cleverly was the entrance hidden by rocks and brushwood. On entering, the
first thing that met their eye was the wounded, about thirty in number.
The miquelets threw themselves upon them and slaughtered them. This deed
accomplished, they went farther into the cave, which to their great
surprise contained a thousand things they never expected to find
there--heaps of grain, sacks of flour, barrels of wine, casks of brandy,
quantities of chestnuts and potatoes; and besides all this, chests
containing ointments, drugs and lint, and lastly a complete arsenal of
muskets, swords, and bayonets, a quantity of powder ready-made, and
sulphur, saltpetre, and charcoal-in short, everything necessary for the
manufacture of more, down to small mills to be turned by hand. Lalande
kept his word: the life of an old woman was not too much to give in
return for such a treasure.

Meantime M. de Villars, as he had promised, took up Baron d'Aygaliers in
passing through Lyons, so that during the rest of the journey the
peacemaker had plenty of time to expatiate on his plans. As M. de
Villars was a man of tact and a lover of justice, and desired above all
things to bring a right spirit to bear on the performance of the duties
of his new office, in which his two predecessors had failed, he promised
the baron "to keep," as he expressed himself, his "two ears open" and
listen to both sides, and as a first proof of impartiality--he refused to
give any opinion until he had heard M, de Julien, who was coming to meet
him at Tournon.

When they arrived at Tournon, M. de Julien was there to receive them, and
had a very different story to tell from that which M. de Villars had
heard from d'Aygaliers. According to him, the only pacific ration
possible was the complete extermination of the Camisards. He felt
himself very hardly treated in that he had been allowed to destroy only