Ah!" sighed Porthos.
"If they fire all at once they will riddle us with balls." "Certainly they will." "Without reckoning," added Aramis, "that the detonation might occasion a collapse of the cavern." "Ay," said Porthos, "a piece of falling rock just now grazed my shoulder." "You see, then ?" "Oh! it is nothing." "We must determine upon something quickly.

Our Bretons are going to continue to roll the canoe towards the sea." "Very well." "We two will keep the powder, the balls, and the muskets here." "But only two, my dear Aramis--we shall never fire three shots together," said Porthos, innocently, "the defense by musketry is a bad one." "Find a better, then." "I have found one," said the giant, eagerly; "I will place myself in ambuscade behind the pillar with this iron bar, and invisible, unattackable, if they come in floods, I can let my bar fall upon their skulls, thirty times in a minute.

_Hein!_ what do you think of the project?
You smile!" "Excellent, dear friend, perfect! I approve it greatly; only you will frighten them, and half of them will remain outside to take us by famine.

What we want, my good friend, is the entire destruction of the troop.

A single survivor encompasses our ruin." "You are right, my friend, but how can we attract them, pray ?" "By not stirring, my good Porthos." "Well! we won't stir, then; but when they are all together--" "Then leave it to me, I have an idea." "If it is so, and your idea proves a good one--and your idea is most likely to be good--I am satisfied." "To your ambuscade, Porthos, and count how many enter." "But you, what will you do ?" "Don't trouble yourself about me; I have a task to perform." "I think I hear shouts." "It is they! To your post.