not so much as hear his squire's outcry, nor was
he sensible of what they were, although he was already very near them;
far from that: "Stand, cowards," cried he as loud as he could; "stand
your ground, ignoble creatures, and fly not basely from a single
knight, who dares encounter you all!" At the same time, the wind
rising, the mill-sails began to move, which when Don Quixote spied,
"Base miscreants," cried he, "though you move more arms than the giant
Briareus, you shall pay for your arrogance." He most devoutly
recommended himself to his Lady Dulcinea, imploring her assistance in
this perilous adventure; and so covering himself with his shield, and
couching his lance, he rushed with Rozinante's utmost speed upon the
first windmill he could come at, and running his lance into the sail,
the wind whirled it about with such swiftness, that the rapidity of
the motion presently broke the lance into shivers, and hurled away
both knight and horse along with it, till down he fell, rolling a good
way off in the field. Sancho Panza ran as fast as his ass could drive
to help his master, whom he found lying, and not able to stir, such a
blow had he and Rozinante received. "Mercy o' me!" cried Sancho, "did
not I give your worship fair warning? Did not I tell you they were
windmills, and that nobody could think otherwise, unless he had also
windmills in his head?"--"Peace, friend Sancho," replied Don Quixote:
"there is nothing so subject to the inconstancy of fortune as war. I
am verily persuaded that cursed necromancer Freston, who carried away
my study and my books, has transformed these giants into windmills to
deprive me of the honor of the victory; such is his inveterate malice
against me; but in the end, all his pernicious wiles and stratagems
shall prove ineffectual against the prevailing edge of my
sword."--"Amen, say I," replied Sancho. And so heaving him up again
upon his legs, once more the knight mounted poor Rozinante, that was
half shoulder-slipped with his fall.

[Illustration: Covering himself with his shield, and couching his
lance, he rushed with Rozinante's utmost speed upon the first windmill
he could come at and running his lance into the sail, the wind whirled
it about with such swiftness, that the rapidity of the motion
presently broke the lance into shivers, and hurled away both knight
and horse along with it, till down he fell, rolling a good way off in
the field. Sancho Panza ran as fast as his ass could