he switch admitted
of, while Cut-in-Half laughed till his sides ached. Perhaps you may
think this malicious nature was now satisfied,--not a bit of it! This
was a mere beginning!

"So far Gringalet had merely endured excessive fright, been torn and
scratched by the sharp teeth and claws of Gargousse, and severely beaten
with the stick. This, however dreadful, was far from contenting
Cut-in-Half's savage nature. He therefore devised another scheme,
equally diabolical with his other proceedings. In order to enrage the
monkey still more against the unhappy boy, who by this time was more
dead than alive, he seized Gringalet by the hair of his head, and, after
feigning to overwhelm him with blows, he pushed him towards the monkey,
saying, 'Tear him! Worry him!' showing Gargousse at the same time a
great lump of sheep's heart, as much as to say, Do as I bid you, and
here is your reward.

"And then began a fearful sight! Just imagine a huge red ape, with a
black muzzle, grinding his teeth like a mad thing, and throwing
himself, in a state of savage fury, on the poor helpless object of his
cruelty, who, unable to defend himself, had no other means of preserving
his face and eyes from being torn to pieces than by throwing himself
down on the ground, flat on his face. Seeing this, Gargousse, wrought up
by his master to a state of frenzied hatred against poor Gringalet,
bestrode him as he lay on the ground, seized him by the neck, and bit
him on the back of his head till the blood came. 'Oh, the spider! The
spider I dreamed of!' cried poor Gringalet, firmly believing now that he
should be devoured. All at once a noise was heard at the gate that
opened from the lane into the yard. Knock! knock! knock!"

"Ha, ha!" exclaimed all the prisoners at once. "How delightful! 'Tis Le
Doyen come to set the boy free! Oh, tell us if it was not!"

"Yes, my good friends, you have guessed right; it was Le Doyen, and he
cried out, 'Now then, Cut-in-Half, will you open the door or no? Don't
pretend to be deaf; I see you through the keyhole.' The exhibitor of
beasts was obliged to answer, and went grumblingly along to open the
gate for Le Doyen, who was a regular brick of a man, as strong and
sturdy as a mountain for all his age, and, moreover, he was one of those
persons with whose displeasure it was anything but safe to trifle.
'Well, what do you want with me?' asked Cut-in-Half, half opening the
yard door. 'I have something to say to you,' ans