?
Well, then, he would take a shot at her skirts, just to show that it
didn't hurt. She went away, threatening to call the police. They could
hear her protesting indignantly and cursing as she went her way.

Maillochon held out the gun to his comrade, saying: "It's your turn,
Chicot."

Labouise aimed and fired. The donkey received the charge in his thighs,
but the shot was so small and came from such a distance that he thought
he was being stung by flies, for he began to thrash himself with his
tail.

Labouise sat down to laugh more comfortably, while Maillochon reloaded
the weapon, so happy that he seemed to sneeze into the barrel. He stepped
forward a few paces, and, aiming at the same place that his friend had
shot at, he fired again. This time the beast started, tried to kick and
turned its head. At last a little blood was running. It had been wounded
and felt a sharp pain, for it tried to run away with a slow, limping,
jerky gallop.

Both men darted after the beast, Maillochon with a long stride, Labouise
with the short, breathless trot of a little man. But the donkey, tired
out, had stopped, and, with a bewildered look, was watching his two
murderers approach. Suddenly he stretched his neck and began to bray.

Labouise, out of breath, had taken the gun. This time he walked right up
close, as he did not wish to begin the chase over again.

When the poor beast had finished its mournful cry, like a last call for
help, the man called: "Hey, Mailloche! Come here, sister; I'm going to
give him some medicine." And while the other man was forcing the animal's
mouth open, Chicot stuck the barrel of his gun down its throat, as if he
were trying to make it drink a potion. Then he said: "Look out, sister,
here she goes!"

He pressed the trigger. The donkey stumbled back a few steps, fell down,
tried to get up again and finally lay on its side and closed its eyes:
The whole body was trembling, its legs were kicking as if it were, trying
to run. A stream of blood was oozing through its teeth. Soon it stopped
moving. It was dead.

The two men went along, laughing. It was over too quickly; they had not
had their money's worth. Maillochon asked: "Well, what are we going to do
now?"

Labouise answered: "Don't worry, sister. Get the thing on the boat; we're
going to have some fun when night comes."

They went and got the boat. The animal's body was placed on the bottom,
covered with fresh grass, and the two men stretche