finding in a coat pocket a purse containing thirty-five Louis,
and in the stables three superb horses. The Camisards answered this
beginning of hostilities by a murder. Four of them, thinking they had
reasons for displeasure against one of M. de Baville's subordinates,
named Daude, who was both mayor and magistrate; at Le Vigan, hid in a
corn-field which he had to pass on his way back from La Valette, his
country place. Their measures were successful: Daude came along just as
was expected, and as he had not the slightest suspicion of the impending
danger, he continued conversing with M, de Mondardier, a gentleman of
the neighbourhood who had asked for the hand of Daude's daughter in
marriage that very day. Suddenly he found himself surrounded by four
men, who, upbraiding him for his exactions and cruelties, shot him
twice through the head with a pistol. They offered no violence to M. de
Mondardier except to deprive him of his laced hat and sword. The day on
which M. de Villars heard of its murder he set a price on the heads of
Roland, Ravanel, and Catinat. Still the example set by Cavalier, joined
to the resumption of hostilities, was not without influence on the
Camisards; every day letters arrived from single troopers offering
to lay down their arms, and in one day thirty rebels came in and put
themselves into Lalande's hands, while twenty surrendered to Grandval;
these were accorded not only pardon, but received a reward, in hopes
that they might be able to induce others to do like them; and on the
15th June eight of the troops which had abandoned Cavalier at Calvisson
made submission; while twelve others asked to be allowed to return to
their old chief to follow him wherever he went. This request was at once
granted: they were sent to Valabregues, where they found forty-two
of their old comrades, amongst whom were Duplan and Cavalier's young
brother, who had been ordered there a few days before. As they arrived
they were given quarters in the barracks, and received good pay--the
chiefs forty sous a day, and the privates ten. So they felt as happy
as possible, being well fed and well lodged, and spent their time
preaching, praying, and psalm-singing, in season and out of season.
All this, says La Baume, was so disagreeable to the inhabitants of the
place, who were Catholics, that if they had not been guarded by the
king's soldiers they would have been pitched into the Rhone.

CHAPTER V

Meantime the date of C