At this moment the situation was complicated by a strange episode; a canoe crossed the stream, and ran ashore exactly at the spot which the Spaniards had quitted only a few minutes previously. This canoe contained five persons, three adventurers, and two Spaniards. The adventurers stepped ashore as calmly as if they; were quite alone, and pushing the two Spaniards before them, advanced resolutely toward the soldiers. The latter, astonished, confounded at such audacity, watched them coming without daring to make a movement to oppose them. These three adventurers were Montbarts, Michael the Basque, and L'Olonnais, and seven or eight dogs followed them. The two Spaniards walked unarmed in front of them, being alarmed about their fate, as was proved by the pallor of their faces, and the startled glances which they threw around them. The Count, on perceiving the adventurers, uttered a cry of rage, and bounded with uplifted sword to meet them. "Down with the ladrones!" he cried. The soldiers, ashamed of being held in check by three men, wheeled round, and boldly advanced. The adventurers were surrounded in an instant; but, without displaying the slightest surprise at this manoeuvre, they also halted, and standing shoulder to shoulder, faced all sides at once. The soldiers instinctively stopped. "Death!" the Count cried; "No mercy for the ladrones!" "Silence," Montbarts replied; "before menacing, listen to the news these two couriers bring you." "Seize these villains!" the Count yelled again. "Kill them like dogs!" "Nonsense," Montbarts remarked, ironically; "you are mad, my worthy sir. Seize us! Why, I defy you to do it." The three adventurers then emptied their powder flasks into their caps, and placed their bullets on the top of it; then, holding in one hand their caps thus converted into grenades, and in the other their lighted pipes, they waited for the signal. "Attention, brothers," Montbarts said; "and you scoundrels, make way, there, unless you wish us to blow you all up." And with a firm and measured step the three adventurers advanced toward the Spaniards, who were struck with terror, and really opened their ranks to make a passage for them. "Oh!" Montbarts added, with a laugh, "Do not fear that we shall attempt to fly; we only want to join our comrades." Then was witnessed the extraordinary scene of two hundred men timidly following at a respectful distance three filibusters, who, while walking and smoking to keep their pipes from going out, did not cease from jeering them for their cowardice. Lepoletais was quite wild with delight: as for Don Sancho, he did not know whether to feel most astonished at the mad temerity of the French, or the cowardice of his countrymen.