vigorous, he soon got him on the broad of his back, and
placed his knee upon his breast.

"Go on with your affair, monsieur," cried Planchet; "I have finished
mine."

Seeing this, the gentleman drew his sword, and sprang upon d'Artagnan;
but he had too strong an adversary. In three seconds d'Artagnan had
wounded him three times, exclaiming at each thrust, "One for Athos, one
for Porthos; and one for Aramis!"

At the third hit the gentleman fell like a log. D'Artagnan believed him
to be dead, or at least insensible, and went toward him for the purpose
of taking the order; but the moment he extended his hand to search for
it, the wounded man, who had not dropped his sword, plunged the point
into d'Artagnan's breast, crying, "One for you!"

"And one for me--the best for last!" cried d'Artagnan, furious, nailing
him to the earth with a fourth thrust through his body.

This time the gentleman closed his eyes and fainted. D'Artagnan searched
his pockets, and took from one of them the order for the passage. It was
in the name of Comte de Wardes.

Then, casting a glance on the handsome young man, who was scarcely
twenty-five years of age, and whom he was leaving in his gore, deprived
of sense and perhaps dead, he gave a sigh for that unaccountable destiny
which leads men to destroy each other for the interests of people who
are strangers to them and who often do not even know that they exist.
But he was soon aroused from these reflections by Lubin, who uttered
loud cries and screamed for help with all his might.

Planchet grasped him by the throat, and pressed as hard as he could.
"Monsieur," said he, "as long as I hold him in this manner, he can't
cry, I'll be bound; but as soon as I let go he will howl again. I know
him for a Norman, and Normans are obstinate."

In fact, tightly held as he was, Lubin endeavored still to cry out.

"Stay!" said d'Artagnan; and taking out his handkerchief, he gagged him.

"Now," said Planchet, "let us bind him to a tree."

This being properly done, they drew the Comte de Wardes close to his
servant; and as night was approaching, and as the wounded man and the
bound man were at some little distance within the wood, it was evident
they were likely to remain there till the next day.

"And now," said d'Artagnan, "to the Governor's."

"But you are wounded, it seems," said Planchet.

"Oh, that's nothing! Let us attend to what is more pressing first,
and then we will attend to my wound;