"Will you have the kindness, monsieur, to set your watch by mine, or let me set mine by yours?" "Certainly, monsieur," said the light-horseman, drawing out a beautiful watch incrusted with diamonds; "half-past seven." "Five-and-twenty minutes to eight. So I am five minutes faster than you;" and bowing to the rest of the company, the four young men took the road to the Bastion Saint-Gervais, followed by Grimaud carrying the basket. He had not the faintest idea where they were going, or what they were to do, but Athos had given his orders, and he always obeyed without questioning. As long as they were within the camp, the four friends remained silent; but once they had passed the wall of circumvallation, D'Artagnan, who was completely in the dark, thought it was time to ask for an explanation. "And now, my dear Athos," said he, "will you be good enough to tell me where we are bound for?" "Why, for the bastion, of course." "And what are we to do when we get there?" "I told you before. We are going to breakfast." "But why didn't we do that at Parpaillot's?" "Because we had some important matters to discuss, and it was impossible to talk for five minutes at that inn, with all those people coming and going, and perpetually bowing and speaking to you. Here at least," continued Athos, pointing to the bastion, "we shall not be interrupted." "It seems to me," said D'Artagnan, with the caution which was as much his characteristic as his foolhardy courage, "it seems to me that we might have found some secluded place among the sand-hills on the sea-shore." "Oh, somebody would have seen, and in a quarter of an hour spies would have informed the Cardinal that we were holding council." "Yes," said Aramis. "Athos is right. _Animadvertuntur in desertis._" "A desert would have done very well," replied Porthos; "but first we should have to find it." "There is no desert where a bird cannot fly overhead, or a fish jump out of the water, or a rabbit run out of his hole; and bird, fish, and rabbit have all become spies of the Cardinal. Much better to go on with our adventure, which we cannot now give up without dishonor. We have made a bet, and a bet on the spur of the moment; a bet of which I defy any one to guess the true meaning. To win it, we must hold the bastion for an hour. Either they will attack us, or they won't. If we are left unmolested, we shall have plenty of time to talk without any one overhearing us, for I will answer for the walls of this bastion having no ears. If they try to dislodge us, we can talk all the same, and in defending our position shall cover ourselves with glory. You see that from every point of view we have the whip hand." "Yes," said D'Artagnan, "but most certainly we shall attract some stray bullet." "My good fellow," remarked Athos, "do you really think that the enemy's bullets are those we have most cause to fear?" "But surely, if we were embarking on such an expedition, we ought to have brought our muskets?"