As soon as they found themselves immediately beneath the walls of the
town, they were not exposed to so murderous a fire as they had been on
the bridge itself, but still the work was hot enough. 'Marie Jeanne' had
been carried across with them, and was soon brought into play; they had
still enough ammunition left to enable their favourite to show her
puissance in battering against the chief gates of Saumur. The men made
various attempts to get into the town, but they were not successful,
though the gates were shattered to pieces, and the passage was almost
free; the republican troops within were too strong, and their firing too
hot. At last the blues made a sortie from the town, and drove the
Vendeans back towards the bridge; M. de Lescure still kept his place in
the front, and was endeavouring to encourage his men to recover their
position, when a ball struck his arm and broke it, and he fell with his
knee upon the ground. As soon as the peasants saw him fall, and found
that he was wounded, they wanted to take him in their arms, and carry
him at once back across the bridge, but he would not allow them.
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