Cahusac

Cahusac is a member of the Cardinal's Guards, a corps of soldiers personally loyal to Cardinal Richelieu and perpetually at odds with the King's Musketeers. He is first introduced as one of the five Guardsmen who, under the command of Jussac, confront Athos, Porthos, and Aramis near the Convent of the Carmes-Deschaux. In this encounter, Cahusac is the specific adversary of Athos, and he wounds the Musketeer anew, striking him in a shoulder that was already injured. Despite Athos's weakened state, Cahusac is unable to finish him, and the fight is interrupted by the arrival of d'Artagnan, who joins the Musketeers and turns the tide of the battle. During the melee, d'Artagnan disarms Cahusac, sending his sword flying, but Athos, who has a personal score to settle, insists that d'Artagnan spare his life. Athos then resumes the duel and kills Cahusac with a sword thrust through the throat. His body is later carried away by his comrades, and he is counted among the four Guardsmen put out of action by the four friends. The affair makes a great noise, and King Louis XIII, when informed of the fight by Monsieur de Treville, learns that Cahusac was one of the aggressors. The king later recalls the duel, noting that Athos had wounded Cahusac seriously. Cahusac's death is a direct consequence of the ongoing rivalry between the Musketeers and the Cardinal's Guards, and his defeat at the hands of Athos underscores the Musketeers' superior skill and the personal nature of their conflicts.