So he gave
Morano a fifth part of his money, a large gold coin the size of
one of our five-shilling pieces, engraved of course upon one side
with the glories and honours of that golden period of Spain, and
upon the other with the head of the lord the King. It was only by
chance he had brought any at all; he was not what our newspapers
will call, if they ever care to notice him, a level-headed
business man. At the sight of the gold piece Morano bowed, for he
felt this gift of gold to be an occasion; but he trusted more for
the purchase of the bacon to some few small silver coins of his
own that he kept among lumps of lard and pieces of string.
And so they parted for a while, Rodriguez looking for some great
shadowy oak with moss under it near a stream, Morano in quest of
bacon.
When Rodriguez entered the wood he found his oak, but it was not
such an oak as he cared to rest beneath during the heat of the
day, nor would you have done so, my reader, even though you have
been to the wars and seen many a pretty mess; for four of la Garda
were by it and were arranging to hang a man from the best of the
branches.
"La Garda again," said Rodriguez nearly aloud.
His eye drooped, his look was listless, he gazed at other things;
while a glance that you had not noticed, flashed slantingly at la
Garda, satisfied Rodriguez that all four were strangers: then he
walked straight towards them merrily. The man they proposed to
hang was a stranger too.
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