time the woman locked the door, and already her
husband was lying motionless on the floor, while _Bourreau_ could not go
to his assistance, as he had enough to do to defend himself against the
furious attack of the other dogs, who were almost tearing him to pieces,
in spite of his strength and courage. Five minutes later two of the
attacking hounds were totally disabled with the bowels protruding, but
_Bourreau_ himself was dying, with his throat gaping.

Then the woman and the custom-house officer kissed each other before the
breaker whom they bound firmly, while the two dogs of the custom-house
officer, that were still on their legs, were panting for breath, and the
other three were wallowing in their own blood, and while the amorous
couple were carrying on all sorts of capers, who were still further
excited by the rage of the dog-breaker, who was forced to look at them,
and who shouted in his despair:

"You wretches! You shall pay for this!" And the woman's only reply was,
to say: "Cuckold! Cuckold! Cuckold!"

When she was tired of larking, her hatred was not yet satisfied, and she
said to the brigadier:

"Fernand, go to the kennels and shoot the five other brutes; otherwise
he will make them kill me to-morrow. Off you go, old fellow!"

The brigadier obeyed, and immediately five shots were heard in the
darkness. It did not take long, but that short time had been enough for
"the man with the dogs" to show what he could do. While he was tied, the
two dogs of the custom-house officer had gradually recognized him, and
came and fondled him, and as soon as he was alone with his wife, as she
was insulting him, he said, in his usual voice of command to the dogs:

"At her, Flanbard! At her, Garou!" And the two dogs sprang at the
wretched woman, and one seized her by the throat, while the other caught
her by the side.

When the brigadier came back, she was dying on the ground in a pool of
blood, and "the man with the dogs" said with a laugh: "There, you see,
that is the way I break in my dogs!"

The custom-house officer rushed out in horror, followed by his hounds
who licked his hands as they ran, and made them quite red.

The next morning "the man with the dogs" was found still bound, but
chuckling, in his hovel that was turned into a slaughter-house.

They were both arrested and tried, when "the man with the dogs" was
acquitted, and the brigadier sentenced to a term of imprisonment. The
matter gave much food for t