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"FERNANDEZ"
"For whom do you seek, senor?" he said to Rodriguez, who had
halted before him with his horse's nose inside the doorway
sniffing.
"I look," he said, "for him who is not Fernandez."
"I am he," said the man by the fire.
Rodriguez questioned no further but dismounted, and bade Morano
lead the horses in. And then he saw in the dark at the back of the
forge the other two horses that he had seen in the wood. And they
were shod as he had never seen horses shod before. For the front
pair of shoes were joined by a chain riveted stoutly to each, and
the hind pair also; and both horses were shod alike. The method
was equally new to Morano. And now the man with the swart
moustache picked up another bunch of horseshoes hanging in pairs
on chains. And Rodriguez was not far out when he guessed that
whenever la Garda overtook their horses they would find that
Fernandez was far away making holiday, while he who shod them now
would be gone upon other business. And all this work seemed to
Rodriguez not to be his affair.
"Farewell," he said to the smith that was not Fernandez; and with
a pat for his horse he left it, having obtained a promise of oats.
And so Rodriguez and Morano went on foot again, Morano elated in
spite of fatigue and pain, rejoicing to feel the earth once more,
flat under the soles of his feet; Rodriguez a little humbled. THE
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