“Well, Monsieur le Marquis,” said Cinq-Mars, approaching, “here is an opportunity to execute what you have promised. I am only a volunteer; but an instant ago these gentlemen and I examined this bastion, and I believe that it is possible to take it.”
“Monsieur, we must first examine the ditch to see—”
At this moment a ball from the rampart of which they were speaking struck in the head the horse of the old captain, laying it low.
“Locmaria, De Mouy, take the command, and to the assault!” cried the two noble companies, believing their leader dead.
“Stop a moment, gentlemen,” said old Coislin, rising, “I will lead you, if you please. Guide us, Monsieur volunteer, for the Spaniards invite us to this ball, and we must reply politely.”
Hardly had the old man mounted another horse, which one of his men brought him, and drawn his sword, when, without awaiting his order, all these ardent youths, preceded by Cinq-Mars and his friends, whose horses were urged on by the squadrons behind, had thrown themselves into the morass, wherein, to their great astonishment and to that of the Spaniards, who had counted too much upon its depth, the horses were in the water only up to their hams; and in spite of a discharge of grape-shot from the two largest pieces, all reached pell-mell a strip of land at the foot of the half-ruined ramparts. In the ardor of the rush, Cinq-Mars and Fontrailles, with the young Locmaria, forced their horses upon the rampart itself; but a brisk fusillade killed the three animals, which rolled over their masters.
“Dismount all, gentlemen!” cried old Coislin; “forward with pistol and sword! Abandon your horses!”
All obeyed instantly, and threw themselves in a mass upon the breach.
Meantime, De Thou, whose coolness never quitted him any more than his friendship, had not lost sight of the young Henri, and had received him in his arms when his horse fell. He helped him to rise, restored to him his sword, which he had dropped, and said to him, with the greatest calmness, notwithstanding the balls which rained on all sides:
“My friend, do I not appear very ridiculous amid all this skirmish, in my costume of Counsellor in Parliament?”