n!"

"Oh! it is nothing."

"We must determine upon something quickly. Our Bretons are going to
continue to roll the canoe toward the sea."

"Very well."

"We two will keep the powder, the balls, and muskets here."

"But only two, my dear Aramis--we shall never fire three shots
together," said Porthos, innocently, "the defense by musketry is a bad
one."

"Find a better, then."

"I have found one," said the giant, eagerly; "I will place myself in
ambuscade behind the pillar with this iron bar, and invisible,
unattackable, if they come in in floods, I can let my bar fall upon
their skulls, thirty times in a minute. Hein! what do you think of the
project? You smile."

"Excellent, dear friend, perfect! I approve it greatly; only you will
frighten them, and half of them will remain outside to take us by
famine. What we want, my good friend, is the entire destruction of the
troop; a single man left standing ruins us."

"You are right, my friend, but how can we attract them, pray?"

"By not stirring, my good Porthos."

"Well! we won't stir, then; but when they shall be all together--"

"Then leave it to me, I have an idea."

"If it is thus, and your idea be a good one--and your idea is most
likely to be good--I am satisfied."

"To your ambuscade, Porthos, and count how many enter."

"But you, what will you do?"

"Don't trouble yourself about me; I have a task to perform."

"I think I can hear cries."

"It is they! To your post. Keep within reach of my voice and hand."

Porthos took refuge in the second compartment, which was absolutely
black with darkness. Aramis glided into the third; the giant held in his
hand an iron bar of about fifty pounds' weight. Porthos handled this
lever, which had been used in rolling the bark, with marvelous facility.
During this time, the Bretons had pushed the bark to the beach. In the
enlightened compartment, Aramis, stooping and concealed, was busied in
some mysterious maneuver. A command was given in a loud voice. It was
the last order of the captain commandant. Twenty-five men jumped from
the upper rocks into the first compartment of the grotto, and having
taken their ground, began to fire. The echoes growled, the hissing of
the balls cut the air, an opaque smoke filled the vault.

"To the left! to the left!" cried Biscarrat, who, in his first assault,
had seen the passage to the second chamber, and who, animated by the
smell of powder, wished to guide his soldiers in