foot but the moans and exclamations of those who fell, either dead or
badly wounded. The twelve loyal recruits in the republican main body
protected the commandant (who was guiding his men and giving orders)
with such courage that more than once several soldiers called out
"Bravo, conscripts!"

Hulot, imperturbable and with an eye to everything, presently remarked
among the Chouans a man who, like himself, was evidently surrounded by
picked men, and was therefore, no doubt, the leader of the attacking
party. He was eager to see this man distinctly, and he made many
efforts to distinguish his features, but in vain; they were hidden by
the red caps and broad-brimmed hats of those about him. Hulot did,
however, see Marche-a-Terre beside this leader, repeating his orders
in a hoarse voice, his own carbine, meanwhile, being far from
inactive. The commandant grew impatient at being thus baffled. Waving
his sword, he urged on the recruits and charged the centre of the
Chouans with such fury that he broke through their line and came
close to their chief, whose face, however, was still hidden by a
broad-brimmed felt hat with a white cockade. But the invisible leader,
surprised at so bold an attack, retreated a step or two and raised his
hat abruptly, thus enabling Hulot to get a hasty idea of his
appearance.

He was young,--Hulot thought him to be about twenty-five; he wore a
hunting-jacket of green cloth, and a white belt containing pistols.
His heavy shoes were hobnailed like those of the Chouans; leather
leggings came to his knees covering the ends of his breeches of very
coarse drilling, and completing a costume which showed off a slender
and well-poised figure of medium height. Furious that the Blues should
thus have approached him, he pulled his hat again over his face and