Beast of Gévaudan

Therefore they chased the Beast and bayed it in a swamp whose ground was so unstable that the Beast sank into it, slowing down its run. The children could join it and because they knew they could not pierce its skin with their sticks, they tried to hurt its head and especially its eyes. They stroke several blows to its mouth that was continuously wide-open but they never could reach its eyes. During that fight, the Beast always had the little boy under its feet but did not have the opportunity to bite him, as it was too busy dodgering the assaults.

Finally, these children harassed the Beast so constantly and so boldly that it dropped for the second time the little boy who was just slightly injured to the arm- by which the Beast had caught him - and wore a light scratch to his face.As the little band did not stop shouting with all his might, a man rushed up and shouted along with them. Hearing this new enemy, the Beast stood on its hind legs and ran away in a stream one mile further. Three men saw the Beast dive into it, go out of the water and roll around the ground for some time. Afterwards, the Beast took the road of Mazel and wolfed down a 15 year-old boy in the parish of Grozes in Gevaudan.

History of the fight of the young Portefaix and his friends against the fierce Beast on January 12, 1765.