Clarence King 



I had chosen him as companion for 

 this episode of travel because of his 

 fine, appreciative knowledge of Cer- 

 vantes, and from his personal resem- 

 blance to the type of Don Quixote. 

 He had listened affectionately to my 

 talk of the Bachelor of San Fran- 

 cisco, and joined with zest in my 

 search for a " Helmet of Mambrino," 

 which I hoped to send as a gift to 

 the gentleman by the western sea. 



I scanned his sleeping features long 

 and thought him a perfect Spanish 

 picture. How sternly simple the ac- 

 cessories ! Only a wall of time-mel- 

 lowed brick, barred by lines of yellow 

 mortar, and patched by a few hand- 

 breadths of whitened plaster ! Only 

 a solid, antique bench of oak, weather- 

 worn into gray harmony with an 

 earthen floor ! Nothing more ! 



His ample cloak of dark, olive-col- 

 ored cloth, reaching from foot to chin, 

 covered him, save for one exposed 

 13 



