d down the Ebro. He
had been fishing and was returning home.

"Master," Morano said, "that knave shall row us there."

Rodriguez seeing that the idea was fixed in Morano's mind determined
that events would move it sooner than argument, and so made no reply.

"Shall I tell him, master?" asked Morano.

"Yes," said Rodriguez, "if he can row us over the Pyrenees."

This was the permission that Morano sought, and a hideous yell broke
from his throat hailing the boatman. The boatman looked up lazily, a
young man with strong brown arms, turning black moustaches towards
Morano. Again Morano hailed him and ran along the bank, while the boat
drifted down and the boatman steered in towards Morano. Somehow Morano
persuaded him to come in to see what he wanted; and in a creek he ran
his boat aground, and there he and Morano argued and bargained. But
Rodriguez remained where he was, wondering why it took so long to turn
his servant's mind from that curious fancy. At last Morano returned.

"Well?" said Rodriguez.

"Master," said Morano, "he will row us to the Pyrenees."

"The Pyrenees!" said Rodriguez. "The Ebro runs into the sea." For they
had taught him this at the college of San Josephus.

"He will row us there," said Morano, "for a gold piece a day, rowing
five hours each day."

Now between them they had but four gold pieces; but that did not make
the Ebro run northward. It seemed that the Ebro, after going their way,
as Morano had said, for twenty or thirty miles, was joined by the river
Segre, and that where the Ebro left them, turning eastwards, the course
of the Segre took them on their way: but it would be rowing against the
current.

"How far is it?" said Rodriguez.

"A hundred miles, he says," answered Morano. "He knows it well."

Rodriguez calculated swiftly. First he added thirty miles; for he knew
that his countrymen took a cheerful view of distance, seldom allowing
any distance to oppress them under its true name at the out set of a
journey; then he guessed that the boatman might row five miles an hour
for the first thirty miles with the stream of the Ebro, and he hoped
that he might row three against the Segre until they came near the
mountains, where the current might grow too strong.

"Morano," he said, "we shall have to row too."

"Row, master?" said Morano.

"We can pay him for four days," said Rodriguez. "If we all row we may
go far on our way."

"It is better than riding," replied Morano with