twenty years after(二十年后)-第52章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


of　horses。〃
〃Exactly　so。〃
〃And　we　are　pursuing　the　duke　with　the　very　horses　he　has
just　left？〃
〃My　dear　Porthos；　you　are　really　a　man　of　most　superior
understanding；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　with　a　look　as　if　he　spoke
against　his　conviction。
〃Pooh！〃　replied　Porthos；　〃I　am　what　I　am。〃
They　rode　on　for　an　hour；　till　the　horses　were　covered　with
foam　and　dust。
〃Zounds！　what　is　yonder？〃　cried　D'Artagnan。
〃You　are　very　lucky　if　you　see　anything　such　a　night　as
this；〃　said　Porthos。
〃Something　bright。〃
〃I；　too；〃　cried　Musqueton；　〃saw　them　also。〃
〃Ah！　ah！　have　we　overtaken　them？〃
〃Good！　a　dead　horse！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　pulling　up　his　horse；
which　shied；　〃it　seems　their　horses；　too；　are　breaking　down；
as　well　as　ours。〃
〃I　seem　to　hear　the　noise　of　a　troop　of　horsemen；〃　exclaimed
Porthos；　leaning　over　his　horse's　mane。
〃Impossible。〃
〃They　appear　to　be　numerous。〃
〃Then　'tis　something　else。〃
〃Another　horse！〃　said　Porthos。
〃Dead？〃
〃No；　dying。〃
〃Saddled？〃
〃Yes；　saddled　and　bridled。〃
〃Then　we　are　upon　the　fugitives。〃
〃Courage；　we　have　them！〃
〃But　if　they　are　numerous；〃　observed　Musqueton；　〃'tis　not　we
who　have　them；　but　they　who　have　us。〃
〃Nonsense！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃they'll　suppose　us　to　be
stronger　than　themselves；　as　we're　in　pursuit；　they'll　be
afraid　and　will　disperse。〃
〃Certainly；〃　remarked　Porthos。
〃Ah！　do　you　see？〃　cried　the　lieutenant。
〃The　lights　again！　this　time　I；　too；　saw　them；〃　said
Porthos。
〃On！　on！　forward！　forward！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　in　his
stentorian　voice；　〃we　shall　laugh　over　all　this　in　five
minutes。〃
And　they　darted　on　anew。　The　horses；　excited　by　pain　and
emulation；　raced　over　the　dark　road；　in　the　midst　of　which
was　now　seen　a　moving　mass；　denser　and　more　obscure　than　the
rest　of　the　horizon。

26
The　Rencontre。

They　rode　on　in　this　way　for　ten　minutes。　Suddenly　two　dark
forms　seemed　to　separate　from　the　mass；　advanced；　grew　in
size；　and　as　they　loomed　up　larger　and　larger；　assumed　the
appearance　of　two　horsemen。
〃Aha！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃they're　coming　toward　us。〃
〃So　much　the　worse　for　them；〃　said　Porthos。
〃Who　goes　there？〃　cried　a　hoarse　voice。
The　three　horsemen　made　no　reply；　stopped　not；　and　all　that
was　heard　was　the　noise　of　swords　drawn　from　the　scabbards
and　the　cocking　of　the　pistols　with　which　the　two　phantoms
were　armed。
〃Bridle　in　mouth！〃　said　D'Artagnan。
Porthos　understood　him　and　he　and　the　lieutenant　each　drew
with　the　left　hand　a　pistol　from　their　bolsters　and　cocked
it　in　their　turn。
〃Who　goes　there？〃　was　asked　a　second　time。　〃Not　a　step
forward；　or　you're　dead　men。〃
〃Stuff！〃　cried　Porthos；　almost　choked　with　dust　and　chewing
his　bridle　as　a　horse　chews　his　bit。　〃Stuff　and　nonsense；　we
have　seen　plenty　of　dead　men　in　our　time。〃
Hearing　these　words；　the　two　shadows　blockaded　the　road　and
by　the　light　of　the　stars　might　be　seen　the　shining　of　their
arms。
〃Back！〃　shouted　D'Artagnan；　〃or　you　are　dead！〃
Two　shots　were　the　reply　to　this　threat；　but　the　assailants
attacked　their　foes　with　such　velocity　that　in　a　moment　they
were　upon　them；　a　third　pistol…shot　was　heard；　aimed　by
D'Artagnan；　and　one　of　his　adversaries　fell。　As　for　Porthos；
he　assaulted　the　foe　with　such　violence　that；　although　his
sword　was　thrust　aside；　the　enemy　was　thrown　off　his　horse
and　fell　about　ten　steps　from　it。
〃Finish；　Mouston；　finish　the　work！〃　cried　Porthos。　And　he
darted　on　beside　his　friend；　who　had　already　begun　a　fresh
pursuit。
〃Well？〃　said　Porthos。
〃I've　broken　my　man's　skull；〃　cried　D'Artagnan。　〃And　you
　〃
〃I've　only　thrown　the　fellow　down；　but　hark！〃
Another　shot　of　a　carbine　was　heard。　It　was　Musqueton；　who
was　obeying　his　master's　command。
〃On！　on！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃all　goes　well！　we　have　the
first　throw。〃
〃Ha！　ha！〃　answered　Porthos；　〃behold；　other　players　appear。〃
And　in　fact；　two　other　cavaliers　made　their　appearance；
detached；　as　it　seemed；　from　the　principal　group；　they　again
disputed　the　road。
This　time　the　lieutenant　did　not　wait　for　the　opposite　party
to　speak。
〃Stand　aside！〃　he　cried；　〃stand　off　the　road！〃
〃What　do　you　want？〃　asked　a　voice。
〃The　duke！〃　Porthos　and　D'Artagnan　roared　out　both　at　once。
A　burst　of　laughter　was　the　answer；　but　finished　with　a
groan。　D'Artagnan　had；　with　his　sword；　cut　in　two　the　poor
wretch　who　had　laughed。
At　the　same　time　Porthos　and　his　adversary　fired　on　each
other　and　D'Artagnan　turned　to　him。
〃Bravo！　you've　killed　him；　I　think。〃
〃No；　wounded　his　horse　only。〃
〃What　would　you　have；　my　dear　fellow？　One　doesn't　hit　the
bull's…eye　every　time；　it　is　something　to　hit　inside　the
ring。　Ho！　parbleau！　what　is　the　matter　with　my　horse？〃
〃Your　horse　is　falling；〃　said　Porthos；　reining　in　his　own。
In　truth；　the　lieutenant's　horse　stumbled　and　fell　on　his
knees；　then　a　rattling　in　his　throat　was　heard　and　he　lay
down　to　die。　He　had　received　in　the　chest　the　bullet　of
D'Artagnan's　first　adversary。　D'Artagnan　swore　loud　enough
to　be　heard　in　the　skies。
〃Does　your　honor　want　a　horse？〃　asked　Musqueton。
〃Zounds！　want　one！〃　cried　the　Gascon。
〃Here's　one；　your　honor　　〃
〃How　the　devil　hast　thou　two　horses？〃　asked　D'Artagnan；
jumping　on　one　of　them。
〃Their　masters　are　dead！　I　thought　they　might　be　useful；　so
I　took　them。〃
Meantime　Porthos　had　reloaded　his　pistols。
〃Be　on　the　qui　vive！〃　cried　D'Artagnan。　〃Here　are　two　other
cavaliers。〃
As　he　spoke；　two　horsemen　advanced　at　full　speed。
〃Ho！　your　honor！〃　cried　Musqueton；　〃the　man　you　upset　is
getting　up。〃
〃Why　didn't　thou　do　as　thou　didst　to　the　first　man？〃　said
Porthos。
〃I　held　the　horses；　my　hands　were　full；　your　honor。〃
A　shot　was　fired　that　moment；　Musqueton　shrieked　with　pain。
〃Ah；　sir！　I'm　hit　in　the　other　side！　exactly　opposite　the
other！　This　hurt　is　just　the　fellow　of　the　one　I　had　on　the
road　to　Amiens。〃
Porthos　turned　around　like　a　lion；　plunged　on　the　dismounted
cavalier；　who　tried　to　draw　his　sword；　but　before　it　was　out
of　the　scabbard；　Porthos；　with　the　hilt　of　his　had　struck
him　such　a　terrible　blow　on　the　head　that　he　fell　like　an　ox
beneath　the　butcher's　knife。
Musqueton；　groaning；　slipped　from　his　horse；　his　wound　not
allowing　him　to　keep　the　saddle。
On　perceiving　the　cavaliers；　D'Artagnan　had　stopped　and
charged　his　pistol　afresh；　besides；　his　horse；　he　found；　had
a　carbine　on　the　bow　of　the　saddle。
〃Here　I　am！〃　exclaimed　Porthos。　〃Shall　we　wait；　or　shall　we
charge？〃
〃Let　us　charge　them；〃　answered　the　Gascon。
〃Charge！〃　cried　Porthos。
They　spurred　on　their　horses；　the　other　cavaliers　were　only
twenty　steps　from　them。
〃For　the　king！〃　cried　D'Artagnan。
〃The　king　has　no　authority　here！〃　answered　a　deep　voice；
which　seemed　to　proceed　from　a　cloud；　so　enveloped　was　the
cavalier　in　a　whirlwind　of　dust。
〃'Tis　well；　we　will　see　if　the　king's　name　is　not　a　passport
everywhere；〃　replied　the　Gascon。
〃See！〃　answered　the　voice。
Two　shots　were　fired　at　once；　one　by　D'Artagnan；　the　other
by　the　adversary　of　Porthos。　D'Artagnan's　ball　took　off　his
enemy's　hat。　The　ball　fired　by　Porthos's　foe　went　through
the　throat　of　his　horse；　which　fell；　groaning。
〃For　the　last　time；　where　are　you　going？〃
〃To　the　devil！〃　answered　D'Artagnan。
〃Good！　you　may　be　easy；　then　　you'll　get　there。〃
D'Artagnan　then　saw　a　musket…barrel　leveled　at　him；　he　had
no　time　to　draw　from　his　holsters。　He　recalled　a　bit　of
advice　which　Athos　had　once　given　him；　and　made　his　horse
rear。
The　ball　struck　the　animal　full　in　front。　D'Artagnan　felt
his　horse　giving　way　under　him　and　with　his　wonderful
agility　threw　himself　to　one　side。
〃Ah！　this；〃　cried　the　voice；　the　tone　of　which　was　at　once
polished　and　jeering；　〃this　is　nothing　but　a　butchery　of
horses　and　not　a　combat　between　men。　To　the　sword；　sir！　the
sword！〃
And　he　jumped　off　his　horse。
〃To　the　swords！　be　it　so！〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　〃that　is
exactly　what　I　want。〃
D'Artagnan；　in　two　steps；　was　engaged　with　the　foe；　whom；
according　to　custom；　he　attacked　impetuously；　but　he　met
this　time　with　a　skill　and　a　strength　of　arm　that　gave　him
pause。　Twice　he　was　obliged　to　step　back；　his　opponent
stirred　not　one　inch。　D'Artagnan　returned　and　again　attacked
him。
Twice　or　thrice　thrusts　were　attempted　on　both　sides；
without　effect；　sparks　were　emitted　from　the　swords　l