Page:Ten Years Later 2.djvu/63

TEN YEARS LATER. 53 direction and then in another. The English fleet was soon recognized by the lines of the ships, and by the color of their pennants; the one which had the princess on board and carried the admiral's flag preceded the others. The rumor now spead that the princess was arriving. The whole French court ran to the harbor, while the quays and jetties were soon covered by crowds of people. Two hours afterward the other vessels had overtaken the flag- ship, and the throe, not venturing perhaps to enter the nar- row entrance of the harbor, cast anchor between Havre and La Heve. When the maneuver had been completed the vessel Avhich bore the admiral saluted France by twelve dis- charges of cannon, which were returned, discharge for dis- charge, from Fort Francis I. Immediately afterward a hundred boats were launched — they were covered with the richest stuffs, and destined for the conveyance of the differ- ent members of the French nobility toward the vessels at anchor. But when it was observed that even inside the harbor the boats were tossed to and fro, and that beyond the jetty the waves rose mountains high, dashing upon the shore with a terrible uproar, it will readily be believed that not one of those frail boats would be able with safety to reach a fourth part of the distance between the shore and the vessels at anchor. A pilot-boat, however, notwith- standing the wind and the sea, was getting ready to leave the harbor for the purpose of placing itself at the admiral's orders. De Guiche, who had been looking among the different boats for one stronger than the others, which might offer a chance of reaching the English vessels, perceiving the pilot- boat getting ready to start, said to Eaoul: "Do you not think, Eaoul, that intelligent and vigorous men, as we are, ought to be ashamed to retreat before the brute strength of wind and waves?" "That is precisely the very reflection I was silently mak- ing to myself," replied Bragelonne. "Shall we get into that boat, then, and push off? Will you come, De Wardes?" "Take care, or you will get drowned," said Manicamp. "Ani for no purpose," said De Wardes, "for, with the wind dead against you, as it will be, you will never reach the vessels." "You refuse, then?" "Assuredly I do; I would willingly risk and lose my life in an encounter against men," he said, glancing at Brage-