r, to whom they sold their
handsome apparel in the morning, transformed them by night in such a
manner that their own mothers would not have known them. Lightly
equipped, as suited their purpose, and without swords, for they had sold
them to the old clothes dealer, they took to the road to Toledo. There
let us leave them for the present, stepping out briskly with merry
hearts, while we return to the tutor, and see him open the letter
delivered to him by the servant, which he read as follows:--

"Your worship, senor Pedro Alonso, will be pleased to have patience and
go back to Burgos, where you will say to our parents that we, their
sons, having with mature deliberation considered how much more arms
befit cavaliers than do letters, have determined to exchange Salamanca
for Brussels, and Spain for Flanders. We have got the four hundred
crowns; the mules we intend to sell. The course we have chosen, which is
so worthy of persons of our quality, and the length of the journey
before us, are sufficient to excuse our fault, though a fault it will
not be deemed by any one but a coward. Our departure takes place now;
our return will be when it shall please God, to whose keeping, we, your
humble pupils, heartily commend you. Given from the fountain of Argales,
with one foot in the stirrup for Flanders.

"CARRIAZO,
"AVENDANO."

Aghast at the contents of this letter, Pedro Alonso hurried to his
valise, and found that the paper spoke but too truly, for the money was
gone. Instantly mounting the remaining mule, he returned to Burgos to
carry these tidings to his patrons, in order that they might take
measures to recover possession of their sons' persons. But as to how he
was received, the author of this tale says not a word, for the moment he
has put Pedro Alonso into the saddle, he leaves him to give the
following account of what occurred to Avendano and Carriazo at the
entrance of Illescas.

Just by the town gate they met two muleteers, Andalusians apparently,
one of whom was coming from Seville, and the other going thither. Said
the latter to the former, "If my masters were not so far ahead, I should
like to stop a little longer to ask you a thousand things I want to
know, for I am quite astonished at what you have told me about the
conde's having hanged Alonzo Gines and Ribera without giving them leave
to appeal."

"As I'm a si