"They have guessed our trick and have surrounded us--on this side at least," said Jean Oullier.
They now saw a file of soldiers posted at a hundred paces from each other, all the way from the dolmen to a distance of a mile and a half, evidently waiting, like huntsmen, till the quarry should reappear.
"Shall we rush upon them?"
"That's my advice; but wait till I have made a gap."
Putting his gun to his shoulder (but without leaving his horizontal position) Jean Oullier fired on the soldier who was now reloading his gun. The man, struck in the breast, twirled round upon himself and fell head foremost to the ground.
"That's one!" said Jean Oullier.
Then aiming at the next soldier as calmly as he would at a partridge, he fired. The second man fell like the first.
"A double-shot!" exclaimed Courte-Joie. "Bravo, gars Oullier, bravo!"
"Forward! forward!" cried Oullier, springing to his feet with the agility of a panther. "Forward! and spread a little to give less chance for the balls they'll rain upon us!"
The Vendéan was right. The three comrades had scarcely advanced ten steps before six or eight successive discharges were heard; and one of the balls splintered the club which Trigaud was carrying in his hand. Happily for the fugitives, the soldiers hurrying on all sides to the help of their wounded companions, and coming up out of breath, had fired unsteadily. Nevertheless they closed the way and it is probable that Jean Oullier and his friends would not have had time to escape through their line without a hand-to-hand fight.