“You are stupid, friend Porthos. Why should we load ourselves with a useless burden?”

“I don’t find a good musket, twelve cartridges, and a powder flask very useless in the face of an enemy.”

“Well,” replied Athos, “have you not heard what d’Artagnan said?”

“What did he say?” demanded Porthos.

“d’Artagnan said that in the attack of last night eight or ten Frenchmen were killed, and as many Rochellais.”

“What then?”

“The bodies were not plundered, were they? It appears the conquerors had something else to do.”