The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-22

who commanded for the king in thu Isle. He had, after a sang1inary con flict, effected his landing.
 The Count de Toirac entered into thu citadel St. Martin with his garrison and threw . hundred men into littl. fort, called the fort of La Pree.
 This event had hastened the resolu tions of the cardinal, and till the kinl and he could take the command of tha siege of La Rochelle, which was deter mined on, he had sent tho Duke of Or leans to direct the first operations ana had ordered all the troops he could dispose of to march toward the theatel of war. 1t was of this detachment sent as vanguard, that our friend D'ArtagnaN formed a part.
 The king, as we have said, was te follow as soon as his bed of justice had been held, but on rising from hia bed of justice on the 18th of June h< felt himself attacked by fever. Ha was, notwithstanding, anxious to sei out, but his illness becoming more se rious, he was forced to stop at Vile roi. fs
 Now whenever the ling stopped the musketeers stopped. It resulted that D'Artagnan found himself separated from his good friends-Athos, Aramia and Porthos.
 He, however, arrived without acci dent in the camp established before La Rochelle on the 10th of the month of September of the year 1927.
 The guards under the command o1 M. Dessessart took up their quartera at the Minimes; but, as we know D'Artagnan, preoccupied by the ambi Hon of passing into the musketeers had formed but few friendships amona his comrades.
 While walking solitarily late in the afternoon along a pretty little road which led from the camp to the village of Angoutin he saw the barrel of a musket glitter from behind a hedge and another on the other side of the road.
 He threw himself upon the ground At the same instant the gun was fired and he heard the whistling of ball pass over his head. a
 No time was to be lost. D'ArtRgnan sprang up with bound, and at the same instant the ball from the other musket tore up the stones near him.
 D'Artagnan was not one of those uselessly brave men who seek ridicu. lous death, in order that it may be said of them that they did not give way single step.
 If there should be a third shot, sad he, T am lost man."
 He immediately therefore took to his heels, but a third shot was fired, and this time so well aimed that it struck his hat and carried it ten paces from him. .
 As he, however, had no other hat he picked up this as he ran and ar rived at his quarters, very pale and quite out of breath.
 It must be a vengeance of milady's he decided.
 He endeavored in vain to remember the faces or dress of the assassins. He had escaped so rapidly that he had not had leisure to remark anything
 ''Ah, my poor friendsr' murmured D'Artagnan. Where are you? How sadly want your
 D'Artagnan remained all the next day in his quarters, assigning as a req son to himself that the weather was bad.
 At o'clock next morning the drums beat to arms. The Duke of Orleans visited the posts. Monsieur passed along the front of the line. Then all the superior officers approached him to pay their compliments.
 At the expiration of minute or two M. Dessessare made DArtagnan a sign to come to him. He left the ranks and advanced to receive his orders
 Monsieur is about to ask for some men of good courage for a dangerous mission"
 In fact, the Rochellais had made a sortie during the night and had re- taken bastion of which the royal army had gained possession two days before. The matter was to ascertain by reconnoitering whether the enemy guarded this bastion
 At the end of few minutes mon sieur raised hfs voice and said:
 ''I want for this mission three or four volunteers led by man who can be depended upon."
 "As to the man to be depended upon l have him under my hand, mon seigneur." said M Dessessart, point ing to D'Artagnan.
 -Four men of good will who will risk being killed with me-" said DAT tagnan, raising his sword
 Two of his comrades of the guards immediately sprang forward, and two other soldiers having joined them the number was deemed sufficient.
 D'Artagnan set out with his four companions and followed the trench.