g to convert it into a
hospital. Collet was at present occupied by a company of fusiliers,
commanded by Captain Cabrieres. On nearing the place, Laporte wrote to
this officer, under an assumed name, intimating that a religious
assembly was to be held that night in a certain wood in the
neighbourhood. The captain at once marched thither with his men, on
which Laporte entered the village, and reopened the temple, which had
continued unoccupied since the day on which his brother had gone into
exile. All that night Laporte sang psalms, preached, and prayed by
turns, solemnly invoking the help of the God of battles in this holy
war in which he was engaged for the liberation of his country. Shortly
before daybreak, Laporte and his companions retired from the temple,
and after setting fire to the Roman Catholic church, and the houses of
the consul, the captain, and the cure, he left the village, and
proceeded in a northerly direction.

That same morning, Captain Poul arrived at the neighbouring valley of
St. Germain, for the purpose of superintending the demolition of
certain Protestant dwellings, and then he heard of Laporte's midnight
expedition. He immediately hastened to Collet, assembled all the
troops he could muster, and put himself on the track of the Camisards.
After a hot march of about two hours in the direction of Coudouloux,
Poul discerned Laporte and his band encamped on a lofty height, from
the scarped foot of which a sloping grove of chestnuts descended into
the wide grassy plain, known as the "Champ Domergue."

The chestnut grove had in ancient times been one of the sacred places
of the Druids, who celebrated their mysterious rites in its recesses,
while the adjoining mountains were said to have been the honoured
haunts of certain of the divinities of ancient Gaul. It was therefore
regarded as a sort of sacred place, and this circumstance was probably
not without its influence in rendering it one of the most frequent
resorts of the hunted Protestants in their midnight assemblies, as
well as because it occupied a central position between the villages of
St. Frezal, St. Andeol, Deze, and Violas. Laporte had now come hither
with his companions to pray, and they were so engaged when the scouts
on the look-out announced the approach of the enemy.

Poul halted his men to take breath, while Laporte held a little
council of war. What was to be done? Laporte himself was in favour of
accepting battle on the spot, whi