all the prisoners they had taken in the battle.

The victory seemed to open the way to the Loire, and the Vendeans
steadily marched south through Mayenne and Laval, and arrived in
front of Angers. But the city was no longer in the defenceless
state in which it was when they first crossed the Loire. As soon as
it was perceived to be the point for which the Vendeans were
marching, four thousand troops were thrown into it, and all
preparations made for a stout defence.

"If they defend themselves as they ought to do," la Rochejaquelein
said to two or three of his officers, among whom was Jean Martin,
"there is no hope of taking the town. We have neither cannon to
blow down the walls, nor means of scaling them. Thirty-six hours is
the utmost we can hope for our operations. Kleber and the rest of
them will be up by that time. However--it is our sole hope--possibly
a panic may seize them when we attack; but even cowards will fight
behind walls and, after our failure at Granville, I have little hope
of our taking Angers, especially as they must know how soon their
army will be up."

The affair was a repetition of that at Granville. The Vendeans at
once obtained possession of one of the suburbs. Twenty pieces of
cannon opened fire upon it from the walls, while from the houses
the Vendeans replied with a musketry fire. During the night a
number of men laboured to undermine the wall by one of the gates,
and partially succeeded. But day broke before the work was
completed, and the defenders planted several cannon to bear upon
them.

The Vendeans were too much discouraged to make any further effort;
and when, a few hours later, news came that the Republican army was
fast approaching, and would reach the ground in an hour's time,
they again got into motion, and pursued their hopeless journey in
search of some point where they could cross the river, if only to
die in their beloved land.

On the following day Kleber was reinforced by a column, eight
thousand strong, from Cherbourg; and a reconnaissance was made
along the road by which the Vendeans had retreated. They found
everywhere the bodies of men, women, and children who had succumbed
to cold, fatigue, and misery. Westermann's cavalry set out in
pursuit, Muller following with his division to support him.

Marceau was now appointed commander-in-chief, pending the arrival
of Turreau and Rossignol. The latter had, almost from the
commencement of the war, intrigued against