e infantry formed, the cavalry sprang to their saddles, Cavalier
leaped on his horse, and drawing his sword, led his soldiers as usual
against the dragoons, and these, as was also usual, ran away, leaving
twelve of their number dead on the field. The Camisard cavalry soon
gave up the pursuit, as they found themselves widely separated from the
infantry and from their leader; for Cavalier had been unable to keep up
with them, his horse having received a bullet through its neck.

Still they followed the flying dragoons for a good hour, from time to
time a wounded dragoon falling from his horse, till at last the Camisard
cavalry found itself confronted by the Charolais regiment, drawn up in
battle array, and behind them the royal dragoons, who had taken refuge
there, and were re-forming.

Carried on by the rapidity of their course, the Camisards could not pull
up till they were within a hundred yards of the enemy; they fired once,
killing several, then turned round and retreated.

When a third of the way, back had been covered, they met their chief,
who had found a fresh horse by the wayside standing beside its dead
master. He arrived at full gallop, as he was anxious to unite his
cavalry and infantry at once, as he had seen the forces of the marechal
advancing, who, as we have already said, had turned in the direction
of the firing. Hardly had Cavalier effected the desired junction of his
forces than he perceived that his retreat was cut off. He had the royal
troops both before and behind him.

The young chief saw that a desperate dash to right or left was all that
remained to him, and not knowing this country as well as the Cevennes,
he asked a peasant the way from Soudorgues to Nages, that being the only
one by which he could escape. There was no time to inquire whether the
peasant was Catholic or Protestant; he could only trust to chance, and
follow the road indicated. But a few yards from the spot where the road
from Doudorgues to Nages joins the road to Nimes he found himself in
face of Marechal Montrevel's troops under the command of Menon. However,
as they hardly outnumbered the Camisards, these did not stop to look for
another route, but bending forward in their saddles, they dashed through
the lines at full gallop, taking the direction of Nages, hoping to reach
the plain round Calvisson. But the village, the approaches, the issues
were all occupied by royal troops, and at the same time Grandval and
the marechal