Upon seeing him they remained stupefied.
A net with fine meshes was hung between two gigantic tulip-trees, and in it a small bird, with its wings entangled, was struggling with plaintive cries.

The bird-catcher who had hung the net was not a human being but a venomous spider, peculiar to the country, as large as a pigeon's egg, and furnished with enormous legs.

The hideous insect, as he was rushing on his prey, was forced to turn back and take refuge in the high branches of a tulip-tree, for a formidable enemy threatened him in his turn.
In fact, Captain Nicholl, with his gun on the ground, forgetting the dangers of his situation, was occupied in delivering as delicately as possible the victim taken in the meshes of the monstrous spider.

When he had finished he let the little bird fly away; it fluttered its wings joyfully and disappeared.
Nicholl, touched, was watching it fly through the copse when he heard these words uttered in a voice full of emotion:-- "You are a brave man, you are!" He turned.

Michel Ardan was in front of him, repeating in every tone-- "And a kind one!" "Michel Ardan!" exclaimed the captain, "what have you come here for, sir ?" "To shake hands with you, Nicholl, and prevent you killing Barbicane or being killed by him." "Barbicane!" cried the captain, "I have been looking for him these two hours without finding him! Where is he hiding himself ?" "Nicholl!" said Michel Ardan, "this is not polite! You must always respect your adversary; don't be uneasy; if Barbicane is alive we shall find him, and so much the more easily that if he has not amused himself with protecting birds he must be looking for you too.