"Come now!" said he, "what is all this about?
Have I to do with men of straw? Corhoevf! stand on
one side, and you shall see how this is to be done."

" Peste ! " said D'Artagnan, " will he pretend to raise
that rock ? That would be a sight worth looking at."

The workmen, as commanded by the engineer, drew
back, crestfallen and shaking their beads, with the excep-
tion of the one who held the joist, who prepared to per-
form his office. The man with the plumes went up to the
stone, stooped, slipped his hands under the face lying
iipon the ground, stiffened his herculean muscles, and
without a jerk, but with a slow motion like that of a
machine, lifted the end of the rock a foot from the ground.
The workman who held the joist profited by the space
thus given him, and slipped the roller under the stone.
" That 's the way," said the giant, not letting the rock
fall again, but placing it upon its support.
" Mordionx ! " cried D'Artagnan, " I know but one man
capable of such a feat of strength."

"Hey?" said the colossus, turning round.
"Porthos ! " murmured D'Artagnan, seized with amaze-
ment ; " Porthos at Belle-Isle ! "

On his part, the man with the plumes fixed his eyes
upon the pretended steward, and, in spite of his disguise,
recognized him. " D'Artagnan ! " exclaimed he ; and the
color mounted to his face. " Hush ! " said he to D'Artagnan.
" Hush ! " in his turn said the musketeer.
In fact, if Porthos had just been discovered by D'Ar-
tagnan, D'Artagnan had just been discovered by Porthos.
