amentations were of some person
in distress, and consequently the occasion of some adventure; but
having at last distinguished the voice, he made to the inn with a
broken gallop; and finding the gates shut, he rode about to see
whether he might not find some other way to get in. But he no sooner
came to the back-yard wall, which was none of the highest, when he was
an eyewitness of the scurvy trick that was put upon his squire. There
he saw him ascend and descend, and frolic and caper in the air with so
much nimbleness and agility, that it is thought the knight himself
could not have forborne laughing, had he been anything less angry. He
did his best to get over the wall, but alas, he was so bruised, that
he could not so much as alight from his horse. This made him fume and
chafe, and vent his passion in a thousand threats and curses, so
strange and various that it is impossible to repeat them. But the more
he stormed, the more they tossed and laughed; Sancho on his side
begging, and howling, and threatening, and cursing, to as little
purpose as his master, for it was weariness alone could make the
tossers give over. Then they charitably put an end to his high
dancing, and set him upon his ass again, carefully wrapped in his
mantle.

But Maritornes, pitying a creature in such tribulation and thinking he
had danced and tumbled enough to be dry, was so generous as to help
him to a draught of water, which she purposely drew from the well that
moment, that it might be the cooler. Sancho clapped the pot to his
mouth, but his master made him desist. "Hold, hold," cried he, "son
Sancho, drink no water, child, it will kill thee; behold I have here
the most holy balsam, two drops of which will cure thee
effectually."--"Ha," replied Sancho, shaking his head, and looking
sourly on the knight with a side face, "have you again forgot that I
am no knight? Keep your brewings for yourself, in the devil's name,
and let me alone." With that he lifted up the jug to his nose, but
finding it to be mere element, he spirted out again the little he had
tasted, and desired the wench to help him to some better liquor; so
she went and fetched him wine to make him amends, and paid for it too
out of her own pocket. As soon as Sancho had tipped off his wine, he
visited his ass's ribs twice or thrice with his heels, and, free
egress being granted him, he trooped off, well content with the
thoughts of having had his ends, and got off scot free, thoug