the greatest consternation among the
young levies. A body of cavalry were at once sent off in pursuit,
and drove the fugitives back to their ranks, the troopers using the
flats of their swords unstintingly.

Then the advance was resumed, covered by the fire of the guns and
by volleys of musketry. These were answered but feebly by the
firearms in the peasants' hands, and the Blues pressed on until,
just before they reached the foot of the slope, the peasants
charged them with fury.

The regular troops and a regiment of gendarmes had been placed in
front. These stood firm, poured heavy volleys into the peasants as
they approached, and then received them with levelled bayonets.

In vain the Vendeans strove to break through the hedge of steel.
Cathelineau and his officers on one side, and the French generals
on the other, encouraged their men, and for a quarter of an hour a
desperate conflict reigned. Then the peasants fell back, and the
Blues resumed their advance.

Three times Cathelineau induced his followers to renew the attack,
but each time it was unsuccessful. The Blues mounted the hill, the
cannon were captured, and the Vendeans fell back into the town.
Here the ends of the streets had been barricaded and, in spite of
the artillery and the captured guns now turned against their former
owners, the assailants tried in vain to force their way into the
town.

From every window that commanded the approaches, the men with
muskets kept up an incessant fire. The mass of the peasants lay in
shelter behind the barricades, or in the houses, until the enemy's
infantry approached to within striking distance; and then, leaping
up from these barricades, and fighting with an absolute disregard
of their lives, they again and again repulsed the attacks of the
enemy.

Berruyer, seeing that in spite of his heavy losses he made no way,
called his troops from the assault and, forming them into two
columns, moved to the right and left, and attacked the town on both
sides. Here no barricades had been erected and, in spite of the
efforts of the peasants, an entrance was forced into the town.
Every street, lane, and house was defended with desperate energy;
but discipline gradually triumphed, and the Blues won their way
into the square in the centre of the town, where the principal
church stood. As they entered the open space, they were assailed
with a rain of bullets from the roof, tower, and windows.

As soon as the flanking mov