Tavannes' troops guarded most of the avenues of escape.

There was no place of refuge save La Rochelle, several hundred miles away, on the other side of France.
Every city was in the hands of their foes, and their movements were encumbered with the presence of women and young children.
There was but one thing in their favour--their enemies naturally supposed that, should they attempt to escape, they would do so in the direction of Germany, where they would be warmly welcomed by the Protestant princes.

Therefore it was upon that line that the greatest vigilance would be displayed by their enemies.
Before starting, Coligny sent off a very long and eloquent protest to the king; defending himself for the step that he was about to take; giving a history of the continuous breaches of the treaty, and of the sufferings that had been inflicted upon the Huguenots; and denouncing the Cardinal of Lorraine and his associates, as the guilty causes of all the misfortunes that had fallen upon France.
It was on the 23d of August that the party set out from Noyers.
Their march was prompt and rapid.

Contrary to expectation, they discovered an unguarded ford across the Loire, near the town of Laussonne.

This ford was only passable when the river was unusually low, and had therefore escaped the vigilance of their foes.