perquisites
over and above. Pray, gentlemen, take care of yourselves before I open
the door; for, as to myself, I am sure they will do me no hurt."

Again the gentleman pressed Don Quixote to desist from so mad an action;
declaring to him that he was thereby provoking God's wrath. Don Quixote
replied that he knew what he was doing. The gentleman rejoined, and
entreated him to consider well of it, for he was certainly deceived.

"Nay, sir," replied Don Quixote, "if you will not be a spectator of what
you think will prove a tragedy, spur your flea-bitten, and save
yourself."

Sancho, too, besought him, with tears in his eyes, to desist from an
enterprise compared with which that of the windmills, the dreadful one
of the fulling-mills, and in short, all the exploits he had performed in
the whole course of his life, were mere tarts and cheesecakes.
"Consider, sir," added Sancho, "here is no enchantment, nor anything
like it; for I saw, through the grates and chinks of the cage, the paw
of a true lion; and I guess, by the size of its claw, that it is bigger
than a mountain."

"Thy fears," answered Don Quixote, "would make it appear to thee larger
than half the world. Retire, Sancho, and leave me; and if I perish here,
thou knowest our old agreement: repair to Dulcinea--I say no more." To
these he added other expressions, which showed the firmness of his
purpose, and that all argument would be fruitless. The gentleman would
fain have compelled him to desist, but thought himself unequally matched
in weapons and armor, and that it Would not be prudent to engage with a
madman, whose violence and menaces against the keeper were now
redoubled; the gentleman therefore spurred his mare, Sancho his Dapple,
and the carter his mules, and all endeavored to get as far off as
possible from the cart, before the lions were let loose. Sancho bewailed
the death of his master; verily believing it would now overtake him
between the paws of the lions; he cursed his hard fortune, and the
unlucky hour when he again entered into his service. But,
notwithstanding his tears and lamentations, he kept urging on his Dapple
to get far enough from the cart. The keeper, seeing that the fugitives
were at a good distance, repeated his arguments and entreaties, but to
no purpose: Don Quixote answered that he heard him, and desired he would
trouble himself no more, but immediately obey his commands, and open the
door.

Whilst the keeper was unbarring th