“my officer,” said the sergeant, “it is not permitted to stop here.”

“that prohibition is not for me,” said d’artagnan. “have the fugitives been pursued?”

“yes, my officer; unfortunately, they are well mounted.”

“how many are there?”

“four, and a fifth whom they carried away wounded.”

“four!” said d’artagnan, looking at porthos. “do you hear, baron? they are only four!”

a joyous smile lighted porthos’s face.

“how long a start have they?”

“two hours and a quarter, my officer.”

“two hours and a quarter--that is nothing; we are well mounted, are we not, porthos?”

porthos breathed a sigh; he thought of what was in store for his poor horses.

“very good,” said d’artagnan; “and now in what direction did they set out?”

“that i am forbidden to tell.”

d’artagnan drew from his pocket a paper. “order of the king,” he said.

“speak to the governor, then.”

“and where is the governor?”

“in the country.”

anger mounted to d’artagnan’s face; he frowned and his cheeks were colored.

“ah, you scoundrel!” he said to the sergeant, “i believe you are impudent to me! wait!”

he unfolded the paper, presented it to the sergeant with one hand and with the other took a pistol from his holsters and cocked it.

“order of the king, i tell you. read and answer, or i will blow out your brains!”

the sergeant saw that d’artagnan was in earnest. “the vendomois road,” he replied.

“and by what gate did they go out?”

“by the saint maur gate.”

“if you are deceiving me, rascal, you will be hanged to-morrow.”

“and if you catch up with them you won’t come back to hang me,” murmured the sergeant.

d’artagnan shrugged his shoulders, made a sign to his escort and started.

“this way, gentlemen, this way!” he cried, directing his course toward the gate that had been pointed out.

but, now that the duke had escaped, the concierge had seen fit to fasten the gate with a double lock. it was necessary to compel him to open it, as the sergeant had been compelled to speak, and this took another ten minutes. this last obstacle having been overcome, the troop pursued their course with their accustomed ardor; but some of the horses could no longer sustain this pace; three of them stopped after an hour’s gallop, and one fell down.