This praise made the old man's heart
light once again, and he returned to his bat, and passed. back to St.
Florent with his comrade and Arthur, ready to recommence his labours.
In the meantime de Lescure and his wife and sister were warmly welcomed
on the Breton side of the river, and before night he, for the first time
since the battle of Cholet, found himself in comparative security and
peace.
When Arthur got back he found that another plan had been started for
carrying over the Vendeans, which, if it did not drown them altogether,
would be certainly much more expeditious than that of the boats. It had
originated with Chapeau, under whose guidance the operations were about
to commence.
He had come down to the water-side with his master, and on seeing the
way in which the men were working, had calculated that it would yet take
above a week to carry over all who remained, and as it was probable that
they would be attacked before twenty-four hours were over, he had
observed that they might as well give themselves up for lost if they
could devise no other scheme of passing over.
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