truggling breast to breast, foot to foot, the
missionary in his turn succeeded in tripping up his adversary, and,
throwing him with a vigorous effort, again seized his hands, and now
held him down beneath his knee. Having thus completely mastered him,
Gabriel turned his head to call for assistance, when Morok, by a
desperate strain, succeeded in raising himself a little, and seized with
his teeth the left arm of the missionary. At this sharp, deep, horrible
bite, which penetrated to the very bone, Gabriel could not restrain a
scream of anguish and horror. He strove in vain to disengage himself,
for his arm was held fast, as in a vice, between the firm-set jaws of
Morok.

This frightful scene had lasted less time than it has taken in the
description, when suddenly the door leading to the passage was violently
opened, and several courageous men, who had learned from the patients
to what danger the young priest was exposed, came rushing to his
assistance, in spite of his recommendation not to enter till he should
call. The attendant was amongst the number, with the brazier and the hot
irons. Gabriel, as soon as he perceived him, said to him in an agitated
voice: "Quick, friend! your iron. Thank God I had thought of that."

One of the men who had entered the room was luckily provided with a
blanket; and the moment the missionary succeeded in wresting his arm
from the clinched teeth of Morok, whom he still held down with his knee,
this blanket was thrown over the madman's head, so that he could now be
held and bound without danger, notwithstanding his desperate resistance.
Then Gabriel rose, tore open the sleeve of his cassock, and laying bare
his left arm, on which a deep bite was visible, bleeding, of a bluish
color, he beckoned the attendant to draw near, seized one of the hot
irons, and, with a firm and sure hand, twice applied the burning metal
to the wound, with a calm heroism which struck all the spectators, with
admiration. But soon so many various emotions, intrepidly sustained,
were followed by a natural reaction. Large drops of sweat stood upon
Gabriel's brow; his long light hair clung to his temples; he grew deadly
pale, reeled, lost his senses, and was carried into the next room to
receive immediate attention.

An accidental circumstance, likely enough to occur, had converted one
of the Princess de Saint-Dizier's falsehoods into a truth. To induce
the orphans to go to the hospital, she had told them Gabriel wa