“I wonder,” said Peter Berrier to himself, as he ran across the fields, “I wonder whether they’ll make nothing of this job, too, as they did of that day at St. Florent.  I suppose they will; some men haven’t the luck ever to be thought much of.”

Notwithstanding his gloomy presentiments, Peter made the best of his way to M. d’Elbee, and having found him, told him how the men had started by themselves for Saumur; how de Lescure and Cathelineau had followed them; how they intended to attack the camp at Varin that night, and he ended by saying, “And you, M. d’Elbe—­”

“Of course we must follow them,” said d’Elbee.

“Not a foot,” said Peter; “that is just why they sent me, instead of any common messenger; that I might explain it all to you properly.  You are not to stir a foot after them; but are to remain here, just where you are, till they return.”

“That is impossible,” said d’Elbee.  “What good on earth can I do, remaining here?”

“Why, Cathelineau will know where to find you, when he wants you.”

“You are mistaken, Peter Berrier,” said d’Elbee.  “You must be mistaken.  Perhaps he meant that I should go over to the road, to cover their retreat.  God knows they will want some one to do so.”

“That is just it,” said Peter.  “They mean to retreat down the river, and you are to remain just where you are.”

As might be expected, M. d’Elbee was completely puzzled, and he sent off three or four men, to endeavour to get fresh orders, either from Cathelineau or from de Lescure; and while waiting to receive them, he kept his useless position by the river side.

In the mean time, Cathelineau and de Lescure had hurried off, at the top of their horses’ speed, to endeavour to head the column of madmen who were rushing towards almost certain destruction.  They will, at any rate, meet Larochejaquelin on his return, and he will stop them.  This thought occurred to both of them, but neither of them spoke; indeed, they were moving too quickly, and with too much trouble to be able to speak.  There object now was not to stop the men who thronged the roads; they only wanted to head them before they came to the portion of the road which passed close by the trenches of the camp at Varin.

They were so far successful, that they found themselves nearly at the head of the column by the time they came within sight of the great banks which the royalists had thrown up.  It was still light enough for them to see the arms of the republican troops, and they were near enough to the camp to hear the movements of the men within it, in spite of the increasing noise of their own troops.

“They are ready to receive us,” said de Lescure to himself, “and a warm reception they are likely to give us.”