7° THE ADVENTURES OF 



" But," said he, " I have seen pictures in which armadillos are 

 represented with armour formed of small squares." 



" That is another species, which also lives in Mexico," replied 

 Sumichrast. 



When we talked about killing the animal, Lucien opposed the 

 idea with great vehemence. He wanted either to carry it away- 

 alive or to let it go — both being plans which could not be allowed. 

 Gringalet, however, cut short the discussion by strangling it, 

 I'Encuerado's carelessness having left it in his way. The boy, 

 both angry and distressed, was astonished at the cruelty of his 

 dog, and was going to beat him. 



" He has only yielded to instinct,'' said Sumichrast. 



" A fine instinct, truly," replied Lucien, in tears, " to kill a 

 poor beast that never did him any harm ! " 



" He has saved us the trouble of killing it. Men, and all car- 

 nivorous animals, cannot live except on the condition of sacrific- 

 ing other creatures. Didn't you shoot a squirrel yesterday ? And 

 you did not refuse your share of those beautiful birds, the plum- 

 age of which so delighted you." 



" Yes, but I did not strangle the squirrel with my teeth. It's 

 a very different thing." 



" For you, very probably ; but it was much the same to the 

 squirrel. However, if there's another chance, you shall lend 

 your gun to G-ringalet." 



Lucien smiled through his tears, and his indignation gradually 

 calmed down. Certainly the result is the same, whether you 

 wring a fowl's neck or shoot it ; yet I could never make up my 

 mind to the former operation. Lucien, who was endowed with 

 almost feminine sensibility, was often angry with I'Encuerado, 

 who could scarcely resist the temptation of firing at anytliing 

 alive, useful or not, which came within reach of his gun. We 

 had spoken often enough to the Indian on the subject, but he 

 always asserted that if God had allowed man to kill for the pur- 

 poses of food, He had also ordered him to destroy hurtful 

 animals, as they were the allies of the demon. Unfortunately, 

 horses and dogs excepted, all animals were hurtful in I'Encue- 

 rado's eyes. 



