ng-place
at noon and then rode slowly on. And when they camped that night they
were still in the forest.

"Morano," said Rodriguez over the camp-fire, "tomorrow brings me to
Lowlight."

"Aye, master," said Morano, "we shall be there tomorrow."

"That senor with whom I had a meeting there," said Rodriguez, "he ..."

"He loves me not," said Morano.

"He would surely kill you," replied Rodriguez.

Morano looked sideways at his frying-pan.

"It would therefore be better," continued Rodriguez, "that you should
stay in this camp while I give such greetings of ceremony in Lowlight
as courtesy demands."

"I will stay, master," said Morano.

Rodriguez was glad that this was settled, for he felt that to follow
his dreams of so many nights to that balconied house in Lowlight with
Morano would be no better than visiting a house accompanied by a dog
that had bitten one of the family.

"I will stay," repeated Morano. "But, master ..." The fat man's eyes
were all supplication.

"Yes?" said Rodriguez.

"Leave me your mandolin," implored Morano.

"My mandolin?" said Rodriguez.

"Master," said Morano, "that senor who likes my fat body so ill he
would kill me, he ..."

"Well?" said Rodriguez, for Morano was hesitating.

"He likes your mandolin no better, master."

Rodriguez resented a slight to his mandolin as much as a slight to his
sword, but he smiled as he looked at Morano's anxious face.

"He would kill you for your mandolin," Morano went on eagerly, "as he
would kill me for my frying-pan."

And at the mention of that frying-pan Rodriguez frowned, although it
had given him many a good meal since the night it offended in Lowlight.
And he would sooner have gone to the wars without a sword than under
the balcony of his heart's desire without a mandolin.

So Rodriguez would hear no more of Morano's request; and soon he left
the fire and went to lie down; but Morano sighed and sat gazing on into
the embers unhappily; while thoughts plodded slow through his mind,
leading to nothing. Late that night he threw fresh logs on the
camp-fire, so that when they awoke there was still fire in the embers
And when they had eaten their breakfast Rodriguez said farewell to
Morano, saying that he had business in Lowlight that might keep him a
few days. But Morano said not farewell then, for he would follow his
master as far as the midday halt to cook his next meal. And when noon
came they were beyond the forest.

Once more Mo