ormation was received with an eager gratitude, which showed the
importance which the governor of Nimes attached to their capture. The
woman was promised a reward of fifty Louis if they were taken, and the
Chevalier de la Valla, Grandidier, and fifty Swiss, the major of the
Saint-Sernin regiment, a captain, and thirty dragoons, were sent off
to make the capture. When they were within a quarter of a league of the
mill, La Valla, who was in command of the expedition, made the woman
give him all the necessary topographical information.

Having learned that besides the door by which they hoped to effect an
entrance, the mill possessed only one other, which opened on a bridge
over the Vistre, he despatched ten dragoons and five Swiss to occupy
this bridge, whilst he and the rest of the troops bore down on the main
entrance. As soon as the four Camisards perceived the approach of the
soldiers, their first thought was to escape by the bridge, but one of
them having gone up to the roof to make sure that the way was clear,
came down exclaiming that the bridge was occupied. On hearing this,
the four felt that they were lost, but nevertheless resolved to defend
themselves as valiantly and to sell their lives as dearly as possible.
As soon as the royals were within musket range of the mill, four shots
were fired, and two dragoons, one Swiss, and one horse, fell. M. de
Valla thereupon ordered the troops to charge at full gallop, but before
the mill door was reached three other shots were heard, and two more men
killed. Nevertheless, seeing they could not long hold out against such
numbers, Francezet gave the signal for retreat, calling out, "Sauve qui
petit!" at the same instant he jumped out of a lattice window twenty
feet from the ground, followed by Brun. Neither of them being hurt, both
set off across country, one trusting to his strength and the other to
his fleetness of foot. The two other Camisards, who had tried to escape
by the door, were captured.

The soldiers, horse and foot, being now free to give all their attention
to Brun and Francezet, a wonderful race began; for the two fugitives,
being strong and active, seemed to play with their pursuers, stopping
every now and then, when they had gained sufficient headway, to shoot at
the nearest soldiers; when Francezet, proving worthy of his reputation,
never missed a single shot. Then, resuming their flight and loading
their weapons as they ran, they leaped rivers and ditches,