ident difficulty. The one that was least wounded
supported his comrade, whose blood was moistening the earth. The two
poor fellows were half-way down the slope when Marche-a-Terre showed
his ugly face, and took so true an aim that both Blues fell together and
rolled heavily into the ditch. The Chouan's monstrous head was no sooner
seen than thirty muzzles were levelled at him, but, like a figure in a
pantomime, he disappeared in a second among the tufts of gorse.
These events, which have taken so many words to tell, happened
instantaneously, and in another moment the rear-guard of patriots and
soldiers had joined the main body of the escort.

"Forward!" cried Hulot.

The company moved quickly to the higher and more open ground on which
the picket guard was already stationed. There, the commander formed his
troop once more into line of battle; but, as the Chouans made no further
hostile demonstrations, he began to think that the deliverance of the
conscripts might have been the sole object of the ambuscade.

"Their cries," he said to his two friends, "prove that they are not
numerous. We'll advance at a quick step, and possibly we may be able to
reach Ernee without getting them on our backs."

These words were overheard by one of the patriot conscripts, who stepped
from the ranks, and said respectfully:--

"General, I have already fought the Chouans; may I be allowed a word?"

"A lawyer," whispered Hulot to Merle. "They always want to harangue.
Argue away," he said to the young man.

"General, the Chouans have no doubt brought arms for those escaped
recruits. Now, if we try to outmarch them, they will catch us in the
woods and shoot every one of us before we can get to Ernee. We must
argue, as you call it, with cartridges. During the skirmish, which will
last more time than you think for, some of us ought to go back and fetch
the National Guard and the militia from Fougeres."

"Then you think there are a good many Chouans?"

"Judge for yourself, citizen commander."

He led Hulot to a place where the sand had been stirred as with a rake;
then he took him to the opening of a wood-path, where the leaves were
scattered and trampled into the earth,--unmistakable signs of the
passage of a large body of men.

"Those were the 'gars' from Vitre," said the man, who came himself from
Fougeres; "they are on their way to Lower Normandy."

"What is your name?" asked Hulot.

"Gudin, commander."

"Well, then, Gudin, I m