ght
at Moussac. Cavalier left the town by one gate just as M. de La
Jonquiere entered at the other. The wishes of the young Catholic
commander were thus in a fair way to be fulfilled, for in all probability
he would come up with his enemy the next day.

As the village was inhabited for the most part by new converts, the night
instead of being spent in repose was devoted to pillage.

The next day the Catholic troops reached Moussac, which they found
deserted, so they went on to Lascours-de-Gravier, a little village
belonging to the barony of Boucairan, which M. de La Jonquiere gave up to
pillage, and where he had four Protestants shot--a man, a woman, and two
young girls. He then resumed his route. As it had rained, he soon came
on the trail of the Camisards, the terrible game which he was hunting
down. For three hours he occupied himself in this pursuit, marching at
the head of his troops, lest someone else less careful than he should
make some mistake, when, suddenly raising his eyes, he perceived the
Camisards on a small eminence called Les Devois de Maraignargues. This
was the spot they had chosen to await attack in, being eager for the
approaching combat.

As soon as Cavalier saw the royals advancing, he ordered his men,
according to custom, to offer up prayers to God, and when these were
finished he disposed his troops for battle. His plan was to take up
position with the greater part of his men on the other side of a ravine,
which would thus form a kind of moat between him and the king's soldiers;
he also ordered about thirty horsemen to make a great round, thus
reaching unseen a little wood about two hundred yards to his left, where
they could conceal themselves; and lastly, he sent to a point on the
right sixty foot-soldiers chosen from his best marksmen, whom he ordered
not to fire until the royal forces were engaged in the struggle with him.

M. de La Jonquiere having approached to within a certain distance,
halted, and sent one of his lieutenants named de Sainte-Chatte to make a
reconnaissance, which he did, advancing beyond the men in ambush, who
gave no sign of their existence, while the officer quietly examined the
ground. But Sainte-Chatte was an old soldier of fortune and not easily
taken in, so on his return, while explaining the plan of the ground
chosen by Cavalier for the disposition of his troops to M. de La
Jonquiere, he added that he should be very much astonished if the young
Camisard