ited with increasing impatience the return
of the negotiating chief.

On Cavalier's return to his men, he found, to his dismay, that instead
of being welcomed back with the usual cordiality, they were drawn up
in arms under Ravanel, and received him in silence, with angry and
scowling looks. He upbraided Ravanel for such a reception, on which
the storm immediately burst. "What is the treaty, then," cried
Ravanel, "that thou hast made with this marshal?"

Cavalier, embarrassed, evaded the inquiry; but Ravanel, encouraged by
his men, proceeded to press for the information. "Well," said
Cavalier, "it is arranged that we shall go to serve in Portugal."
There was at once a violent outburst from the ranks. "Traitor! coward!
then thou hast sold us! But we shall have no peace--no peace without
our temples."

At sound of the loud commotion and shouting, Vincel, the King's
commissioner, who remained at Calvisson pending the negotiations, came
running up, and the men in their rage would have torn him to pieces,
but Cavalier threw himself in their way, exclaiming, "Back, men! Do
him no harm, kill me instead." His voice, his gesture, arrested the
Camisards, and Vincel turned and fled for his life.

Ravanel then ordered the _generale_ to be beaten. The men drew up in
their ranks, and putting himself at their head, Ravanel marched them
out of Calvisson by the northern gate. Cavalier, humiliated and
downcast, followed the troop--their leader no more. He could not part
with them thus--the men he had so often led to victory, and who had
followed him so devotedly--but hung upon their rear, hoping they would
yet relent and return to him as their chief.

Catinat, his general of horse, observing Cavalier following the men,
turned upon him. "Whither wouldst thou go, traitor?" cried Catinat.
What! Catinat, of all others, to prove unfaithful? Yet it was so!
Catinat even, presented his pistol at his former chief, but he did not
fire.

Cavalier would not yet turn back. He hung upon the skirts of the
column, entreating, supplicating, adjuring the men, by all their
former love for him, to turn, and follow him. But they sternly marched
on, scarcely even deigning to answer him. Ravanel endeavoured to drive
him back by reproaches, which at length so irritated Cavalier, that he
drew his sword, and they were about to rush at each other, when one
of the prophets ran between them and prevented bloodshed.

Cavalier did not desist from following th