n the market-place, however, the old woman's resolution
gave way, and she entreated to be taken back to the general, when she
would confess everything. She then acknowledged that she had the care
of an hospital in the adjoining wood, and that her daily errands had
been thither. She was promised pardon if she led the soldiers at once
to the place; and she did so, a battalion following at her heels.

Advancing into the wood, the old woman led the soldiers to the mouth
of a cavern, into which she pointed, and the men entered. The first
sight that met their eyes was a number of sick and wounded Camisards
lying upon couches along ledges cut in the rock. They were immediately
put to death. Entering further into the cavern, the soldiers were
surprised to find in an inner vault an immense magazine of grain,
flour, chestnuts, beans, barrels of wine and brandy; farther in,
stores of drugs, ointment, dressings, and hospital furnishings; and
finally, an arsenal containing a large store of sabres, muskets,
pistols, and gunpowder, together with the materials for making it; all
of which the Royalists seized and carried off.

Lalande, before leaving Euzet, inflicted upon it a terrible
punishment. He gave it up to pillage, then burnt it to the ground, and
put the inhabitants to the sword--all but the old woman, who was left
alone amidst the corpses and ashes of the ruined village. Lalande
returned in triumph to Alais, some of his soldiers displaying on the
points of their bayonets the ears of the slain Camisards.

Other reverses followed in quick succession. Salomon was attacked near
Pont-de-Montvert, the birthplace of the insurrection, and lost some
eight hundred of his men. His magazines at Magistavols were also
discovered and ransacked, containing, amongst other stores, twenty
oxen and a hundred sheep.

Thus, in four combats, the Camisards lost nearly half their forces,
together with a large part of their arms, ammunition, and provisions.
The country occupied by them had been ravaged and reduced to a state
of desert, and there seemed but little prospect of their again being
able to make head against their enemies.

The loss of life during the last year of the insurrection had been
frightful. Some twenty thousand men had perished--eight thousand
soldiers, four thousand of the Roman Catholic population, and from
seven to eight thousand Protestants.

Villars had no sooner entered upon the functions of his office than he
set himse