A deep silence reigned for a long time in the boat after thefearful scene described.

The moon, which had shone for a short time, disappearedbehind the clouds; every object was again plunged in theobscurity that is so awful in the deserts and still more soin that liquid desert, the ocean, and nothing was heard savethe whistling of the west wind driving along the tops of thecrested billows.

Porthos was the first to speak.

"I have seen," he said, "many dreadful things, but nothingthat ever agitated me so much as what I have just witnessed.Nevertheless, even in my present state of perturbation, Iprotest that I feel happy. I have a hundred pounds' weightless upon my chest. I breathe more freely." In fact, Porthosbreathed so loud as to do credit to the free play of hispowerful lungs.

"For my part," observed Aramis, "I cannot say the same asyou do, Porthos. I am still terrified to such a degree thatI scarcely believe my eyes. I look around the boat,expecting every moment to see that poor wretch holdingbetween his hands the poniard plunged into his heart."

"Oh! I feel easy," replied Porthos. "The poniard was pointedat the sixth rib and buried up to the hilt in his body. I donot reproach you, Athos, for what you have done. On thecontrary, when one aims a blow that is the regulation way tostrike. So now, I breathe again - I am happy!"

"Don't be in haste to celebrate a victory, Porthos,"interposed D'Artagnan; "never have we incurred a greaterdanger than we are now encountering. Men may subdue men - they cannot overcome the elements. We are now on the sea, atnight, without any pilot, in a frail bark; should a blast ofwind upset the boat we are lost."

Musqueton heaved a deep sigh.

"You are ungrateful, D'Artagnan," said Athos; "yes,ungrateful to Providence, to whom we owe our safety in themost miraculous manner. Let us sail before the wind, andunless it changes we shall be drifted either to Calais orBoulogne. Should our bark be upset we are five of us goodswimmers, able enough to turn it over again, or if not, tohold on by it. Now we are on the very road which all thevessels between Dover and Calais take, 'tis impossible butthat we should meet with a fisherman who will pick us up."

"But should we not find any fisherman and should the windshift to the north?"

"That," said Athos, "would be quite another thing; and weshould nevermore see land until we were upon the other sideof the Atlantic."

"Which implies that we may die of hunger," said Aramis.

"'Tis more than possible," answered the Comte de la Fere.

Musqueton sighed again, more deeply than before.

"What is the matter? what ails you?" asked Porthos.

"I am cold, sir," said Musqueton.

"Impossible! your body is covered with a coating of fatwhich preserves it from the cold air."

"Ah! sir, 'tis this very coating of fat that makes meshiver."

"How is that, Musqueton?

"Alas! your honor, in the library of the Chateau of Bracieuxthere are a lot of books of travels."

"What then?"

"Amongst them the voyages of Jean Mocquet in the time ofHenry IV."

"Well?"

"In these books, your honor, 'tis told how hungry voyagers,drifting out to sea, have a bad habit of eating each otherand beginning with - - "

"The fattest among them!" cried D'Artagnan, unable in spiteof the gravity of the occasion to help laughing.

"Yes, sir," answered Musqueton; "but permit me to say I seenothing laughable in it. However," he added, turning toPorthos, "I should not regret dying, sir, were I sure thatby doing so I might still be useful to you."

"Mouston," replied Porthos, much affected, "should we eversee my castle of Pierrefonds again you shall have as yourown and for your descendants the vineyard that surrounds thefarm."

"And you should call it `Devotion,'" added Aramis; "thevineyard of self-sacrifice, to transmit to latest ages therecollection of your devotion to your master."

"Chevalier," said D'Artagnan, laughing, "you could eat apiece of Mouston, couldn't you, especially after two orthree days of fasting?"

"Oh, no," replied Aramis, "I should much prefer Blaisois; wehaven't known him so long."

One may readily conceive that during these jokes which wereintended chiefly to divert Athos from the scene which hadjust taken place, the servants, with the exception ofGrimaud, were not silent. Suddenly Musqueton uttered a cryof delight, taking from beneath one of the benches a bottleof wine; and on looking more closely in the same place hediscovered a dozen similar bottles, bread, and a monsterjunk of salted beef.

"Oh, sir!" he cried, passing the bottle to Porthos, "we aresaved - the bark is supplied with provisions."

This intelligence restored every one save Athos to gayety.

"Zounds!" exclaimed Porthos, "'tis astonishing how emptyviolent agitation makes the stomach."

And he drank off half a bottle at a draught and bit greatmouthfuls of the bread and meat.

"Now," said Athos, "sleep, or try to sleep, my friends, andI will watch."

In a few moments, notwithstanding their wet clothes, the icyblast that blew and the previous scene of terror, thesehardy adventurers, with their iron frames, inured to everyhardship, threw themselves down, intending to profit by theadvice of Athos, who sat at the helm, pensively wakeful,guiding the little bark the way it was to go, his eyes fixedon the heavens, as if he sought to verify not only the roadto France, but the benign aspect of protecting Providence.After some hours of repose the sleepers were aroused byAthos.

Dawn was shedding its pallid, placid glimmer on the purpleocean, when at the distance of a musket shot from them wasseen a dark gray mass, above which gleamed a triangularsail; then masters and servants joined in a fervent cry tothe 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 forBoulogne.

A quarter of an hour afterward the rowboat of this crafttook them all aboard. Grimaud tendered twenty guineas to thecaptain, and at nine o'clock in the morning, having a fairwind, our Frenchmen set foot on their native land.

"Egad! how strong one feels here!" said Porthos, almostburying his large feet in the sands. "Zounds! I could defy anation!"

"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 Ishall make for the Dunes* as soon as possible."

*Sandy hills about Dunkirk, from which it derives its name.

The party followed him and soon disappeared with him behindthe hillocks of sand unobserved. Here, after a shortconference, they proposed to separate.

"And why separate?" asked Athos.

"Because," answered the Gascon, "we were sent, Porthos andI, by Cardinal Mazarin to fight for Cromwell; instead offighting for Cromwell we have served Charles I. - not thesame thing by any means. In returning with the Comte de laFere and Monsieur d'Herblay our crime would be confirmed. Wehave circumvented Cromwell, Mordaunt, and the sea, but weshall find a certain difficulty in circumventing Mazarin."

"You forget," replied Athos, "that we consider ourselvesyour prisoners and not free from the engagement we enteredinto."

"Truly, Athos," interrupted D'Artagnan, "I am vexed thatsuch a man as you are should talk nonsense which schoolboyswould be ashamed of. Chevalier," he continued, addressingAramis, who, leaning proudly on his sword, seemed to agreewith his companion, "Chevalier, Porthos and I run no risk;besides, should any ill-luck happen to two of us, will itnot be much better that the other two should be spared toassist those who may be apprehended? Besides, who knowswhether, divided, we may not obtain a pardon - you from thequeen, we from Mazarin - which, were we all four together,would never be granted. Come, Athos and Aramis, go to theright; Porthos, come with me to the left; these gentlemenshould file off into Normandy, whilst we, by the nearestroad, reach Paris."

He then gave his friends minute directions as to theirroute.

"Ah! my dear friend," exclaimed Athos, "how I should admirethe resources of your mind did I not stop to adore those ofyour heart."

And he gave him his hand.

"Isn't this fox a genius, Athos?" asked the Gascon. "No! heknows how to crunch fowls, to dodge the huntsman and to findhis way home by day or by night, that's all. Well, is allsaid?"

"All."

"Then let's count our money and divide it. Ah! hurrah!there's the sun! A merry morning to you, Sunshine. 'Tis along 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 openwith each other and sincere."

"What!" cried the Gascon, "do you think, Athos, we can takeleave, calmly, of two friends at a time not free from dangerto you and Aramis?"

"No," answered Athos; "embrace me, my son."

"Zounds!" said Porthos, sobbing, "I believe I'm crying; buthow foolish all this is!"

Then they embraced. At that moment their fraternal bond ofunion was closer than ever, and when they parted, each totake the route agreed on, they turned back to utteraffectionate expressions, which the echoes of the Dunesrepeated. At last they lost sight of each other.

"Sacrebleu! D'Artagnan," said Porthos, "I must out with itat once, for I can't keep to myself anything I have againstyou; I haven't been able to recognize you in this matter."

"Why not?" said D'Artagnan, with his wise smile.

"Because if, as you say, Athos and Aramis are in realdanger, this is not the time to abandon them. For my part, Iconfess to you that I was all ready to follow them and amstill ready to rejoin them, in spite of all the Mazarins inthe world."

"You would be right, Porthos, but for one thing, which maychange the current of your ideas; and that is, that it isnot those gentlemen who are in the greatest danger, it isourselves; it is not to abandon them that 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 putin the Bastile; if we are arrested it is a matter of thePlace de Greve."

"Oh! oh!" said Porthos, "there is quite a gap between thatfate and the baronial coronet you promised me, D'Artagnan."

"Bah! perhaps not so great as you think, Porthos; you knowthe proverb, `All roads lead to Rome.'"

"But how is it that we are incurring greater risks thanAthos and Aramis?" asked Porthos.

"Because they have but fulfilled the mission confided tothem by Queen Henrietta and we have betrayed that confidedto us by Mazarin; because, going hence as emissaries toCromwell, we became partisans of King Charles; because,instead of helping cut off the royal head condemned by thosefellows called Mazarin, Cromwell, Joyce, Bridge, Fairfax,etc., we very nearly succeeded in saving it."

"Upon my word that is true," said Porthos; "but how can yousuppose, my dear friend, that in the midst of his greatpreoccupations General Cromwell has had time to think - - "

"Cromwell thinks of everything; Cromwell has time foreverything; and believe me, dear friend, we ought not tolose our time - it is precious. We shall not be safe tillwe 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 wholaughs last. Cromwell is mighty, Mazarin is tricky, but Iwould rather have to do with them than with the lateMonsieur Mordaunt."

"Ah!" said Porthos, "it is very pleasant to be able to say`the late Monsieur Mordaunt.'"

"My faith, yes," said D'Artagnan. "But we must be going."

The two immediately started across country toward the roadto Paris, followed by Musqueton, who, after being too coldall night, at the end of a quarter of an hour found himselftoo warm.