Part 163 (2/2)

Then all his suspicions were confire had disappeared encircled the forest Athos followed the road for soht stains of blood, which came froe as a courier, or from one of the horses, dotted the road At the end of three-quarters of a league, within fifty paces of Festubert, a larger bloodstain appeared; the ground was trampled by horses Between the forest and this accursed spot, a little behind the traarden; the carriage had stopped here At this spot Milady had coe

Satisfied with this discovery which confirmed all his suspicions, Athos returned to the hotel, and found Planchet i was as Athos had foreseen

Planchet had followed the road; like Athos, he had discovered the stains of blood; like Athos, he had noted the spot where the horses had halted

But he had gone farther than Athos--for at the village of Festubert, while drinking at an inn, he had learned without needing to ask a question that the evening before, at half-past eight, a woundedin a post-chaise had been obliged to stop, unable to go further The accident was set down to the account of robbers, who had stopped the chaise in the wood The e; the woman had had a relay of horses, and continued her journey

Planchet went in search of the postillion who had driven her, and found him He had taken the lady as far as Fromelles; and from Fromelles she had set out for Armentieres Planchet took the crossroad, and by seven o'clock in thehe was at Armentieres

There was but one tavern, the Post Planchet went and presented himself as a lackey out of a place, as in search of a situation He had not chatted ten minutes with the people of the tavern before he learned that a woht before, had engaged a chamber, had sent for the master of the hotel, and told hihborhood

Planchet had no need to learn more He hastened to the rendezvous, found the lackeys at their posts, placed them as sentinels at all the outlets of the hotel, and came to find Athos, who had just received this information when his friends returned

All their countenances were loomy, even the mild countenance of Aranan

”To wait!” replied Athos

Each retired to his own apart Athos ordered the horses to be saddled, and Lord de Winter and his friends notified that they must prepare for the expedition

In an instant all five were ready Each examined his arms, and put thenan already on horseback, and growing impatient

”Patience!” cried Athos; ”one of our party is still wanting”

The four horseht vainly in their minds to knoho this other person could be

At this ht out Athos's house; the Musketeer leaped lightly into the saddle

”Wait for allop

In a quarter of an hour he returned, accoe red cloak

Lord de Winter and the three Musketeers looked at one another inquiringly Neither could give the others any infornorant who this man could be; nevertheless, they felt convinced that all was as it should be, as it was done by the order of Athos

At nine o'clock, guided by Planchet, the little cavalcade set out, taking the route the carriage had taken