74. How Mousqueton had a Narrow Escape of being eaten.
A deep silence reigned for a long time in the boat after the fearfulscene described.
The moon, which had shone for a short time, disappeared behind theclouds; every object was again plunged in the obscurity that is so awfulin the deserts and still more so in that liquid desert, the ocean, andnothing was heard save the whistling of the west wind driving along thetops of the crested billows.
Porthos was the first to speak.
"I have seen," he said, "many dreadful things, but nothing that everagitated me so much as what I have just witnessed. Nevertheless, even inmy present state of perturbation, I protest that I feel happy. I have ahundred pounds' weight less upon my chest. I breathe more freely." Infact, Porthos breathed so loud as to do credit to the free play of hispowerful lungs.
"For my part," observed Aramis, "I cannot say the same as you do,Porthos. I am still terrified to such a degree that I scarcely believemy eyes. I look around the boat, expecting every moment to see that poorwretch holding between his hands the poniard plunged into his heart."
"Oh! I feel easy," replied Porthos. "The poniard was pointed at thesixth rib and buried up to the hilt in his body. I do not reproach you,Athos, for what you have done. On the contrary, when one aims a blowthat is the regulation way to strike. So now, I breathe again--I amhappy!"
"Don't be in haste to celebrate a victory, Porthos," interposedD'Artagnan; "never have we incurred a greater danger than we are nowencountering. Men may subdue men--they cannot overcome the elements. Weare now on the sea, at night, without any pilot, in a frail bark; shoulda blast of wind upset the boat we are lost."
Mousqueton heaved a deep sigh.
"You are ungrateful, D'Artagnan," said Athos; "yes, ungrateful toProvidence, to whom we owe our safety in the most miraculous manner. Letus sail before the wind, and unless it changes we shall be driftedeither to Calais or Boulogne. Should our bark be upset we are five of usgood swimmers, able enough to turn it over again, or if not, to hold onby it. Now we are on the very road which all the vessels between Doverand Calais take, 'tis impossible but that we should meet with afisherman who will pick us up."
"But should we not find any fisherman and should the wind shift to thenorth?"
"That," said Athos, "would be quite another thing; and we shouldnevermore see land until we were upon the other side of the Atlantic."
"Which implies that we may die of hunger," said Aramis.
"'Tis more than possible," answered the Comte de la Fere.
Mousqueton sighed again, more deeply than before.
"What is the matter? what ails you?" asked Porthos.
"I am cold, sir," said Mousqueton.
"Impossible! your body is covered with a coating of fat which preservesit from the cold air."
"Ah! sir, 'tis this very coating of fat that makes me shiver."
"How is that, Mousqueton?
"Alas! your honor, in the library of the Chateau of Bracieux there are alot of books of travels."
"What then?"
"Amongst them the voyages of Jean Mocquet in the time of Henry IV."
"Well?"
"In these books, your honor, 'tis told how hungry voyagers, drifting outto sea, have a bad habit of eating each other and beginning with----"
"The fattest among them!" cried D'Artagnan, unable in spite of thegravity of the occasion to help laughing.
"Yes, sir," answered Mousqueton; "but permit me to say I see nothinglaughable in it. However," he added, turning to Porthos, "I should notregret dying, sir, were I sure that by doing so I might still be usefulto you."
"Mouston," replied Porthos, much affected, "should we ever see my castleof Pierrefonds again you shall have as your own and for your descendantsthe vineyard that surrounds the farm."
"And you should call it 'Devotion,'" added Aramis; "the vineyard ofself-sacrifice, to transmit to latest ages the recollection of yourdevotion to your master."
"Chevalier," said D'Artagnan, laughing, "you could eat a piece ofMouston, couldn't you, especially after two or three days of fasting?"
"Oh, no," replied Aramis, "I should much prefer Blaisois; we haven'tknown him so long."
One may readily conceive that during these jokes which were intendedchiefly to divert Athos from the scene which had just taken place, theservants, with the exception of Grimaud, were not silent. SuddenlyMousqueton uttered a cry of delight, taking from beneath one of thebenches a bottle of wine; and on looking more closely in the same placehe discovered a dozen similar bottles, bread, and a monster junk ofsalted beef.
"Oh, sir!" he cried, passing the bottle to Porthos, "we are saved--thebark is supplied with provisions."
This intelligence restored every one save Athos to gayety.
"Zounds!" exclaimed Porthos, "'tis astonishing how empty violentagitation makes the stomach."
And he drank off half a bottle at a draught and bit great mouthfuls ofthe bread and meat.
"Now," said Athos, "sleep, or try to sleep, my friends, and I willwatch."
In a few moments, notwithstanding their wet clothes, the icy blast thatblew and the previous scene of terror, these hardy adventurers, withtheir iron frames, inured to every hardship, threw themselves down,intending to profit by the advice of Athos, who sat at the helm,pensively wakeful, guiding the little bark the way it was to go, hiseyes fixed on the heavens, as if he sought to verify not only the roadto France, but the benign aspect of protecting Providence. After somehours of repose the sleepers were aroused by Athos.
Dawn was shedding its pallid, placid glimmer on the purple ocean, whenat the distance of a musket shot from them was seen a dark gray mass,above which gleamed a triangular sail; then masters and servants joinedin a fervent cry to the crew of that vessel to hear them and to save.
"A bark!" all cried together.
It was, in fact, a small craft from Dunkirk bound for Boulogne.
A quarter of an hour afterward the rowboat of this craft took them allaboard. Grimaud tendered twenty guineas to the captain, and at nineo'clock in the morning, having a fair wind, our Frenchmen set foot ontheir native land.
"Egad! how strong one feels here!" said Porthos, almost burying hislarge feet in the sands. "Zounds! I could defy a nation!"
"Be quiet, Porthos," said D'Artagnan, "we are observed."
"We are admired, i'faith," answered Porthos.
"These people who are looking at us are only merchants," said Athos,"and are looking more at the cargo than at us."
"I shall not trust to that," said the lieutenant, "and I shall make forthe Dunes* as soon as possible."
_* Sandy hills about Dunkirk, from which it derives its name._
The party followed him and soon disappeared with him behind the hillocksof sand unobserved. Here, after a short conference, they proposed toseparate.
"And why separate?" asked Athos.
"Because," answered the Gascon, "we were sent, Porthos and I, byCardinal Mazarin to fight for Cromwell; instead of fighting for Cromwellwe have served Charles I.--not the same thing by any means. In returningwith the Comte de la Fere and Monsieur d'Herblay our crime would beconfirmed. We have circumvented Cromwell, Mordaunt, and the sea, but weshall find a certain difficulty in circumventing Mazarin."
"You forget," replied Athos, "that we consider ourselves your prisonersand not free from the engagement we entered into."
"Truly, Athos," interrupted D'Artagnan, "I am vexed that such a man asyou are should talk nonsense which schoolboys would be ashamed of.Chevalier," he continued, addressing Aramis, who, leaning proudly on hissword, seemed to agree with his companion, "Chevalier, Porthos and I runno risk; besides, should any ill-luck happen to two of us, will it notbe much better that the other two should be spared to assist those whomay be apprehended? Besides, who knows whether, divided, we may notobtain a pardon--you from the queen, we from Mazarin--which, were we allfour together, would never be granted. Come, Athos and Aramis, go to theright; Porthos, come with me to
the left; these gentlemen should fileoff into Normandy, whilst we, by the nearest road, reach Paris."
He then gave his friends minute directions as to their route.
"Ah! my dear friend," exclaimed Athos, "how I should admire theresources of your mind did I not stop to adore those of your heart."
And he gave him his hand.
"Isn't this fox a genius, Athos?" asked the Gascon. "No! he knows how tocrunch fowls, to dodge the huntsman and to find his way home by day orby night, that's all. Well, is all said?"
"All."
"Then let's count our money and divide it. Ah! hurrah! there's the sun!A merry morning to you, Sunshine. 'Tis a long time since I saw thee!"
"Come, come, D'Artagnan," said Athos, "do not affect to bestrong-minded; there are tears in your eyes. Let us be open with eachother and sincere."
"What!" cried the Gascon, "do you think, Athos, we can take leave,calmly, of two friends at a time not free from danger to you andAramis?"
"No," answered Athos; "embrace me, my son."
"Zounds!" said Porthos, sobbing, "I believe I'm crying; but how foolishall this is!"
Then they embraced. At that moment their fraternal bond of union wascloser than ever, and when they parted, each to take the route agreedon, they turned back to utter affectionate expressions, which the echoesof the Dunes repeated. At last they lost sight of each other.
"Sacrebleu! D'Artagnan," said Porthos, "I must out with it at once, forI can't keep to myself anything I have against you; I haven't been ableto recognize you in this matter."
"Why not?" said D'Artagnan, with his wise smile.
"Because if, as you say, Athos and Aramis are in real danger, this isnot the time to abandon them. For my part, I confess to you that I wasall ready to follow them and am still ready to rejoin them, in spite ofall the Mazarins in the world."
"You would be right, Porthos, but for one thing, which may change thecurrent of your ideas; and that is, that it is not those gentlemen whoare in the greatest danger, it is ourselves; it is not to abandon themthat we have separated, but to avoid compromising them."
"Really?" said Porthos, opening his eyes in astonishment.
"Yes, no doubt. If they are arrested they will only be put in theBastile; if we are arrested it is a matter of the Place de Greve."
"Oh! oh!" said Porthos, "there is quite a gap between that fate and thebaronial coronet you promised me, D'Artagnan."
"Bah! perhaps not so great as you think, Porthos; you know the proverb,'All roads lead to Rome.'"
"But how is it that we are incurring greater risks than Athos andAramis?" asked Porthos.
"Because they have but fulfilled the mission confided to them by QueenHenrietta and we have betrayed that confided to us by Mazarin; because,going hence as emissaries to Cromwell, we became partisans of KingCharles; because, instead of helping cut off the royal head condemned bythose fellows called Mazarin, Cromwell, Joyce, Bridge, Fairfax, etc., wevery nearly succeeded in saving it."
"Upon my word that is true," said Porthos; "but how can you suppose, mydear friend, that in the midst of his great preoccupations GeneralCromwell has had time to think----"
"Cromwell thinks of everything; Cromwell has time for everything; andbelieve me, dear friend, we ought not to lose our time--it is precious.We shall not be safe till we have seen Mazarin, and then----"
"The devil!" said Porthos; "what can we say to Mazarin?"
"Leave that to me--I have my plan. He laughs best who laughs last.Cromwell is mighty, Mazarin is tricky, but I would rather have to dowith them than with the late Monsieur Mordaunt."
"Ah!" said Porthos, "it is very pleasant to be able to say 'the lateMonsieur Mordaunt.'"
"My faith, yes," said D'Artagnan. "But we must be going."
The two immediately started across country toward the road to Paris,followed by Mousqueton, who, after being too cold all night, at the endof a quarter of an hour found himself too warm.