92 LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE. the fall might explode one at least, if not both of them, by which he would have been disarmed, and left utterly with- out defense. Once upon his feet, he took the pistols out of the holsters, and advanced toward the spot, where, by the light of the flash, he had seen De Wardes appear. De Guiche had, at the first shot, accounted for the maneuver, than which nothing could have been simpler. Instead of advancing to meet De Guiche, or remaining in his place to await his approach, De Wardes, had, for about fifteen paces, followed the circle of the shadow which hid him from his adversary's observation, and at the very moment when the latter presented his flank in his career, he had fired from the place where he stood, carefully taking his aim, and as- sisted instead of being inconvenienced by the horse's gallop. It has been seen that, notwithstanding the darkness, the first ball had passed hardly more than an inch above De Guiche's head. De Wardes had so confidently relied upon his aim that he thought he had seen De Guiche fall; his astonishment was extreme when he saw that he still re- mained erect in his saddle. He hastened to fire his second shot, but his hand trembled, and he killed the horse in- stead. It would be a most fortunate chance for him if De Guiche were to remain held fast under the animal. Before he could have freed himself, De Wardes would have loaded his pistol and had De Guiche at his mercy. But De Guiche, on the contrary, was up and had three shots to fire. De Guiche immediately understood the position of affairs. It would be necessary to exceed De Wardes in rapidity of ex- ecution. He advanced, therefore, so as to reach him before he should have time to reload his pistol. De Wardes saw him approaching like a tempest. The ball was rather tight, and offered some resistance to the ramrod. To load it care- lessly would be to expose himself to lose his last chance; to take the proper care in loading it would be to lose his time, or, rather, it would be throwing away his life. He made his horse bound on one side. De Guiche turned round also, and at the moment the horse was quiet again he fired, and the ball carried off De Wardes' hat from his head. De Wardes now knew that he had a moment's time at his own disposal; he availed himself of it in order to finish loading his pistol. De Guiche, noticing that his adversary did not fall, threw the pistol he had just discharged aside, and walked straight toward De Wardes, elevating the second pistol as he did so. He had hardly proceeded more than two or three paces, when De Wardes took aim at him as he
