e. As soon as the four Camisards perceived the approach of the
soldiers, their first thought was to escape by the bridge, but one of
them having gone up to the roof to make sure that the way was clear, came
down exclaiming that the bridge was occupied. On hearing this, the four
felt that they were lost, but nevertheless resolved to defend themselves
as valiantly and to sell their lives as dearly as possible. As soon as
the royals were within musket range of the mill, four shots were fired,
and two dragoons, one Swiss, and one horse, fell. M. de Valla thereupon
ordered the troops to charge at full gallop, but before the mill door was
reached three other shots were heard, and two more men killed.
Nevertheless, seeing they could not long hold out against such numbers,
Francezet gave the signal for retreat, calling out, "Sauve qui petit!" at
the same instant he jumped out of a lattice window twenty feet from the
ground, followed by Brun. Neither of them being hurt, both set off
across country, one trusting to his strength and the other to his
fleetness of foot. The two other Camisards, who had tried to escape by
the door, were captured.

The soldiers, horse and foot, being now free to give all their attention
to Brun and Francezet, a wonderful race began; for the two fugitives,
being strong and active, seemed to play with their pursuers, stopping
every now and then, when they had gained sufficient headway, to shoot at
the nearest soldiers; when Francezet, proving worthy of his reputation,
never missed a single shot. Then, resuming their flight and loading
their weapons as they ran, they leaped rivers and ditches, taking
advantage of the less direct road which the troops were obliged to
follow, to stop and take breath, instead of making for some cover where
they might have found safety. Two or three times Brun was on the point of
being caught, but each time the dragoon or Swiss who had got up to him
fell, struck by Francezet's unerring bullet. The chase lasted four
hours, during which time five officers, thirty dragoons, and fifty Swiss
were baffled by two men, one of whom Francezet was almost a boy, being
only twenty years old! Then the two Camisards, having exhausted their
ammunition, gave each other the name of a village as a rendezvous, and
each taking a different direction, bounded away with the lightness of a
stag. Francezet ran in the direction of Milhaud with such rapidity that
he gained on the dragoons, alth