‘I must tell you, sir,’ he said, as soon as I was within hearing, ‘that two important events have happened at Monte Cristo since you went away.’
‘Well, Michel, let me hear.’
‘In the first place, Pritchard got his hind foot into a snare and instead of staying where he was as any other dog would have done, he bit off his foot with his teeth, and so he came home upon three legs.’
‘But,’ said I, much shocked, ‘is the poor beast dead after such an accident?’
‘Dead, sir? Was not I there to doctor him?’
‘And what did you do to him then?’
‘I cut off the foot properly at the joint with a pruning knife. I then sewed the skin neatly over it, and now you would never know it was off! Look there, the rascal has smelt you and is coming to meet you.’
JUGURTHA BECOMES DIOGENES