Volume I Part 44 (2/2)
Madame Caraman nodded
”Well, the little one is well cared for; I often wished that as much had been done for ly The cohed and soon a lively conversation coether, and when the count rew timid and muttered:
”Dear me, the commander”
Madame Caraman responded respectfully to the Count of Monte-Cristo's kind salute; the count walked along the street and hailed a passer-by
Ie with two splendid horses approached, and after the count had ordered Ali, who sat in front, ”to drive around the town,” he and Coucou got inside, where began the conversation in a friendly manner
”So--now tell me all you know”
”Immediately, commander, but allow me in the meantime to ree”
”One ; ”if I have understood you rightly before it is concerning a report which has coht, cos the ladies are very distrustful--”
”The long prefacea woman,”
interrupted the count
”Not exactly a woman, she was but a child not more than fifteen years at the utmost”
”And this child was Captain Joliette's sweetheart?”
”Alas, God forbid--no, that was not the case”
”Well an the Zouave bowing ”One evening we had pursued a troop of Bedouins, and when night set in ere too far away from ca of panthers and hyenas was the song to put us to sleep Toward two o'clock in the e dark body close to the hollow pass by rapidly I soon got un ready and fired
The sound woke the captain up and he inquired the reason Ere I had ti from above the hollow--in two leaps the captain reached the top of the rock and I followed hiht which presented itself was terrible On the ground lay a white figure and close by was an enor eyes of the animal and its wide-open blood-red jaws terrified ht hand and hit at all sides I intended to fire at the beast, but ain and I was afraid that I rasp of the captain had hold of the panther's neck--the animal howled fearfully, and the next moment the weapon of the man slit the body of the beast open
The panther turned over, a streak of blood drenching the ground; the captain, breathing heavily, sank down quite exhausted I hastened to his assistance; the panther's paw had torn his breast and the wound caused hireat deal of pain, but when I tried to dress it he refused and said firmly:
”Look after the little one, Coucou, don't ure; it was a beautiful girl, whose pale, wax-like face see over her tender cheeks, and on her white shoulder the paw of the panther had
In the meantime our comrades had hastened to the spot: with their help the captain rose and his wound ashed and dressed I did all I could to revive the child, but was unsuccessful As soon as the captain couldof hi over the wounded one, he whispered:
”'I hope she is not dead'”
”He is not the son of his father, but of his mother,” muttered Monte-Cristo to himself, but in a louder tone he then said:
”Who was the girl?”