, 1886-03-26

.". ga. IHF.|IHN |IHN.
move his arm he wished to repulse her,
and said: uuf1 rHi t0 -7AHtf
Are you a fools VIII you unhand
me?"
AS he turned his head, I saw his light
eyes, fierce and eager, seeking means Of
escape. i NlHnil0i 4tt faIaW
Miserable villian.T cried Catisson.
forcing him into a chair. Ii was W,
who dealt the blow. 1t was your
And she held that giant, stunned by
the suddenness of the affair. but Ia.
quickly recovered himself; he olsen.
gagged his hand from Catisson, and | saw
it, frightful, with the even fingers; he
struck her, then turn like a wild animal
to the place Of egress. m
Everybody sought 10 escape; the crowd
were afraid. The man leaped, pushing
the people before him, when l planted
myself in front OF him. He had IN ugly
look, seeing my KEPT and white brooches.
He perceived in them the evidence ofmy
position. He had his face toward me. /
raised my arm and seized him by the
blouse. d
In the name Of the law, l arrest
you"
The villains only reply was a blow,
which would, l believe, have sent me
ten feet, if | had not had the presence Of
Catisson to increase my strength. l rid
iculed the blow. l held the mani; I
dragged him; | would not let him go.
They would have had to break my wrist
in order to make me. And he gave me
blows IN the head, trying to stun me, or
break my skull. Suddenly q still hold
the scar he attempted to plungcr a
knife into my neck, in the same way he
had struck Father Coussac-a habit of
his, l believe. He counted upon killing
me; but the collar Of my uniform turned
aside the blade Of the knife-a Noutron
knife, with yellow handle. 1t cut
through the collar and gave me only a
scratch. Then my hand seized the wrist
which held the weapon, which, If it do
scended a second time, would do it's
work. l saw the knife raised like the
sword of Damocles, and g~rasping its
handle were those gross even fingers by
which Catisson had recognized the assas-
sin OF her father. How long it might
have lasted-that battle in which my
blood flowed, though l had wounded him
l can not say; but | felt that l was losing
strength, that L should release the hand
which held the knife. Suddenly he ut
tered a cry, a savage one, like that of an
animal being killed. BE jumped, but 1
held him still; then he turned so rapidly
that he fell, dragging me after him, he
underneath and l above. We fell to
the ground. Then something moved
him, or, rather, chung to him. 1t was
Mother Coussac, who gnawed and
pecked ct his limbs to make him release
his hold. And we rolled ON the ground
like worms, but this time it was not for
long. Catisson recovered and aided me
to retain the armed arm, or, rather, she
took the knife away from him while l
held the man by the throat with my right
hand. and would have stifed him. Then
people came at the noise. and the pay
master, Bugead, arrived with a comrade.
They assisted me to bind the criminal,
raised him up put on the handouts and
led him through the crowd, who, seeing
him taken, wished to prevent his escape
That brave crowd who a short time be-
fore was afraid. It wa well they came.
l could not hold out longer. | was go
ing, going. 1t was foolish for a gem
darme. / fainted from loss of blood.
But | had the sensation Of white arms
sustaining me, and, instead of the Nou-
tron blade near my head, l perceived, as
in a dream, the large, beautiful eyes of
Catisson, who smiled upon me.
He was a mixer of plaster, named
Massaloux, Of Souterraine in La Grouse
so a deputy of La Grouse told ns-and
who, presenting himself to NJ. Gabourdy
for work, had overheard him speak of
the money confided to Leonard Coussac
by his patron. Then he exclaimed,
There is a chance and he took it
alone, with no accomplice, an idler, but
energetic. After the murder he reached
Paris, then returned to Queret, then to
Limoges, the money gone, seeking work.
When before the Court d Assizes, he
scarcely defended himself, as though
saying; You have taken me, so much
the worse for me- They condemned
him to death. The famous hand is pre-
served in alcohol at the Ecole de Aede-
cine. .r
1t is not for me to boast that the presi-
dent commended me, but l did not need
congratulations. / no longer needed
anything. I had Catisson. Onmy we'd
ding-day, however. l received the briga-
der ornaments, and if you wish to see a
happy man look at me.-Chicago Jour
nails Translation from the French Of
Claretie. r