insurgents, it was supposed that they were
lying asleep in their camp.

Suddenly three sentinels on the outlook fired off their pieces. At
this signal Ravenel posted himself at the outlet of the defile, and
Cavalier and Catinat along its two sides. Raising their war-song, the
sixty-eighth psalm the Camisards furiously charged the enemy. Captain
Bimard fell at the first fire. Montarnaud turned and fled with such of
the soldiers and militia as could follow him; and not many of them
succeeded in making their escape from the wood.

"After which complete victory," says Cavalier, "we returned to the
field of battle to give our hearty thanks to Almighty God for his
extraordinary assistance, and afterwards stripped the corpses of the
enemy, and secured their arms. We found a purse of one hundred
pistoles in Captain Bimard's pocket, which was very acceptable, for we
stood in great need thereof, and expended part of it in buying hats,
shoes, and stockings for those who wanted them, and with the
remainder bought six great mule loads of brandy, for our winter's
supply, from a merchant who was sending it to be sold at Anduze
market."[41]

[Footnote 41: "Memoirs of the Wars of the Cevennes," p. 74.]

On the Sunday following, Cavalier held an assembly for public worship
near Monteze on the Gardon, at which about five hundred persons were
present. The governor of Alais, being informed of the meeting,
resolved to put it down with a strong hand; and he set out for the
purpose at the head of a force of about six hundred horse and foot. A
mule accompanied him, laden with ropes with which to bind or hang the
rebels. Cavalier had timely information, from scouts posted on the
adjoining hills, of the approach of the governor's force, and though
the number of fighting men in the Camisard assembly was comparatively
small, they resolved to defend themselves.

Sending away the women and others not bearing arms, Cavalier posted
his little band behind an old entrenchment on the road along which the
governor was approaching, and awaited his attack. The horsemen came on
at the charge; but the Camisards, firing over the top of the
entrenchment, emptied more than a dozen saddles, and then leaping
forward, saluted them with a general discharge. At this, the horsemen
turned and fled, galloping through the foot coming up behind them, and
throwing them into complete disorder. The Camisards pulled off their
coats, in order the better to pursue