larm, pity, and admiration rose from every lip, and the
spectators drew back from the door, with an involuntary feeling of fear.
Raising his eyes to heaven, as if to invoke its assistance at this
terrible moment, Gabriel pushed open the door, and immediately closed it
behind him. He was alone with Morok.

The lion-tamer, by a last furious effort, had almost succeeded in opening
the door, to which Sister Martha and the orphans were clinging, in a fit
of terror, uttering piercing cries. At the sound of Gabriel's footsteps,
Morok turned round suddenly. Then, instead of continuing his attack on
the closet, he sprang, with a roar and a bound, upon the new-comer.

During this time, Sister Martha and the orphans, not knowing the cause of
the sudden retreat of their assailant, took advantage of the opportunity
to close and bolt the door, and thus placed themselves in security from a
new attack. Morok, with haggard eye, and teeth convulsively clinched, had
rushed upon Gabriel, his hands extended to seize him by the throat. The
missionary stood the shock valiantly. Guessing, at a glance, the
intention of his adversary, he seized him by the wrists as he advanced,
and, holding him back, bent him down violently with a vigorous hand. For
a second, Morok and Gabriel remained mute, breathless, motionless, gazing
on each other; then the missionary strove to conquer the efforts of the
madman, who, with violent jerks, attempted to throw himself upon him, and
to seize and tear him with his teeth.

Suddenly the lion-tamer's strength seemed to fail, his knees quivered,
his livid head sank upon his shoulder, his eyes closed. The missionary,
supposing that a momentary weakness had succeeded to the fit of rage, and
that the wretch was about to fall, relaxed his hold in order to lend him
assistance. But no sooner did he feel himself at liberty, thanks to his
crafty device, than Morok flung himself furiously upon Gabriel. Surprised
by this sudden attack, the latter stumbled, and at once felt himself
clasped into the iron arms of the madman. Yet, with redoubled strength
and energy, struggling 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 litt