Prostate Health
Prostate Articles
Antioxidant levels key for prostate cancer risk
Obesity and prostate health
Tomatoes for prostate health
Green tea and prostate health
Screening tests for prostate
Books
The Three Musketeers
Twenty Years Later
The Vicomte De Bragelonne
|
|
The Three Musketeers 28 at Prostate Health
of Cahusac,
crying, "To me, Monsieur Guardsman; I will slay you!"
Cahusac turned. It was time; for Athos, whose great courage
alone supported him, sank upon his knee.
"Sblood!" cried he to dArtagnan, "do not kill him, young man, I
beg of you. I have an old affair to settle with him when I am
cured and sound again. Disarm him only--make sure of his sword.
Thats it! Very well done!"
The exclamation was drawn from Athos by seeing the sword of
Cahusac fly twenty paces from him. DArtagnan and Cahusac sprang
forward at the same instant, the one to recover, the other to
obtain, the sword; but dArtagnan, being the more active, reached
it first and placed his foot upon it.
Cahusac immediately ran to the Guardsman whom Aramis had killed,
seized his rapier, and returned toward dArtagnan; but on his way
he met Athos, who during his relief which dArtagnan had procured
him had recovered his breath, and who, for fear that dArtagnan
would kill his enemy, wished to resume the fight.
DArtagnan perceived that it would be disobliging Athos not to
leave him alone; and in a few minutes Cahusac fell, with a sword
thrust through his throat.
At the same instant Aramis placed his sword point on the breast
of his fallen enemy, and forced him to ask for mercy.
There only then remained Porthos and Bicarat. Porthos made a
thousand flourishes, asking Bicarat what oclock it could be, and
offering him his compliments upon his brothers having just
obtained a company in the regiment of Navarre; but, jest as he
might, he gained nothing. Bicarat was one of those iron men who
never fell dead.
Nevertheless, it was necessary to finish. The watch might come
up and take all the combatants, wounded or not, royalists or
cardinalists. Athos, Aramis, and dArtagnan surrounded Bicarat,
and required him to surrender. Though alone against all and with
a wound in his thigh, Bicarat wished to hold out; but Jussac, who
had risen upon his elbow, cried out to him to yield. Bicarat was
a Gascon, as dArtagnan was; he turned a deaf ear, and contented
himself with laughing, and between two parries finding time to
point to a spot of earth with his sword, "Here," cried he,
parodying a verse of the Bible, "here will Bicarat die; for I
only am left, and they seek my life."
"But there are four against you; leave off, I command you."
"Ah, if you command me, thats another thing," said Bicarat. "As
you are my commander, it is my duty to obey." And springing
backward, he broke his sword across his knee to avoid the
necessity of surrendering it, threw the pieces over the convent
wall, and crossed him arms, whistling a cardinalist air.
Bravery is always respected, even in an enemy. The Musketeers
saluted Bicarat with their swords, and returned them to their
sheaths. DArtagnan did the same. Then, assisted by Bicarat,
the only one left standing, he bore Jussac, Cahusac, and one of
Aramiss adversaries who was only wounded, under the porch of the
convent. The fourth, as we have said, was dead. They then rang
the bell, and carrying away four swords out of five, they took
their road, intoxicated with joy, toward the hotel of M. de
Treville.
They walked arm in arm, occupying the whole width of the street
and taking in every Musketeer they met, so that in the end it
became a triumphal march. The heart of dArtagnan swam in
delirium; he marched between Athos and Porthos, pressing them
tenderly.
"If I am not yet a Musketeer," said he to his new friends, as he
passed through the gateway of M. de Trevilles hotel, "at least I
have entered upon my apprenticeship, havent I?"
6 HIS MAJESTY KING LOUIS XIII
This affair made a great noise. M. de Treville scolded his
Musketeers in public, and congratulated them in private; but as
no time was to be lost in gaining the king, M. de Treville
hastened to report himself at the Louvre. It was already too
late. The king was closeted with the cardinal, and M. de
Treville was informed that the king was busy and could not
receive him at that moment. In the evening M. de Treville
attended the kings gaming table. The king was winning; and as
he was very avaricious, he was in an excellent humor. Perceiving
M. de Treville at a distance--
"Come here, Monsieur Captain," said he,
The Three Musketeers page 27 The Three Musketeers page 29 |
