since twenty-four hours I have not eaten a thing, and you ask ry'

”'Then you wish to eat?'

”'Yes, at once, if it is possible'

”'If you pay for it'

”'I will pay what you ask,' I cried

”'What do you wish?'

”'Anything, a chicken or a partridge'

”'Good Let us say a chicken'

”'But have you a cook here?'

”'Certainly,' nodded the bandit, and, raising his voice, he cried: 'A chicken for the gentleht in by a waiter in a frock suit

For a ht I was in the Cafe de Paris

”I ate the chicken with ave them to me, but just as I was about to attack the chicken, he held my hand and said:

”'Pardon s are eaten'

”I looked at him in astonishment

”'What does the chicken cost?' I asked

”'Five thousand louis d'ors, or one hundred thousand francs'

”'Are you crazy? One hundred thousand francs for a chicken?'

”'Your excellency is not aware how hard it is to get chickens in this neighborhood'”

”Well, and how did the matter end?” asked Carmen

”I sent the chicken back, and asked for a piece of bread It was brought to me by Battista, another bandit, on a silver salver

”'How dear is the bread?' I asked, tre