k
that day by the enemy.

At one o'clock, however, the Vendeans issued from the woods on to
the plain, and the troops were hastily called to arms.

The Royal Catholic Army, as it now called itself, advanced in three
columns. It was without cannon, but its enthusiasm more than
counterbalanced this deficiency. The Vendeans received unshaken the
discharge of the artillery of the Blues, pursuing their usual
tactics of throwing themselves to the ground when they saw the
flash of the cannon, and then leaping up again and rushing forward
with loud shouts. The cavalry were ordered to charge, but only
twenty men obeyed. The rest turned and fled. The infantry offered
but a feeble resistance and, in ten minutes after the first gun was
fired, the Republican army was a mob of fugitives. Fontenay was
taken and, what pleased the peasants even more, their beloved
cannon, Marie Jeanne, was recaptured, having been recovered by
young Foret who, with a handful of peasants, charged the cavalry
that were covering the retreat, and snatched it from their hands.
After this victory the peasants, as usual, returned for the most
part to their homes.

As there was no probability of further fighting at the moment, Jean
Martin and Leigh started for the chateau. They had first asked
Cathelineau if they could be spared.

"For the moment, yes. I hope that we shall be joined by the Count
de Lescure, in a day or two. He will, of course, be one of our
generals. He has great influence with the peasantry and, if he can
but persuade them to remain under arms for a time, we will attack
the enemy. Messieurs d'Elbee and Bonchamp, and I may say several of
the gentlemen with me, are of opinion that if we are to be
successful in the end, it can only be by taking the offensive, and
marching against Paris. They urge that we should get Monsieur
Charette to go with us with his army, cross the Loire, rouse all
Brittany, and then march, a hundred thousand strong, against Paris.

"They say that although we have been most successful this time, and
repulsed the invaders everywhere except on the coast, they will
come again and again, with larger forces, till they overpower us.
Possibly, if Monsieur de Lescure and Henri de la Rochejaquelein aid
us with their influence and authority, we might persuade the
peasants that it is better to make one great effort, and then to
have done with it, than to be constantly called from their homes
whenever the Blues are in sufficient