m
showing the Duchess what had befallen him in the tree-top, expressing
to her his opinion of hunts of that kind, involving so much risk. Much
better, he thought, it would be to hunt hares and other little
animals. And then he went on at a tremendous speed, repeating proverb
after proverb, one minute telling the Duchess how he would govern his
island, and the next minute talking about something in his home
village.

Night fell as they were talking. It was a very dark night, which
helped to make the Duke's plan seem more likely of success. They had
all left the tents and gone into the wood, when suddenly it seemed as
if the whole space was afire in one blazing red mass of flames; then
there came the sound of trumpets, numberless ones it seemed, and of
hoofs, as if hordes of horses had passed through the wood, and of
drums, and of battle-cries in Moorish. It was one long, tremendous,
indescribable confusion. The Duke and the Duchess were seemingly taken
aback; Don Quixote did not know what to think or do; and Sancho was
absolutely panic-stricken. It was a din so overwhelming that even
those who had arranged it were aghast and afraid.

Then there came a sudden lull, and a messenger--dressed like a demon
and blowing a horn that sounded a weird and sickly note--appeared
before their eyes, apparently in great haste. The Duke called to him
and asked him where he was going; and he replied in a coarse voice
that he was the Devil and was looking for Don Quixote of La Mancha. He
pointed to the on-riding troops, and said that they were enchanters
who were bringing the famous Lady Dulcinea del Toboso and the great
Frenchman Montesinos on a triumphal car to seek their disenchantment
through the only one who could accomplish it, the Knight of the Lions.

On hearing this, Don Quixote said: "If you are the Devil, you ought to
know that I am Don Quixote!"

Whereupon the Devil exclaimed in surprise that he had not noticed the
knight at all because he was so preoccupied with so many other things
that he had almost forgotten what he was there for. Judging the Devil
by his remark Sancho decided he was a very honest fellow and a good
Christian; otherwise he would not have sworn--as Sancho did--by God
and his conscience. After that the squire concluded that even hell had
its quota of souls.

The Devil asked Don Quixote to communicate with Montesinos that he
might receive instructions as to how to carry out the disenchantment
of Lady Dul