_ 301 _ responsibility by the captain, and at the end of three years he benefits from this, as will be shown later. These companies or squadrons do not have a set number of soldiers, because at times there are many and at others few so few that there are not even six of them, according to the number who come or go at each monsoon. Because their coming to the gates and joining the squadrons, just as their departure from the same, is free of any constraint like an inn or lodging -those who want to eat enter and those who have eaten depart. Once they are placed in these squadrons they are obliged, in order to earn the quartel, to go to the gates of the fortress with some form of arms, whichever they choose, every four days. For each day two squadrons are on guard, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, as follows. The alcaide-mor gets up in the morning (this is the work of the captain), many times so early that it is still long before dawn (the reason being that the heat in summer is so excessive that even those with the greatest desire to sleep develop a hatred of bed). He comes down to open the gates, having made no checks before to see whether he can safely do so. After the gates are opened by the ten gatekeepers who are employed to open and close them (and as soon as they
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