Furious at having missed the Camisards, de Menon having heard from his scouts that Roland was to sleep next night at the chateau de Prade, went to M. de Villars and asked leave to conduct an expedition against the chief.  He was almost sure of taking Roland by surprise, having procured a guide whose knowledge of the country was minute.  The marechal gave him carte blanche.  In the evening Menon set out with two hundred grenadiers.  He had already put three-quarters of the way behind him without being discovered, when an Englishman met them by chance.  This man was serving under Roland, but had been visiting his sweetheart in a neighbouring village, and was on his way home when he fell among Menon’s grenadiers.  Without a thought for his own safety, he fired off his gun, shouting, “Fly! fly!  The royals are upon you!”

The sentinels took up the cry, Roland jumped out of bed, and, without staying for clothes or horse, ran off in his shirt, escaping by a postern gate which opened on the forest just as de Menon entered by another.  He found Roland’s bed still warm, and took possession of his clothes, finding in a coat pocket a purse containing thirty-five Louis, and in the stables three superb horses.  The Camisards answered this beginning of hostilities by a murder.  Four of them, thinking they had reasons for displeasure against one of M. de Baville’s subordinates, named Daude, who was both mayor and magistrate; at Le Vigan, hid in a corn-field which he had to pass on his way back from La Valette, his country place.  Their measures were successful:  Daude came along just as was expected, and as he had not the slightest suspicion of the impending danger, he continued conversing with M, de Mondardier, a gentleman of the neighbourhood who had asked for the; hand of Daude’s daughter in marriage that very day.  Suddenly he found himself surrounded by four men, who, upbraiding him for his exactions and cruelties, shot him twice through the head with a pistol.  They offered no violence to M. de Mondardier except to deprive him of his laced hat and sword.  The day on which M. de Villars heard of its murder he set a price on the heads of Roland, Ravanel, and Catinat.  Still the example set by Cavalier, joined to the resumption of hostilities, was not without influence on the Camisards; every day letters arrived from single troopers offering to lay down their arms, and in one day thirty rebels came in and put themselves into Lalande’s hands, while twenty surrendered to Grandval; these were accorded not only pardon, but received a reward, in hopes that they might be able to induce others to do like them; and on the 15th June eight of the troops which had abandoned Cavalier at Calvisson made submission; while twelve others asked to be allowed to return to their old chief to follow him wherever he went.  This request was at once granted:  they were sent to Valabregues, where they found forty-two of their old comrades, amongst whom were Duplan and Cavalier’s