Little Poems in Prose

eyes, which became in a second as big as an orange; I broke one of my nails in breaking two of his teeth, and as I did not feel myself strong enough (for I was of a delicate constitu- tion, and had done very little boxing) to kill this old man quickly, I seized him by his coat- collar with one hand, and with other I caught his throat and began to knock his head vio- lently against a wall. I must confess that I had previously thrown a rapid glance around and made sure that in this deserted suburb I was for a sufficiently long time out of the range of any policemen. Having finally, by a kick in the back hard enough to break his shoulders, knocked down this feeble sexagenarian, I took a big tree branch which was lying on the ground and beat him with all the persistent energy shown by cooks who are trying to make a steak tender. Suddenly—Oh miracle!—Oh joy of the phi- losopher who verifies the excellence of his the- ory!—I saw this antique carcass turn over, spring up with such an energy which I should never have suspected from so seriously dam- aged a machine, and with a look of hatred which appeared to me of the best augury, the decrepit brigand threw himself upon me, gave me two black eyes, broke four of my teeth, and with the same branch beat me to the con-