The news of defeat soon communicated itself; and the whole army, before
long, was flying to Antrames. The unfortunate Lechelle himself had been
one of the first to leave the town, and had made no attempt to stop his
men until he had entered Antrames. Nor did he long remain there: as the
straggling fugitives came up, they told how close and fast upon their
track the victorious brigands were coming; and that the conduct of the
peasants now was not what it had been when the war commenced, when they
were fighting in their own country, and near their own homes. Then they
had spared the conquered, then they had shed no blood, except in the
heat of battle; now they spared none; they had learnt a bloody lesson
from their enemies, and massacred, without pity, the wretches who fell
into their hands. Antrames was not a place of any strength; it could not
be defended against the Vendeans; and Lechelle had hardly drawn his
breath in the town, before he again left it, on the road to
Chateau-Gonthier.
Henri and Denot were among the first of the pursuers; indeed, of so
desultory a nature was the battle, that the contest was still continued
near the gate of the town, while they were far on their road towards
Antrames.
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