and had every confidence, wrote to M. de Paratte that the Camisard
general intended to pass the night of the 14th of August at the chateau
Castelnau.

De Paratte immediately made his dispositions, and ordered Lacoste-Badie,
at the head of two companies of dragoons, and all the officers at Uzes
who were well mounted, to hold themselves in readiness to start on an
expedition at eight o'clock in the evening, but not revealing its object
to them till the time came. At eight o'clock, having been told what they
had to do, they set off at such a pace that they came in sight of the
chateau within an hour, and were obliged to halt and conceal themselves,
lest they should appear too soon, before Roland had retired for the
night. But they need not have been afraid; the Camisard chief, who was
accustomed to rely on all his men as on himself, had gone to bed without
any suspicion, having full confidence in the vigilance of one of his
officers, named Grimaud, who had stationed himself as sentinel on the
roof of the chateau. Led by Malarte, Lacoste-Badie and his dragoons took
a narrow covered way, which led them to the foot of the walls, so
that when Grimaud saw them it was already too late, the chateau being
surrounded on all sides. Firing off his gun, he cried, "To arms!"
Roland, roused by the cry and the shot, leaped out of bed, and taking
his clothes in one hand and his sword in the other, ran out of his room.
At the door he met Grimaud, who, instead of thinking of his own safety,
had come to watch over that of his chief. They both ran to the stables
to get horses, but three of their men--Marchand, Bourdalie, and
Bayos--had been before them and had seized on the best ones, and riding
them bare-backed had dashed through the front gates before the dragoons
could stop them. The horses that were left were so wretched that Roland
felt there was no chance of out-distancing the dragoons by their help,
so he resolved to fly on foot, thus avoiding the open roads and
being able to take refuge in every ravine and every bush as cover. He
therefore hastened with Grimaud and four other officers who had gathered
round him towards a small back gate which opened on the fields, but
as there was, besides the troops which entered the chateau, a ring of
dragoons round it, they fell at once into the hands of some men who had
been placed in ambush. Seeing himself surrounded, Roland let fall the
clothes which he had not yet had time to put on, placed his