ur cannon," replied Arnaud, "and yet our rocks are not shaken."
Winter having set in, the besiegers refrained for a time from further
attacks, but strictly guarded all the passes leading to the fortress;
while the garrison, availing themselves of their knowledge of the
locality, made frequent sorties into the adjoining valleys, as well as
into those of Dauphiny, for the purpose of collecting provisions, in
which they were usually successful.

When the fine weather arrived, suitable for a mountain campaign, the
French general, Catinat, assembled a strong force, and marched into
the valley, determined to make short work of this little nest of
bandits on the Balsille. On Sunday morning, the 30th of April, 1690,
while Arnaud was preaching to his flock, the sentinels on the look-out
discovered the enemy's forces swarming up the valley. Soon other
bodies were seen approaching by the Col du Pis and the Col du Clapier,
while a French regiment, supported by the Savoyard militia, climbed
Mont Guinevert, and cut off all retreat in that quarter. In short, the
Balsille was completely invested.

A general assault was made on the position on the 2nd of May, under
the direction of General Catinat in person. Three French regiments,
supported by a regiment of dragoons, opened the attack in front;
Colonel de Parat, who commanded the leading regiment, saying to his
soldiers as they advanced, "My friends, we must sleep to-night in that
barrack," pointing to the rude Vaudois fort on the summit of the
Balsille. They advanced with great bravery; but the barricade could
not be surmounted, while they were assailed by a perfect storm of
bullets from the defenders, securely posted above.

Catinat next ordered the troops stationed on the Guinevert to advance
from that direction, so as to carry the position from behind. But the
assailants found unexpected intrenchments in their way, from behind
which the Vaudois maintained a heavy fire, that eventually drove them
back, their retreat being accelerated by a shower of stones and a
blinding fall of snow and hail. In the meantime, the attack on the
bastion in front continued, and the Vaudois, seeing the French troops
falling back in disorder, made a vigorous sortie, and destroyed the
whole remaining force, excepting fifteen men, who fled, bare-headed
and without arms, and carried to the camp the news of their total
defeat.

A Savoyard officer thus briefly described the issue of the disastrous
affair