ke, hinder my master from falling upon those lions by all
means, or we shall all be torn a-pieces."--"Why," said the gentleman,
"is your master so arrant a madman, then, that you should fear he
would set upon such furious beasts?"--"Ah, sir!" said Sancho, "he is
not mad, but venturesome."--"Well," replied the gentleman, "I will
take care of that;" and with that advancing up to Don Quixote, who was
urging the lion-keeper to open the cage, "Sir," said he,
"knights-errant ought to engage in adventures from which there may be
some hopes of coming off with safety, but not in such as are
altogether desperate; for that courage which borders on temerity is
more like madness than fortitude. Besides, these lions come not
against you, nor dream of it, but are sent as a present to the king,
and therefore, it is well not to detain them, or stop the
wagon."--"Pray, sweet sir," replied Don Quixote, "go and amuse
yourself with your tame partridge and your bold ferret, and leave
every one to his own business. This is mine, and I know best whether
these lion gentry are sent against me or no." Then turning about to
the keeper, "Sirrah! you rascal you," said he, "either open your cages
on the spot, or I vow to God, I will pin thee to the wagon with this
lance."--"Good sir," cried the wagoner, seeing this strange apparition
in armor so resolute, "for mercy's sake, do but let me take out our
mules first, and get out of harm's way with them as fast as I can,
before the lions get out; for if they should kill them, I should be
undone forever, for that cart and they are all I have in the world to
get a living with."--"Thou man of little faith," said Don Quixote,
"take them out quickly, then, and go with them where thou wilt; though
thou shalt presently see that thy precaution was needless, and thou
mightest have spared thy pains."

The wagoner on this made haste to take out his mules, while the keeper
cried out loud, "Bear witness, all ye that are here present, that it
is against my will I am forced to open the cages and let loose the
lions; and that I protest to this gentleman here, that he shall be
answerable for all the mischief and damage they may do; together with
the loss of my salary and fees. And now, sirs, shift for yourselves,
for, as for myself, I know the lions will do me no harm." Once more
the gentleman tried to dissuade Don Quixote from doing so mad a thing,
telling him that he tempted Heaven in exposing himself to so great a
dan