ted into a "den
of thieves;" but the other leaders were less scrupulous. Salomon and
Abraham destroyed all the establishments and insignia of their enemies
on which they could lay hands--crosses, churches, and presbyteries.
The cure of Saint-Germain said of Castanet in the Aigoal that he was
"like a raging torrent." Roland and Joany ran from village to village
ransacking dwellings, chateaux, churches, and collecting arms. Knowing
every foot of the country, they rapidly passed by mountain tracks from
one village to another; suddenly appearing in the least-expected
quarters, while the troops in pursuit of them had passed in other
directions.

Cavalier had even the hardihood to descend upon the low country, and
to ransack the Catholic villages in the neighbourhood of Nismes. By
turns he fought, preached, and sacked churches. About the middle of
November, 1702, he preached at Aiguevives, a village not far from
Calvisson, in the Vaunage. Count Broglie, commander of the royal
troops, hastened from Nismes to intercept him. But pursuing Cavalier
was like pursuing a shadow; he had already made his escape into the
mountains. Broglie assembled the inhabitants of the village in the
church, and demanded to be informed who had been present with the
Camisard preacher. "All!" was the reply: "we are all guilty." He
seized the principal persons of the place and sent them to Baville.
Four were hanged, twelve were sent to the galleys, many more were
flogged, and a heavy fine was levied on the entire village.

Meanwhile, Cavalier had joined Roland near Mialet, and again descended
upon the low country, marching through the villages along the valley
of the Vidourle, carrying off arms and devastating churches. Broglie
sent two strong bodies of troops to intercept them; but the
light-footed insurgents had already crossed the Gardon.

A few days later (December 5th), they were lying concealed in the
forest of Vaquieres, in the neighbourhood of Cavalier's head-quarters
at Euzet. Their retreat having been discovered, a strong force of
soldiers and militia was directed upon them, under the command of the
Chevalier Montarnaud (who, being a new convert, wished to show his
zeal), and Captain Bimard of the Nismes militia.

They took with them a herdsman of the neighbourhood for their guide,
not knowing that he was a confederate of the Camisards. Leading the
Royalists into the wood, he guided them along a narrow ravine, and
hearing no sound of the