Part 16 (1/2)
”Do you not know me? I am Captain Stansfield.”
The men drew back at once. It was not strange that they did not recognize him. He generally wore a sort of uniform, with a red sash round his waist, which was the distinguis.h.i.+ng badge of the officers; but had always adopted a peasant dress, on setting out on an expedition. There was no one to announce him, and he entered a room where the leaders were sitting round a table.
They looked up in surprise. He was grimed with the dust, which had risen in clouds as he drove along, and his clothes bore signs of their immersion.
”Back again, monsieur?” Cathelineau exclaimed, ”and with news, no doubt.”
”Very important news, sir. I have been in Saumur, and have learned that an officer has started for Thouars, by way of Loudun, with orders to General Salomon to march instantly into Saumur, and that he is to arrive there tonight. I left the town five minutes after the messenger. Three-quarters of an hour later I struck the road, two miles this side of Saumur; and have been brought here in a cart, by a peasant. It is now four o'clock, and I do not think that the officer would arrive at Thouars before half past three.”
”That is important news, indeed,” Cathelineau said.
”Well, gentlemen, what do you think had best be done?”
”It seems to me that nothing could be better,” Monsieur de Lescure said. ”The enemy's column cannot start until five o'clock, at the earliest. It will be dark before they can arrive at Saumur. I know the road well. It runs in several places through woods and, where this is not the case, there are high hedges.
”Nothing could be more suitable for an ambuscade. I propose that half of our force should march, at once, and take post on the other side of Montreuil. It will be nearly sunset before Salomon can arrive at that town and, if we engage him at dusk, he will lose half the benefit of the discipline of the regiment of gendarmes who will, no doubt, accompany him.”
”I quite approve of that plan, monsieur,” Cathelineau said.
”Are you all of the same opinion, gentlemen?”
There was a general expression of a.s.sent.
”Will you, General Bonchamp, with Monsieur de Lescure, take command of that force? I myself will proceed, with the rest of our army, until past the point where the road from Montreuil falls into that from this town. In that way, if General Bonchamp fails to arrest Salomon's march, we can fall upon him; and on the other hand, if the firing should be heard at Saumur, and Menou leads out a force to a.s.sist Salomon, we can oppose him.
”General Dommaigne, your cavalry would be useless in the attack on Salomon, while it might be of great value if Menou comes out.
”You have rendered us another good service, Monsieur Stansfield. If Salomon had thrown another four thousand men into Saumur, including his regiment of gendarmes, it would have been a serious business to take the place; whereas with the troops Menou has, half of whom are Leigonyer's fugitives, I do not antic.i.p.ate any great difficulty.”
”I shall be glad, general, if you would speak a word to the good fellow who brought me here. I had bargained with him for two crowns but, when he found that I was one of your officers, he refused to receive anything; and moreover, he said that he would remain here with his cart, until tomorrow, as perhaps he might be useful in carrying stores. He expressed the greatest desire to see you.”
”Certainly I will speak to him,” Cathelineau said, as he sent out to give orders for the church bells to ring, and the horns to blow.
The man was standing by his cart, a short distance off, in the hope of catching sight of Cathelineau. The general at once walked up to him.
”This is General Cathelineau,” Leigh said.
The countryman took off his hat, and dropped on his knees.
”Get up, my good fellow,” Cathelineau said; ”I am but a Vendean peasant, like yourself. I thank you for the good service that you have rendered, by bringing Monsieur Stansfield so quickly to us.
The time it has saved may make all the difference to us and, in the future, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have played an important part in the capture of Saumur.”
In five minutes the quiet street was crowded with men. The peasants had encamped in the fields round the town and, at the summons, caught up their arms and ran in hastily, feeling sure that the occasion was important, as they had been told that they were not to march until next morning.
The divisions commanded by Monsieur de Lescure and General Bonchamp speedily gathered round the distinguis.h.i.+ng flags of those officers.
Other leaders joined them with their followers, until some ten thousand men were gathered outside the town.
Leigh had changed his clothes and mounted his horse, Monsieur de Lescure having invited him to ride with him. As they were about to start, one of Andre's messengers arrived, with the news that an officer and three troopers had arrived at the town; and that, ten minutes later, the trumpets were sounding the a.s.sembly.
”It is well that we got your news first,” Monsieur de Lescure said to Leigh, ”for otherwise we could hardly have got our forces together, and been ready for a start, until it was too late to intercept Salomon.”
The route of the column was by a byroad, between Doue and Montreuil. It was seven o'clock before they approached the town.