Chapter 7: A Short Rest.
Leigh Stansfield had ridden with Rochejaquelein during the march ofthe army to Vezins, and from there to Bressuire. He was charmedwith his companion, who had been the first to dash, with a fewother mounted gentlemen, into the streets of Vezins; and who hadthrown himself, with reckless bravery, upon the retreating infantryand, as the peasants came up, had led them to the attack severaltimes, until Cathelineau's orders, that the pursuit should bepushed no farther, reached him.
"That sort of order is very hard to obey," he said to Leigh."However, I need not regret that these brave fellows should escapeus. We have won the battle, if one can call it a battle; and Ihonour the men who, when all the others have fled like sheep, stillcling together and defend their guns. At least a hundred of themhave fallen, since they left the town; and we have lost double thatnumber, and should lose at least as many more, before we finallyovercame their opposition. If all the armies of the Republic werecomposed of such stuff as this regiment, I fear that our chance ofdefending La Vendee successfully would be small, indeed."
On rejoining Cathelineau, and hearing his reason for calling offthe pursuit, Henri at once admitted its wisdom.
"After the defeat of Leigonyer, you will see that Berruyer will notlong be able to maintain himself at Chemille," he said; "and whenhe hears the news, I fancy that he will retire at once; for he willknow, well enough, that it will be useless for him to pursue us.Still, if he were to come down on our rear as we advanced, it wouldhave a bad effect upon the peasants; and it is much better to avoidfighting, unless under circumstances that are almost sure to giveus victory. We can almost always choose our own ground, which is anenormous advantage in a country like this. It is very fortunatethat it is so, for we certainly could not raise a body of cavalrythat could stand against those of the line; but in these lanes andthickets they have no superiority in that respect, for no generalwould be fool enough to send cavalry into places where they wouldbe at the mercy of an unseen foe. At the same time, I must own thatI regretted today that we had no mounted force. With but a squadronor two of my old regiment, not a man of Leigonyer's force wouldhave escaped; for the country here is open enough to use them, andI should certainly have had no compunction in cutting down therascals who are always shouting for blood, and yet are such arrantcowards that they fly without firing a shot."
The day after the capture of Bressuire the Vendeans marched againstThouars, to which town Quetineau had retreated with his force.Thouars was the only town in La Vendee which was still walled. Thefortifications were in a dilapidated condition, but neverthelessoffered a considerable advantage to a force determined upon adesperate resistance. With the fugitives from Bressuire, and thegarrison already in Thouars, Quetineau was at the head of threethousand five hundred troops; of these, however, comparatively fewcould be depended upon. The successive defeats that had beeninflicted on the troops of the Republic, by the Vendeans, hadentirely destroyed their morale. They no longer felt any confidencein their power to resist the onslaught of the peasants.
Quetineau himself had no hope of making a successful resistance. Hehad repeatedly written urgent letters to the authorities at Paris,saying that nothing could be done without large reinforcements ofdisciplined troops; and that the National Guard and volunteers wereworse than useless, as they frequently ran at the first shot, andexcited the hostility of the people, generally, by their habits ofplundering. Nevertheless, the old soldier determined to resist tothe last, however hopeless the conflict; and when the Vendeansapproached, at six o'clock in the morning, they found that thebridge of Viennes was barricaded and guarded.
As soon as they attacked, the general reinforced the defenders ofthe bridge by his most trustworthy troops; a battalion, threehundred and twenty-five strong, of Marseillais, and a battalion ofthe National Guard of Nievre. So stoutly was the post held that theVendean general saw that the bridge could not be taken, withoutterrible loss. He therefore contented himself with keeping up aheavy fire all day, while preparing an attack from other quarters.
The first step was to destroy the bridge behind the castle, and tomake a breach in the wall near the Paris gate, thereby cutting offthe garrison's means of retreat. At five o'clock a large body ofpeasantry was massed for an attack on the bridge at Viennes; andits defenders, seeing the storm that was preparing, retired intothe town. The Vendeans crossed the bridge but, as they approachedthe walls, they were attacked by a battalion of the National Guardof Deux Sevres and a body of gendarmes and, taken by surprise, weredriven back some distance. Their leaders, however, speedily ralliedthem; and in the meantime other bodies forced their way into thetown, at several points.
To avoid a massacre of his troops, Quetineau hoisted the whiteflag. On this, as on all other occasions in the northern portion ofLa Vendee, the prisoners were well treated. They were offered theirfreedom, on condition of promising not to serve against La Vendeeagain; and to ensure that this oath should be kept for some time,at least, their heads were shaved before their release, a step thatwas afterwards taken throughout the war.
Quetineau was treated with all honour, and was given his freedom,without conditions. Although he knew well that neither his longservices, nor the efforts that he had made, would save him from thefury of the Convention; he returned to Paris where, after themockery of a trial, he was sent to the guillotine--a fate whichawaited all those who failed, in the face of impossibilities, tocarry out the plans of the mob leaders. Instead of blame, thegeneral deserved a high amount of praise for the manner in which hehad defended the town against a force six times as strong as hisown.
Three thousand muskets, ten pieces of cannon, and a considerable amountof ammunition fell into the hands of the victors. This success left itopen to the Vendeans either to march against Leigonyer--the remnant ofwhose army was in a state of insubordination at Doug, and could haveoffered no opposition, but must have retreated to Saumur--or to clearthe country south and west.
The former would unquestionably have been the wiser course, for thecapture of Saumur would have been a heavy blow, indeed, to theRepublicans; but the peasants, whose villages and property werethreatened by the presence of the Blues at Fontenay, Parthenay, andChataigneraie, were so strongly in favour of the other alternativethat it was adopted; and the force broke into two divisions, onemoving towards Chataigneraie, and the other against Fontenay.
Parthenay was evacuated at once by the Republicans, as soon as newsreached the authorities of the approach of the Vendeans. Thelatter, however, made no stay, but continued their march towardsChataigneraie. The town was held by General Chalbos, with threethousand men. After two hours' fighting Chalbos, seeing that hisretreat was menaced, fell back.
He took up a position at Fontenay, where he was joined by GeneralSandoz, from Niort. The country around the town was unfavourablefor the Vendeans, being a large plain, and the result wasdisastrous to them. The Republicans were strong in cavalry, and aportion of these fell on the flank of the Vendeans, while theremainder charged them in rear. They fell into disorder at once,and the cavalry captured a portion of their artillery.
The Republican infantry, seeing the success of their cavalry,advanced stoutly and in good order. In vain the leaders of theVendeans strove to reanimate their men, and induce them to chargethe enemy. The panic that had begun spread rapidly and, in a fewminutes, they became a mob of fugitives scattering in alldirections, and leaving behind them sixteen cannon, and all themunitions of war they had captured.
La Rochejaquelein who, after he had visited Lescure at Clisson, hadrejoined the army with a party of gentlemen, covered the retreat withdesperate valour; charging the enemy's cavalry again and again and,before falling back, allowing time for the fugitives to gain theshelter of the woods. The loss of men was therefore small, but the factthat the peasants, who had come to be regarded as almost irresistibleby the troops, should have been so easily defeated, raised the Bluesfrom the depth of depression into which they had fallen; while the blowinflicted upon the Vendeans was corr
espondingly great. It was somelittle time before the peasants could be aroused again.
Small bodies, indeed, kept the field and, under their leaders,showed so bold a face whenever reconnoitring parties of the Blueswent out from Fontenay, that the troops were not long before theyagain began to lose heart; while the generals, who had thought thatthe victory at Fontenay would bring the war to a conclusion, againbegan to pour in letters to the authorities at Paris, calling forreinforcements.
On the side of the Vendeans, the priests everywhere exertedthemselves to impress upon their flocks the necessity of againjoining the army. Cathelineau himself made a tour through theBocage, and the peasants, persuaded that the defeat was apunishment for having committed some excesses at the capture ofChataigneraie, responded to the call. In nine days after thereverse they were again in force near Fontenay, and in much greaternumbers than before; for very many of them had returned to theirhomes, as soon as Thouars had been captured, and their strength inthe first battle was but little greater than that of theRepublicans.
Burning with ardour to avenge their defeat, and rendered furious bythe pillage of all the houses of the patriots at Chataigneraie--towhich town Chalbos with seven thousand troops had marched--it wasagainst him that the Vendeans first moved. Chalbos, who hadoccupied his time in issuing vainglorious proclamations, and inwriting assurances to the Convention that the Vendeans were sopanic stricken that the war was virtually over, only saved his armyby a long and painful night march back to Fontenay. Here the troopslay down to sleep, feeling certain that there could be no attackthat day by the enemy.
At one o'clock, however, the Vendeans issued from the woods on tothe plain, and the troops were hastily called to arms.
The Royal Catholic Army, as it now called itself, advanced in threecolumns. It was without cannon, but its enthusiasm more thancounterbalanced this deficiency. The Vendeans received unshaken thedischarge of the artillery of the Blues, pursuing their usualtactics of throwing themselves to the ground when they saw theflash of the cannon, and then leaping up again and rushing forwardwith loud shouts. The cavalry were ordered to charge, but onlytwenty men obeyed. The rest turned and fled. The infantry offeredbut a feeble resistance and, in ten minutes after the first gun wasfired, the Republican army was a mob of fugitives. Fontenay wastaken and, what pleased the peasants even more, their belovedcannon, Marie Jeanne, was recaptured, having been recovered byyoung Foret who, with a handful of peasants, charged the cavalrythat were covering the retreat, and snatched it from their hands.After this victory the peasants, as usual, returned for the mostpart to their homes.
As there was no probability of further fighting at the moment, JeanMartin and Leigh started for the chateau. They had first askedCathelineau if they could be spared.
"For the moment, yes. I hope that we shall be joined by the Countde Lescure, in a day or two. He will, of course, be one of ourgenerals. He has great influence with the peasantry and, if he canbut persuade them to remain under arms for a time, we will attackthe enemy. Messieurs d'Elbee and Bonchamp, and I may say several ofthe gentlemen with me, are of opinion that if we are to besuccessful in the end, it can only be by taking the offensive, andmarching against Paris. They urge that we should get MonsieurCharette to go with us with his army, cross the Loire, rouse allBrittany, and then march, a hundred thousand strong, against Paris.
"They say that although we have been most successful this time, andrepulsed the invaders everywhere except on the coast, they willcome again and again, with larger forces, till they overpower us.Possibly, if Monsieur de Lescure and Henri de la Rochejaquelein aidus with their influence and authority, we might persuade thepeasants that it is better to make one great effort, and then tohave done with it, than to be constantly called from their homeswhenever the Blues are in sufficient strength to invade us. Weshall tell them, too, that after the two repulses they havesuffered, the Blues will grow more and more savage, and thatalready orders have been sent for all villages to be destroyed, andall hedges and woods to be cut down--a business that, by the way,would employ the whole French army for some years.
"However, as soon as our plans are decided upon, I will send amessenger to you. At present there is nothing requiring either youor your scouts, Monsieur Stansfield, and after the good servicethat they have rendered, it is but fair that they should have ashort rest."
Patsey was delighted when her husband and Leigh arrived. She wasunder no uneasiness as to their safety as, after the repulse ofBerruyer's army at Chemille, and the rout of Leigonyer, Leigh hadsent one of the boys home, with the assurance that they wereunhurt.
"I don't quite know how much to believe," she said, as they satdown to a meal, "of the reports that the boys have brought home.The first came and told me that on your arrival at Cathelineau's,he himself praised them all, and that Monsieur Bonchamp drilledthem for an hour. Then came home two wounded lads, with a storyabout the great fight, in which they insisted that Leigh commanded,and that they kept the army of the Blues at bay for three hours,and killed hundreds of them. The next messenger told us a taleabout Leigh's having discovered some treachery, upon the part ofthe man who was in charge of the artillery, and that he was inconsequence shot. He insisted that Cathelineau had declared thatLeigh had saved Chemille, because the enemy were so long delayedthat Monsieur d'Elbee, with his band, had time to come up fromChollet and rout the Blues.
"Of course, I did not believe anything like all they said; but Isuppose there must be something in it, for I questioned the boysmyself; and though I had no doubt they would make as much as theycould of their own doings, among their neighbours and friends, theywould hardly venture to lie, though they might exaggerate greatlyto me."
"Strange as it may appear, Patsey," Jean said, "they told you thesimple truth and, as soon as we have finished supper, I will tellyou the whole story of what has taken place since we left; and youwill see that this brother of yours has cut a very conspicuousfigure in our affairs."
"You are not joking, Jean?"
"Not in the smallest degree. I can assure you that if Leigh choseto set up as leader on his own account, a large proportion of thepeasants would follow him."
"Ridiculous, Jean!" Leigh exclaimed hotly.
"It may seem ridiculous, but it is a real fact.
"The peasants, you must know, Patsey, choose their own leaders.There is no dividing or sorting them, no getting them to keep inregular companies; they simply follow the leader in whom they havethe most confidence, or who appears to them the most fortunate. Ifhe does anything that they don't like, or they do not approve ofhis plan, they tell him so. Leigh's defence of the stream againstBerruyer's army created a feeling of enthusiasm among them, and Iverily believe that his discovery of the plot to render the cannonuseless was regarded, by them, as almost supernatural. Superstitiousand ignorant as they are, they are, as you know, always ready toconsider anything they can't understand, and which acts greatly intheir favour, as a special interposition of Providence. I am boundto say that Leigh acted upon such very slender grounds that evenCathelineau, who is enormously in advance of the peasantry in general,was staggered by it; and told me he could not have believed itpossible that anyone should, on such a slight clue, have followed thematter up, unless by a special inspiration."
"The thing was as simple as A B C," Leigh broke in.
"You will have to remain a silent listener, Leigh," his sistersaid, "when Jean is telling me the story. I cannot have himinterrupted."
"Very well," Leigh said. "Then I will put on my hat, take a freshhorse from the stable, and ride off to see how the two wounded boysare going on."
"I can tell you that they are almost well; but still, if you don'twant to hear Jean's story of all your adventures, by all means goround. I am sure that the tenants will be gratified at hearing thatyou rode over to see them, the very first evening you came home."
The Vendean leaders had for some time felt the necessity of havinga generally recognized authority, and after the battle of Fontenaythey decided to appoint
a council, who were to reside permanentlyat some central place and administer the affairs of the wholedistrict, provide supplies for the armies, and make all other civilarrangements; so that the generals would be able to attend only tothe actual fighting. A body of eighteen men was chosen, toadminister affairs under the title of the Superior Council; and apriest who had joined them at Thouars, and who called himself,though without a shadow of right, the Bishop of Agra, was appointedpresident. He was an eloquent man, of commanding presence, and theleaders had not thought it worth while to inquire too minutely intohis claim to the title of bishop; for the peasants had been full ofenthusiasm at having a prelate among them, and his influence andexhortations had been largely instrumental in gathering the armywhich had won the battle of Fontenay.
But although he was appointed president, the leading spirit of thecouncil was the Abbe Bernier, a man of great energy and intellect,with a commanding person, ready pen, and a splendid voice; but whowas altogether without principle, and threw himself into the causefor purely selfish and ambitious motives.
It was on the sixteenth of May that Fontenay was won, and on thethird of June the church bells again called the peasantry to arms.The disaster at Fontenay had done more than all the representationsof their generals to rouse the Convention. Seven battalions ofregular troops arrived, and Biron, who had been appointedcommander-in-chief, reached Niort and assumed the command.
He wrote at once, to the minister of war, to say that he found theconfusion impossible to describe. There was an absence of anyorganization, whatever. The town was crowded with fugitives who,having distinguished themselves by the violence of their opinionsand the severity of their measures, before the insurrection brokeout, were forced to take refuge in the cities. The general reportedthat he had caused the assembly to be sounded again and again,without more than a tenth part of the troops paying the slightestheed to the summons.
The army was without cavalry, without waggons for carryingsupplies, without an ambulance train--in fact, it was nothing but ahalf-armed mob. Biron himself was at heart a Royalist, and when hein turn had to meet his fate by the guillotine, openly declaredhimself to be one; and the repugnance which he felt on assuming thecommand against the Vendeans--which he had only accepted after along delay, and after petitioning in vain to be allowed to remainat his former post--was heightened when he discovered the state ofaffairs, and the utter confusion that prevailed everywhere.
When sending the order for the bells to ring on the first of June,the superior council of the Vendeans issued a proclamation, whichwas to be read in all the churches, to the effect that provisionalcouncils should be formed, in each parish, to provide for thesubsistence of the women and children of men with the army.Receipts were to be given for all supplies of grain used for thispurpose, which were to be paid for by the superior council. Thosemen who did not remain permanently with the army, as long asnecessary, would be called upon to pay the taxes to which they weresubject, prior to the rising.
The sales of the land belonging to the churches--which had beensequestrated on the refusal of the clergy to comply with the ordersof the Convention--were declared null and void. As these had beenbought by the upholders of the Revolution, for no devout Vendeanwould have taken part in the robbery of the church, the blow was aheavy one to those who had so long been dominant in La Vendee.These lands were, for the time, to be administered for the good ofthe cause by the parish council.
It was hoped that this proclamation would act beneficially inkeeping the peasants in the field; as they would know that theirfamilies were cared for, and that if they only went out at times,they would subject themselves to taxation, and be regarded by thefamilies of those who remained with the army as being wanting inzeal.
Upon rejoining the army, Leigh and his party of scouts learned, totheir satisfaction, that it was intended to march against Saumur.They were now double their former strength, as the story of whatthey had done had roused the spirit of emulation among lads in thesurrounding parishes; and Leigh could have had a hundred, had hechosen. He was this time mounted, in order that he might at timesride with Rochejaquelein, while at others he went out scouting withhis party.
"I am heartily glad to see you back again, my friend," the youngcount said, shaking him warmly by the hand. "To be with you does megood, for the generals, and even Lescure, are so serious and solemnthat I feel afraid to make a joke. You see, in the cavalry we havelittle responsibility except in an actual battle. In an opencountry we should scout ahead, and have affairs with the enemy'soutposts; but in this land of woods, where one can seldom see morethan twenty yards ahead, there is little use for us. Besides, withthe exception of a score or two of gentlemen, I have no troops tocommand and, having health and good spirits, and enjoying life, Icannot go about as if the cares of life were on my shoulders. Yourbrother-in-law Martin is a capital fellow but, with a wife andchild, he cannot feel so lighthearted as I do; though next toyourself he is the most ready to join me in a laugh. Sailors seemalways to be lighthearted, and he certainly is no exception."
"He is a splendid fellow, count."
"Yes, he is a fine fellow; but you see, he is seven or eight yearsolder than I am, while I feel with you that you are about my ownage. By the way, it is high time that we dropped calling each otherby our surnames, especially as mine is such a long one; so infuture let us be' Henri' and 'Leigh 'to each other. Most of thepeasants call me Henri."
"They generally speak of you as 'our Henri,'" Leigh said, "andwould follow you through fire and water. I think the Vendeans are,as a whole, serious people; and they admire you all the morebecause you are so unlike themselves. If you do not mind my sayingso, you remind me much more of the young English officers I used tomeet, at Poole, than of Frenchmen."
"Yes, I have often been told that I am more English than French inappearance, and perhaps in manner; for in France most men haveforgotten, for the past four years, what it is to smile; and Iquestion whether a laugh would not be considered, in itself,sufficient to ensure a man's condemnation as an enemy of theRepublic.
"Well, so we are going to Saumur! That is an enterprise worthundertaking. It may be considered as the headquarters of the Bluesin these parts. There is a considerable body of troops there. If wecapture it, we shall give a rare fright to Poitiers, Tours, and theother towns, and cause a scare even in Paris."
Leigh was requested to go forward at daybreak, with his band, todiscover the situation of the enemy, who might come out from theirsituation to give battle before Doue. Leigonyer, who commandedhere, had with him four good regiments; and occupied several strongpositions on the right bank of the river Layon, and also a postcalled Rochette on the left bank.
The fact that the Vendeans were advancing against them was alreadyknown to Leigonyer for, confident as they now felt, the Vendeansmade no secret of their destination, and the news was speedilycarried by the adherents of the Convention, who everywhere acted asspies. Three such men were captured by Leigh's party, making theirway to Leigonyer; and, being unable to give any account ofthemselves, were immediately shot.
Leigh had no difficulty in ascertaining the position of the enemyand, as the army was but two hours' march in the rear, he himselfrode back to carry the news.
At ten o'clock the Vendeans arrived, and at once attacked theBlues; their main column throwing itself upon the centre of theposition, which it speedily forced. Leigonyer's troops at Rochetteand Verches were thereby threatened in flank; and Leigonyer, whowas himself present, ordered the whole force to fall back to aposition which he had before chosen as being favourable for givingbattle behind Doue.
But the Vendeans pressed forward with such eagerness that theretreat speedily degenerated into a rout; and the troops, for themost part throwing away their arms, fled precipitately, carryingthe reserve with them to Bourlan, a strong position in front ofSaumur, where General Menou was stationed, and where he succeededin rallying them.
Leigonyer, having from his previous experience great doubts as towhether he should be su
ccessful in his stand against the Vendeans,had taken the precaution to send back the waggons with themunitions and stores, together with the artillery. As his men hadfled too rapidly to be overtaken, the numerical loss was not great.He himself, in his report of the fight, ascribed it to a cause thathas been frequently used by the French to excuse their defeats;namely that it was due to treachery, for many of the men broke andfled, directly the action began; and these, he avowed, could havebeen none other than Vendeans who had disguised themselves, andenlisted for the purpose of causing discontent among the men, andconfusion in their ranks, the first time they met the enemy.
Since the commencement of the campaign he had several times beggedto be relieved of his command, and to return to the post that heoccupied previously. He now repeated the demand, saying that he hadlost the confidence of his men, and that a new commander would befar more likely to succeed with them. This time the request wasgranted, and General Menou was appointed to succeed him.
Fortunately for Leigonyer, the commissioners of the Conventionreported most favourably of the activity and energy that he hadpersonally shown and, although he was accused of treachery in theAssembly, this report saved him from the guillotine.
As soon as the fight was over, Cathelineau sent for Leigh.
"It is of the greatest importance that we should know what ispassing at Saumur. We have learned, from one of the officers who isa prisoner in our hands, that Biron is at Tours, and isendeavouring to persuade the Paris battalions that have arrivedthere to march, at once, to Saumur. They have absolutely refused todo so, until the arrival of the cannon that were promised to them,before they left Paris. They may, by this time, be marching towardsSaumur, with or without their cannon. General Salomon is atThouars, with a considerable force, and it is possible that he alsomay march to aid in the defence of Saumur; and as he has, inaddition to the new levies, a fine battalion of gendarmes, hisarrival at Saumur would greatly increase the strength of thedefence.
"I should say that half your scouts had better go to Thouars and,should there be any considerable movement of troops there, theyshould bring me word at the greatest possible speed. We shalltomorrow march forward and take post facing the enemy's positions,and on the ninth shall attack. I tell you this in order that yourscouts may know where to find me.
"To you, with the other half of your party, I give the charge ofwatching Saumur. If one or two of them could cross the Loire andwatch the road between Tours and Saumur, and bring me speedy wordif they see a large body of troops coming along, we should knowwhat force we have to encounter, and act accordingly."
"You shall have news, general," Leigh said and, saluting, at oncejoined his band.
Jean, who had been talking with him when the message fromCathelineau arrived, and had waited to hear what his orders were,said as he came up:
"You and your regiment are off on an adventure again, Leigh?"
"Yes, we are going to watch Thouars and Saumur, and to find out, ifpossible, if the battalions from Paris are on their way fromTours."
"The first will be easy enough but, unless you swim the Loire, Idon't see how the second is to be managed."
"I should think that a boat might be obtained, at one of thevillages on the river bank. Anyhow, I shall get across somehow."
Andre was ordered to take his party to Thouars.
"Remember," Leigh said, "there is to be no fighting; not a shotmust be fired. I want you and another to enter the town, ifpossible, from the other side; to see whether there is any unusualexcitement, and especially whether there is any stir among thetroops that would seem to show that they are on the point ofmarching away. You are to remain there until you see some suchmovement. The lad that you are taking in with you must go out,every hour, to the spot where you have left the rest; and one ofthese must at once start with your report to the general, who willtomorrow be on his way to Saumur, and will halt not far from itsworks of defence. Having delivered his message, he is to return toyou, for you must continue to send off messengers until you hearthat there is fighting at Saumur. If the commander of the Blues atThouars has not moved by that time, you need remain no longer, butreturn with your party and join the army."
After Andre had left, Leigh marched with Pierre and the others to aspot up the river, ten miles above Saumur.
"Can any of you swim?" he asked.
Three only of the party were able to reply in the affirmative.
"Do you think that you could swim across the Loire?"
All of them expressed great doubt of being able to do so.
"Well, at any rate, I must take you with me," he said. "To be ableto swim a little is a good deal better than not to be able to swimat all, for by making a faggot you will gain such support as willenable you to get across.
"Now, Pierre, you must for the present remain here. Tomorrowmorning you can go into the village, whose church tower you can seeover there, and find out whether the people there are for us or forthe Blues. If they are for us you can show them Cathelineau'sorder, of which you have a copy, and they will certainly provideyou with a boat. In that case, cross the river with your party andtake post on the opposite bank, keeping the boat with you, and aman who can row. Then, as soon as one of my messengers arrivesthere, you will send on my report to the general who, tomorrowevening, will be not far from Saumur. Do the same with eachmessenger that arrives.
"If, on reaching the bank opposite the village, they do not findyou there, they will follow the opposite bank down until they areopposite to you. Then they will call, and you, unless anything hashappened to drive you away, will reply. The messenger will thenswim across with my report, as in the other case. You will send itforward at once, and he will return to the spot I shall appoint.
"I see there is another village, a mile below us. I shall go therewith my three followers, tonight. We will manage to steal a boatand row across. I shall go to that village instead of the other,because the loss of a boat may cause anger and, even if welldisposed to the cause, they might not receive you well. However, Ishall tie the boat up on the opposite bank when I leave it, so thatit will not drift away down the river; and when they see it in themorning, they will only have to send another boat across to fetchit over."
"I understand, captain, and will do my best to carry out yourinstructions. Even if I find that, at the village above, they aredivided in opinion, I shall surely be able to discover, from theirtalk, some who are on our side, and who will arrange to bring aboat down to this spot; in which case your messenger, when he doesnot find us opposite the village, will follow the bank down till hedoes so."
"At any rate, Pierre, here are a couple of crowns, so that you canarrange with a man for the hire of the boat, and his services, fortwenty-four hours, if necessary."