in those days his youth betrayed him ; he resembled a beatnik himself : the hem of his loose jeans were rolled up as were the sleeves of his white t-shirt ( a cigarette pack was encased in the fold like some strange rectangular chrysalis riding on his bicep ) and he had planted his huaraches against a boulder ; three silver buttons , small , medium and large , up the center of the creaky sandals were painted red , green and white , the colors of the mexican flag .