anaged to retreat:
a plain cut by trenches, the falling darkness, a wood which afforded
cover, all combined to help him at last. Still his rearguard, harassed
by the enemy, dotted the ground it passed over with its dead, until at
last both victors and vanquished were swallowed up by night. The fight
had lasted ten hours, Cavalier had lost more than five hundred men, and
the royals about a thousand.

"Cavalier," says M. de Villars, in his Memoirs, "acted on this day in
a way which astonished everyone. For who could help being astonished to
see a nobody, inexperienced in the art of warfare, bear himself in
such difficult and trying circumstances like some great general? At one
period of the day he was followed everywhere by a dragoon; Cavalier shot
at him and killed his horse. The dragoon returned the shot, but missed.
Cavalier had two horses killed under him; the first time he caught a
dragoon's horse, the second time he made one of his own men dismount and
go on foot."

M. de Montrevel also showed himself to be a gallant soldier; wherever
there was danger there was he, encouraging officers and soldiers by
his example: one Irish captain was killed at his side, another fatally
wounded, and a third slightly hurt. Grandval, on his part, had performed
miracles: his horse was shot under him, and M. de Montrevel replaced
it by one of great value, on which he joined in the pursuit of the
Camisards. After this affair M, de Montrevel gave up his place to M. de
Villars, leaving word for Cavalier that it was thus he took leave of his
friends.

Although Cavalier came out of this battle with honour, compelling
even his enemies to regard him as a man worthy of their steel, it had
nevertheless destroyed the best part of his hopes. He made a halt-near
Pierredon to gather together the remnant of his troops, and truly it was
but a remnant which remained. Of those who came back the greater number
were without weapons, for they had thrown them away in their flight.
Many were incapacitated for service by their wounds; and lastly, the
cavalry could hardly be said to exist any longer, as the few men who
survived had been obliged to abandon their horses, in order to get
across the high ditches which were their only cover from the dragoons
during the flight.

Meantime the royalists were very active, and Cavalier felt that it would
be imprudent to remain long at Pierredon, so setting out during the
night, and crossing the Gardon, he buried h