Abbe
Rafin, former Grand-Vicar of Alais, and of Baroness Arnaud-Wurmeser (for
the abbe administered the estate of Aureillac in his own name and that
of the baroness), galloped into the village of Arpaillargues, which was
almost entirely Protestant and consequently Napoleonist, announcing that
the miquelets (for after one hundred and ten years the old name given to
the royal troops was revived) were on the way from Montarem, pillaging
houses, murdering magistrates, outraging women, and then throwing them
out of the windows. It is easy to understand the effect of such a story.
The people gathered together in groups; the mayor and his assistant
being absent, Bertrand was taken before a certain Boucarut, who on
receiving his report ordered the generale to be beaten and the tocsin
to be rung. Then the consternation became general: the men seized their
muskets, the women and children stones and pitchforks, and everyone
made ready to face a danger which only existed in the imagination of
Bertrand, for there was not a shadow of foundation for the story he had
told.

While the village was in this state of feverish excitement the royal
volunteers came in sight. Hardly were they seen than the cry, "There
they are! There they are!" arose on all sides, the streets were
barricaded with carts, the tocsin rang out with redoubled frenzy, and
everyone capable of carrying arms rushed to the entrance of the village.

The volunteers, hearing the uproar and seeing the hostile preparations,
halted, and to show that their intentions were peaceful, put their
shakos on their musket stocks and waved them above their heads, shouting
that no one need fear, for they would do no harm to anyone. But alarmed
as they were by the terrible stories told by Bertrand, the villagers
shouted back that they could not trust to such assurances, and that if
they wanted to pass through the village they must first give up
their weapons. It may easily be imagined that men who had broken the
convention in order to keep their weapons were not likely to give them
up to these villagers--in fact, they obstinately refused to let them out
of their hands, and by doing so increased the suspicions of the people.
A parley of a very excited character took place between M. Fournier
for the royal guards and M. Boucarut, who was chosen spokesman by the
villagers. From words they came to deeds: the miquelets tried to force
their way through, some shots were fired, and two miquelet