They all four entered the tent; they had no plan ready - they must think of one.

The king threw himself into an arm-chair. "I am lost," saidhe.

"No, sire," replied Athos. "You are only betrayed."

The king sighed deeply.

"Betrayed! yes betrayed by the Scotch, amongst whom I wasborn, whom I have always loved better than the English. Oh,traitors that ye are!"

"Sire," said Athos, "this is not a moment for recrimination,but a time to show yourself a king and a gentleman. Up,sire! up! for you have here at least three men who will notbetray you. Ah! if we had been five!" murmured Athos,thinking of D'Artagnan and Porthos.

"What do you say?" inquired Charles, rising.

"I say, sire, that there is now but one way open. LordWinter answers for his regiment, or at least very nearly so- we will not split straws about words - let him placehimself at the head of his men, we will place ourselves atthe side of your majesty, and we will mow a swath throughCromwell's army and reach Scotland."

"There is another method," said Aramis. "Let one of us puton the dress and mount the king's horse. Whilst they pursuehim the king might escape."

"It is good advice," said Athos, "and if the king will doone of us the honor we shall be truly grateful to him."

"What do you think of this counsel, Winter?" asked the king,looking with admiration at these two men, whose chief ideaseemed to be how they could take on their shoulders all thedangers that assailed him.

"I think the only chance of saving your majesty has justbeen proposed by Monsieur d'Herblay. I humbly entreat yourmajesty to choose quickly, for we have not an instant tolose."

"But if I accept, it is death, or at least imprisonment, forhim who takes my place."

"He will have had the glory of having saved his king," criedWinter.

The king looked at his old friend with tears in his eyes;undid the Order of the Saint Esprit which he wore, to honorthe two Frenchmen who were with him, and passed it aroundWinter's neck, who received on his knees this striking proofof his sovereign's confidence and friendship.

"It is right," said Athos; "he has served your majestylonger than we have."

The king overheard these words and turned around with tearsin his eyes.

"Wait a moment, sir," said he; "I have an order for each ofyou also."

He turned to a closet where his own orders were locked up,and took out two ribbons of the Order of the Garter.

"These cannot be for us," said Athos.

"Why not, sir?" asked Charles.

"Such are for royalty, and we are simple commoners."

"Speak not of crowns. I shall not find amongst them suchgreat hearts as yours. No, no, you do yourselves injustice;but I am here to do you justice. On your knees, count."

Athos knelt down and the king passed the ribbon down fromleft to right as usual, raised his sword, and instead ofpronouncing the customary formula, "I make you a knight. Bebrave, faithful and loyal," he said, "You are brave,faithful and loyal. I knight you, monsieur le comte."

Then turning to Aramis, he said:

"It is now your turn, monsieur le chevalier."

The same ceremony recommenced, with the same words, whilstWinter unlaced his leather cuirass, that he might disguisehimself like the king. Charles, having proceeded with Aramisas with Athos, embraced them both.

"Sire," said Winter, who in this trying emergency felt allhis strength and energy fire up, "we are ready."

The king looked at the three gentlemen. "Then we must fly!"said he.

"Flying through an army, sire," said Athos, "in allcountries in the world is called charging."

"Then I shall die, sword in hand," said Charles. "Monsieurle comte, monsieur le chevalier, if ever I am king - - "

"Sire, you have already done us more honor than simplegentlemen could ever aspire to, therefore gratitude is onour side. But we must not lose time. We have already wastedtoo much."

The king again shook hands with all three, exchanged hatswith Winter and went out.

Winter's regiment was ranged on some high ground above thecamp. The king, followed by the three friends, turned hissteps that way. The Scotch camp seemed as if at lastawakened; the soldiers had come out of their tents and takenup their station in battle array.

"Do you see that?" said the king. "Perhaps they are penitentand preparing to march."

"If they are penitent," said Athos, "let them follow us."

"Well!" said the king, "what shall we do?"

"Let us examine the enemy's army."

At the same instant the eyes of the little group were fixedon the same line which at daybreak they had mistaken for fogand which the morning sun now plainly showed was an army inorder of battle. The air was soft and clear, as it generallyis at that early hour of the morning. The regiments, thestandards, and even the colors of the horses and uniformswere now clearly distinct.

On the summit of a rising ground, a little in advance of theenemy, appeared a short and heavy looking man; this man wassurrounded by officers. He turned a spyglass toward thelittle group amongst which the king stood.

"Does this man know your majesty personally?" inquiredAramis.

Charles smiled.

"That man is Cromwell," said he.

"Then draw down your hat, sire, that he may not discover thesubstitution."

"Ah!" said Athos, "how much time we have lost."

"Now," said the king, "give the word and let us start."

"Will you not give it, sire?" asked Athos.

"No; I make you my lieutenant-general," said the king.

"Listen, then, Lord Winter. Proceed, sire, I beg. What weare going to say does not concern your majesty."

The king, smiling, turned a few steps back.

"This is what I propose to do," said Athos. "We will divideour regiments into two squadrons. You will put yourself atthe head of the first. We and his majesty will lead thesecond. If no obstacle occurs we will both charge together,force the enemy's line and throw ourselves into the Tyne,which we must cross, either by fording or swimming; if, onthe contrary, any repulse should take place, you and yourmen must fight to the last man, whilst we and the kingproceed on our road. Once arrived at the brink of the river,should we even find them three ranks deep, as long as youand your regiment do your duty, we will look to the rest."

"To horse!" said Lord Winter.

"To horse!" re-echoed Athos; "everything is arranged anddecided."

"Now, gentlemen," cried the king, "forward! and rally to theold cry of France, `Montjoy and St. Denis!' The war cry ofEngland is too often in the mouths of traitors."

They mounted - the king on Winter's horse and Winter onthat of the king; then Winter took his place at the head ofthe first squadron, and the king, with Athos on his rightand Aramis on his left, at the head of the second.

The Scotch army stood motionless and silent, seized withshame at sight of these preparations.

Some of the chieftains left the ranks and broke their swordsin two.

"There," said the king, "that consoles me; they are not alltraitors."

At this moment Winter's voice was raised with the cry of"Forward!"

The first squadron moved off; the second followed, anddescended from the plateau. A regiment of cuirassiers,nearly equal as to numbers, issued from behind the hill andcame full gallop toward it.

The king pointed this out.

"Sire," said Athos, "we foresaw this; and if Lord Winter'smen but do their duty, we are saved, instead of lost."

At this moment they heard above all the galloping andneighing of the horses Winter's voice crying out:

"Sword in hand!"

At these words every sword was drawn, and glittered in theair like lightning.

"Now, gentlemen," said the king in his turn, excited by thissight, "come, gentlemen, sword in hand!"

But Aramis and Athos were the only ones to obey this commandand the king's example.

"We are betrayed," said the king in a low voice.

"Wait a moment," said Athos, "perhaps they do not recognizeyour majesty's voice, and await the order of their captain."

"Have they not heard that of their colonel? But look! look!"cried the king, drawing up his horse with a sudden jerk,which threw it on its haunches, and seizing the bridle ofAthos's horse.

"Ah, cowards! traitors!" screamed Lord Winter, whose voicethey heard, whilst his men, quitting their ranks, dispersedall over the plain.

About fifteen men were ranged around him and awaited thecharge of Cromwell's cuirassiers.

"Let us go and die with them!" said the king.

"Let us go," said Athos and Aramis.

"All faithful hearts with me!" cried out Winter.

This voice was heard by the two friends, who set off, fullgallop.

"No quarter!" cried a voice in French, answering to that ofWinter, which made them tremble.

As for Winter, at the sound of that voice he turned pale,and was, as it were, petrified.

It was the voice of a cavalier mounted on a magnificentblack horse, who was charging at the head of the Englishregiment, of which, in his ardor, he was ten steps inadvance.

"'Tis he!" murmured Winter, his eyes glazed and he allowedhis sword to fall to his side.

"The king! the king!" cried out several voices, deceived bythe blue ribbon and chestnut horse of Winter; "take himalive."

"No! it is not the king!" exclaimed the cavalier. "LordWinter, you are not the king; you are my uncle."

At the same moment Mordaunt, for it was he, leveled hispistol at Winter; it went off and the ball entered the heartof the old cavalier, who with one bound on his saddle fellback into the arms of Athos, murmuring: "He is avenged!"

"Think of my mother!" shouted Mordaunt, as his horse plungedand darted off at full gallop.

"Wretch!" exclaimed Aramis, raising his pistol as he passedby him; but the powder flashed in the pan and it did not gooff.

At this moment the whole regiment came up and they fell uponthe few men who had held out, surrounding the two Frenchmen.Athos, after making sure that Lord Winter was really dead,let fall the corpse and said:

"Come, Aramis, now for the honor of France!" and the twoEnglishmen who were nearest to them fell, mortally wounded.

At the same moment a fearful "hurrah!" rent the air andthirty blades glittered about their heads.

Suddenly a man sprang out of the English ranks, fell uponAthos, twined arms of steel around him, and tearing hissword from him, said in his ear:

"Silence! yield - you yield to me, do you not?"

A giant had seized also Aramis's two wrists, who struggledin vain to release himself from this formidable grasp.

"D'Art - - " exclaimed Athos, whilst the Gascon covered hismouth with his hand.

"I am your prisoner," said Aramis, giving up his sword toPorthos.

"Fire, fire!" cried Mordaunt, returning to the groupsurrounding the two friends.

"And wherefore fire?" said the colonel; "every one hasyielded."

"It is the son of Milady," said Athos to D'Artagnan.

"I recognize him."

"It is the monk," whispered Porthos to Aramis.

"I know it."

And now the ranks began to open. D'Artagnan held the bridleof Athos's horse and Porthos that of Aramis. Both of themattempted to lead his prisoner off the battle-field.

This movement revealed the spot where Winter's body hadfallen. Mordaunt had found it out and was gazing on his deadrelative with an expression of malignant hatred.

Athos, though now cool and collected, put his hand to hisbelt, where his loaded pistols yet remained.

"What are you about?" said D'Artagnan.

"Let me kill him."

"We are all four lost, if by the least gesture you discoverthat you recognize him."

Then turning to the young man he exclaimed:

"A fine prize! a fine prize, friend Mordaunt; we have bothmyself and Monsieur du Vallon, taken two Knights of theGarter, nothing less."

"But," said Mordaunt, looking at Athos and Aramis withbloodshot eyes, "these are Frenchmen, I imagine."

"I'faith, I don't know. Are you French, sir?" said he toAthos.

"I am," replied the latter, gravely.

"Very well, my dear sir, you are the prisoner of a fellowcountryman."

"But the king - where is the king?" exclaimed Athos,anxiously.

D'Artagnan vigorously seized his prisoner's hand, saying:

"Eh! the king? We have secured him."

"Yes," said Aramis, "through an infamous act of treason."

Porthos pressed his friend's hand and said to him:

"Yes, sir, all is fair in war, stratagem as well as force;look yonder!"

At this instant the squadron, that ought to have protectedCharles's retreat, was advancing to meet the Englishregiments. The king, who was entirely surrounded, walkedalone in a great empty space. He appeared calm, but it wasevidently not without a mighty effort. Drops of perspirationtrickled down his face, and from time to time he put ahandkerchief to his mouth to wipe away the blood that rilledfrom it.

"Behold Nebuchadnezzar!" exclaimed an old Puritan soldier,whose eyes flashed at the sight of the man they called thetyrant.

"Do you call him Nebuchadnezzar?" said Mordaunt, with aterrible smile; "no, it is Charles the First, the king, thegood King Charles, who despoils his subjects to enrichhimself."

Charles glanced a moment at the insolent creature whouttered this, but did not recognize him. Nevertheless, thecalm religious dignity of his countenance abashed Mordaunt.

"Bon jour, messieurs!" said the king to the two gentlemenwho were held by D'Artagnan and Porthos. "The day has beenunfortunate, but it is not your fault, thank God! But whereis my old friend Winter?"

The two gentlemen turned away their heads in silence.

"In Strafford's company," said Mordaunt, tauntingly.

Charles shuddered. The demon had known how to wound him. Theremembrance of Strafford was a source of lasting remorse tohim, the shadow that haunted him by day and night. The kinglooked around him. He saw a corpse at his feet. It wasWinter's. He uttered not a word, nor shed a tear, but adeadly pallor spread over his face; he knelt down on theground, raised Winter's head, and unfastening the Order ofthe Saint Esprit, placed it on his own breast.

"Lord Winter is killed, then?" inquired D'Artagnan, fixinghis eyes on the corpse.

"Yes," said Athos, "by his own nephew."

"Come, he was the first of us to go; peace be to him! he wasan honest man," said D'Artagnan.

"Charles Stuart," said the colonel of the English regiment,approaching the king, who had just put on the insignia ofroyalty, "do you yield yourself a prisoner?"

"Colonel Tomlison," said Charles, "kings cannot yield; theman alone submits to force."

"Your sword."

The king drew his sword and broke it on his knee.

At this moment a horse without a rider, covered with foam,his nostrils extended and eyes all fire, galloped up, andrecognizing his master, stopped and neighed with pleasure;it was Arthur.

The king smiled, patted it with his hand and jumped lightlyinto the saddle.

"Now, gentlemen," said he, "conduct me where you will."

Turning back again, he said, "I thought I saw Winter move;if he still lives, by all you hold most sacred, do notabandon him."

"Never fear, King Charles," said Mordaunt, "the bulletpierced his heart."

"Do not breathe a word nor make the least sign to me orPorthos," said D'Artagnan to Athos and Aramis, "that yourecognize this man, for Milady is not dead; her soul livesin the body of this demon."

The detachment now moved toward the town with the royalcaptive; but on the road an aide-de-camp, from Cromwell,sent orders that Colonel Tomlison should conduct him toHoldenby Castle.

At the same time couriers started in every direction overEngland and Europe to announce that Charles Stuart was theprisoner of Oliver Cromwell.