The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-22
THE THREE GUARDSMEN

at tennis in a tennis court situated
 near the stables of the Luxembourg
 Athcs invited D'Artagnan to follow ] them.
 At the game one of the balls launch- | ed by Porthos' herculean hand passed 1 so close to D'Artagnan's face that he 1 thought if, instead of passing near, it 1 had hit him his audience would have been probably lost, as 1t would have been impossible for him to have pre-
 sented himself before the king. He saluted Aramis and Porthos politely, declaring that he would not resume i the game until he should be prepared 1 to play with them on more equal terms, and he went and took his place near the cord and ih the gallery. Unfortunately for D'Artagnan, there was among the. spectators, one of his eminence's guards who was irritated by the defeat of his companions. He addressed his neighbor: ''It is not astonishing that that young
 man should be afraid of g ball. He is doubtless musketeer apprentice" D'Artagnan turned round as if a ser pent had stung him and fixed his eyes intensely upon the guard who had just made this insolent speech.
 T beg you will follow me-" he said.
 "And whenr' Asked the guard, with the same jeering air
 Immediately, if you please"
 "And you know who am, without
 doubtY
 ~1! No, assure you am complete 1y ignorant. Nor does it much con cern me-"
 You're in the wrong there, for if you knew my name perhaps you would not be in such hurry"
 "sWhat is your name, theny
 ~BernajOux, at your service"
 "Well, then, M. Bernajoux," said D'Artagnan quietly, T will wait for
 you at the door," ], The name of Bernajoux was known to everybody, D'Artagnan alone ex- cepted perhaps, for it was one of those which figured most frequently in the daily brawls, which all the edicts of the cardinal had not been able to repress. The musketeers did not perceive n he had told his emiperce's Eiard
 he would, stopped outside the door. An instant after the guard descended. As D'Artagnan had no time to lose, on account of the audience of the king,
 which was fixed for midday, he cast his eyes around and, seeing that the street was empty, said:
 "I have very little time to spare, having an appointment at F precise ly. Guard, then, monsieur, guard" Bernajoux was not man to have such compliment paid to him twice. In an instant his sword glittered in his hand, and he sprang upon his ad- versary, whom from his youth he hoped to intimidate.
 But D'Artagnan had on the proceed ing day gone through his apprentice ship. Fresh sharpened by his victory, full of the hopes of future favor, he was resolved not to give back step. So the two swords were crossed close to the hilts, and, as D'Artagnan stood firm, it was his adversary who made the retreating step. But DArtagnau touched his adversary on the shoulder. D'Artagnan immediately made step
 backward and raised his sword. But
 Bernajoux cried out that it was noth-
 Ing and, rushing blindly upon him, absolutely spitted himself upon DAT tagnan's sword. As, however, he did not fall, and as he did not declare himself conquered, but only broke away to- ward the mansion of M. de Tremouille, In whose service he had relation, D'Artagnan was ignorant of the se- riousness of the last wound his ad- versary had received, pressed him
 warmly and without doubt would soon have completed his work with third blow when the noise which arose from the street, being heard in the tennis court, two of the friends of the guard rushed, sword in hand, from the court and fell upon the conqueror. But
 Athos, PorthOs and Aramis quickly
 appeared in their turn and the mo-
 ment the two guards attacked their
 young companion drove them back. Bernajoux now fell, and as the guards
 
 gan to cry: "To the rescue! The Ho-
 tel de Tremouillev' At these cries all
 who were in the hotel rushed out, fall ing upon the four companions, who on
 their side cried aloud, ''To the rescue,
 musketeers!''
 This cry was generally attended to,
 for the musketeers were known to De
 enemies to the cardinal and were be-
 loved on account of the hatred they
 bore to his enemies. The melee be- came general, but strength was on the
 side of the musketeers The cardinals
 guards and M. de la Tremouille's peo-
 pie retreated into the mansion. the doors of which they closed just in time to prevent their enemies from entering
 with them. As to the wounded man,
 he had been taken in at once and, as