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"Hello, Grimaud! Planchet! Mousqueton! Bazin!" cried the four `
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young men, calling their lackeys, "clean my boots, and fetch the `
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horses from the hotel." `
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Each Musketeer was accustomed to leave at the general hotel, as `
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at a barrack, his own horse and that of his lackey. Planchet, `
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Grimaud, Mousqueton, and Bazin set off at full speed. `
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"Now let us lay down the plan of campaign," said Porthos. "Where `
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do we go first?" `
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"To Calais," said d'Artagnan; "that is the most direct line to `
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London." `
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"Well," said Porthos, "this is my advice--" `
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"Speak!" `
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"Four men traveling together would be suspected. D'Artagnan will `
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give each of us his instructions. I will go by the way of `
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Boulogne to clear the way; Athos will set out two hours after, by `
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that of Amiens; Aramis will follow us by that of Noyon; as to `
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d'Artagnan, he will go by what route he thinks is best, in `
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Planchet's clothes, while Planchet will follow us like `
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d'Artagnan, in the uniform of the Guards." `
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"Gentlemen," said Athos, "my opinion is that it is not proper to `
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allow lackeys to have anything to do in such an affair. A secret `
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may, by chance, be betrayed by gentlemen; but it is almost `
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always sold by lackeys." `
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"Porthos's plan appears to me to be impracticable," said `
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d'Artagnan, "inasmuch as I am myself ignorant of what `
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instructions I can give you. I am the bearer of a letter, that `
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is all. I have not, and I cannot make three copies of that `
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letter, because it is sealed. We must, then, as it appears to `
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me, travel in company. This letter is here, in this pocket," and `
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he pointed to the pocket which contained the letter. "If I `
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should be killed, one of you must take it, and continue the `
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route; if he be killed, it will be another's turn, and so on-- `
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provided a single one arrives, that is all that is required." `
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"Bravo, d'Artagnan, your opinion is mine," cried Athos, "Besides, `
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we must be consistent; I am going to take the waters, you will `
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accompany me. Instead of taking the waters of Forges, I go and `
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take sea waters; I am free to do so. If anyone wishes to stop `
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us, I will show Monsieur de Treville's letter, and you will show `
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your leaves of absence. If we are attacked, we will defend `
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ourselves; if we are tried, we will stoutly maintain that we were `
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only anxious to dip ourselves a certain number of times in the `
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sea. They would have an easy bargain of four isolated men; `
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whereas four men together make a troop. We will arm our four `
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lackeys with pistols and musketoons; if they send an army out `
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against us, we will give battle, and the survivor, as d'Artagnan `
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says, will carry the letter." `
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"Well said," cried Aramis; "you don't often speak, Athos, but `
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when you do speak, it is like St. John of the Golden Mouth. I `
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agree to Athos's plan. And you, Porthos?" `
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"I agree to it, too," said Porthos, "if d'Artagnan approves of `
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it. D'Artagnan, being the bearer of the letter, is naturally the `
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head of the enterprise; let him decide, and we will execute." `
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"Well," said d'Artagnan, "I decide that we should adopt Athos's `
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plan, and that we set off in half an hour." `
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"Agreed!" shouted the three Musketeers in chorus. `
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Each one, stretching out his hand to the bag, took his seventy- `
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five pistoles, and made his preparations to set out at the time `
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appointed. `
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20 THE JOURNEY `
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At two o'clock in the morning, our four adventurers left Paris by `
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the Barriere St. Denis. As long as it was dark they remained `
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silent; in spite of themselves they submitted to the influence of `
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the obscurity, and apprehended ambushes on every side. `
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With the first rays of day their tongues were loosened; with the `
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sun gaiety revived. It was like the eve of a battle; the heart `
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beat, the eyes laughed, and they felt that the life they were `
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perhaps going to lose, was, after all, a good thing. `
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Besides, the appearance of the caravan was formidable. The black `
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horses of the Musketeers, their martial carriage, with the `
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regimental step of these noble companions of the soldier, would `
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have betrayed the most strict incognito. The lackeys followed, `
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armed to the teeth. `
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All went well till they arrived at Chantilly, which they reached `
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about eight o'clock in the morning. They needed breakfast, and `
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alighted at the door of an AUBERGE, recommended by a sign `
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representing St. Martin giving half his cloak to a poor man. `
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They ordered the lackeys not to unsaddle the horses, and to hold `
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themselves in readiness to set off again immediately. `
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They entered the common hall, and placed themselves at table. A `
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gentleman, who had just arrived by the route of Dammartin, was `
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seated at the same table, and was breakfasting. He opened the `
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conversation about rain and fine weather; the travelers replied. `
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He drank to their good health, and the travelers returned his `
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politeness. `
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But at the moment Mousqueton came to announce that the horses `
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were ready, and they were arising from table, the stranger `
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proposed to Porthos to drink the health of the cardinal. Porthos `
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replied that he asked no better if the stranger, in his turn, `
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would drink the health of the king. The stranger cried that he `
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acknowledged no other king but his Eminence. Porthos called him `
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drunk, and the stranger drew his sword. `
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"You have committed a piece of folly," said Athos, "but it can't `
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be helped; there is no drawing back. Kill the fellow, and rejoin `
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us as soon as you can." `
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All three remounted their horses, and set out at a good pace, `
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while Porthos was promising his adversary to perforate him with `
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all the thrusts known in the fencing schools. `
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"There goes one!" cried Athos, at the end of five hundred paces. `
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"But why did that man attack Porthos rather than any other one of `
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us?" asked Aramis. `
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"Because, as Porthos was talking louder than the rest of us, he `
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took him for the chief," said d'Artagnan. `
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"I always said that this cadet from Gascony was a well of `
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wisdom," murmured Athos; and the travelers continued their route. `
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At Beauvais they stopped two hours, as well to breathe their `
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horses a little as to wait for Porthos. At the end of two hours, `
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as Porthos did not come, not any news of him, they resumed their `
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journey. `
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At a league from Beauvais, where the road was confined between `
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two high banks, they fell in with eight or ten men who, taking `
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advantage of the road being unpaved in this spot, appeared to be `
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employed in digging holes and filling up the ruts with mud. `
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Aramis, not liking to soil his boots with this artificial mortar, `
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apostrophized them rather sharply. Athos wished to restrain him, `
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but it was too late. The laborers began to jeer the travelers `
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and by their insolence disturbed the equanimity even of the cool `
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Athos, who urged on his horse against one of them. `
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Then each of these men retreated as far as the ditch, from which `
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each took a concealed musket; the result was that our seven `
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travelers were outnumbered in weapons. Aramis received a ball `
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which passed through his shoulder, and Mousqueton another ball `
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which lodged in the fleshy part which prolongs the lower portion `
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of the loins. Therefore Mousqueton alone fell from his horse, `
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not because he was severely wounded, but not being able to see `
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the wound, he judged it to be more serious than it really was. `
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"It was an ambuscade!" shouted d'Artagnan. "Don't waste a `
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charge! Forward!" `
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Aramis, wounded as he was, seized the mane of his horse, which `
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carried him on with the others. Mousqueton's horse rejoined `
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them, and galloped by the side of his companions. `
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"That will serve us for a relay," said Athos. `
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"I would rather have had a hat," said d'Artagnan. "Mine was `
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carried away by a ball. By my faith, it is very fortunate that `
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the letter was not in it." `
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"They'll kill poor Porthos when he comes up," said Aramis. `
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"If Porthos were on his legs, he would have rejoined us by this `
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time," said Athos. "My opinion is that on the ground the drunken `
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man was not intoxicated." `
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They continued at their best speed for two hours, although the `
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horses were so fatigued that it was to be feared they would soon `
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refuse service. `
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The travelers had chosen crossroads in the hope that they might `
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meet with less interruption; but at Crevecoeur, Aramis declared `
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he could proceed no farther. In fact, it required all the `
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courage which he concealed beneath his elegant form and polished `
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manners to bear him so far. He grew more pale every minute, and `
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they were obliged to support him on his horse. They lifted him `
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off at the door of a cabaret, left Bazin with him, who, besides, `
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in a skirmish was more embarrassing than useful, and set forward `
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again in the hope of sleeping at Amiens. `
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"MORBLEU," said Athos, as soon as they were again in motion, `
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"reduced to two masters and Grimaud and Planchet! MORBLEU! I `
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won't be their dupe, I will answer for it. I will neither open `
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my mouth nor draw my sword between this and Calais. I swear `
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by--" `
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"Don't waste time in swearing," said d'Artagnan; "let us gallop, `
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if our horses will consent." `
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