g vanquished. To our knight that seemed like taking
too great chances, since he had no idea what the nature of the
challenger's deeds might be, and since he was thoroughly satisfied
with his own achievements.

It so happened that the Viceroy had observed the Knight of the White
Moon in conversation with Don Quixote, and thinking that some one had
planned another joke on him, he hastened to Don Antonio's house, and
got him to accompany him to the beach, where they found the two
knights just taking their distance, and about to commence the combat.
Don Antonio was as startled when he saw the other knight as the
Viceroy had been, and neither one could make up his mind whether the
whole thing was a joke, or not, for no one there seemed to know who
the Knight of the White Moon was. However, the two gentlemen at last
decided it could be nothing but a prank, planned by some gentleman for
his own amusement. The Viceroy then turned to the knight and, learning
that the combat was being fought to decide a question of precedence
of beauty, bade them set to if both of them still remained unshaken
and inflexible in their convictions. The two combatants, having
thanked the Viceroy for his permission, separated and again took up
the necessary distance. Their horses wheeled around and the knights
came against each other with all the speed their mounts were capable
of. But the Knight of the White Moon was mounted on a steed that
completely outshone the poor Rocinante, for when they clashed, the
poor hack fell from the mere force of the contact, and Don Quixote
leaped over his head onto earth. At once the unknown knight held his
lance over his visor and threatened him with death unless he confessed
to being vanquished and acknowledged that he would abide by the
conditions of the combat.

In a feeble voice Don Quixote answered him that in spite of his defeat
Dulcinea still was the most beautiful woman in the world, but that now
that his honor had been taken away from him, he might as well die; and
he begged the knight to drive home the blow of his lance. But the
Knight of the White Moon was a generous gentleman. He said he would
not have our hero deny the beauty of his Dulcinea in deference to his
own lady; all that he asked was that Don Quixote return to his village
of La Mancha and give up knight-errantry as he had promised. Don
Quixote rose in a sorry and battered condition and swore that he would
keep his word like a true knight erran