opened it covetously and came upon four shirts of excellent material,
articles of linen, nearly a hundred gold crowns in a handkerchief, and
a richly bound little memorandum book. The little volume was all that
Don Quixote kept for himself. Brimful of curiosity, he read it through
and learned that it contained the bemoanings of a rejected lover.

Meantime Sancho Panza's great discovery of the gold coins had entirely
banished from his memory all the suffering and pain and humiliation he
had had to go through since he had became a squire. But Don Quixote
was anxious to find out something about the owner of the knapsack, for
he was convinced there was some very strange adventure connected with
his disappearance. And as he was planning what to do, he perceived on
the summit of a great height, a man, half-naked, jumping with
remarkable swiftness and agility from rock to rock.

Don Quixote saw no way of getting there, so he stood for some time
pondering what to do. Then he saw above him on the mountainside a
flock of goats, tended by an elderly goatherd. Calling to him, the
knight asked him to come down, and the old man descended, amazed at
seeing human beings there. Don Quixote immediately began to ask about
the strange half-naked man he had seen, and the goatherd told what he
knew of him and the mystery of the knapsack.

The stranger, he said, was a youth of good looks and no doubt of high
birth, who had lost his wits because of the faithlessness of a friend.
His behavior was such that they had never seen the like of it. In fits
of madness he would approach people, snatch away food offered him out
of their hands, and then run away with the speed of a deer. Then
again he would come begging for food, the tears flowing down his
cheeks.

Now, while they were standing there discussing the young man, chance
would have it that he came along, and greeted them courteously. Don
Quixote returned his greeting with grand gestures, descended from
Rocinante's tired back, and advanced to the youth with open arms. He
held him in his embrace for some time, as if he had known him forever.
Finally the youth tore away and, placing his hands on the shoulders of
the Knight of the Rueful Countenance, the youth, who might be called
the Ragged One of the Sorry Countenance, looked into his eyes and
spoke to him.

CHAPTER XXIV

IN WHICH IS CONTINUED THE ADVENTURE OF THE SIERRA MORENA

The Ragged One thanked Don Quixote for being so ki