Musqueton, therefore, was soon provided with tools and he began his task. In a few minutes he had extracted three boards. He tried to pass his body through the aperture, but not being like the frog in the fable, who thought he was larger than he really was, he found he must take out three or four more before he could get through.
He sighed and set to work again.
Grimaud had now finished his accounts. He arose and stood near Musqueton.
"I," he said.
"What?" said Musqueton.
"I can pass."
"That is true," said Musqueton, glancing at his friend's long and thin body, "you will pass easily."
"And he knows the full casks," said Blaisois, "for he has already been in the hold with Monsieur le Chevalier d'Artagnan. Let Monsieur Grimaud go in, Monsieur Mouston."
"I could go in as well as Grimaud," said Musqueton, a little piqued.
"Yes, but that would take too much time and I am thirsty. I am getting more and more seasick."
"Go in, then, Grimaud," said Musqueton, handing him the beer pot and gimlet.
"Rinse the glasses," said Grimaud. Then with a friendly gesture toward Musqueton, that he might forgive him for finishing an enterprise so brilliantly begun by another, he glided like a serpent through the opening and disappeared.
Blaisois was in a state of great excitement; he was in ecstasies. Of all the exploits performed since their arrival in England by the extraordinary men with whom he had the honor to be associated, this seemed without question to be the most wonderful.
"You are about to see" said Musqueton, looking at Blaisois with an expression of superiority which the latter did not even think of questioning, "you are about to see, Blaisois, how we old soldiers drink when we are thirsty."
"My cloak," said Grimaud, from the bottom of the hold.
"What do you want?" asked Blaisois.
"My cloak -- stop up the aperture with it."
"Why?" asked Blaisois.
"Simpleton!" exclaimed Musqueton; "suppose any one came into the room."
"Ah, true," cried Blaisois, with evident admiration; "but it will be dark in the cellar."
"Grimaud always sees, dark or light, night as well as day," answered Musqueton.
"That is lucky," said Blaisois. "As for me, when I have no candle I can't take two steps without knocking against something."
"That's because you haven't served," said Musqueton. "Had you been in the army you would have been able to pick up a needle on the floor of a closed oven. But hark! I think some one is coming."
Musqueton made, with a low whistling sound, the sign of alarm well known to the lackeys in the days of their youth, resumed his place at the table and made a sign to Blaisois to follow his example.
Blaisois obeyed.
The door of their cabin was opened. Two men, wrapped in their cloaks, appeared.
"Oho!" said they, "not in bed at a quarter past eleven.
That's against all rules. In a quarter of an hour let every one be in bed and snoring."
These two men then went toward the compartment in which Grimaud was secreted; opened the door, entered and shut it after them.
"Ah!" cried Blaisois, "he is lost!"
"Grimaud's a cunning fellow," murmured Musqueton.
They waited for ten minutes, during which time no noise was heard that might indicate that Grimaud was discovered, and at the expiration of that anxious interval the two men returned, closed the door after them, and repeating their orders that the servants should go to bed and extinguish their lights, disappeared.
"Shall we obey?" asked Blaisois. "All this looks suspicious."
"They said a quarter of an hour. We still have five minutes," replied Musqueton.
"Suppose we warn the masters."
"Let's wait for Grimaud."
"But perhaps they have killed him."
"Grimaud would have cried out."
"You know he is almost dumb."
"We should have heard the blow, then."
"But if he doesn't return?"
"Here he is."