198 The Life of the Spider 



convict's stake. When, worn with fatigue and 

 driven desperate by his vain attempts to get 

 away, the sufferer Ues down fiat and refuses to 

 do his duty, the fowler is able to stimulate him 

 without stirring from his hut. A long string sets 

 in motion a little lever working on a pivot. 

 Raised from the ground by this diabolical 

 contrivance, the bird flies, falls down and flies 

 up again at each jerk of the cord. 



The fowler waits, in the mild sunlight of 

 the autumn morning. Suddenly, great excite- 

 ment in the cages. The Chaffinches chirp their 

 rallying-cry : 



' Pinck ! Pinck ! ' 



There is something happening in the sky. 

 The SamM, quick ! They are coming, the 

 simpletons ; they swoop down upon the treach- 

 erous floor. With a rapid movement, the man 

 in ambush pulls his string. The nets close and 

 the whole flock is caught. 



Man has wild beast's blood in his veins. The 

 fowler hastens to the slaughter. With his 

 thumb, he stifles the beating of the captives' 

 hearts, staves in their skulls. The little birds, 

 so many piteous heads of game, will go to 



