Maupassant Original Short Stories (180), Complete

th their burning tongues. When he saw us, his tongue seemed to stick in his throat; he drooped his head, and seemed as if he were goin

n badly beaten since then, for his whole body was covered with wounds, bruises and blood. The flames had also begun their work on him

e. But the cowards had run away, leaving their crime behind them. Where could we find them now? Meanwhile, however, the captain's wife was looking after

you," he said. "Ah! the scoundrels, the wretc

, do yo

d to stop them. That frightened them, and they did not venture to go farther than the crossroads. They were such cowards. Four of them shot at me at twe

you not cal

ave come; and you would neither have been able to def

t have allowed you to have

u see! I did not want to bring you here

about it any more. Do

alf dead, and then they shook my broken arm; but I did not make a sound. I would rather have bitten my tongue out than hav

we will avenge you

to the wood. Oh! the wretch, the brute! Ah! how I am suffering! My loins, my arms!" and he fell back gasping and exhausted, writhing in his terrible agony, while the captain's wife wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and we all shed tears of grief and rage, as if we h

catch those scoundrels. Let us swear to die, rather than not to find them; and if I am killed first, these are my orders: All the

hoot a woman. Torturing her will be quite sufficient; but if you are killed in this pursuit, I want one thing, and that

urn her! We will tear her to pi

n eye, a toot