While the women went searching inside the shops, Jacques remained on horsebac outside, trotting back and forth outside the shopfront with his musket at the ready. From the corner of his eye he spotted some movement, and turning to focus on it, spotted a number of lean, shaggy figures slinking from the abandoned buildings, hunkered low to the ground. Raising the musket to his eye, he pulled the trigger, unleashing a loud bang and a burst of gunsmoke. The lead ball struck a wall just above the back of one of the dogs, pelting it with dust and rocky splinters, and they retreated with a cacaphony of alarmed yelps and furious barks. Jacques chuckled as he lowered his weapon and began to reload.