twenty years after(二十年后)-第51章

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rode　on；　convinced　that　in　this　direction　he　would　gain
intelligence　of　the　fugitive。　In　five　minutes　he　had　arrived
at　the　place；　where　the　guards　joined　him；　coming　up　one　by
one。
The　several　members　of　that　group　were　much　excited。　They
looked　at　the　cord；　still　hanging　from　the　loophole　and
broken　at　about　twenty　feet　from　the　ground。　Their　eyes
measured　the　height　and　they　exchanged　conjectures。　On　the
top　of　the　wall　sentinels　went　and　came　with　a　frightened
air。
A　few　soldiers；　commanded　by　a　sergeant；　drove　away　idlers
from　the　place　where　the　duke　had　mounted　his　horse。
D'Artagnan　went　straight　to　the　sergeant。
〃My　officer；〃　said　the　sergeant；　〃it　is　not　permitted　to
stop　here。〃
〃That　prohibition　is　not　for　me；〃　said　D'Artagnan。　〃Have　the
fugitives　been　pursued？〃
〃Yes；　my　officer；　unfortunately；　they　are　well　mounted。〃
〃How　many　are　there？〃
〃Four；　and　a　fifth　whom　they　carried　away　wounded。〃
〃Four！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　looking　at　Porthos。　〃Do　you　hear；
baron？　They　are　only　four！〃
A　joyous　smile　lighted　Porthos's　face。
〃How　long　a　start　have　they？〃
〃Two　hours　and　a　quarter；　my　officer。〃
〃Two　hours　and　a　quarter　　that　is　nothing；　we　are　well
mounted；　are　we　not；　Porthos？〃
Porthos　breathed　a　sigh；　he　thought　of　what　was　in　store　for
his　poor　horses。
〃Very　good；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃and　now　in　what　direction　did
they　set　out？〃
〃That　I　am　forbidden　to　tell。〃
D'Artagnan　drew　from　his　pocket　a　paper。　〃Order　of　the
king；〃　he　said。
〃Speak　to　the　governor；　then。〃
〃And　where　is　the　governor？〃
〃In　the　country。〃
Anger　mounted　to　D'Artagnan's　face；　he　frowned　and　his
cheeks　were　colored。
〃Ah；　you　scoundrel！〃　he　said　to　the　sergeant；　〃I　believe　you
are　impudent　to　me！　Wait！〃
He　unfolded　the　paper；　presented　it　to　the　sergeant　with　one
hand　and　with　the　other　took　a　pistol　from　his　holsters　and
cocked　it。
〃Order　of　the　king；　I　tell　you。　Read　and　answer；　or　I　will
blow　out　your　brains！〃
The　sergeant　saw　that　D'Artagnan　was　in　earnest。　〃The
Vendomois　road；〃　he　replied。
〃And　by　what　gate　did　they　go　out？〃
〃By　the　Saint　Maur　gate。〃
〃If　you　are　deceiving　me；　rascal；　you　will　be　hanged
to…morrow。〃
〃And　if　you　catch　up　with　them　you　won't　come　back　to　hang
me；〃　murmured　the　sergeant。
D'Artagnan　shrugged　his　shoulders；　made　a　sign　to　his　escort
and　started。
〃This　way；　gentlemen；　this　way！〃　he　cried；　directing　his
course　toward　the　gate　that　had　been　pointed　out。
But；　now　that　the　duke　had　escaped；　the　concierge　had　seen
fit　to　fasten　the　gate　with　a　double　lock。　It　was　necessary
to　compel　him　to　open　it；　as　the　sergeant　had　been　compelled
to　speak；　and　this　took　another　ten　minutes。　This　last
obstacle　having　been　overcome；　the　troop　pursued　their
course　with　their　accustomed　ardor；　but　some　of　the　horses
could　no　longer　sustain　this　pace；　three　of　them　stopped
after　an　hour's　gallop；　and　one　fell　down。
D'Artagnan；　who　never　turned　his　head；　did　not　perceive　it。
Porthos　told　him　of　it　in　his　calm　manner。
〃If　only　we　two　arrive；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃it　will　be
enough；　since　the　duke's　troop　are　only　four　in　number。〃
〃That　is　true；〃　said　Porthos
And　he　spurred　his　courser　on。
At　the　end　of　another　two　hours　the　horses　had　gone　twelve
leagues　without　stopping；　their　legs　began　to　tremble；　and
the　foam　they　shed　whitened　the　doublets　of　their　masters。
〃Let　us　rest　here　an　instant　to　give　these　poor　creatures
breathing　time；〃　said　Porthos。
〃Let　us　rather　kill　them！　yes；　kill　them！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；
〃I　see　fresh　tracks；　'tis　not　a　quarter　of　an　hour　since
they　passed　this　place。〃
In　fact；　the　road　was　trodden　by　horses'　feet；　visible　even
in　the　approaching　gloom　of　evening。
They　set　out；　after　a　run　of　two　leagues；　Musqueton's　horse
sank。
〃Gracious　me！〃　said　Porthos；　〃there's　Phoebus　ruined。〃
〃The　cardinal　will　pay　you　a　hundred　pistoles。〃
〃I'm　above　that。〃
〃Let　us　set　out　again；　at　full　gallop。〃
〃Yes；　if　we　can。〃
But　at　last　the　lieutenant's　horse　refused　to　go　on；　he
could　not　breathe；　one　last　spur；　instead　of　making　him
advance；　made　him　fall。
〃The　devil！〃　exclaimed　Porthos；　〃there's　Vulcan　foundered。〃
〃Zounds！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃then　we　must　stop！　Give　me　your
horse；　Porthos。　What　the　devil　are　you　doing？〃
〃By　Jove；　I　am　falling；　or　rather；　Bayard　is　falling；〃
answered　Porthos。
All　three　then　cried：　〃All's　over。〃
〃Hush！〃　said　D'Artagnan。
〃What　is　it？〃
〃I　hear　a　horse。〃
〃It　belongs　to　one　of　our　companions；　who　is　overtaking　us。〃
〃No；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃it　is　in　advance。〃
〃That　is　another　thing；〃　said　Porthos；　and　he　listened
toward　the　quarter　indicated　by　D'Artagnan。
〃Monsieur；〃　said　Musqueton；　who；　abandoning　his　horse　on　the
high　road；　had　come　on　foot　to　rejoin　his　master；　〃Phoebus
could　no　longer　hold　out　and　　〃
〃Silence！〃　said　Porthos。
In　fact；　at　that　moment　a　second　neighing　was　borne　to　them
on　the　night　wind。
〃It　is　five　hundred　feet　from　here；　in　advance；〃　said
D'Artagnan。
〃True；　monsieur；〃　said　Musqueton；　〃and　five　hundred　feet
from　here　is　a　small　hunting…house。〃
〃Musqueton；　thy　pistols；〃　said　D'Artagnan。
〃I　have　them　at　hand；　monsieur。〃
〃Porthos；　take　yours　from　your　holsters。〃
〃I　have　them。〃
〃Good！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　seizing　his　own；　〃now　you
understand；　Porthos？〃
〃Not　too　well。〃
〃We　are　out　on　the　king's　service。〃
〃Well？〃
〃For　the　king's　service　we　need　horses。〃
〃That　is　true；〃　said　Porthos。
〃Then　not　a　word；　but　set　to　work！〃
They　went　on　through　the　darkness；　silent　as　phantoms；　they
saw　a　light　glimmering　in　the　midst　of　some　trees。
〃Yonder　is　the　house；　Porthos；〃　said　the　Gascon；　〃let　me　do
what　I　please　and　do　you　what　I　do。〃
They　glided　from　tree　to　tree　till　they　arrived　at　twenty
steps　from　the　house　unperceived　and　saw　by　means　of　a
lantern　suspended　under　a　hut；　four　fine　horses。　A　groom　was
rubbing　them　down；　near　them　were　saddles　and　bridles。
D'Artagnan　approached　quickly；　making　a　sign　to　his　two
companions　to　remain　a　few　steps　behind。
〃I　buy　those　horses；〃　he　said　to　the　groom。
The　groom　turned　toward　him　with　a　look　of　surprise；　but
made　no　reply。
〃Didn't　you　hear；　fellow？〃
〃Yes；　I　heard。〃
〃Why；　then；　didn't　you　reply？〃
〃Because　these　horses　are　not　to　be　sold；〃　was　the　reply。
〃I　take　them；　then；〃　said　the　lieutenant。
And　he　took　hold　of　one　within　his　reach；　his　two　companions
did　the　same　thing。
〃Sir；〃　cried　the　groom；　〃they　have　traversed　six　leagues　and
have　only　been　unsaddled　half　an　hour。〃
〃Half　an　hour's　rest　is　enough　〃　replied　the　Gascon。
The　groom　cried　aloud　for　help。　A　kind　of　steward　appeared；
just　as　D'Artagnan　and　his　companions　were　prepared　to
mount。　The　steward　attempted　to　expostulate。
〃My　dear　friend；〃　cried　the　lieutenant；　〃if　you　say　a　word　I
will　blow　out　your　brains。〃
〃But；　sir；〃　answered　the　steward；　〃do　you　know　that　these
horses　belong　to　Monsieur　de　Montbazon？〃
〃So　much　the　better；　they　must　be　good　animals；　then。〃
〃Sir；　I　shall　call　my　people。〃
〃And　I；　mine；　I've　ten　guards　behind　me；　don't　you　hear　them
gallop？　and　I'm　one　of　the　king's　musketeers。　Come；　Porthos；
come；　Musqueton。〃
They　all　mounted　the　horses　as　quickly　as　possible。
〃Halloo！　hi！　hi！〃　cried　the　steward；　〃the　house　servants；
with　the　carbines！〃
〃On！　on！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃there'll　be　firing！　on！〃
They　all　set　off；　swift　as　the　wind。
〃Here！〃　cried　the　steward；　〃here！〃　whilst　the　groom　ran　to　a
neighboring　building。
〃Take　care　of　your　horses！〃　cried　D'Artagnan　to　him。
〃Fire！〃　replied　the　steward。
A　gleam；　like　a　flash　of　lightning；　illumined　the　road；　and
with　the　flash　was　heard　the　whistling　of　balls；　which　were
fired　wildly　in　the　air。
〃They　fire　like　grooms；〃　said　Porthos。　〃In　the　time　of　the
cardinal　people　fired　better　than　that；　do　you　remember　the
road　to　Crevecoeur；　Musqueton？〃
〃Ah；　sir！　my　left　side　still　pains　me！〃
〃Are　you　sure　we　are　on　the　right　track；　lieutenant？〃
〃Egad；　didn't　you　hear？　these　horses　belong　to　Monsieur　de
Montbazon；　well；　Monsieur　de　Montbazon　is　the　husband　of
Madame　de　Montbazon　　〃
〃And　　〃
〃And　Madame　de　Montbazon　is　the　mistress　of　the　Duc　de
Beaufort。〃
〃Ah！　I　understand；〃　replied　Porthos；　〃she　has　ordered　relays
of　horses。〃
〃Exactly　so。〃
〃And　we　are　pursuing　the　duke　with　the　very　horses　he　has
just　left？〃
〃M