Both men darted after the beast, Maillochon with a long stride, Labouise with the short, breathless trot of a little man.  But the donkey, tired out, had stopped, and, with a bewildered look, was watching his two murderers approach.  Suddenly he stretched his neck and began to bray.

Labouise, out of breath, had taken the gun.  This time he walked right up close, as he did not wish to begin the chase over again.

When the poor beast had finished its mournful cry, like a last call for help, the man called:  “Hey, Mailloche!  Come here, sister; I’m going to give him some medicine.”  And while the other man was forcing the animal’s mouth open, Chicot stuck the barrel of his gun down its throat, as if he were trying to make it drink a potion.  Then he said:  “Look out, sister, here she goes!”

He pressed the trigger.  The donkey stumbled back a few steps, fell down, tried to get up again and finally lay on its side and closed its eyes:  The whole body was trembling, its legs were kicking as if it were, trying to run.  A stream of blood was oozing through its teeth.  Soon it stopped moving.  It was dead.

The two men went along, laughing.  It was over too quickly; they had not had their money’s worth.  Maillochon asked:  “Well, what are we going to do now?”

Labouise answered:  “Don’t worry, sister.  Get the thing on the boat; we’re going to have some fun when night comes.”

They went and got the boat.  The animal’s body was placed on the bottom, covered with fresh grass, and the two men stretched out on it and went to sleep.

Toward noon Labouise drew a bottle of wine, some bread and butter and raw onions from a hiding place in their muddy, worm-eaten boat, and they began to eat.

When the meal was over they once more stretched out on the dead donkey and slept.  At nightfall Labouise awoke and shook his comrade, who was snoring like a buzzsaw.  “Come on, sister,” he ordered.

Maillochon began to row.  As they had plenty of time they went up the Seine slowly.  They coasted along the reaches covered with water-lilies, and the heavy, mud-covered boat slipped over the lily pads and bent the flowers, which stood up again as soon as they had passed.

When they reached the wall of the Eperon, which separates the Saint-Germain forest from the Maisons-Laffitte Park, Labouise stopped his companion and explained his idea to him.  Maillochon was moved by a prolonged, silent laugh.

They threw into the water the grass which had covered the body, took the animal by the feet and hid it behind some bushes.  Then they got into their boat again and went to Maisons-Laffitte.

The night was perfectly black when they reached the wine shop of old man Jules.  As soon as the dealer saw them he came up, shook hands with them and sat down at their table.  They began to talk of one thing and another.  By eleven o’clock the last customer had left and old man Jules winked at Labouise and asked:  “Well, have you got any?”