Absorbed in his thoughts, Don Quixote had not proceeded more than half a league from the river when, raising his head, he perceived a cart covered with royal flags coming along the road they were travelling, and persuaded that this must be some new adventure, he called aloud to Sancho to bring him his helmet.

As Sancho approached, Don Quixote exclaimed to him, "Give me that helmet, my friend, for either I know little of adventures or what I observe yonder is one that will, and does, call on me to arm myself."

Sancho, on hearing this, looked in all directions, but could perceive nothing, except a cart coming toward them with two or three small flags, which led him to conclude it must be carrying treasure of the king's, and he said so to Don Quixote.

He, however, would not believe Sancho, being always persuaded and convinced that all that happened to himself

1 See note on page 260.

2 Find the definition and pronunciation of these words in the vocabulary.

must be adventures and still more adventures, so he replied, "He who is prepared has his battle half fought; nothing is lost by my preparing myself, for I know by experience that I have enemies, visible and invisible, and I know not when, or where, or at what moment, or in what shapes, they will attack me."

Don Quixote put on his helmet, and settling himself firmly in his stirrups, easing his sword in the scabbard, and grasping his lance, cried out, "Now, come who will, here am I, ready to try conclusions with any one."

By this time the cart with the flags had come up, unattended by any one except the carter on a mule, and a man sitting before the door of the cart. Don Quixote planted himself before it, and said: "Whither are you going, brothers? What cart is this? What have you got in it? What flags are those?"

To this the carter replied, "The cart is mine; what is in it is a pair of fine caged lions, which the governor of Oran is sending to court as a present to his Majesty, and the flags are our lord the king's, to show that this is his property."

"Are the lions large?" asked Don Quixote.

"So large," replied the man who sat at the door of the cart, "that larger have never crossed from Africa to Spain. I am the keeper, and I have brought over others, but never any like these. They are hungry now, for they have eaten nothing to-day, so let your worship stand aside,

for we must make haste to the place where we are to feed them."

Hereon, smiling slightly, Don Quixote exclaimed, "Get down, my good fellow, and as you are the keeper, open the cages and turn me out those beasts, and in the midst of this plain I will let them know who Don Quixote of La Mancha is, in spite and in the teeth of the enchanters who sent them to me."

At this instant Sancho came up, saying to the keeper of the lions, "Señor, do something to keep my master Don Quixote, from tackling those lions; for if he does, they'll tear us all to pieces here."

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Sancho," said Don Quixote, "you leave this business to me," and then turning to the keeper he exclaimed : — "By all that's good, Sir Keeper, if you don't open the cages this very instant, I'll pin you to the cart with this lance."

The carter, seeing the determination of this apparition in armor, said to him, "Please your worship, let me unyoke the mules, and place myself in safety along with them before the lions are turned out, for if they kill the mules, I am ruined for life. All I possess is this cart and mules."

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"O man of little faith," replied Don Quixote, "get down and unyoke; you will soon see that you are exerting yourself for nothing, and that you might have spared yourself the trouble.”

The carter got down, and with all speed unyoked the mules, and the keeper called out at the top of his voice, "I call all here to witness that against my will and under compulsion I open the cages and let the lions loose, and that I warn this gentleman that he will be accountable for all the harm and mischief which these beasts may do, and for my salary and dues as well." Then speaking to the carter and Sancho he said, "You, gentlemen, place yourselves in safety before I open, for I know they will do me no harm.”

Sancho, with tears in his eyes, entreated his master to give up an enterprise compared with which all the feats he had attempted in the whole course of his life were cakes and fancy bread. "Look ye, señor," said Sancho, "there's no enchantment here, not anything of the sort, for between the bars and chinks of the cage I have seen the paw of a real lion, and judging by that I reckon that such a paw could belong to a lion much bigger than a mountain."

"Fear, at any rate," replied Don Quixote, "will make him look bigger to thee than half the world. Retire, Sancho, and leave me, and if I die here thou knowest our old compact: thou wilt repair to Dulcinea. I say no more." And renewing his commands to the keeper, and repeating his threats, he gave warning to Sancho to spur his Dapple, and the carter to drive his mules, and both strove to get away from the cart before the lions broke loose.

Sancho was weeping over his master's death, for this time he firmly believed it was in store for him from the claws of the lions; but with all his tears and lamentations he did not forget to thrash Dapple so as to put a good space between himself and the cart.

The keeper once more entreated and warned Don Quixote as he had entreated and warned him before; but he replied that he heard him, and that he need not trouble himself with any further warnings or entreaties, as they would be fruitless, and bade him make haste.

During the delay that occurred while the keeper was opening the cage, Don Quixote was considering whether it would not be well to do battle on foot instead of on horseback, and finally resolved to fight on foot, fearing that Rocinante might take fright at the sight of the lions; he therefore sprang off his horse, flung his lance aside, braced his buckler on his arm, and drawing his sword, advanced slowly with marvellous intrepidity and resolute courage, to plant himself in front of the cart, commending himself with all his heart, first to God and then to his lady Dulcinea.

The keeper, seeing that Don Quixote had taken up his position, and that it was impossible for him to avoid letting out the lions without incurring the enmity of the fiery and daring knight, flung open the doors of the cage, containing, as has been said, the lion, which was now seen. to be of enormous size, and grim and hideous mien.