The Wrangell sentinel., 1921-09-15

l the other fell off his mule. Sancho nimbly slipped from his ass and he gan to strip the luckless man; while he was engaged in this legitimate ap- prOpriation of the spells of the battle. two muleteeers of the train overset him, tore out his beard by handfuls, mauled him and left him senseless. bat with one of the lady's guard who sliced off half of hls helmet and one of his ears. Undaunted the knight pressed the combat to victory, but just as he was about to give the finish ing stroke, the frightened lady begged him to desist and he compiled on con dition that the defeated opponent should go and present himself before the peerless Dulcinea, who was in | reality a buxom woman known through all la Mancha for her skill m salting pork and who had never deign- ed to look at her amorous neighbor.
 A few days later, bruised and bat tered in untoward adventures. they came upon a flock of sheep which Don Quixote conceived to be prodigious army composed of an infinite number of nations led by mighty kings. He spurred like a thunderbolt from the top of hillock, shouting his battle challenge, putting the hapless sheep to flight and trampling both the living and the slain. Impatient to meet the commander of the enemy he shouted:
 "Where. where art thou, naughty AlifanfaronT"
 At that moment the shepherds ral- lied in defense of their flocks and overwhelmed the unlucky knight first with stones and then with cudgels, leaving him in a desperate case, with nearly all of his teeth knocked out or loosened, and his ribs half broken. Did this adventure discourage him? Not at all. It was all part of chival- ry. He and Sancho rode on In dolor- ous discourse. They were overtaken by night and had no shelter or food Suddenly appeared a band of about twenty horsemen, all In white robes, with torches in their hands and fol- lowed by hearse draped in black. It was the funeral of a gentleman of Segovia; Don Quixote took 1t to be the train of some knight either killed or desperately wounded, and, assured that it was his duty to avenge the misfortunes of brother-in-arms, halted the cortege and demanded an explanation. The replies of the clergy men failed to satisfy him and he flew at them in high dudgeon. Encountered by their robes they became easy vic tins and all took to flight.
 They possessed themselves of the edibles deserted by the clergymen, but, unfortunately, had nothing to drink, nor did they dare stir from the forest because of the awful clamoi made by a fulling-mill which Don Quixote sup posed to be enchantment.
 The next morning they met a bar Der riding on an ass and wearing his brass basin on his head to save his hat from the rain. Don Quixote rec ognized this as the golden helmet of Mambrino and flew at the enemy as if he would grind him to powder. The barber fled, leaving his helmet which Sancho appropriated, though it seem- ed to him merely a common dish.
 They came to another inn. In the night Don Quixote, while sound asleep and dreaming. enjoyed the most fa- nous battle of his career. Dressed in short shirt which exposed his lean, long, hairy shanks, and wearing greasy red nightcap, with blanket wrapped around his left arm for shield, he was repeatedly plunging his sword into the plump bodies of sev- eral giants. Their blood flowed across the floor in wide, crimson streams.
 Imagine the wrath of the worthy inn-keeper at discovering that his famous guest had disemboweled all his wine-sacks, which were made Of goat-skins with the heads left on.
 After this Don Quixote was got home by the curate and the barber; but he broke loose again. First he visited his Dulcinea, but came away convinced that through more enchant- ment she had been changed into a blubber-cheeked, flat-nosed country wench, the pearls of her eyes into gall nuts, her long golden locks into a cows tail and her palace into a hut.
 He had adventures with strolling actors and lions; he attended the rich Camacho's wedding; he explored the deep cave of Montesinos; he rode on magic bark and visited the name- less duke and duchess. through whose complaisance SanchO was granted his ambition to rule over an Aland and did 1t with wisdom worthy of Solo mon. Many more adventures follow ed, but at last Don Quixote returned to his home and recovered his senses on his death-bed, dying as lovable, high-minded, noble-hearted gentleman.
 Cervantes' masterpiece is not all satire. Don Quixote has lucid mo- ments; Sancho's simplicity wells com mon sense, often expressed in witty proverbs. There is occasional coarse ness but not 90 much as in Shake