rshippers would return on their
way back to Uzes. The command had been given to "draw blood from the
conventicles." On the approach of the people the soldiers fired, and
killed and wounded several. About forty others wore taken prisoners.
The men were sent to the galleys for life, and the women were thrown
into gaol at Carcassone--the Tower of Constance being then too full of
prisoners.

After this event, the Government became more anxious in their desire
to capture Brousson. They published far and wide their renewed offer
of reward for his apprehension. They sent six fresh companies of
soldiers specially to track him, and examine the woods and search the
caves between Uzes and Alais. But Brousson's friends took care to
advise him of the approach of danger, and he sped away to take shelter
in another quarter. The soldiers were, however, close upon his heels;
and one morning, in attempting to enter a village for the purpose of
drying himself--having been exposed to the winter's rain and cold all
night--he suddenly came upon a detachment of soldiers! He avoided them
by taking shelter in a thicket, and while there, he observed another
detachment pass in file, close to where he was concealed. The soldiers
were divided into four parties, and sent out to search in different
directions, one of them proceeding to search every house in the
village into which Brousson had just been about to enter.

The next assembly was held at Sommieres, about eight miles west of
Nismes. The soldiers were too late to disperse the meeting, but they
watched some of the people on their return. One of these, an old
woman, who had been observed to leave the place, was shot on entering
her cottage; and the soldier, observing that she was attempting to
rise, raised the butt end of his gun and brained her on the spot.

The hunted pastors of the Cevennes were falling off one by one.
Bernard Saint Paul, a young man, who had for some time exercised the
office of preacher, was executed in 1692. One of the brothers Du Plans
was executed in the same year, having been offered his life if he
would conform to the Catholic religion. In the following year Paul
Colognac was executed, after being broken to death on the wheel at
Masselargais, near to which he had held his last assembly. His arms,
thighs, legs, and feet were severally broken with the iron bar some
hours before the _coup de grace_, or deathblow, was inflicted.
Colognac endured his sufferings with he