away, and
taking me by the collar, "At him, good dog!" he said, "At him, boy!"
Disgusted as I was with my master's villanies, and eager to obey the
lieutenant's orders, I made no hesitation to seize my own master and
pull him down to the ground, where I would have torn him to pieces if
the thief-takers had not with great difficulty separated us. They wanted
to punish me, and even to beat me to death with sticks; and they would
have done so if the lieutenant had not bade them let me alone, for I had
only done what he ordered me. The warning was not lost upon me, so
without taking my leave of anybody, I leaped through an opening in the
wall, and before daybreak I was in Mayrena, a place about four leagues
from Seville.

There by good luck I fell in with a party of soldiers, who, as I heard,
were going to embark at Cartagena. Among them were four of my late
master's ruffian friends; one of them was the drummer, who had been a
catchpole and a great buffoon, as drummers frequently are. They all knew
me and spoke to me, asking after my master as if I could reply; but the
one who showed the greatest liking for me was the drummer, and so I
determined to attach myself to him, if he would let me, and to accompany
the expedition whether they were bound for Italy or Flanders. For in
spite of the proverb, a blockhead at home is a blockhead all the world
over, you must agree with me that travelling and sojourning among
various people makes men wise.

_Scip._ That is so true that I remember to have heard from a master of
mine, a very clever man, that the famous Greek, Ulysses, was renowned as
wise solely because he had travelled and seen many men and nations. I
therefore applaud your determination to go with the soldiers, wherever
they might take you.

_Berg._ To help him in the display of his jugglery, the drummer began to
teach me to dance to the sound of the drum, and to play other monkey
tricks such as no other dog than myself could ever have acquired. The
detachment marched by very short stages; we had no commissary to control
us; the captain was a mere lad, but a perfect gentleman, and a great
christian; the ensign had but just left the page's hall at the court;
the serjeant was a knowing blade, and a great conductor of companies
from the place where they were raised to the port of embarkation. The
detachment was full of ruffians whose insolent behaviour, in the places
through which we passed, redounded in curses directed to