The Three Musketeers (The Modern Library) - Alexandre Dumas [230]
“Yes, yes,” said D’Artagnan, “and we shall undoubtedly serve as targets for some pretty marksmanship!”
“Alas, my friend,” Athos replied, “you know quite well that the firing we have most to fear will not come from the enemy.”
“But on such an expedition surely we should have brought our muskets along?”
“Don’t be so foolish, friend Porthos. Why load ourselves with a useless burden?”
“I do not consider a good musket, twelve cartridges, and a powder flask very useless when you are facing the enemy.”
“But, Porthos, surely you recall what D’Artagnan told us?” Athos asked.
“What did he say?”
“D’Artagnan told us that in last night’s attack, eight or ten Frenchmen and about as many men from La Rochelle were killed.”
“What then?”
“The bodies were not plundered, were they? Apparently the victors had something more urgent to do.”
“Well?”
“Well, we shall collect their muskets, powder flasks and cartridges. Instead of four musketoons and twelve bullets, we shall have fifteen matchlocks and about a hundred charges to fire.”
“Oh, Athos! Truly you are a great man,” said Aramis admiringly; Porthos nodded in agreement; D’Artagnan alone did not seem convinced.
Grimaud evidently shared the young man’s misgivings, for as the party continued walking toward the bastion—a possibility he had until then doubted—he tugged at his master’s coat and, by gestures more effective than words could be, inquired whither they were bound. Athos pointed to the bastion. Grimaud, in the same mute idiom, remonstrated that they would all be killed there.
Athos raised an index finger and both eyes toward the firmament. Grimaud put his basket on the ground, sat down on it and shook his head disparagingly. Whereupon Athos took a pistol from his belt, made sure it was properly primed, cocked it, and pressed the muzzle persuasively close to Grimaud’s ear. Reacting like some mechanism released automatically, Grimaud leaped to his feet; Athos motioned him to pick up his basket and to lead the way. Grimaud obeyed; all that he had gained by this brief pantomime was to be promoted from the rear of the procession to the vanguard.
Reaching the bastion, the four friends turned round. More than three hundred soldiers of all kinds were clustered around the camp gate; a small, separate group, formed by Monsieur de Busigny, the dragoon, the Switzer and the fourth bettor stood out clearly to one side.
Removing his hat, Athos placed it on the end of his sword and waved it in the air. As one, all the spectators returned his salute, accompanying this courtesy with loud cheers of encouragement.
Then the quartet followed Grimaud into the bastion.
XLVII
THE COUNCIL OF THE MUSKETEERS
As Athos had foreseen, the bastion was occupied by but a dozen dead bodies, some French and some of La Rochelle.
“Friends,” said Athos who had assumed command of the expedition, “while Grimaud is laying out our breakfast, let us start collecting the guns and cartridges. We can talk while accomplishing this task; these gentlemen,” he pointed to the dead, “cannot overhear us.”
“But still we could throw them into the ditch,” Porthos suggested, “of course after making sure there is nothing in their pockets.”
“Yes, that is Grimaud’s job,” Athos observed.
“Then let Grimaud search them and throw them over the walls immediately.”
“By no manner of means,” Athos replied, “for they may still be of use to us.”
“These bodies of use to us?” Porthos scoffed. “Look here, Athos, are you going mad?”
“Judge not rashly, say the Gospel and the Cardinal,