e or, in expectation of the attack on the town
beginning, would be standing in groups listening for it. Leigh
would be among them.

As the hour neared twelve they were to gather in a body. The
sailors were not to begin their work until the attack on the town
commenced in earnest. Jean, with his twelve tenants, was to come up
at twelve. The exact moment for the attack was to be decided upon
by the progress made by the fires. When these had had their effect,
Leigh was to fall upon the guard round the prison; and Jean, with
his band, to run forward to the gate, plant the powder barrels
against it, light the fuse and run back.

As soon as they had killed or driven away the guard, Leigh's party
were to return to the front. There Andre, with half the band, were
to station themselves, and to hold the gate against any armed body
that might arrive; while Leigh, with the others, entered the prison
and aided, if necessary, to overpower the warders and blow open the
doors of the cells. The prisoners were all to be told that
Charette's army was on the other side of the Loire, and that their
best plan was to make their way down to the river, seize boats, and
get across.

At five o'clock in the afternoon Charette's guns opened against the
barricades that had been thrown up at the bridge. Canclaux, seeing
that the attack upon the north had rendered it useless for him to
retain the advanced post, ordered the troops there to fall back
into the town, at ten o'clock in the evening; and at eleven the
whole garrison were concentrated in Nantes.

Finding that, with the exception of the cannonade on both sides
across the river, all remained quiet, Leigh passed the word round
among his followers to remain as they were, until further orders.
Jean and his men came up by twos and threes before twelve; and
these, too, lay down as if to sleep, or seated themselves on the
steps of the houses. Few of the inhabitants had retired to rest.
They knew that at any moment the storm might break, and some
awaited the attack with hope that the time of their release from
the tyranny under which they had, for months, groaned, had come;
while others trembled at the thought of the vengeance that, if the
town were taken, would fall upon those who had been concerned in
what had passed.

Martin and Desailles presently joined Leigh. As the time went on
they began to fear that, for some reason or other, the Vendeans had
determined to delay their attack until the