ote's throat.

"Yield, Sir Knight!" he cried, "or you are a dead man."

Don Quixote, sorely hurt, but with steadfast look, gasped in a faint
voice:

"I do not yield. Dulcinea del Toboso is the most beautiful woman in
the whole world. Press on with your spear, Sir Knight, and kill me."

"Nay," said the Knight of the White Moon. "That will I not do. I am
content if the great Don Quixote return to his home for a year, as we
agreed before we fought."

And Don Quixote answered very faintly that as nothing was asked of him
to the hurt of Dulcinea, he would carry out all the rest faithfully
and truly. The Knight of the White Moon then galloped away toward the
city, where one of the Governor's friends followed him, in order to
find out who he was. The victorious knight was Samson Carrasco, who,
some months before, had fought with and had been beaten by Don
Quixote. And he explained to the Governor's friend that all he wanted
in fighting was, not to harm Don Quixote, but to make him promise to
go home, and stop there for a year, by which time he hoped that his
madness about knight-errantry might be cured.

They raised Don Quixote and took off his helmet. His face was very
pale, and he was covered with a cold sweat. "Rozinante" was in as bad
plight as his master, and lay where he had fallen. Sancho, in great
grief, could speak no word, and knew not what to do; to him it was all
as a bad dream.

Don Quixote was carried on a stretcher to the town, where for a week
he lay in bed without ever raising his head, stricken to the soul by
the disgrace of his defeat.

Sancho tried to comfort him.

"Pluck up your heart and be of good cheer, sir," he cried, "and thank
Heaven you have broken no bones. They that give must take. Let us go
home and give up looking for adventures."

"After all, Sancho," said Don Quixote, "it is only for a year. After
that I can begin again, and perhaps then I may be able to make thee an
Earl."

"Heaven grant it" said Sancho.

So when the Knight was once more able to move they set out for home,
Don Quixote riding "Rozinante" Sancho walking, for "Dapple" carried
the armor.

But all the way Don Quixote did not recover from his melancholy, and
when at last they reached his village:

"Help me to bed," he said, "for I think that I am not very well."

He was put to bed, and carefully nursed. But a fever had taken hold of
him, and for many days Sancho Panza never left his master's bedside.
On the six