Part 95 (1/2)
”No; he is a brave fellow”
”Yes; but the grotto of Locmaria--is it necessary all the world should know it?”
”Ah! that is true, that is true; I co to escape by the cavern”
”If you please,” cried Ara Louis has not caught us--_yet_”
Chapter XLVII The Grotto of Locmaria
The cavern of Locmaria was sufficiently distant from the mole to render it necessary for our friends to husband their strength in order to reach it Besides, night was advancing; ht had struck at the fort
Porthos and Aramis were loaded with money and arms They walked, then, across the heath, which stretched between theto every noise, in order better to avoid an ambush From time to time, on the road which they had carefully left on their left, passed fugitives co of the royal troops Ara mass of rock, collected the words that escaped fro with the to their co froth, after a rapid race, frequently interrupted by prudent stoppages, they reached the deep grottoes, in which the prophetic bishop of Vannes had taken care to have secreted a bark capable of keeping the sea at this fine season
”My good friend,” said Porthos, panting vigorously, ”we have arrived, it seeht you spoke of three men, three servants, ere to accompany us I don't see them--where are they?”
”Why should you see the for us in the cavern, and, no doubt, are resting, having accoh and difficult task”
Ara to enter the cavern ”Will you allow iant, ”to pass in first? I know the signal I have given to theseit, would be very likely to fire upon you or slash aith their knives in the dark”
”Go on, then, Arao Ah! there is that fatigue again, of which I spoke to you
It has just seizedat the entrance of the grotto, and bowing his head, he penetrated into the interior of the cavern, i, a scarcely distinct echo, replied from the depths of the cave Aramis pursued his way cautiously, and soon was stopped by the same kind of cry as he had first uttered, within ten paces of him
”Are you there, Yves?” said the bishop
”Yes, neur; Goenne is here likewise His son accos ready?”
”Yes, ood Yves, and you will there find the Seigneur de Pierrefonds, who is resting after the fatigue of our journey And if he should happen not to be able to walk, lift hi him hither to iven to his servants was superfluous Porthos, refreshed, had already cost the cavities, forranite As soon as the Seigneur de Bracieux had rejoined the bishop, the Bretons lighted a lantern hich they were furnished, and Porthos assured his friend that he felt as strong again as ever
”Let us inspect the boat,” said Aramis, ”and satisfy ourselves at once what it will hold”
”Do not go too near with the light,” said the patron Yves; ”for as you desired neur, I have placed under the bench of the poop, in the coffer you know of, the barrel of powder, and the es that you sentthe lantern himself, he examined minutely all parts of the canoe, with the precautions of a er The canoe was long, light, drawing little water, thin of keel; in short, one of those that have always been so aptly built at Belle-Isle; a little high in its sides, solid upon the water, very eable, furnished with planks which, in uncertain weather, forlide, so as to protect the rowers In tell-closed coffers, placed beneath the benches of the prow and the poop, Aramis found bread, biscuit, dried fruits, a quarter of bacon, a good provision of water in leathern bottles; the whole for rations sufficient for people who did not mean to quit the coast, and would be able to revictual, if necessity coht ood condition, and all loaded There were additional oars, in case of accident, and that little sail called _trinquet_, which assists the speed of the canoe at the same time the boatmen row, and is so useful when the breeze is slack When Aras, and appeared satisfied with the result of his inspection, ”Let us consult Porthos,” said he, ”to knoe et the boat out by the unknown extre the descent and the shade of the cavern, or whether it be better, in the open air, tothe road of the little beach, which is but twenty feet high, and gives, at high tide, three or four fathoood water upon a sound bottoneur,” replied the skipper Yves, respectfully; ”but I don't believe that by the slope of the cavern, and in the dark in which we shall be obliged to maneuver our boat, the road will be so convenient as the open air I know the beach well, and can certify that it is as srotto, on the contrary, is rough; without reckoning, neur, that at its extremity we shall come to the trench which leads into the sea, and perhaps the canoe will not pass down it”
”I have made my calculation,” said the bishop, ”and I am certain it will pass”
”So be it; I wish it hness knows very well that to make it reach the extremity of the trench, there is an enormous stone to be lifted--that under which the fox always passes, and which closes the trench like a door”