CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

A DANGEROUS MISSION BRINGS UNUSUAL RESULTS

A few days later, the Duc d'Orleans, who commanded the French troops before Rochelle in the absence of the King, inspected the camp. He was satisfied with everything he had seen and especially complimented M. des Essart, the captain of the King's Guards.

Turning to the troops the Duc d'Orleans raised his voice and said, "I require three or four volunteers with a capable leader to undertake a dangerous duty."

"The man to lead them is here, sir," said M. des Essart, pointing to D'Artagnan.

D'Artagnan stepped forward and, raising his sword, called out: "Four men who will risk being killed with me."

Two of the Guards stepped forward, followed immediately by two soldiers. D'Artagnan accepted these four who had shown unhesitating willingness and refused all others.

It appeared that during the night the Rochelle garrison had attacked and recaptured a bastion which royalist troops had taken a few days before.

D'Artagnan's duty was to examine this tower near enough to see how the enemy were guarding it.

He set out with his four companions, the two Guards at his sides followed by the two soldiers. They went along a trench which protected them until they were within a hundred paces of the bastion. Halting to listen and look over the protecting bank, D'Artagnan noticed that the two soldiers were no longer behind him.

"Cowards," thought he. "They have probably hidden themselves, being afraid to follow us."

A little farther on they turned a corner and found themselves within sixty paces of their object. There was no one to be seen, and the bastion appeared to be deserted. Before, however, they could decide whether to go on or wait and watch, a dozen musket balls came whistling past the three.

This told them all they wanted to know; the bastion was guarded. They immediately ran back.

Just as they turned the corner of the trench one of the Guardsmen fell, shot through the chest. The other, being well in front and unharmed, continued his way back to the camp at full speed.

As D'Artagnan stooped to help the fallen man, two more shots were fired. One ball struck the head of the already dying man and the other struck the side of the trench close to D'Artagnan.

From the direction of the balls it was clear that they could not have come from the bastion. Then in a flash the thought of the two soldiers came to D'Artagnan's mind and with that he remembered the attempt on his life the previous afternoon. Determined this time to find out with whom he had to deal, he fell across the body of the dead Guardsman as if he himself had been hit.

Before very long, the two heads appeared round the corner of a side trench; they were the heads of the two soldiers. D'Artagnan had not been wrong in his idea. The two men had seized the opportunity of going with D'Artagnan hoping, if they killed him, to make it appear that he had been killed by the enemy. But if D'Artagnan were merely wounded he would later on denounce them, so they approached to make sure. Unfortunately for them they had been deceived by D'Artagnan's trick and had therefore failed to reload their muskets. D'Artagnan had taken care not to let go of his sword, and when they were a few paces from him, he sprang to his feet.

The murderers realized immediately that it would be useless for them to flee to the camp without first killing their man. If they failed, their plan was then to join the enemy.

One of them struck at D'Artagnan with his musket, but D'Artagnan avoided the terrible blow by jumping to one side. Doing so he left a free passage for the other soldier, who rushed past him and fled in the direction of the bastion. The guards of the bastion fired, mistaking him by his uniform for a royalist soldier, and he fell with a broken shoulder.

In the meantime D'Artagnan had attacked the remaining soldier. The fight only lasted a few moments, and the soldier fell with a sword-thrust in his thigh.

"Do not kill me," cried the soldier piteously, as D'Artagnan placed the point of his sword at his throat. "Forgive me, forgive me, and I will tell you everything."

"Why! Is your secret of sufficient importance to stop me from killing you?" said D'Artagnan.

"Yes; if you think life is worth anything to a young man, brave and handsome as you are."

"Wretch," cried D'Artagnan. "Speak at once! Who employed you to kill me?"

"I don't know who she is except that she is called Milady."

"If you don't know her, how is it that you know her name?"

"My companion spoke of her as such and it was with him she made the agreement. In fact, he has a letter from her in his pocket."

"How did you become mixed up with this business?"

"He proposed that I should join him and I agreed."

"What were you to gain by doing so?"

"A hundred louis between us."

"So she thinks I am worth something," said D'Artagnan with a laugh. "A hundred louis! A strong enough temptation for two wretches like you. However, I'll spare your life on one condition."

"What is that?" asked the soldier uneasily.

"My condition is that you go and get the letter which you say is in your companion's pocket."

"No, no!" cried the murderer." That is only another way of killing me. The soldiers in the bastion will shoot me also."

"Come! Make up your mind. Go and get the letter or I'll drive my sword through you."

"Forgive me, sir. Pity," cried the man, throwing himself on his knees.

"I must have that letter," shouted D'Artagnan, making a sudden fierce movement towards the man.

"I'll go, I'll go," cried the man, fearing that he was about to be killed.

Trembling, and with the fear of death showing on his face, the wounded man dragged himself along towards his comrade.

Seeing the terror of the man and the blood he was losing, D'Artagnan took pity on him.

"Stop," he said, with a look of scorn. "I'll show you the difference between a brave man and a coward like you. Remain where you are and I'll go instead."

Watching carefully the movements of the men on guard, and taking advantage of holes or rocks to protect himself, D'Artagnan reached the second soldier in safety.

One of two things now remained to be done. He could search the man on the spot, or carry him back, using him as a shield, and then search him in the trench.

Without hesitation D'Artagnan decided on the second plan. An instant after he had lifted the man on to his shoulders, the enemy fired.

D'Artagnan felt at least three balls strike the man, and so his life was saved by his would-be murderer.

Regaining the trench without harm, D'Artagnan put the dead man down and searched his pockets.

In an inside pocket he found the letter which read as follows:

Do not miss the man. If you do, you know that my hand stretches far, and that you will pay dearly for the hundred louis you have received from me.

There was no signature, but there was no doubt that the letter had come from Milady. This letter he placed carefully in his pocket. It formed a valuable piece of evidence against her.

D'Artagnan turned towards the wounded man and held out his arm. "Come," he said. "I cannot leave you here in your condition. Lean on my arm and let us return to the camp."

The man sank to his knees and bent to kiss D'Artagnan's feet.

"My lord, pity," he pleaded. "You're taking me back to have me hanged. Let me die here. Pity."

"Get up," said D'Artagnan, angered by the man's cowardice. " You have my word. For the second time I spare your life."

The other Guardsman had reached camp safely and had announced the death of the other four of the party. Everyone was therefore greatly astonished and delighted at seeing D'Artagnan return unhurt.

D'Artagnan explained that they had later on attacked the enemy to get further information and that the enemy had killed two men and wounded the soldier he had brought back with him.

The whole army praised D'Artagnan highly and spoke of nothing but the affair all day. Even the Duc d'Orleans highly complimented him after hearing his report.

Now that one of his enemies was killed and the other desired nothing but to serve him, D'Artagnan felt greatly relieved in mind.

This relief merely proved that D'Artagnan misjudged Milady.