ll I make the signal."

"So that whenever I want to see them--"

"You will tell me; I shall give the signal and they'll appear."

"Let us start, general."

"Yes, let us start."

The two young men wrapped themselves in their cloaks and went out. At
the door Roland collided against a small group of five men. These five
men wore Republican uniforms; one of them had sergeant stripes on his
sleeve.

"What is all this?" asked Roland.

"Nothing," replied Cadoudal, laughing.

"But who are these men?"

"Coeur-de-Roi and his party; they are starting on that expedition you
know of."

"Then they expect by means of this uniform--"

"Oh! you shall know all, colonel; I have no secrets from you." Then,
turning to the little group, Cadoudal called: "Coeur-de-Roi!"

The man with the stripes on his sleeves left the group, and came to
Cadoudal.

"Did you call me, general?" asked the pretended sergeant.

"Yes, I want to know your plan."

"Oh! general, it is very simple."

"Let me judge of that."

"I put this paper in the muzzle of my gun." Coeur-de-Roi showed a large
envelope with an official red seal, which had once, no doubt, contained
some Republican despatch intercepted by the Chouans. "I present myself
to the sentries, saying: 'Despatch from the general of division.'
I enter the first guardhouse and ask to be shown the house of the
citizen-commissioner; they show me, I thank them; always best to be
polite. I reach the house, meet a second sentry to whom I tell the same
tale as to the first; I go up or down to citizen Milliere accordingly
as he lives in the cellar or the garret. I enter without difficulty, you
understand--'Despatch from the general of division'. I find him in his
study or elsewhere, present my paper, and while he opens it, I kill him
with this dagger, here in my sleeve."

"Yes, but you and your men?"

"Ah, faith! In God's care; we are defending his cause, it is for him to
take care of us."

"Well, you see, colonel," said Cadoudal, "how easy it all is. Let us
mount, colonel! Good luck, Coeur-de-Roi!"

"Which of these two horses am I to take?" asked Roland.

"Either; one is as good as the other; each has an excellent pair of
English pistols in its holsters."

"Loaded?"

"And well-loaded, colonel; that's a job I never trust to any one."

"Then we'll mount."

The two young men were soon in their saddles, and on the road to Vannes;
Cadoudal guiding Roland, and Branche-d'Or, the major-gener