aiters, wide and ample, which fell
low upon his ankles. His hat was that worn by those of the Hampa,
bell-formed in the crown, and very wide in the brim.[21] Across his
breast was a leather baldric, supporting a broad, short sword of the
_perrillo_ fashion.[22] His hands were short and coarse, the fingers
thick, and the nails much flattened: his legs were concealed by the
gaiters, but his feet were of immoderate size, and the most clumsy form.
In short, he was the coarsest and most repulsive barbarian ever beheld.
With him came the conductor of the two friends; who, taking Rincon and
Cortado each by a hand, presented them to Monipodio, saying, "These are
the two good boys of whom I spoke to your worship, Senor Monipodio. May
it please your worship to examine them, and you will see how well they
are prepared to enter our brotherhood." "That I will do willingly,"
replied Monipodio.

[21] The Braves of the Hampa were a horde of ruffians principally
Andalusians; they formed a society ready to commit every species of
wrong and violence.

[22] The _perrillo_, or "little dog," was the mark of Julian del Rey, a
noted armourer of Toledo, by birth a Morisco.

But I had forgotten to say, that when Monipodio had first appeared, all
those who were waiting for him, made a deep and long reverence, the two
dashing cavaliers alone excepted, who did but just touch their hats, and
then continued their walk up and down the court.

Monipodio also began to pace up and down the patio, and, as he did so,
he questioned the new disciples as to their trade, their birthplace, and
their parents. To this Rincon replied, "Our trade is sufficiently
obvious, since we are here before your worship; as to our country, it
does not appear to me essential to the matter in hand that we should
declare it, any more than the names of our parents, since we are not now
stating our qualifications for admission into some noble order of
knighthood."

"What you say, my son, is true, as well as discreet," replied Monipodio;
"and it is, without doubt, highly prudent to conceal those
circumstances; for if things should turn out badly, there is no need to
have placed upon the books of register, and under the sign manual of the
justice-clerk, 'So and so, native of such a place, was hanged, or made
to dance at the whipping-post, on such a day,' with other announcements
of the like kind, which, to say the least of them, do not sound
agreeable in respectable ears. Thus,