"Yes, that's true enough," said Claudine; "he ain't brave a bit, and I often tell him so." "The idea of calling out and spreading an alarm just for a cat!" "_Dame!_ Monsieur Latouche, I saw something crawling, and I thought----" "Perhaps it was some foolish thing like that that made him turn the whole village upside down, and interrupt the chemical experiment I was making." "Oh, no! that wasn't anything foolish! you'll soon see that it was worth the trouble; here we are, close to the shed; just go through this little gate and you'll be right there." "No; let's go in by the house, and examine the creature first at a distance." Latouche's advice was followed: they went through Bertrand's house into the garden. As they approached the shed, the bravest turned pale, several women dared not go any farther, and Latouche, who resembled those persons who sing to dissemble their fear, issued precautionary orders on this side and that, but found an excuse for abandoning his position at the head of the procession. "There it is! there it is!" exclaimed several of the villagers, pointing to Dubourg, who was still in the same position, because he was in a heavy sleep. Terror was depicted on every face, but it was blended with curiosity; everyone stretched out his neck, or stooped forward, or leaned against his neighbor. Latouche instantly ordered a halt, and one could hear on all sides: "Oh! what a horrid beast! oh! how ugly! What a head! what a body! I can't see any eyes. No, nor any paws." "Hush! hush!" said Latouche; "don't talk so loud, you may wake him up. Wait till I examine him. Neighbors, did you ever hear of the famous beast that ravaged Gévaudan?" "No, no!" said the villagers. "Well, this one looks to me very much like him. You don't see this monster's feet, because he has them folded under him, like the Turks; as for his eyes, they are turned toward the straw, luckily for us; for the eyes of such creatures often emit a deadly poison. The more I look at that skin and that mane--yes, it's a sea-lion, that must have found its way here from Normandie." "A sea-lion!" repeated the peasants; "are they ugly?" "Parbleu! they eat a man as if he was an oyster." "Oh! mon Dieu! What shall we do? how shall we catch him?" "Perhaps he's dead," said Claudine; "he ain't changed his position since this morning." "Dead? where's the man who'll go and find out?" "What if you should give him a shot?" suggested the mayor. "To fire at him is taking a great risk; the bullet often glances off of their skin." "Aim at his ear." "I should have to see it, first." "No matter," said the mayor; "we must capture the animal, dead or alive; take good aim, and fire; and we, that is I myself and the bravest men here, will guard you with our hoes; and, _morgué!_ if he comes at us, we'll give him a warm reception."