ill speak to him," Cathelineau said, as he sent out
to give orders for the church bells to ring, and the horns to blow.

The man was standing by his cart, a short distance off, in the hope
of catching sight of Cathelineau. The general at once walked up to
him.

"This is General Cathelineau," Leigh said.

The countryman took off his hat, and dropped on his knees.

"Get up, my good fellow," Cathelineau said; "I am but a Vendean
peasant, like yourself. I thank you for the good service that you
have rendered, by bringing Monsieur Stansfield so quickly to us.
The time it has saved may make all the difference to us and, in the
future, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have
played an important part in the capture of Saumur."

In five minutes the quiet street was crowded with men. The peasants
had encamped in the fields round the town and, at the summons,
caught up their arms and ran in hastily, feeling sure that the
occasion was important, as they had been told that they were not to
march until next morning.

The divisions commanded by Monsieur de Lescure and General Bonchamp
speedily gathered round the distinguishing flags of those officers.
Other leaders joined them with their followers, until some ten
thousand men were gathered outside the town.

Leigh had changed his clothes and mounted his horse, Monsieur de
Lescure having invited him to ride with him. As they were about to
start, one of Andre's messengers arrived, with the news that an
officer and three troopers had arrived at the town; and that, ten
minutes later, the trumpets were sounding the assembly.

"It is well that we got your news first," Monsieur de Lescure said
to Leigh, "for otherwise we could hardly have got our forces
together, and been ready for a start, until it was too late to
intercept Salomon."

The route of the column was by a byroad, between Doue and
Montreuil. It was seven o'clock before they approached the town.
Then, striking off the road, they marched through the fields until
a mile and a half to the east of it, when they halted in a thick
wood. They were now divided into three columns, of equal strength.
That under Monsieur de Lescure occupied the wood on one side of the
road, that under Monsieur Bonchamp the other side. The third column
were posted in rear of the wood, and were to thickly line the
hedges that bordered it.

It was just dusk when the force from Thouars came along. It
consisted of three thousand six