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Biscarratremainedsilent。？"Tellus，ordie！"criedthewoundedman，raisinghimselfupononeknee，andliftingtowardshiscompanionanarmbearingauselesssword。？Biscarratrushedtowardshim，openinghisbreastfortheblow，butthewoundedmanfellbacknottoriseagain，utteringagroanwhichwashislast。？Biscarrat，withhaironend，haggardeyes，andbewilderedhead，advancedtowardstheinteriorofthecavern，saying，"Youareright。？Deathtome，whohaveallowedmycomradestobeassassinated。？Iamaworthlesswretch！"？Andthrowingawayhissword，forhewishedtodiewithoutdefendinghimself，herushedheadforemostintothecavern。？Theothersfollowedhim。？Theelevenwhoremainedoutofsixteenimitatedhisexample;buttheydidnotgofurtherthanthefirst。？A
seconddischargelaidfiveupontheicysand;andasitwasimpossibletoseewhencethismurderousthunderissued，theothersfellbackwithaterrorthatcanbebetterimaginedthandescribed。？But，farfromflying，astheothershaddone，Biscarratremainedsafeandsound，seatedonafragmentofrock，andwaited。？Therewereonlysixgentlemenleft。
"Seriously，"
saidoneofthesurvivors，"isitthedevil？"
"Mafoi！itismuchworse，"saidanother。
"AskBiscarrat，heknows。"
"WhereisBiscarrat？"？Theyoungmenlookedroundthem，andsawthatBiscarratdidnotanswer。
"Heisdead！"saidtwoorthreevoices。
"Oh！
no！"repliedanother，"Isawhimthroughthesmoke，sittingquietlyonarock。？Heisinthecavern;heiswaitingforus。"
"Hemustknowwhoarethere。"
"Andhowshouldheknowthem？"
"Hewastakenprisonerbytherebels。"
"Thatistrue。？Well！letuscallhim，andlearnfromhimwhomwehavetodealwith。"？Andallvoicesshouted，"Biscarrat！？Biscarrat！"？ButBiscarratdidnotanswer。
"Good！"
saidtheofficerwhohadshownsomuchcoolnessintheaffair。？"Wehavenolongeranyneedofhim;
herearereinforcementscoming。"
Infact，acompanyofguards，leftintherearbytheirofficers，whomtheardorofthechasehadcarriedaway—fromseventy—fivetoeightymen—arrivedingoodorder，ledbytheircaptainandthefirstlieutenant。？Thefiveofficershastenedtomeettheirsoldiers;and，inlanguagetheeloquenceofwhichmaybeeasilyimagined，theyrelatedtheadventure，andaskedforaid。？Thecaptaininterruptedthem。？"Whereareyourcompanions？"demandedhe。
"Dead！"
"Butthereweresixteenofyou！"
"Tenaredead。？Biscarratisinthecavern，andwearefive。"
"Biscarratisaprisoner？"
"Probably。"
"No，forhereheis—look。"？Infact，Biscarratappearedattheopeningofthegrotto。
"Heismakingasigntocomeon，"saidtheofficer。？"Comeon！"
"Comeon！"criedallthetroop。？AndtheyadvancedtomeetBiscarrat。
"Monsieur，"
saidthecaptain，addressingBiscarrat，"Iamassuredthatyouknowwhothemenareinthatgrotto，andwhomakesuchadesperatedefense。？Intheking\'snameIcommandyoutodeclarewhatyouknow。"
"Captain，"
saidBiscarrat，"youhavenoneedtocommandme。？Mywordhasbeenrestoredtomethisveryinstant;andIcameinthenameofthesemen。"
"Totellmewhotheyare？"
"Totellyoutheyaredeterminedtodefendthemselvestothedeath，unlessyougrantthemsatisfactoryterms。"
"Howmanyarethereofthem，then？"
"Therearetwo，"saidBiscarrat。
"Therearetwo—andwanttoimposeconditionsuponus？"
"Therearetwo，andtheyhavealreadykilledtenofourmen。"
"Whatsortofpeoplearethey—giants？"
"Worsethanthat。？DoyourememberthehistoryoftheBastionSaint—Gervais，captain？"
"Yes;wherefourmusketeersheldoutagainstanarmy。"
"Well，thesearetwoofthosesamemusketeers。"
"Andtheirnames？"
"AtthatperiodtheywerecalledPorthosandAramis。？NowtheyarestyledM。d\'HerblayandM。duVallon。"
"Andwhatinteresthavetheyinallthis？"
"ItistheywhowereholdingBell—IsleforM。Fouquet。"
Amurmurranthroughtheranksofthesoldiersonhearingthetwowords"PorthosandAramis。"？"Themusketeers！themusketeers！"repeatedthey。？Andamongallthesebravemen，theideathattheyweregoingtohaveastruggleagainsttwooftheoldestgloriesoftheFrencharmy，madeashiver，halfenthusiasm，two—thirdsterror，runthroughthem。？Infact，thosefournames—D\'Artagnan，Athos，Porthos，andAramis—wereveneratedamongallwhoworeasword;as，inantiquity，thenamesofHercules，Theseus，Castor，andPolluxwerevenerated。
"Twomen—
andtheyhavekilledtenintwodischarges！？Itisimpossible，MonsieurBiscarrat！"
"Eh！
captain，"repliedthelatter，"Idonottellyouthattheyhavenotwiththemtwoorthreemen，asthemusketeersoftheBastionSaint—Gervaishadtwoorthreelackeys;but，believeme，captain，Ihaveseenthesemen，Ihavebeentakenprisonerbythem—Iknowtheythemselvesaloneareall—sufficienttodestroyanarmy。"
"Thatweshallsee，"saidthecaptain，"andthatinamoment，too。？Gentlemen，attention！"
Atthisreply，noonestirred，andallpreparedtoobey。？Biscarrataloneriskedalastattempt。
"Monsieur，"
saidhe，inalowvoice，"bepersuadedbyme;letuspassonourway。？Thosetwomen，thosetwolionsyouaregoingtoattack，willdefendthemselvestothedeath。？Theyhavealreadykilledtenofourmen;theywillkilldoublethenumber，andendbykillingthemselvesratherthansurrender。？Whatshallwegainbyfightingthem？"
"Weshallgaintheconsciousness，monsieur，ofnothavingallowedeightyoftheking\'sguardstoretirebeforetworebels。？IfIlistenedtoyouradvice，monsieur，Ishouldbeadishonoredman;andbydishonoringmyselfIshoulddishonorthearmy。？Forward，mymen！"
Andhemarchedfirstasfarastheopeningofthegrotto。？Therehehalted。？TheobjectofthishaltwastogiveBiscarratandhiscompanionstimetodescribetohimtheinteriorofthegrotto。？Then，whenhebelievedhehadasufficientacquaintancewiththeplace，hedividedhiscompanyintothreebodies，whichweretoentersuccessively，keepingupasustainedfireinalldirections。？Nodoubt，inthisattacktheywouldlosefivemore，perhapsten;but，certainly，theymustendbytakingtherebels，sincetherewasnoissue;and，atanyrate，twomencouldnotkilleighty。
"Captain，"
saidBiscarrat，"Ibegtobeallowedtomarchattheheadofthefirstplatoon。"
"Sobeit，"repliedthecaptain;"youhaveallthehonor。？Imakeyouapresentofit。"
"Thanks！"
repliedtheyoungman，withallthefirmnessofhisrace。
"Takeyoursword，then。"
"IshallgoasIam，captain，"saidBiscarrat，"forIdonotgotokill，Igotobekilled。"
Andplacinghimselfattheheadofthefirstplatoon，withheaduncoveredandarmscrossed，—"March，gentlemen，"saidhe。
ChapterXLIX:
AnHomericSong。
Itistimetopasstotheothercamp，andtodescribeatoncethecombatantsandthefieldofbattle。？AramisandPorthoshadgonetothegrottoofLocmariawiththeexpectationoffindingtheretheircanoereadyarmed，aswellasthethreeBretons，theirassistants;andtheyatfirsthopedtomakethebarkpassthroughthelittleissueofthecavern，concealinginthatfashionboththeirlaborsandtheirflight。？Thearrivalofthefoxanddogsobligedthemtoremainconcealed。？Thegrottoextendedthespaceofaboutahundredtoises，tothatlittleslopedominatingacreek。？FormerlyatempleoftheCelticdivinities，whenBelle—IslewasstillcalledKalon鑣e，thisgrottohadbeheldmorethanonehumansacrificeaccomplishedinitsmysticdepths。？Thefirstentrancetothecavernwasbyamoderatedescent，abovewhichdistortedrocksformedaweirdarcade;theinterior，veryunevenanddangerousfromtheinequalitiesofthevault，wassubdividedintoseveralcompartments，whichcommunicatedwitheachotherbymeansofroughandjaggedsteps，fixedrightandleft，inuncouthnaturalpillars。？Atthethirdcompartmentthevaultwassolow，thepassagesonarrow，thatthebarkwouldscarcelyhavepassedwithouttouchingtheside;nevertheless，inmomentsofdespair，woodsoftensandstonegrowsflexiblebeneaththehumanwill。？SuchwasthethoughtofAramis，when，afterhavingfoughtthefight，hedecideduponflight—aflightmostdangerous，sinceallthea
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