"No," said the other old man, "that is not a cloak, but a plain coat."
"Well, I thought it was a cloak like those used by the people in the neighboring continent in time of cold weather. That's the reason why I said he was Enigo, for he uses a cloak now when it is warm, and I suppose he would use light clothes when it is cold."
"That is the fashion they say--and the latest one, too."
Meanwhile Busyong nudged Islao and whispered close to his ear, "Did you hear what these old men were talking about?"
Then the two old men climbed into a vehicle very much like a _carretela_, and drove away. Busyong and Islao went into a saloon of fresh drinks and asked for a refreshment similar to milkshake.
"The owner of this saloon is a woman, according to the signboard at the door," remarked Busyong.
"Yes," said Islao, smiling; "I am sorry to say."
In the meantime Balatong stopped in front of a dry goods store on the opposite sidewalk and began to ruminate on his image as reflected in the glass of a counter, and at times twitched his scrawny body. Busyong and Islao were observing him. After a while a clerk of the store opened the door of the counter and turned a button on the back of a puppet, which hereto had been unnoticed by Balatong. Soon the dainty hands of the puppet, which were raised in front of its small breast, began to move back and forth, especially the delicate fingers, as if the whole figure had come to life. Balatong looked at the doll rather pleased at first. But when he noticed the remarkable similarity of all the clothes of the puppet with his own clothes, he began to be aroused and to feel offended, insomuch that he could not help going into the store to complain. He approached the man who had made the hands of the puppet move and called him to come outside. The man, who thought that he was going to show something on the counter which he wished to buy, followed him obediently. They stuttered in their native tongue, which ran thus in English:
"I think that that puppet is intended to offend me, because it is dressed exactly in the same way as I am; that is, with the same clothes, necktie, and hat, which I bought from this very store some time ago. However, you have willfully--made--the--pup--pup--pup--pet--move its hands in such a way as that--pointing to himself and then to me--that is as much as to say I am a puppet," said Balatong, who began to be angry with the man, who was laughing candidly.