massacres of the south-第30章

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horses；　but　the　majority　were　for　the　stake；　the　agony　lasting
longer；　being　more　violent　and　more　exquisite　than　in　the　of　other
case。

Villars　and　Jonquet　were　sentenced　to　be　broken　　on　the　wheel　alive　…
…the　only　difference　between　them　being　that　Jonquet　was　to　be　to
taken　while　still　living　and　thrown　into　the　fire　lit　round　Catinat
and　Ravael。　　It　was　also　ordered　that　the　four　condemned　men　before
their　execution　should　be　put　to　the　torture　ordinary　and
extraordinary。　　Catinat；　whose　temper　was　fierce；　suffered　with
courage；　but　cursed　his　torturers。　　Ravanel　bore　all　the　torments
that　could　be　inflicted　on　him　with　a　fortitude　that　was　more　than
human；　so　that　the　torturers　were　exhausted　before　he　was。　　Jonquet
spoke　little；　and　the　revelations　he　made　were　of　slight　importance。
Villas　confessed　that　the　conspirators　had　the　intention　of　carrying
off　the　duke　and　M。　de　Baville　when　they　were　out　walking　or　driving；
and　he　added　that　this　plot　had　been　hatched　at　the　house　of　a
certain　Boeton　de　SaintLaurent…d'Aigozre；　at　Milhaud；　in　Rouergue。

Meanwhile　all　this　torturing　and　questioning　had　taken　so　much　time
that　when　the　stake　and　the　scaffold　were　ready　it　was　almost　dark；
so　that　the　duke　put　off　the　executions　until　the　next　day；　instead
of　carrying　them　out　by　torchlight。　　Brueys　says　that　this　was　done
in　order　that　the　most　disaffected　amongst　the　fanatics　should　not　be
able　to　say　that　it　was　not　really　Catinat；　Ravanel；　Villas；　and
Jonquet　who　had　been　executed　but　some　other　unknown　men；　but　it　is
more　probable　that　the　duke　and　Baville　were　afraid　of　riots；　as　was
proved　by　their　ordering　the　scaffold　and　the　stake　to　be　erected　at
the　end　of　the　Cours　and　opposite　the　glacis　of　the　fortress；　so　that
the　garrison　might　be　at　hand　in　case　of　any　disturbance。

Catinat　was　placed　in　a　cell　apart；　and　could　be；　heard　cursing　and
complaining　all　night　through。　　Ravanel；　Villas；　and　Jonquet　were
confined　together；　and　passed　the　night　singing　and　praying。

The　next　day；　the　22nd　April；　1705；　they　were　taken　from　the　prison
and　drawn　to　the　place　of　execution　in　two　carts；　being　unable　to
walk；　on　account　of　the　severe　torture　to　which　they　had　been
subjected；　and　which　had　crushed　the　bones　of　their　legs。　　A　single
pile　of　wood　had　been　prepared　for　Catinat　and　Ravanel；　who　were　to
be　burnt　together；　they　were　in　one　cart；　and　Villas　and　Jonquet；　for
whom　two　wheels　had　been　prepared；　were　in　the　other。

The　first　operation　was　to　bind　Catinat　and　Ravanel　back　to　back　to
the　same　stake；　care　being　taken　to　place　Catinat　with　his　face　to
windward；　so　that　his　agony　might　last　longer；　and　then　the　pile　was
lit　under　Ravanel。

As　had　been　foreseen；　this　precaution　gave　great　pleasure　to　those
people　who　took　delight　in　witnessing　executions。　　The　wind　being
rather　high；　blew　the　flames　away　from　Catinat；　so　that　at　first　the
fire　burnt　his　legs　onlya　circumstance　which；　the　author　of　the
History　of　the　Camisards　tells　us；　aroused　Catinat's　impatience。
Ravanel；　however；　bore　everything　to　the　end　with　the　greatest
heroism；　only　pausing　in　his　singing　to　address　words　of
encouragement　to　his　companion　in　suffering；　whom　he　could　not　see；
but　whose　groans　and　curses　he　could　hear；　he　would　then　return　to
his　psalms；　which　he　continued　to　sing　until　his　voice　was　stifled　in
the　flames。　　Just　as　he　expired；　Jonquet　was　removed　from　the　wheel；
and　carried；　his　broken　limbs　dangling；　to　the　burning　pile；　on　which
he　was　thrown。　　From　the　midst　of　the　flames　his　voice　was　heard
saying；　〃Courage；　Catinat；　we　shall　soon　meet　in　heaven。〃　　A　few
moments　later；　the　stake；　being　burnt　through　at　the　base；　broke；　and
Catinat　falling　into　the　flames；　was　quickly　suffocated。　　That　this
accident　had　not　been　forseen　and　prevented　by　proper　precautions
caused　great　displeasure　to　spectators　who　found　that　the
three…quarter　of　an　hour　which　the　spectacle　had　lasted　was　much　too
brief　a　time。

Villas　lived　three　hours　longer　on　his　wheel；　and　expired　without
having　uttered　a　single　complaint。

Two　days　later；　there　was　another　trial；　at　which　six　persons　were
condemned　to　death　and　one　to　the　galleys；　these　were　the　two
Alisons；　in　whose　house　Villas；　Ravanel；　and　Jonquet　had　been　found；
Alegre；　who　was　accused　of　having　concealed　Catinat；　and　of　having
been　the　Camisard　treasurer；　Rougier；　an　armourer　who　was　found
guilty　of　having　repaired　the　muskets　of　the　rebels；　Jean　Lauze；　an
innkeeper　who　had　prepared　meals　for　Ravanel；　La　Jeunesse；　a
preacher；　convicted　of　having　preached　sermons　and　sung　psalms；　and
young　Delacroix；　brother…in…law　to　one　of　the　Alisons。　　The　first
three　were　condemned　to　be　broken　on　the　wheel；　their　houses
demolished；　and　their　goods　confiscated。　　The　next　three　were　to　be
hanged。　　Jean　Delacroix；　partly　because　of　his　youth；　but　more
because　of　the　revelations　he　made；　was　only　sent　to　the　galleys。
Several　years　later　he　was　liberated　and　returned　to　Arles；　and　was
carried　off　by　the　plague　in　1720。

All　these　sentences　were　carried　out　with　the　utmost　rigour。

Thus；　as　may　be　seen；　the　suppression　of　the　revolt　proceeded　apace；
only　two　young　Camisard　chiefs　were　still　at　large；　both　of　whom　had
formerly　served　under　Cavalier　and　Catinat。　　The　name　of　the　one　was
Brun　and　of　the　other　Francezet。　　Although　neither　of　them　possessed
the　genius　and　influence　of　Catinat　and　Ravanel；　yet　they　were　both
men　to　be　feared；　the　one　on　account　of　his　personal　strength；　the
other　for　his　skill　and　agility。　　Indeed；　it　was　said　of　him　that　he
never　missed　a　shot；　and　that　one　day　being　pursued　by　dragoons　he
had　escaped　by　jumping　over　the　Gardon　at　a　spot　where　it　was
twenty…two　feet　wide。

For　a　long　time　all　search　was　in　vain；　but　one　day　the　wife　of　a
miller　named　Semenil　came　into　town　ostensibly　to　buy　provisions；　but
really　to　denounce　them　as　being　concealed；　with　two　other　Camisards；
in　her　husband's　house。

This　information　was　received　with　an　eager　gratitude；　which　showed
the　importance　which　the　governor　of　Nimes　attached　to　their　capture。
The　woman　was　promised　a　reward　of　fifty　Louis　if　they　were　taken；
and　the　Chevalier　de　la　Valla；　Grandidier；　and　fifty　Swiss；　the　major
of　the　Saint…Sernin　regiment；　a　captain；　and　thirty　dragoons；　were
sent　off　to　make　the　capture。　　When　they　were　within　a　quarter　of　a
league　of　the　mill；　La　Valla；　who　was　in　command　of　the　expedition；
made　the　woman　give　him　all　the　necessary　topographical　information。

Having　learned　that　besides　the　door　by　which　they　hoped　to　effect　an
entrance；　the　mill　possessed　only　one　other；　which　opened　on　a　bridge
over　the　Vistre；　he　despatched　ten　dragoons　and　five　Swiss　to　occupy
this　bridge；　whilst　he　and　the　rest　of　the　troops　bore　down　on　the
main　entrance。　　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；　although　they　put
their　horses　at　full　speed。　　He　was　within　an　inch　of　safety；　when　a
peasant　named　La　Bastide；　who　was　hoeing　in　a　field；　whence　he　had
watched　the　contest　with　interest　from　the　moment　he　had　first　caught
sight　of　it；　seeing　the　fugitive　make　for　an　opening　in　a　wall；　ran
along　at　the　foot　of　the　wall　on　the　other　side；　and；　just　as
Francezet　dashed　through　the　opening　like　a　flash　of　lightning；
struck　him　such　a　heavy　blow　on　the　head　with　his　hoe　that　the　skull
was　laid　open；　and　he　fell　bathed　in　blood。

The　dragoons；　who　had　seen　in　the　distance　what　had　happened；　now
came　up；　and　rescued　Francezet　from　the　hands　of　his　assailant；　who
had　continued　to　rain　blows　upon　him；　desiring　to　put　an　end　to　him。
The　unconscious　Camisard　was　carried　to　Milhaud；　where　his　wounds
were　bandaged；　and　himself　revived　by　means　of　strong　spirits　forced
into　mouth　and　nostrils。

We　now　return　to　Brun。　　At　first　it　seemed　as　if　he　were　more
fortunate　than　his　comrade；　for；　meeting　with　no　obstacle；　he　was
soon　not　only　out　of　reach；　but　out　of　sight　of　his　enemies。　　He　now；
however；　felt　broken　by　fatigue；　and　taught　caution　by　the　treachery
to　which　he　had　almost　fallen　a　victim；　he　dared　not　ask　for　an
asylum；　so；　throwing　himself　down　in　a　ditch；　he　was　soon　fast
asleep。　　The　dragoons；　who　had　not　given　up　the　search；　presently
came　upon　him；　and　falling　on　him　as　he　lay；　overpowered　him　before
he　was　well　awake。

When　both　Camisards　met　before　the　governor；　Francezet　replied　to　all
interrogations　that　since　the　death　of　brother　Catinat　his　sole
desire　had　been　to　die　a　martyr's　death　like　him；　while　Brun　said
that　he　was　proud　and　happy　to　die　in　the　cause　of　the　Lord　along
with　such　a　brave　comrade　as　Francezet。　　This　manner　of　defence　led
to　the　application　of　the　question　both　ordinary　and　extraordinary；
and　to　the　stake；　and　our　readers　already　know　what　such　a　double
sentence　meant。　　Franc