as the sentence was made known one of the
assassins pushed aside the two men who guarded him, and jumping down a
rock, disappeared in the forest before any attempt could be made to stop
him. The three others were shot.

The Catholics also condemned many to be executed, but the trials
conducted by then were far from being as remarkable for honour and
justice as was that which we have just described. We may instance the
trial of a poor boy of fourteen, the son of a miller of Saint-Christol
who had been broken the wheel just a month before. For a moment the
judges hesitated to condemn so young a boy to death, but a witness
presented himself who testified that the little fellow was employed by
the fanatics to strangle Catholic children. Although no one believed the
evidence, yet it was seized-on as a pretext: the unfortunate boy was
condemned to death, and hanged without mercy an hour later.

A great many people from the parishes devastated by M. de Julien had
taken refuge in Aussilargues, in the parish of St. Andre. Driven by
hunger and misery, they went beyond the prescribed limits in search of
means of subsistence. Planque hearing of this, in his burning zeal for
the Catholic faith resolved not to leave such a crime unpunished. He
despatched a detachment of soldiers to arrest the culprits: the task was
easy, for they were all once more inside the barrier and in their beds.
They were seized, brought to St. Andre's Church and shut in; then,
without trial of any kind,--they were taken, five at a time, and
massacred: some were shot and some cut down with sword or axe; all were
killed without exception--old and young women and children. One of the
latter, who had received three shots was still able to raise his head and
cry, "Where is father? Why doesn't he come and take me away."

Four men and a young girl who had taken refuge in the town of Lasalle,
one of the places granted to the houseless villagers as an asylum, asked
and received formal permission from the captain of the Soissonais
regiment, by name Laplace, to go home on important private business, on
condition that they returned the same night. They promised, and in the
intention of keeping this promise they all met on their way back at a
small farmhouse. Just as they reached it a terrible storm came on. The
men were for continuing their way in spite of the weather, but the young
girl besought them to wait till daylight, as she did not dare to venture
out