Сто лет одиночества
Chapter 5
Hewasreturningaspooraswhenhehadleft,tosuchanextremethatúrsulahadtogivehimtwopesostopayfortherentalofhishorse.HespokeaSpanishthatwaslardedwithsailorslang.Theyaskedwherehehadbeenheanswered:"Outthere."Hehunghishammockintheroomtheyassignedhimandsleptforthreedays.Whenhewokeup,aftereatingsixteenraweggs,hewentdirectlytoCatarino’sstore,wherehismonumentalsizeprovokedapanicofcuriosityamongthewomen.Hecalledformusicandcaneliquorforeveryone,tobeputonhisbill.HewouldIndian-wrestlewithfivemenatthesametime."Itcan’tbedone,"theysaid,convincedthattheywouldnotbeabletomovehisarm."Hehasni?os-en-cruz."Catarino,whodidnotbelieveinmagicaltricksofstrength,bettwelvepesosthathecouldnotmovethecounter.JoséArcadiopulleditoutofitsplace,lifteditoverhishead,andputitinthestreet.Ittookelevenmentoputitback.Intheheatthepartyheexhibitedhisunusualmasculinityonthebar,completelycoveredwithtattoosofwordsinseverallanguagesintertwinedinblueandred.Tothewomenwhowerebesieginghimandcovetinghimheputthequestionastowhowouldpaythemost.Theonewhohadthemostmoneyofferedhimtwentypesos.Thenheproposedrafflinghimselfoffamongthemattenpesosachance.Itwasafantasticpricebecausethemostsought-afterwomanearnedeightpesosanight,buttheyallaccepted.Theywrotetheirnamesonfourteenpiecesofpaperwhichtheyputintoahatandeachwomantookoneout.
