l be dubbed a knight--a full knight, and a perfect knight, so that
none shall be more so in all the world."

Having thanked the landlord for his kindness, and promised to obey him,
as his adoptive father, in all things, Don Quixote at once prepared to
perform the vigil of arms. Collecting his armor, he laid the several
pieces in a horse-trough which stood in the center of the inn-yard, and
then, taking his shield on his arm and grasping his lance, he began to
pace up and down with high-bred dignity before the trough.

The landlord had lost no time in informing those who were staying at the
inn of the mad freaks of his guest, and a little crowd was gathered to
watch his proceedings from a distance, which they were the better able
to do as the moon was shining with unusual brightness. Sometimes they
saw him stalking to and fro, with serene composure, and sometimes he
would pause in his march and stand for a good while leaning on his lance
and scanning his armor with a fixed and earnest gaze.

While this was going on, one of the mule-drivers took it into his head
to water his team, and approaching the horse-trough prepared to remove
Don Quixote's armor, which was in his way. Perceiving his intentions,
Don Quixote cried to him in a loud voice, saying: "O thou, whoever thou
art, audacious knight who drawest near to touch the armor of the bravest
champion that ever girt on sword, look what thou doest, and touch it
not, if thou wouldst not pay for thy rashness with thy life!"

The valiant defiance was thrown away on the muleteer, whose thick head
needed other arguments, and taking the armor by the straps, he flung it
a good way from him. Which when Don Quixote saw, he raised his eyes to
heaven, and fixing his thoughts (as may be supposed) on his lady
Dulcinea, he exclaimed: "Shine on me, light of my life, now, when the
first insult is offered to my devoted heart! Let not thy countenance and
favor desert me in this, my first adventure."

As he put up this pious appeal he let go his shield, and lifting his
lance in both hands, brought it down with such force on the muleteer's
head that he fell senseless to the ground; and if the blow had been
followed by another, he would have needed no physician to cure him.
Having done this, Don Quixote collected his armor, and began pacing up
and down again, with the same tranquility as before.

Presently another muleteer, knowing nothing of what had happened, came
up to the trough with