should we even find them three ranks deep, as long as you
and your regiment do your duty, we will look to the rest.”
“To horse!” said Lord Winter.
“To horse!” re-echoed Athos; “everything is arranged and
decided.”
“Now, gentlemen,” cried the king, “forward! and rally to the
old cry of France, `Montjoy and St. Denis!’ The war cry of
England is too often in the mouths of traitors.”
They mounted — the king on Winter’s horse and Winter on
that of the king; then Winter took his place at the head of
the first squadron, and the king, with Athos on his right
and Aramis on his left, at the head of the second.
The Scotch army stood motionless and silent, seized with
shame at sight of these preparations.
Some of the chieftains left the ranks and broke their swords
in two.
“There,” said the king, “that consoles me; they are not all
traitors.”
At this moment Winter’s voice was raised with the cry of
“Forward!”
The first squadron moved off; the second followed, and
descended from the plateau. A regiment of cuirassiers,
nearly equal as to numbers, issued from behind the hill and
came full gallop toward it.
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The king pointed this out.
“Sire,” said Athos, “we foresaw this; and if Lord Winter’s
men but do their duty, we are saved, instead of lost.”
At this moment they heard above all the galloping and
neighing of the horses Winter’s voice crying out:
“Sword in hand!”
At these words every sword was drawn, and glittered in the
air like lightning.
“Now, gentlemen,” said the king in his turn, excited by this
sight, “come, gentlemen, sword in hand!”
But Aramis and Athos were the only ones to obey this command
and the king’s example.
“We are betrayed,” said the king in a low voice.
“Wait a moment,” said Athos, “perhaps they do not recognize
your majesty’s voice, and await the order of their captain.”
“Have they not heard that of their colonel? But look! look!”
cried the king, drawing up his horse with a sudden jerk,
which threw it on its haunches, and seizing the bridle of
Athos’s horse.
“Ah, cowards! traitors!” screamed Lord Winter, whose voice
they heard, whilst his men, quitting their ranks, dispersed
all over the plain.
About fifteen men were ranged around him and awaited the
charge of Cromwell’s cuirassiers.
“Let us go and die with them!” said the king.
“Let us go,” said Athos and Aramis.
“All faithful hearts with me!” cried out Winter.
This voice was heard by the two friends, who set off, full
gallop.
“No quarter!” cried a voice in French, answering to that of
Winter, which made them tremble.
As for Winter, at the sound of that voice he turned pale,
and was, as it were, petrified.
It was the voice of a cavalier mounted on a magnificent
black horse, who was charging at the head of the English
regiment, of which, in his ardor, he was ten steps in
advance.
“‘Tis he!” murmured Winter, his eyes glazed and he allowed
his sword to fall to his side.
“The king! the king!” cried out several voices, deceived by
the blue ribbon and chestnut horse of Winter; “take him
alive.”
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Dumas, Alexandre – Twenty Years After
“No! it is not the king!” exclaimed the cavalier. “Lord
Winter, you are not the king; you are my uncle.”
At the same moment Mordaunt, for it was he, leveled his
pistol at Winter; it went off and the ball entered the heart
of the old cavalier, who with one bound on his saddle fell
back into the arms of Athos, murmuring: “He is avenged!”
“Think of my mother!” shouted Mordaunt, as his horse plunged
and darted off at full gallop.
“Wretch!” exclaimed Aramis, raising his pistol as he passed
by him; but the powder flashed in the pan and it did not go
off.
At this moment the whole regiment came up and they fell upon
the few men who had held out, surrounding the two Frenchmen.
Athos, after making sure that Lord Winter was really dead,
let fall the corpse and said:
“Come, Aramis, now for the honor of France!” and the two