next day. At half past
two Charette's cannonade redoubled in vigour, and the rattle of
musketry showed that his troops were advancing. The batteries of
the defenders opened with equal violence, and their musketry
answered that of the assailants on the opposite bank.

"I think that that must be the signal for Cathelineau to begin,"
Martin said.

And, ten minutes later, the attack commenced with fury upon the
gates of Vannes, Rennes, and that by the river.

Every window was opened, and anxious faces looked out. The night
was dark, and the few oil lamps alone threw a feeble light on the
square. Suddenly a broad glare rose to the west, and the murmur,
"There is a house on fire!" passed from mouth to mouth. In another
few minutes flames were seen rising at a dozen points, and a cry of
consternation arose.

"The brigands have entered the town! They are going to burn it to
the ground."

Man after man of the little group of National Guards, who had been
gathered talking in front of the door of the prison, was seen to
detach himself from it and to move quietly away. Then those at the
windows noticed four or five parties of men move forward, from
among those who were standing talking; when within a short distance
of the guard there was a sharp command, and these groups all rushed
towards the gates together. There were shouts and cries, and then
there was silence. Taken wholly by surprise, the guard had fallen
under the knives of the Vendeans without having had time to fire a
shot.

Then the majority of their assailants ran off, half one way, half
the other, following the wall of the prison. Two pistol shots were
fired, a moment later. The men who had remained at the gate drew
back for some distance. There was a short pause, and then a
tremendous explosion. All the people gathered in the place, save
those who had carried out the affair, fled with cries of terror.
Then Jean and his party dashed forward towards the shattered gates
and entered the prison, and shot or cut down the frightened warders
as these came running out, dazed and bewildered at the sound of the
explosion. Jean seized one of them by the throat.

[Illustration: Jean seized one of them by the throat.]

"Where are the keys kept? Answer, or I will blow out your brains!"

The frightened ruffian at once led the way to the chief warder's
room. He had already fallen, being one of the first to run down.
There were two bunches of keys.

"These are of the doo