Morano questioned his
master with his eyes, which were asking what was to be done next.
But Rodriguez shrugged his shoulders: there was no fighting with
an invisible foe that could shoot like that. That much Morano
knew, but he did not know that there might not be some law of
Chivalry that would demand that Rodriguez should wave his sword in
the air or thrust at the birch tree until someone shot him. When
there seemed to be no such rule Morano was well content. And
presently men came quietly on to the road from different parts of
the wood. They were dressed in brown leather and wore leaf-green
hats, and round each one's neck hung a disk of engraved copper.
They came up to the travellers carrying bows, and the leader said
to Rodriguez:
"Senor, all travellers here bring tribute to the King of Shadow
Valley," at the mention of whom all touched hats and bowed their
heads. "What do you bring us?"
Rodriguez thought of no answer; but after a moment he said, for
the sake of loyalty: "I know one king only."
"There is only one king in Shadow Valley," said the bowman.
"He brings a tribute of emeralds," said another, looking at
Rodriguez' scabbard. And then they searched him and others search
Morano. There were eight or nine of them, all in their leaf-green
hats, with ribbons round their necks of the same colour to hold
the copper disks. They took a gold coin from Morano and grey
greasy pieces of silver.
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