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
|
|
Twenty Years Later 92 at Prostate Health
out of range."
"Monsieur de Chavigny -- where was he?"
"Absent."
"And La Ramee?"
"Was found locked up in the prisoners room, a gag in his
mouth and a poniard near him."
"But the man who was under him?"
"Was an accomplice of the dukes and escaped along with
him."
Mazarin groaned.
"My lord," said DArtagnan, advancing toward the cardinal,
"it seems to me that your eminence is losing precious time.
It may still be possible to overtake the prisoner. France is
large; the nearest frontier is sixty leagues distant."
"And who is to pursue him?" cried Mazarin.
"I, pardieu!"
"And you would arrest him?"
"Why not?"
"You would arrest the Duc de Beaufort, armed, in the field?"
"If your eminence should order me to arrest the devil, I
would seize him by the horns and would bring him in."
"So would I," said Porthos.
"So would you!" said Mazarin, looking with astonishment at
those two men. "But the duke will not yield himself without
a furious battle."
"Very well," said DArtagnan, his eyes aflame, "battle! It
is a long time since we have had a battle, eh, Porthos?"
"Battle!" cried Porthos.
"And you think you can catch him?"
"Yes, if we are better mounted than he."
"Go then, take what guards you find here, and pursue him."
"You command us, my lord, to do so?"
"And I sign my orders," said Mazarin, taking a piece of
paper and writing some lines; "Monsieur du Vallon, your
barony is on the back of the Duc de Beauforts horse; you
have nothing to do but to overtake it. As for you, my dear
lieutenant, I promise you nothing; but if you bring him back
to me, dead or alive, you may ask all you wish."
"To horse, Porthos!" said DArtagnan, taking his friend by
the hand.
"Here I am," smiled Porthos, with his sublime composure.
They descended the great staircase, taking with them all the
guards they found on their road, and crying out, "To arms!
To arms!" and immediately put spur to horse, which set off
along the Rue Saint Honore with the speed of the whirlwind.
"Well, baron, I promise you some good exercise!" said the
Gascon.
"Yes, my captain."
As they went, the citizens, awakened, left their doors and
the street dogs followed the cavaliers, barking. At the
corner of the Cimetiere Saint Jean, DArtagnan upset a man;
it was too insignificant an occurrence to delay people so
eager to get on. The troop continued its course as though
their steeds had wings.
Alas! there are no unimportant events in this world and we
shall see that this apparently slight incident came near
endangering the monarchy.
25
An Adventure on the High Road.
The musketeers rode the whole length of the Faubourg Saint
Antoine and of the road to Vincennes, and soon found
themselves out of the town, then in a forest and then within
sight of a village.
The horses seemed to become more lively with each successive
step; their nostrils reddened like glowing furnaces.
DArtagnan, freely applying his spurs, was in advance of
Porthos two feet at the most; Mousqueton followed two lengths
behind; the guards were scattered according to the varying
excellence of their respective mounts.
From the top of an eminence DArtagnan perceived a group of
people collected on the other side of the moat, in front of
that part of the donjon which looks toward Saint Maur. He
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.
DArtagnan went straight to the sergeant.
"My officer," said the sergeant, "it is not permitted to
stop here."
"That prohibition is not for me," said DArtagnan. "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 DArtagnan, looking at Porthos. "Do you hear,
baron? They are only four!"
A joyous smile lighted Porthoss 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 DArtagnan; "and now
Twenty Years Later page 91 Twenty Years Later page 93 |
