this, Don Quixote replied that he knew what he was about. The gentleman
entreated him to reflect, for he knew he was under a delusion.

"Well, senor," answered Don Quixote, "if you do not like to be a
spectator of this tragedy, as in your opinion it will be, spur your
flea-bitten mare and place yourself in safety."

Hearing this, Sancho with tears in his eyes entreated him to give up an
enterprise compared with which the one of the windmills, and the awful
one of the fulling mills, and, in fact, all the feats he had attempted
in the whole course of his life, were cakes and fancy bread. "Look ye,
senor," said Sancho, "there's no enchantment here, nor anything of the
sort, for between the bars and chinks of the cage I have seen the paw of
a real lion, and judging by that I reckon the lion such a paw could
belong to must be bigger than a mountain."

"Fear, at any rate," replied Don Quixote, "will make him look bigger to
thee than half the world. Retire, Sancho, and leave me; and if I die
here thou knowest our old compact; thou wilt repair to Dulcinea--I say
no more." To these he added some further words that banished all hope of
his giving up his insane project. He of the green gaban would have
offered resistance, but he found himself ill-matched as to arms, and did
not think it prudent to come to blows with a madman, for such Don
Quixote had shown himself to be in every respect; and the latter,
renewing his commands to the keeper and repeating his threats, gave
warning to the gentleman to spur his mare, Sancho his Dapple, and the
carter his mules, all striving to get away from the cart as far as they
could before the lions broke loose. Sancho was weeping over his master's
death, for this time he firmly believed it was in store for him from the
claws of the lions; and he cursed his fate and called it an unlucky hour
when he thought of taking service with him again; but with all his tears
and lamentations he did not forget to thrash Dapple so as to put a good
space between himself and the cart. The keeper, seeing that the
fugitives were now some distance off, once more entreated and warned Don
Quixote as he had entreated and warned him before; but he replied that
he heard him, and that he need not trouble himself with any further
warnings or entreaties, as they would be fruitless, and bade him make
haste.

During the delay that occurred while the keeper was opening the first
cage, Don Quixote was considering whether it w