D'Artagnan uttered a wild cry, which made Fouquet turn round, and added speed to the white horse.
"A famous horse! a mad rider!" growled the captain.

"Hola! _mordioux!_ Monsieur Fouquet! stop! in the king's name!" Fouquet made no reply.
"Do you hear me ?" shouted D'Artagnan, whose horse had just stumbled.
"_Pardieu!_" replied Fouquet, laconically; and rode on faster.
D'Artagnan was nearly mad; the blood rushed boiling to his temples and his eyes.

"In the king's name!" cried he again, "stop, or I will bring you down with a pistol-shot!" "Do!" replied Fouquet, without relaxing his speed.
D'Artagnan seized a pistol and cocked it, hoping that the double click of the spring would stop his enemy.

"You have pistols likewise," said he, "turn and defend yourself." Fouquet did turn round at the noise, and looking D'Artagnan full in the face, opened, with his right hand, the part of his dress which concealed his body, but he did not even touch his holsters.

There were not more than twenty paces between the two.
"_Mordioux!_" said D'Artagnan, "I will not assassinate you; if you will not fire upon me, surrender! what is a prison ?" "I would rather die!" replied Fouquet; "I shall suffer less." D'Artagnan, drunk with despair, hurled his pistol to the ground.