ching away. You are to remain there until you see some such
movement. The lad that you are taking in with you must go out,
every hour, to the spot where you have left the rest; and one of
these must at once start with your report to the general, who will
tomorrow be on his way to Saumur, and will halt not far from its
works of defence. Having delivered his message, he is to return to
you, for you must continue to send off messengers until you hear
that there is fighting at Saumur. If the commander of the Blues at
Thouars has not moved by that time, you need remain no longer, but
return with your party and join the army."

After Andre had left, Leigh marched with Pierre and the others to a
spot up the river, ten miles above Saumur.

"Can any of you swim?" he asked.

Three only of the party were able to reply in the affirmative.

"Do you think that you could swim across the Loire?"

All of them expressed great doubt of being able to do so.

"Well, at any rate, I must take you with me," he said. "To be able
to swim a little is a good deal better than not to be able to swim
at all, for by making a faggot you will gain such support as will
enable you to get across.

"Now, Pierre, you must for the present remain here. Tomorrow
morning you can go into the village, whose church tower you can see
over there, and find out whether the people there are for us or for
the Blues. If they are for us you can show them Cathelineau's
order, of which you have a copy, and they will certainly provide
you with a boat. In that case, cross the river with your party and
take post on the opposite bank, keeping the boat with you, and a
man who can row. Then, as soon as one of my messengers arrives
there, you will send on my report to the general who, tomorrow
evening, will be not far from Saumur. Do the same with each
messenger that arrives.

"If, on reaching the bank opposite the village, they do not find
you there, they will follow the opposite bank down until they are
opposite to you. Then they will call, and you, unless anything has
happened to drive you away, will reply. The messenger will then
swim across with my report, as in the other case. You will send it
forward at once, and he will return to the spot I shall appoint.

"I see there is another village, a mile below us. I shall go there
with my three followers, tonight. We will manage to steal a boat
and row across. I shall go to that village instead of the other,
because the