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them, they fired upon him, and he fell, struck by a ball `
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which broke his shoulder. `
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Meantime d'Artagnan had thrown himself upon the other `
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soldier, attacking him with his sword. The conflict was not `
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long; the wretch had nothing to defend himself with but his `
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discharged arquebus. The sword of the Guardsman slipped `
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along the barrel of the now-useless weapon, and passed `
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through the thigh of the assassin, who fell. `
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D'Artagnan immediately placed the point of his sword at his `
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throat. `
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"Oh, do not kill me!" cried the bandit. "Pardon, pardon, my `
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officer, and I will tell you all." `
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"Is your secret of enough importance to me to spare your `
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life for it?" asked the young man, withholding his arm. `
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"Yes; if you think existence worth anything to a man of `
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twenty, as you are, and who may hope for everything, being `
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handsome and brave, as you are." `
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"Wretch," cried d'Artagnan, "speak quickly! Who employed `
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you to assassinate me?" `
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"A woman whom I don't know, but who is called Milady." `
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"But if you don't know this woman, how do you know her `
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name?" `
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"My comrade knows her, and called her so. It was with him `
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she agreed, and not with me; he even has in his pocket a `
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letter from that person, who attaches great importance to `
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you, as I have heard him say." `
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"But how did you become concerned in this villainous `
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affair?" `
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"He proposed to me to undertake it with him, and I agreed." `
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"And how much did she give you for this fine enterprise?" `
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"A hundred louis." `
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"Well, come!" said the young man, laughing, "she thinks I am `
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worth something. A hundred louis? Well, that was a `
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temptation for two wretches like you. I understand why you `
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accepted it, and I grant you my pardon; but upon one `
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condition." `
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"What is that?" said the soldier, uneasy at perceiving that `
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all was not over. `
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"That you will go and fetch me the letter your comrade has `
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in his pocket." `
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"But," cried the bandit, "that is only another way of `
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killing me. How can I go and fetch that letter under the `
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fire of the bastion?" `
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"You must nevertheless make up your mind to go and get it, `
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or I swear you shall die by my hand." `
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"Pardon, monsieur; pity! In the name of that young lady you `
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love, and whom you perhaps believe dead but who is not!" `
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cried the bandit, throwing himself upon his knees and `
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leaning upon his hand--for he began to lose his strength `
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with his blood. `
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"And how do you know there is a young woman whom I love, and `
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that I believed that woman dead?" asked d'Artagnan. `
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"By that letter which my comrade has in his pocket." `
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"You see, then," said d'Artagnan, "that I must have that `
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letter. So no more delay, no more hesitation; or else `
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whatever may be my repugnance to soiling my sword a second `
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time with the blood of a wretch like you, I swear by my `
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faith as an honest man--" and at these words d'Artagnan made `
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so fierce a gesture that the wounded man sprang up. `
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"Stop, stop!" cried he, regaining strength by force of `
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terror. "I will go--I will go!" `
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D'Artagnan took the soldier's arquebus, made him go on `
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before him, and urged him toward his companion by pricking `
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him behind with his sword. `
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It was a frightful thing to see this wretch, leaving a long `
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track of blood on the ground he passed over, pale with `
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approaching death, trying to drag himself along without `
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being seen to the body of his accomplice, which lay twenty `
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paces from him. `
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Terror was so strongly painted on his face, covered with a `
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cold sweat, that d'Artagnan took pity on him, and casting `
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upon him a look of contempt, "Stop," said he, "I will show `
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you the difference between a man of courage and such a `
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coward as you. Stay where you are; I will go myself." `
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And with a light step, an eye on the watch, observing the `
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movements of the enemy and taking advantage of the accidents `
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of the ground, d'Artagnan succeeded in reaching the second `
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soldier. `
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There were two means of gaining his object--to search him on `
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the spot, or to carry him away, making a buckler of his `
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body, and search him in the trench. `
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D'Artagnan preferred the second means, and lifted the `
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assassin onto his shoulders at the moment the enemy fired. `
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A slight shock, the dull noise of three balls which `
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penetrated the flesh, a last cry, a convulsion of agony, `
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proved to d'Artagnan that the would-be assassin had saved `
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his life. `
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D'Artagnan regained the trench, and threw the corpse beside `
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the wounded man, who was as pale as death. `
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Then he began to search. A leather pocketbook, a purse, in `
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which was evidently a part of the sum which the bandit had `
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received, with a dice box and dice, completed the `
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possessions of the dead man. `
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He left the box and dice where they fell, threw the purse to `
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the wounded man, and eagerly opened the pocketbook. `
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`
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Among some unimportant papers he found the following letter, `
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that which he had sought at the risk of his life: `
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`
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`
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"Since you have lost sight of that woman and she is now in `
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safety in the convent, which you should never have allowed `
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her to reach, try, at least, not to miss the man. If you `
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do, you know that my hand stretches far, and that you shall `
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pay very dearly for the hundred louis you have from me." `
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`
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No signature. Nevertheless it was plain the letter came `
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from Milady. He consequently kept it as a piece of `
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evidence, and being in safety behind the angle of the `
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trench, he began to interrogate the wounded man. He `
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confessed that he had undertaken with his comrade--the same `
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who was killed--to carry off a young woman who was to leave `
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Paris by the Barriere de La Villette; but having stopped to `
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drink at a cabaret, they had missed the carriage by ten `
`
minutes. `
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"But what were you to do with that woman?" asked d'Artagnan, `
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with anguish. `
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"We were to have conveyed her to a hotel in the Place `
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Royale," said the wounded man. `
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"Yes, yes!" murmured d'Artagnan; "that's the place--Milady's `
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own residence!" `
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Then the young man tremblingly comprehended what a terrible `
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thirst for vengeance urged this woman on to destroy him, as `
`
well as all who loved him, and how well she must be `
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acquainted with the affairs of the court, since she had `
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discovered all. There could be no doubt she owed this `
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information to the cardinal. `
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But amid all this he perceived, with a feeling of real joy, `
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that the queen must have discovered the prison in which poor `
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Mme. Bonacieux was explaining her devotion, and that she had `
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freed her from that prison; and the letter he had received `
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from the young woman, and her passage along the road of `
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Chaillot like an apparition, were now explained. `
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`
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Then also, as Athos had predicted, it became possible to `
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find Mme. Bonacieux, and a convent was not impregnable. `
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This idea completely restored clemency to his heart. He `
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turned toward the wounded man, who had watched with intense `
`
anxiety all the various expressions of his countenance, and `
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holding out his arm to him, said, "Come, I will not abandon `
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you thus. Lean upon me, and let us return to the camp." `
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`
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"Yes," said the man, who could scarcely believe in such `
`
magnanimity, "but is it not to have me hanged?" `
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"You have my word," said he; "for the second time I give you `
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your life." `
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The wounded man sank upon his knees, to again kiss the feet `
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of his preserver; but d'Artagnan, who had no longer a motive `
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for staying so near the enemy, abridged the testimonials of `
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his gratitude. `
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`
`
The Guardsman who had returned at the first discharge `
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announced the death of his four companions. They were `
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therefore much astonished and delighted in the regiment when `
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they saw the young man come back safe and sound. `
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`
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D'Artagnan explained the sword wound of his companion by a `
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sortie which he improvised. He described the death of the `
`
other soldier, and the perils they had encountered. This `
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