The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-23

f Sir, said one Of the monks, amazed at the sight of the Don, we are monks of the Order of St. Benedict, travelling
 on our own business and entirely ignor ant of any princess
 "N,o fair speeches with me-" shouted the Don; and, clapping spurs to Rozin ante, he ran at the foremost monk with
 such fury that had not the holy man slipped quickly to the ground he must
 nave been killed.
 The second monk, seeing the fate of his brother, gave spur to his mule and fled across the plain.
 Seeing the fallen monk on the ground. Sancho ran up and began to disrobe him. ] To two lackeys who came up and asked Lat he was about Panza replied that ! the mcnk's clothes were lawful spells of war having been won in combat by his
 master, the celebrated knight Don Quix- ote de la Mancha
 The lackeys being deficient in a sense of humor and never having heard of
 Amadis of Gaul. much less of Don Qux- i ote, threw Saneho to the ground and, | besides not leaving him a hair In his
 beard soundly belabored and kicked him. | Meantime Don Quixote rode up to the
 coach and announcing himself as | knight errant and adventurer, captive | to the peerless and beautious Dulcinea 1 del Toboso," requested the lady to return
 to Toboso and, presenting herself before | Dulcinea, recount what he had done to 1 obtain her liberty.
 ! The lady was too astonished at the l gaunt appariton and the fantastic speech l to reply. but one of her Biscaine squires i rode up and told the Don to begone, or
 he would have his life.
 If thou vert gentleman" retorted | the knight, q would chastise thee" l What, I no gentleman" cried the Bis ! ca.ner. If thou wilt throw away thy l lance and draw thy sword thou shalt see |
 Biscaner by land, gentleman by seal Gentleman for the devil. And thou 1 liest."
 i Snatching a cushion from the coach to | serve as a buclkler the Biscainer made ! for the Don who, rising in his stirrups
 anu graspng his sword in both hands, l let drive such blow at the squires head 1 a. must have cleft it had not the cush-
 ion interposed. AS it was the nery Bis cainer thought a mountain had fallen on him and slipped to the ground while the terrified lady called out that if he would only go away she would perform any thing he commanded.
 Don Quixote at these words rode off, with Sancho at his heels, and in neigh boring wood the squire spread for his master and himself bountiful repast, for which he had found the materials in the wallet of the fallen monk and which
 ne had hung on to in spite of his drub- | DllB. lueN put up at dl lun tndl nlBnJ
 which the Don declared was castle and l where many scurvy tricks played upon them, not the least of which was tossing Sancho in blanket because he had no money to pay the reckoning. 'If l live long I shall see much" said | Sancho when he rejoined his master. but it is now reaping time. suppose
 we return to our village and not 80 any
 more rambling out of the frying pan
 into the fipe'
 Patience and shuffle the cards San
 cho.' replied the knight; and just at that
 moment they saw on the road two flocks i of sheep coming from opposite dlrec- ! tions.
 i 'Hahi" cried the Don. "Hearcst thou | the neighing of steeds and the blare of trumpets?" And before Sancho could stop i him he charged into the midst of the 1 two hocks, which had now come together. | and with his lance caused slaughter 1 among the mutton The infuriated shep-
 herds assaulted him with stones. kn ock- | ing out some of his teeth and knocking in i some of his ribs. and, then. fearing they
 had killed him, made off with their fiocks as speedily as they might Lord save 1 usl" cried Sancho as he assisted his fallen
 master to his feet. Your Worship has | left on this lower side only two grind
 CTS and on the upper not one" Ut was ever thus with all who pro- i fessed the strict order of chivalry,' re- 1 piled Don Quixote as he painfully mount
 e, his steed. As they passed along at a
 snails pace, for even the Don's ardour
 was somewhat dampened by his misad- i venture darkness fell and they saw ap-
 preaching over the plain great number 1 of lights. As the lights came nearer they 1 saw that they were borne by about twen- | ty persons clothed in white, walking in l front of litter covered with black. The 1 litter was followed by six persons | kTo ooIr oaA fa1 | Those robed in white were muttering to l themselves in a low and plaintive tone. l Forgetting his wounds in the prospect | of an adventure. Don Quixote rode in | front of the procession and commanded l the people to halt and give an account l of themselves.
 We are In haste" answered one of the
 procession, ''and the inn is a great way | off. We have not time to parley.' | One of the others began to revile the l knight and bade him stand out of the way Whereupon. Don Quixote, couch- 1 ing his lance, rode into them. and the l white robed figures, being unarmed and
 peaceable withal, went running over the l plain with their lighted torches like so | many maskers on carnival night 1 The mourners, being encountered with 1 their trappings of woe, could not come | to the assistance of their fellows, and 1 so the Don had an easy victory, the more I | devil sent to carry off the dead body | they were escorting. One of the mourn l CTS had fallen and lay pinned under his
 mule Him Don Quixote courteously | raised up and was then informed of the | fact that he had attacked a funeral pro- | cesson
 who killed the man?" asked the Don He died of pestilential fever replied l the mourner
 | Well since that is so, am saved the l trouble of averaging his death," said the | Don thankfully. When heaven kills a
 man all that is expected of us is patience | and a slight shrug."
 l As the mourner going away, San 1 cho called out to him to tell his com | panions that they had been vanquished | by Don Quixote de la Mancha, the l Knight of the Sorrowful Figure.
 'Why ddst thou call me Knight of the | Sorrowful Figure? asked the Don. I Because replied Sancho. 'I think | thou art the most sorrowful figure I ever saw. Perhaps It is owing to the loss of
 the teeth.'