to withdraw as many men as possible from the garrison, both Swiss and
dragoons, and send them by night towards Saint-Come and Clarensac;
lastly, he himself set out, as he had said, but instead of going on to
Montpellier, he stopped at Sommieres, whence he could observe the
movements of Cavalier.

Cavalier, as M. de Montrevel already knew, was to sleep on the 15th at
Caveyrac. On this day Cavalier reached the turning-point in his
magnificent career. As he entered the town with his soldiers, drums
beating and flags flying, he was at the zenith of his power. He rode the
splendid horse M. de La Jonquiere had abandoned in his flight; behind
him, serving as page, rode his young brother, aged ten, followed by four
grooms; he was preceded by twelve guards dressed in red; and as his
colleague Roland had taken the title of Comte, he allowed himself to be
called Duke of the Cevennes.

At his approach half of the garrison, which was commanded by M. de
Maillan, took possession of the church and half of the citadel; but as
Cavalier was more bent on obtaining food and rest for his soldiers than
of disturbing the town, he billeted his men on the townspeople, and
placed sentinels at the church and fortress, who exchanged shots all the
night through with the royal troops. The next morning, having destroyed
the fortifications, he marched out of the town again, drums beating and
flags flying as before. When almost in sight of Nimes he made his
troops, which had never before been so numerous or so brilliant, perform
a great many evolutions, and then continued his way towards Nages.

M. de Montrevel received a report at nine o'clock in the morning of the
direction Cavalier and his troops had taken, and immediately left
Sommieres, followed by six companies of Fimarqon dragoons, one hundred