The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-11
CHAPTER XVI.

| tween Don Qrixote of Nebraska and
boomerang which he had thrown in Il
former chapter.
| AT a turn in the road a number of miser-
able wretches We're discovered huddled
about smoldering log. They were pre-
| pairing their evening meal. Their cooking
utensils consisted of oyster and tomato
cans. They looked up our coming in
sight and some of them Immediately recog-
nized Don Quixote They ran to him, and,
clasping him around the legs began to
weep freely, saying, 20. senior. do you not
know us? Look at we'll; we are the
people that your worship released from our
debts
Don Quixote remembered them, and, taxi
ing their hands. he turned to those present
and said: THAT your worshps may see.
how important it is to have knights-errant
to redress the wrongs and injuries done by
tyrannical and wicked men in this world /
may tell you that some years ago, passing
along road, L heard cries and piteous
complaints as of persons in pain and dis
tress; | Immediately fastened. impelled by
my bounden duty. to the quarter whence
the plaintiye accents seemed to me to pro-.
coed, and | found tied to farms these peo-
pie who now stand before you, which in
my heart / rejoice at for their testimony
will not permit me to depart from the truth
l.
to farms, and Il clown whom / found to be
their enemy was logging them with the
most frightful threats. AS soon as l saw
him / asked the reason of SO
cruel fagellation. The boor
piled that he was fioggng them because
they had borrowed money of him. and that
now, partly through their careessness in
not taking good care of what they had.
and partly through "a fall in the worth &C
their crops, they could not pay him his
money back at the time agreed upon. And
not only that, but they actually threaten
he continued, not to pay at all unless 1
will consent to take half in satisfaction of
the whole On which these persons said:
Senior, he fiogs only because we ask to
be allowed to pay him back dollar for dol
lar. When we borrowed his money our
wheat was worth a dollar a bushel. We
have no money now, but we have wheat to
burn. We offer him bushe to dollar of all
we borrowed of him, and he sets upon and
fogs u.s. The boor made, l know not what
speeches and explanations, which, though
l listened to them, / did not accept. In
short, | compelled him to accept what was
offered him, and to pay cost of transporta-
ton. Is not all this true, my friends?
Did we not mark with what authority l
commanded him, and with what humility
he promised to do all / enjoined, specified
and required of him? Answer without con-
fusion or hesitation: tell these gentlemen
what took place, that they may see and
observe that it is as great an advantage as
say to have knights-errant abroad"
''All that your worship has said is quite
true" answered the poor wretches; but
the end of the business turned out just the
opposite of what your worship supposes
How! the opposte?" said Don Quixote;
did not the clown accept your wheat"
THAT he did,, replied the wretches, ''un-
der necessity; but he soon had in
worse predicament than that you found us
in. He allowed to borrow more money
of him, and our notes falling due when we
had neither money crops on hand, he
took our farms away from US Not con-
tent with this, he followed it up with jests
and gbes about having made a fool of your
worship, and but for the anguish
were in at losing our farms, we should
have laughed at the things he said. In short,
he left in such condition you now
find in; for which your worship is to
blame; for if you had gone your own way
and not come where there was no call for
you, nor. meddled in other peoples affairs,
your boor' would have been content with
charging us some extra interest and let
ting us pay slowly out; but when your
and gave him so many hard words. his
anger was kinded; and as he could not
revenge himself on you, as soon as he
saw that you had left him the storm burst
upon in such a way that we feel as
if we should never be men again as long
we live
Upon this Don Quixote was for hunting
this villain out to chastise him, though
he were to hide himself in the whales
belly. Swearing an oath to this effect he
inquired of Sancho the state of their
Harder.
I'VE have faith in these oaths," said
the poor wretches we would rather have
something now to help us to get to the
next town than all the revenge in the
world: if you have anything to eat that
we can take with US give it u.s. and God
be with your worship and all knights
errant: and may their errands turn out as
well for themselves they have for nHe."
Sancho took out from his store piece of
bread and another of cheese. and giving
them to the poor people, said: Here, take
this, brothers, for we have all of US q
share in your misfortune
why, what share have you got?" asked
they.
This share of bread and cheese I am
giving you, answered Sancho, land God
knows whether ] shall feel the want of it
myself or not; for I would have you know,
friends, that squres to knights-errant
have to bear a great deal of hunger and
hard fortune, and even other things more
easily felt than told
AS Don Quixote was taking his leave
the poor wretches said: For the love of
God, sir knight-errant. if you ever meet
again, though you may them cut
ting us to pieces, give aid or Succor,
but leave to misfortune, which will
not be SO great, but that a greater will
come TO by being helped by your wor
ship, on whom and all the knights-errant
that have ever been born God send his
curse"
The Late Gail Hamilton