would have followed them to the other Venta, in the hope of recovering
his property; for he declared it to be a serious affront, and a matter
touching his honour, that two boys should have cheated a grown man like
him. But his companions dissuaded him from doing what they declared
would be nothing better than publishing his own folly and incapacity;
and their arguments, although they did not console the Muleteer, were
sufficient to make him remain where he was.

Meanwhile Cortado and Rincon displayed so much zeal and readiness in the
service of the travellers, that the latter gave them a lift behind them
for the greater part of the way. They might many a time have rifled the
portmanteaus of their temporary masters, but did not, lest they should
thereby lose the happy opportunity of seeing Seville, in which city they
greatly desired to exercise their talents. Nevertheless, as they entered
Seville--which they did at the hour of evening prayer, and by the gate
of the custom-house, on account of the dues to be paid, and the trunks
to be examined--Cortado could not refrain from making an examination, on
his own account, of the valise which a Frenchman of the company carried
with him on the croup of his mule. With his yellow-handled weapon,
therefore, he gave it so deep and broad a wound in the side that its
very entrails were exposed to view; and he dexterously drew forth two
good shirts, a sun-dial, and a memorandum book, things that did not
greatly please him when he had leisure to examine them. Thinking that
since the Frenchman carried that valise on his own mule, it must needs
contain matters of more importance than those he had captured, Cortado
would fain have looked further into it, but he abstained, as it was
probable that the deficiency had been already discovered, and the
remaining effects secured. Before performing this feat the friends had
taken leave of those who had fed them on their journey, and the
following day they sold the two shirts in the old clothes' market, which