which was so generously
offered by your Majesty. If they do not soon make up their minds, I
shall bring them back to the paths of duty by force, and thus restore
this province to that state of peace which has been disturbed by these
fools."

The day after writing this letter to the king, Roland sent Maille to M.
de Villars to beg him to wait till Saturday and Sunday the 7th and the
8th June were over, before resorting to severity, that being the end of
the truce. He gave him a solemn promise that he would, in the interval,
either bring in his troops to the last man, or would himself surrender
along with a hundred and fifty followers. The marechal consented to wait
till Saturday morning, but as soon as Saturday arrived he gave orders to
attack the Camisards, and the next day led a considerable body of troops
to Carnoulet, intending to take the Huguenots by surprise, as word had
been brought that they were all gathered there. They, however, received
intelligence of his plan, and evacuated the village during the night.

The village had to pay dearly for its sin of hospitality; it was
pillaged and burnt down: the miquelets even murdered two women whom they
found there, and d'Aygaliers failed to obtain any satisfaction for this
crime. In this manner M, de Villars kept the fatal promise he had given,
and internecine war raged once more.

Furious at having missed the Camisards, de Menon having heard from his
scouts that Roland was to sleep next night at the chateau de Prade, went
to M. de Villars and asked leave to conduct an expedition against the
chief. He was almost sure of taking Roland by surprise, having procured
a guide whose knowledge of the country was minute. The marechal gave him
carte blanche. In the evening Menon set out with two hundred grenadiers.
He had already put three-quarters of the way behind him without being
discovered, when an Englishman met them by chance. This man was serving
under Roland, but had been visiting his sweetheart in a neighbouring
village, and was on his way home when he fell among Menon's grenadiers.
Without a thought for his own safety, he fired off his gun, shouting,
"Fly! fly! The royals are upon you!"

The sentinels took up the cry, Roland jumped out of bed, and, without
staying for clothes or horse, ran off in his shirt, escaping by a
postern gate which opened on the forest just as de Menon entered by
another. He found Roland's bed still warm, and took possession of his
clothes,