Part 81 (1/2)
”Indeed, sir, I recognize you; you are Captain Mordaunt”
Mordaunt was startled
”Oh, fear nothing,” said the skipper, showing his face ”I am a friend”
”Captain Groslow!” cried Mordaunt
”Hieneral reavenew in the wind?”
”Nothing”
”I thought, perhaps, that the king's death----”
”Has only hastened their flight; in ten minutes they will perhaps be here”
”What have you come for, then?”
”To eeneral doubted my fidelity?”
”No, but I wish to have a share in e Haven't you some one ill relieve me of my horse?”
Groslohistled and a sailor appeared
”Patrick,” said Groslow, ”take this horse to the stables of the nearest inn If any one asks you whose it is you can say that it belongs to an Irish gentleman”
The sailor departed without reply
”Now,” said Mordaunt, ”are you not afraid that they will recognize you?”
”There is no danger, dressed as I aht as dark as this Besides even you didn't recognize me; they will be much less likely to”
”That is true,” said Mordaunt, ”and they will be far fro is ready, is it not?”
”Yes”
”The cargo on board?”
”Yes”
”Five full casks?”
”And fifty e port wine to Anvers”
”Excellent Now take me aboard and return to your post, for they will soon be here”
”I am ready”
”It is important that none of your crew should see me”
”I have but one man on board, and I am as sure of him as I am of myself Besides, he doesn't know you; like hisof our plan”
”Very well; let us go”
They then went down to the Thames A boat was fastened to the shore by a chain fixed to a stake Groslow jumped in, followed by Mordaunt, and in five minutes they were quite away from that world of houses which then crowded the outskirts of London; and Mordaunt could discern the little vessel riding at anchor near the Isle of Dogs When they reached the side of this felucca, Mordaunt, dexterous in his eagerness for vengeance, seized a rope and cliility very rare a landsmen He ith Groslow to the captain's berth, a sort of teiven up by Captain Rogers to the passengers, ere to be accommodated at the other end of the boat
”They will have nothing to do, then at this end?” said Mordaunt
”Nothing at all”
”That's a capital arrange theboat?”
”That in which we caht and well constructed”
”Quite a canoe”
”Fasten it to the poop with a rope; put the oars into it, so that itto do except to cut the cord Put a good supply of ruht happen to be stor to console themselves with”
”Consider all this done Do you wish to see the powder-room?”
”No When you return I will set the fuse myself, but be careful to conceal your face, so that you cannot be recognized by the at Greenwich”
Groslow, then, having given the sailor on duty an order to be on the watch with boat and soon reached Greenwich The as chilly and the jetty was deserted, as he approached it; but he had no sooner landed than he heard a noise of horses galloping upon the paved road
These horsearde, conan and Athos As soon as they arrived at the spot where Groslow stood they stopped, as if guessing that he was the hted and calmly opened the handkerchief tied at each corner, whilst D'Artagnan, ever cautious, re foratchfully
On seeing the appointed signal, Grosloho had at first crept behind one of the cannon planted on that spot, walked straight up to the gentlemen He was so rapped up in his cloak that it would have been iht had not been so dark as to render precaution superfluous; nevertheless, the keen glance of Athos perceived at once it was not Rogers who stood before them
”What do you ith us?” he asked of Groslow
”I wish to inforned of course, ”that if you are looking for Captain Rogers you will not find hi But I' and desired me to watch instead of hio, the gentle me a handkerchief tied at each corner, like that one which you hold and one which I have in my pocket”
And he drew out the handkerchief