urn up an ace as well as Rincon his master. When things had
attained this point, it chanced that a Muleteer came out at the porch,
and, as Rincon had anticipated, he soon proposed to make a third in
their game.

[12] "Clean from dust and straw"--_limpios de polvo y paja_--is a phrase
equivalent to "free of the king's dues."

To this they willingly agreed, and in less than half an hour they had
won from him twelve reals and twenty-two maravedis, which he felt as
sorely as twelve stabs with a dagger and twenty-two thousand sorrows.
Presuming that the young chaps would not venture to defend themselves,
he thought to get back his money by force; but the two friends laying
hands promptly, the one on his dudgeon dagger and the other on his
yellow handled knife, gave the Muleteer so much to do, that if his
companions had not hastened to assist him, he would have come badly out
of the quarrel.

At that moment there chanced to pass by a company of travellers on
horseback, who were going to make their siesta at the hostelry of the
Alcalde, about half a league farther on. Seeing the affray between the
Muleteer with two boys, they interposed, and offered to take the latter
in their company to Seville, if they were going to that city.

"That is exactly where we desire to go," exclaimed Rincon, "and we will
serve your worships in all that it shall please you to command."
Whereupon, without more ado, they sprang before the mules, and departed
with the travellers, leaving the Muleteer despoiled of his money and
furious with rage, while the hostess was in great admiration of the
finished education and accomplishments of the two rogues, whose dialogue
she had heard from beginning to end, while they were not aware of her
presence.

When the hostess told the Muleteer that she had heard the boys say the
cards they played with were false, the man tore his beard for rage, and
would have followed them to the other Venta, in the hope of recovering
his property; for he declared it to be a serious affront, and a matter
touching his honour, that two boys should have cheated a grown man like
him. But his companions dissuaded him from doing what they declared
would be nothing better than publishing his own folly and incapacity;
and their arguments, although they did not console the Muleteer, were
sufficient to make him remain where he was.

Meanwhile Cortado and Rincon displayed so much zeal and readiness in the
service of the travellers, tha