Now, one evening when d’Artagnan, who was in the trenches, was not able to accompany them, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, mounted on their battle steeds, enveloped in their war cloaks, with their hands upon their pistol butts, were returning from a drinking place called the Red Dovecot, which Athos had discovered two days before upon the route to Jarrie, following the road which led to the camp and quite on their guard, as we have stated, for fear of an ambuscade, when, about a quarter of a league from the village of Boisnau, they fancied they heard the sound of horses approaching them.
Történt egy este, hogy D'Artagnan szolgálaton volt a futóárokban, és nem kísérhette el barátait. Athos, Porthos és Aramis hadiköpenybe burkolózva, pisztolyuk agyán tartva kezüket, harci ménjeiken hazafelé lovagoltak egy csapszékből, melyet Athos két napja fedezett fel a La Jarrie-i országúton: a kocsma a Vörös Galambdúc nevet viselte.