As our fugitives approached the house, they found the groundcut up, as if a considerable body of horsemen had precededthem. Before the door the traces were yet more apparent;these horsemen, whoever they might be, had halted there.

"Egad!" cried D'Artagnan, "it's quite clear that the kingand his escort have been by here."

"The devil!" said Porthos; "in that case they have eateneverything."

"Bah!" said D'Artagnan, "they will have left a chicken, atleast." He dismounted and knocked on the door. There was noresponse.

He pushed open the door and found the first room empty anddeserted.

"Well?" cried Porthos.

"I can see nobody," said D'Artagnan. "Aha!"

"What?"

"Blood!"

At this word the three friends leaped from their horses andentered. D'Artagnan had already opened the door of thesecond room, and from the expression of his face it wasclear that he there beheld some extraordinary object.

The three friends drew near and discovered a young manstretched on the ground, bathed in a pool of blood. It wasevident that he had attempted to regain his bed, but had nothad sufficient strength to do so.

Athos, who imagined that he saw him move, was the first togo up to him.

"Well?" inquired D'Artagnan.

"Well, if he is dead," said Athos, "he has not been so long,for he is still warm. But no, his heart is beating. Ho,there, my friend!"

The wounded man heaved a sigh. D'Artagnan took some water inthe hollow of his hand and threw it upon his face. The manopened his eyes, made an effort to raise his head, and fellback again. The wound was in the top of his skull and bloodwas flawing copiously.

Aramis dipped a cloth into some water and applied it to thegash. Again the wounded man opened his eyes and looked inastonishment at these strangers, who appeared to pity him.

"You are among friends," said Athos, in English; "so cheerup, and tell us, if you have the strength to do so, what hashappened?"

"The king," muttered the wounded man, "the king is aprisoner."

"You have seen him?" asked Aramis, in the same language.

The man made no reply.

"Make your mind easy," resumed Athos, "we are all faithfulservants of his majesty."

"Is what you tell me true?" asked the wounded man.

"On our honor as gentlemen."

"Then I may tell you all. I am brother to Parry, hismajesty's lackey."

Athos and Aramis remembered that this was the name by whichDe Winter had called the man they had found in the passageof the king's tent.

"We know him," said Athos, "he never left the king."

"Yes, that is he. Well, he thought of me, when he saw theking was taken, and as they were passing before the house hebegged in the king's name that they would stop, as the kingwas hungry. They brought him into this room and placedsentinels at the doors and windows. Parry knew this room, ashe had often been to see me when the king was at Newcastle.He knew that there was a trap-door communicating with acellar, from which one could get into the orchard. He made asign, which I understood, but the king's guards must havenoticed it and held themselves on guard. I went out as if tofetch wood, passed through the subterranean passage into thecellar, and whilst Parry was gently bolting the door, pushedup the board and beckoned to the king to follow me. Alas! hewould not. But Parry clasped his hands and implored him, andat last he agreed. I went on first, fortunately. The kingwas a few steps behind me, when suddenly I saw somethingrise up in front of me like a huge shadow. I wanted to cryout to warn the king, but that very moment I felt a blow asif the house was falling on my head, and fell insensible.When I came to myself again, I was stretched in the sameplace. I dragged myself as far as the yard. The king and hisescort were no longer there. I spent perhaps an hour incoming from the yard to this place; then my strength gaveout and I fainted again."

"And now how are you feeling?"

"Very ill," replied the wounded man.

"Can we do anything for you?" asked Athos.

"Help to put me on the bed; I think I shall feel betterthere."

"Have you any one to depend on for assistance?"

"My wife is at Durham and may return at any moment. But you- is there nothing that you want?"

"We came here with the intention of asking for something toeat."

"Alas, they have taken everything; there isn't a morsel ofbread in the house."

"You hear, D'Artagnan?" said Athos; "we shall have to lookelsewhere for our dinner."

"It is all one to me now," said D'Artagnan; "I am no longerhungry."

"Faith! neither am I," said Porthos.

They carried the man to his bed and called Grimaud to dressthe wound. In the service of the four friends Grimaud hadhad so frequent occasion to make lint and bandages that hehad become something of a surgeon.

In the meantime the fugitives had returned to the firstroom, where they took counsel together.

"Now," said Aramis, "we know how the matter stands. The kingand his escort have gone this way; we had better take theopposite direction, eh?"

Athos did not reply; he reflected.

"Yes," said Porthos, "let us take the opposite direction; ifwe follow the escort we shall find everything devoured anddie of hunger. What a confounded country this England is!This is the first time I have gone without my dinner for tenyears, and it is generally my best meal."

"What do you think, D'Artagnan?" asked Athos. "Do you agreewith Aramis?"

"Not at all," said D'Artagnan; "I am precisely of thecontrary opinion."

"What! you would follow the escort?" exclaimed Porthos, indismay.

"No, I would join the escort."

Athos's eyes shone with joy.

"Join the escort!" cried Aramis.

"Let D'Artagnan speak," said Athos; "you know he always haswise advice to give."

"Clearly," said D'Artagnan, "we must go where they will notlook for us. Now, they will be far from looking for us amongthe Puritans; therefore, with the Puritans we must go."

"Good, my friend, good!" said Athos. "It is excellentadvice. I was about to give it when you anticipated me."

"That, then, is your opinion?" asked Aramis.

"Yes. They will think we are trying to leave England andwill search for us at the ports; meanwhile we shall reachLondon with the king. Once in London we shall be hard tofind - without considering," continued Athos, throwing aglance at Aramis, "the chances that may come to us on theway."

"Yes," said Aramis, "I understand."

"I, however, do not understand," said Porthos. "But nomatter; since it is at the same time the opinion ofD'Artagnan and of Athos, it must be the best."

"But," said Aramis, "shall we not be suspected by ColonelHarrison?"

"Egad!" cried D'Artagnan, "he's just the man I count upon.Colonel Harrison is one of our friends. We have met himtwice at General Cromwell's. He knows that we were sent fromFrance by Monsieur Mazarin; he will consider us as brothers.Besides, is he not a butcher's son? Well, then, Porthosshall show him how to knock down an ox with a blow of thefist, and I how to trip up a bull by taking him by thehorns. That will insure his confidence."

Athos smiled. "You are the best companion that I know,D'Artagnan," he said, offering his hand to the Gascon; "andI am very happy in having found you again, my dear son."

This was, as we have seen, the term which Athos applied toD'Artagnan in his more expansive moods.

At this moment Grimaud came in. He had stanched the woundand the man was better.

The four friends took leave of him and asked if they coulddeliver any message for him to his brother.

"Tell him," answered the brave man, "to let the king knowthat they have not killed me outright. However insignificantI am, I am sure that his majesty is concerned for me andblames himself for my death."

"Be easy," said D'Artagnan, "he will know all before night."

The little troop recommenced their march, and at the end oftwo hours perceived a considerable body of horsemen abouthalf a league ahead.

"My dear friends," said D'Artagnan, "give your swords toMonsieur Mouston, who will return them to you at the propertime and place, and do not forget you are our prisoners."

It was not long before they joined the escort. The king wasriding in front, surrounded by troopers, and when he sawAthos and Aramis a glow of pleasure lighted his pale cheeks.

D'Artagnan passed to the head of the column, and leaving hisfriends under the guard of Porthos, went straight toHarrison, who recognized him as having met him at Cromwell'sand received him as politely as a man of his breeding anddisposition could. It turned out as D'Artagnan had foreseen.The colonel neither had nor could have any suspicion.

They halted for the king to dine. This time, however, dueprecautions were taken to prevent any attempt at escape. Inthe large room of the hotel a small table was placed for himand a large one for the officers.

"Will you dine with me?" asked Harrison of D'Artagnan.

"Gad, I should be very happy, but I have my companion,Monsieur du Vallon, and the two prisoners, whom I cannotleave. Let us manage it better. Have a table set for us in acorner and send us whatever you like from yours."

"Good," answered Harrison.

The matter was arranged as D'Artagnan had suggested, andwhen he returned he found the king already seated at hislittle table, where Parry waited on him, Harrison and hisofficers sitting together at another table, and, in acorner, places reserved for himself and his companions.

The table at which the Puritan officers were seated wasround, and whether by chance or coarse intention, Harrisonsat with his back to the king.

The king saw the four gentlemen come in, but appeared totake no notice of them.

They sat down in such a manner as to turn their backs onnobody. The officers, table and that of the king wereopposite to them.

"I'faith, colonel," said D'Artagnan, "we are very gratefulfor your gracious invitation; for without you we ran therisk of going without dinner, as we have without breakfast.My friend here, Monsieur du Vallon, shares my gratitude, forhe was particularly hungry."

"And I am so still," said Porthos bowing to Harrison.

"And how," said Harrison, laughing, "did this seriouscalamity of going without breakfast happen to you?"

"In a very simple manner, colonel," said D'Artagnan. "I wasin a hurry to join you and took the road you had alreadygone by. You can understand our disappointment when,arriving at a pretty little house on the skirts of a wood,which at a distance had quite a gay appearance, with its redroof and green shutters, we found nothing but a poor wretchbathed - Ah! colonel, pay my respects to the officer ofyours who struck that blow."

"Yes," said Harrison, laughing, and looking over at one ofthe officers seated at his table. "When Groslow undertakesthis kind of thing there's no need to go over the ground asecond time."

"Ah! it was this gentleman?" said D'Artagnan, bowing to theofficer. "I am sorry he does not speak French, that I mighttender him my compliments."

"I am ready to receive and return them, sir," said theofficer, in pretty good French, "for I resided three yearsin Paris."

"Then, sir, allow me to assure you that your blow was sowell directed that you have nearly killed your man."

"Nearly? I thought I had quite," said Groslow.

"No. It was a very near thing, but he is not dead."

As he said this, D'Artagnan gave a glance at Parry, who wasstanding in front of the king, to show him that the news wasmeant for him.

The king, too, who had listened in the greatest agony, nowbreathed again.

"Hang it," said Groslow, "I thought I had succeeded better.If it were not so far from here to the house I would returnand finish him."

"And you would do well, if you are afraid of his recovering;for you know, if a wound in the head does not kill at once,it is cured in a week."

And D'Artagnan threw a second glance toward Parry, on whoseface such an expression of joy was manifested that Charlesstretched out his hand to him, smiling.

Parry bent over his master's hand and kissed itrespectfully.

"I've a great desire to drink the king's health," saidAthos.

"Let me propose it, then," said D'Artagnan.

"Do," said Aramis.

Porthos looked at D'Artagnan, quite amazed at the resourceswith which his companion's Gascon sharpness continuallysupplied him. D'Artagnan took up his camp tin cup, filled itwith wine and arose.

"Gentlemen," said he, "let us drink to him who presides atthe repast. Here's to our colonel, and let him know that weare always at his commands as far as London and farther."

And as D'Artagnan, as he spoke, looked at Harrison, thecolonel imagined the toast was for himself. He arose andbowed to the four friends, whose eyes were fixed on Charles,while Harrison emptied his glass without the slightestmisgiving.

The king, in return, looked at the four gentlemen and drankwith a smile full of nobility and gratitude.

"Come, gentlemen," cried Harrison, regardless of hisillustrious captive, "let us be off."

"Where do we sleep, colonel?"

"At Thirsk," replied Harrison.

"Parry," said the king, rising too, "my horse; I desire togo to Thirsk."

"Egad!" said D'Artagnan to Athos, "your king has thoroughlytaken me, and I am quite at his service."

"If what you say is sincere," replied Athos, "he will neverreach London."

"How so?"

"Because before then we shall have carried him off."

"Well, this time, Athos," said D'Artagnan, "upon my word,you are mad."

"Have you some plan in your head then?" asked Aramis.

"Ay!" said Porthos, "the thing would not be impossible witha good plan."

"I have none," said Athos; "but D'Artagnan will discoverone."

D'Artagnan shrugged his shoulders and they proceeded.