a log to the foot of the bed, to which Gargousse was
fastened. 'Golden fly, many thanks! You have saved me!' cried Gringalet,
who, seated and fastened to the chair, had observed all."

"_Ma foi!_ It really was true, then, and the golden fly prevented his
having his throat cut," exclaimed the prisoners, overjoyed.

"The golden fly for ever!" cried the Blue Cap.

"Listen now," continued the story-teller, "for this is the most
beautiful and terrible of the history I had promised you. Cut-in-Half
had fallen like a lump of lead, and was so drunk that he could move no
more than a log,--he was dead drunk and perfectly senseless; but in his
fall he very nearly crushed Gargousse, and almost broke his hind paw.
You know how savage and revengeful this infernal brute was, and he still
held in his paw the razor which his master had given him to cut
Gringalet's throat. What do you suppose the animal did when he saw his
master on his back and within his reach? Why, he jumped upon him,
squatted on his breast, and whilst with one paw he pushed up his chin to
expose his neck, with the other he cut his throat as clean as a whistle,
just as Cut-in-Half had taught him to do with poor Gringalet a few
minutes before."

"Bravo, bravo! Well done!"

"Gargousse for ever!"

"The little golden fly for ever!"

"Gringalet for ever! Gargousse for ever!"

"Well, my friends, I assure you, as you shout now, so did the whole
population of La Petite Pologne shout an hour afterwards," said
Pique-Vinaigre, delighted at the success of his story and the enthusiasm
of his hearers.

"In what way?"

"I told you that, in order to complete his wicked purpose at his ease,
the vagabond Cut-in-Half had closed the door inside. Towards the
evening, the boys came in one after the other with their animals. The
first rapped, but no answer; then, when they had all arrived, they
knocked at the door, but no reply; so one went to find Le Doyen to tell
him how they had knocked in vain, and that their master did not open to
them. 'The fellow must be as drunk as an Englishman,' said he; 'I sent
him some wine just now. We must break open the door, for the children
cannot pass the night out-of-doors.' So they burst in the door, and then
they went up the stairs, and what should they see but Gargousse chained
and crouching on his master's body, playing with the razor! Poor
Gringalet was fortunately out of Gargousse's reach and still on the
chair, not daring to look on C