Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-06-07

of Don Miguel de Ccrvontes So0ve-
'dra, the author Of "Don Quir0te de
la Mancha." Much rs other races
prize thjs work, they cannot realize
how the men Of Spanish blood view
1t. 1t IS infinitely precious to them,
almost holy. Throughout the Span
ash 1mericas, from Cu5a TO The end
Of South 1merica, the stranger Who
knowS "Don Quirote' wW find co.
ger responsiveness everywhere, from
the wattlcd hut Of peoo to the pal
ace Of q &ugar or cutie king. The
story offered here IS from Book III.
One morning Don Quixote and his
faithful squire Sancho PanZa beheld
II men on the road walking in a long
row. This row was held coyly to-
gethcr by long chain, 50 that the gen
tlemen looked neatly like beads on a
string
The chivalrOuS warrior naturally
Spurred at once to aid these mOrtals in
distress, since the books Of chivalry
that had put q crack into his worthy
brain had taught him that knights al
ways did SO without asking too many
questions
There were armed guards with the
string Of beads and they did not re-
ceive him too effusively. Still, as is
the good custom in polite Spain, they
permitted the chainful to stand still
while Don QuiXOtc rode along the line
and spoke to the fettered pedestrians.
Il am chained up for being violently
in love" the first man in the row con-
fided to the knight Indeed, [ en-
braced the object Of my affections so
pasSiOnatcly that the police hardly
could tear me away. Unfortunately
this frantic love affair was with a
basket of linen. SO they gave me soft
treatment with the lash and now | am
on my way to serve for three years as
an element daSher."
'What is that?" asked the Don,
whose reading of knight errantry
books had acquainted him with only
the most poetic and foWery language,
and not with the simple, chaste phrases
of the chain-gang.
"He means that he is going to be Il
galley Slave! said the beads, with
rOars of laughter.
The second galley slave in the row
would not reply at all to Don QuiXOte'S
inquiry, but another rogue answered
for him with generous heartiness. "He
G irl "a Wi hn-
cause he sang too much!'
as it possible" cried the generous
knight, that men are sent to the gal
Ieys for singing?"
Indeed, they are, when they sing
in anguish" answered the rogue.
81 cannot unfold your riddle" ven
tured the simple warrior.
'Sir," said a guard, "they calt-this
fellow a bird that sang in anguish be-
cause he confessed on the rack"
'And now lie mOpes," said another,
because they all jeer at him for not
having the courage to deny, since it is
no more painful to say, no under the
torture than yes. And l think they
are somewhat in the right"
w Hat ulu YOU 40: dSheu ION
QuiXOte of the next man.
"For want of twice five ducatS," an
Swered he, Il must NOW the great
meadow for five years.
Don QuiXotc inferred that moving
the great meadow" meant to row with
gallo sweeps over The pleasant blue
Med rranean. And all that for ten
ducatS?' he murmured. Il would give
twenty with all my heart to deliver
you
Thank YOU for nothing" retorted
the gentleman. 1T is like Offering
man mustard after he has eaten all
the meat. You might as we'll give your
ducatS TO a starving man at sea-"
AS the knight still lamented over the
iniQuity of sentencing a man TO five
years in the galleys for n mere lack of
ten ducats, the galley slave conde-
scended to instruct him. with ten
ducatS," he explained, Il could have
CREASED the courts palms. Enough. l
say no more, but go along like a dog
on Il string"
The tales CT all the other prisoners
were equally edifying. Don QuiXot2
recognized that they were not inno-
cent lambs; yet, on the whole, he
thought that much might be said for
them us well as against them. There
fore he turned to the guards and de-
manded that they unlock the chains.
LET them answer for their sins in an
other world" said he.
Take your empty pate about its
own business. - responded the leader
with great impOliteness. Those who
play with cats will get scratched"
This insolence from one whom the
chivalry romances would have referred
to as a ''caititf,' so Infatuated the war
rior that he charged. The fellow,
taken by surprise, tumbled head over
heels and Don QuiXote's horse, Rosi-
hante, by a miracle did not fall down
as it usually did after one of these
knightly charges.