The Man in the Iron Mask
The Grotto of Locmaria.
The of Locmaria was from the to it necessary for our friends to husband their in order to it. Besides, night was advancing; midnight had at the fort. Porthos and Aramis were with money and arms. They walked, then, across the heath, which the and the cavern, to every noise, in order to avoid an ambush. From time to time, on the road which they had left on their left, passed from the interior, at the news of the landing of the troops. Aramis and Porthos, some of rock, the that from the people, who fled, trembling, with them their most valuable effects, and tried, to their complaints, to something from them for their own interest. At length, after a race, by stoppages, they the grottoes, in which the of Vannes had taken to have a of the sea at this season.
“My good friend,” said Porthos, vigorously, “we have arrived, it seems. But I you spoke of three men, three servants, who were to us. I don’t see them—where are they?”
“Why should you see them, Porthos?” Aramis. “They are waiting for us in the cavern, and, no doubt, are resting, having their and difficult task.”
Aramis stopped Porthos, who was preparing to enter the cavern. “Will you allow me, my friend,” said he to the giant, “to pass in first? I know the I have to these men; who, not it, would be very likely to fire upon you or away with their in the dark.”
“Go on, then, Aramis; go on—go first; you and foresight; go. Ah! there is that again, of which I spoke to you. It has just me afresh.”
Aramis left Porthos at the entrance of the grotto, and his head, he into the of the cavern, the of the owl. A little cooing, a echo, from the of the cave. Aramis his way cautiously, and soon was stopped by the same of as he had uttered, ten of him.
“Are you there, Yves?” said the bishop.
“Yes, monseigneur; Goenne is here likewise. His son us.”
“That is well. Are all ready?”
“Yes, monseigneur.”
“Go to the entrance of the grottoes, my good Yves, and you will there the Seigneur de Pierrefonds, who is after the of our journey. And if he should not to be able to walk, him up, and him to me.”
The three men obeyed. But the to his was superfluous. Porthos, refreshed, had already the descent, and his step the cavities, and supported by of and granite. As soon as the Seigneur de Bracieux had the bishop, the Bretons a with which they were furnished, and Porthos his friend that he as again as ever.
“Let us the boat,” said Aramis, “and satisfy ourselves at once what it will hold.”
“Do not go too near with the light,” said the Yves; “for as you me, monseigneur, I have under the bench of the poop, in the you know of, the of powder, and the musket-charges that you sent me from the fort.”
“Very well,” said Aramis; and, taking the himself, he all parts of the canoe, with the of a man who is neither in the of danger. The was long, light, little water, thin of keel; in short, one of those that have always been so at Belle-Isle; a little high in its sides, solid upon the water, very manageable, with which, in weather, a of over which the might glide, so as to protect the rowers. In two well-closed coffers, the benches of the and the poop, Aramis bread, biscuit, fruits, a of bacon, a good of water in bottles; the whole for people who did not to the coast, and would be able to revictual, if commanded. The arms, eight muskets, and as many horse-pistols, were in good condition, and all loaded. There were additional oars, in case of accident, and that little sail called trinquet, which the speed of the at the same time the row, and is so useful when the is slack. When Aramis had to all these things, and appeared satisfied with the result of his inspection, “Let us Porthos,” said he, “to know if we must to the out by the unknown of the grotto, the and the of the cavern, or it be better, in the open air, to make it upon its through the bushes, the road of the little beach, which is but twenty high, and gives, at high tide, three or four of good water upon a bottom.”
“It must be as you please, monseigneur,” the Yves, respectfully; “but I don’t that by the of the cavern, and in the dark in which we shall be to our boat, the road will be so as the open air. I know the beach well, and can that it is as as a grass-plot in a garden; the of the grotto, on the contrary, is rough; without reckoning, monseigneur, that at its we shall come to the which leads into the sea, and the will not pass it.”
“I have my calculation,” said the bishop, “and I am it will pass.”
“So be it; I wish it may, monseigneur,” Yves; “but your very well that to make it the of the trench, there is an to be lifted—that under which the always passes, and which the like a door.”
“It can be raised,” said Porthos; “that is nothing.”
“Oh! I know that has the of ten men,” Yves; “but that is him a great of trouble.”
“I think the may be right,” said Aramis; “let us try the open-air passage.”
“The more so, monseigneur,” the fisherman, “that we should not be able to day, it will so much labor, and that as soon as appears, a good the would be necessary, even, to watch the of the or that are on the look-out for us.”
“Yes, yes, Yves, your are good; we will go by the beach.”
And the three Bretons to the boat, and were to place their it to put it in motion, when the barking of dogs was heard, from the of the island.
Aramis out of the grotto, by Porthos. Dawn just with and white the and plain; through the light, fir-trees their over the pebbles, and long of were with their black the of buckwheat. In a of an hour it would be clear daylight; the it to all nature. The which had been heard, which had stopped the three in moving the boat, and had Aramis and Porthos out of the cavern, now to come from a about a of the grotto.
“It is a pack of hounds,” said Porthos; “the dogs are on a scent.”
“Who can be at such a moment as this?” said Aramis.
“And this way, particularly,” Porthos, “where they might the army of the royalists.”
“The noise comes nearer. Yes, you are right, Porthos, the dogs are on a scent. But, Yves!” Aramis, “come here! come here!”
Yves ran him, the which he was about to place under the when the bishop’s call him.
“What is the meaning of this hunt, skipper?” said Porthos.
“Eh! monseigneur, I cannot it,” the Breton. “It is not at such a moment that the Seigneur de Locmaria would hunt. No, and yet the dogs—”
“Unless they have from the kennel.”
“No,” said Goenne, “they are not the Seigneur de Locmaria’s hounds.”
“In common prudence,” said Aramis, “let us go into the grotto; the voices nearer, we shall soon know what we have to trust to.”
They re-entered, but had a hundred steps in the darkness, when a noise like the of a in through the cavern, and breathless, rapid, terrified, a passed like a of the fugitives, over the and disappeared, its scent, which was for under the low of the cave.
“The fox!” the Bretons, with the of hunters.
“Accursed mischance!” the bishop, “our is discovered.”
“How so?” said Porthos; “are you of a fox?”
“Eh! my friend, what do you by that? why do you the fox? It is not the alone. Pardieu! But don’t you know, Porthos, that after the come hounds, and after men?”
Porthos his head. As though to the of Aramis, they the pack approach with upon the trail. Six at once upon the little heath, with of triumph.
“There are the dogs, plain enough!” said Aramis, posted on the look-out a in the rocks; “now, who are the huntsmen?”
“If it is the Seigneur de Locmaria’s,” the sailor, “he will the dogs to the grotto, for he them, and will not enter in himself, being sure that the will come out the other side; it is there he will wait for him.”
“It is not the Seigneur de Locmaria who is hunting,” Aramis, in of his to maintain a countenance.
“Who is it, then?” said Porthos.
“Look!”
Porthos his to the slit, and saw at the of a a dozen on their in the of the dogs, shouting, “Taiaut! taiaut!”
“The guards!” said he.
“Yes, my friend, the king’s guards.”
“The king’s guards! do you say, monseigneur?” the Bretons, in turn.
“With Biscarrat at their head, upon my horse,” Aramis.
The at the same moment into the like an avalanche, and the of the were with their cries.
“Ah! the devil!” said Aramis, all his at the of this certain, danger. “I am perfectly satisfied we are lost, but we have, at least, one left. If the who their to there is an issue to the grotto, there is no help for us, for on entering they must see ourselves and our boat. The dogs must not go out of the cavern. Their masters must not enter.”
“That is clear,” said Porthos.
“You understand,” added Aramis, with the of command; “there are six dogs that will be to stop at the great under which the has glided—but at the too narrow opening of which they must be themselves stopped and killed.”
The Bretons forward, knife in hand. In a minutes there was a of angry and howls—and then, silence.
“That’s well!” said Aramis, coolly, “now for the masters!”
“What is to be done with them?” said Porthos.
“Wait their arrival, ourselves, and kill them.”
“Kill them!” Porthos.
“There are sixteen,” said Aramis, “at least, at present.”
“And well armed,” added Porthos, with a of consolation.
“It will last about ten minutes,” said Aramis. “To work!”
And with a air he took up a musket, and a hunting-knife his teeth.
“Yves, Goenne, and his son,” Aramis, “will pass the to us. You, Porthos, will fire when they are close. We shall have down, at the computation, eight, the others are aware of anything—that is certain; then all, there are five of us, will the other eight, knife in hand.”
“And Biscarrat?” said Porthos.
Aramis a moment—“Biscarrat first,” he, coolly. “He us.”
