As he talked, the redhead’s voice again took on a friendly tone.
“All right. Then I’ll do my best, too, and give you anything you say.”
“Will you give me anything? Even that cow?”
“If she’ll do, I’ll give her to you right now.”
Smiling, the cattle dealer patted the yellow cow on the forehead. He seemed to be taking everything the good-natured Brother said for a joke.
“And in exchange, if I win, I’ll thank you for those flowering plants.”
“Good. Good. Then it’s a real bargain, isn’t it?”
“It’s a real bargain. I swear in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
When he heard this, the Brother flashed his little eyes and snorted twice or thrice as if with satisfaction. Then putting his left hand on his hip and leaning a little back, he put his right hand out and touched the purple flowers.
“Well then, if you don’t guess it—I’ll take you, body and soul.”
With this, the redhead made a large circle with his right hand and took off his hat. There were two horns like a goat’s in his shaggy hair. The cattle dealer, changing color, dropped his hat from his hand. Perhaps because the sun was obscured, the brightness of the flowers and leaves in the field all at once vanished. Even the cow, as if in fear of something, lowered her horns and gave a bellow like the rumbling of the earth.
“Even a promise made to me is a promise. You’ve sworn in the name of one to me unmentionable. Don’t forget. You have three days. Goodbye.”
Speaking thus in the courteous tone of one who has made a fool of somebody, the Devil deliberately made the cattle dealer a very polite bow.