"Body of my father!" said Sancho, "see what marten and sable, andpads of carded cotton he is putting into the bags, that our headsmay not be broken and our bones beaten to jelly! But even if theyare filled with toss silk, I can tell you, senor, I am not going tofight; let our masters fight, that's their lookout, and let us drinkand live; for time will take care to ease us of our lives, without ourgoing to look for fillips so that they may be fini射d off beforetheir proper time comes and they drop from ripeness."
"Still," returned he of the Grove, "we must fight, if it be only forhalf an hour."
"By no means," said Sancho; "I am not going to be so discourteous orso ungrateful as to have any quarrel, be it ever so small, with oneI have eaten and drunk with; besides, who the devil could bringhimself to fight in cold blood, without anger or provocation?"
"I can remedy that entirely," said he of the Grove, "and in thisway: before we begin the battle, I will come up to your worship fairand softly, and give you three or four buffets, with which I shallstretch you at my feet and rouse your anger, though it were sleepingsounder than a dormouse."
"To match that plan," said Sancho, "I have another that is not awhit behind it; I will take a cudgel, and before your worship comesnear enough to waken my anger I will send yours so sound to sleep withwhacks, that it won't waken unless it be in the other world, whereit is known that I am not a man to let my face be handled by anyone;let each look out for the arrow- though the surer way would be tolet everyone's anger sleep, for nobody knows the heart of anyone,and a man may come for wool and go back shorn; God gave his blessingto peace and his curse to quarrels; if a hunted cat, surrounded andhard pressed, turns into a lion, God knows what I, who am a man, mayturn into; and so from this time forth I warn you, sir squire, thatall the harm and mischief that may come of our quarrel will be putdown to your account."
"Very good," said