A ragged, half-starved looking man with a long beard came forward, whom some recognised and others examined with surprise. What a change a period of a few weeks had effected in him! He began in a feeble voice: "It may now be about a month ago, that I was sent by brother Cavalier with three of my comrades against Montpellier to watch the enemy, to purchase ammunition and to summon the attendance of some young men in the mountains. In order to avoid observation, we set out in the evening twilight, and just as a storm overtook us in the wood, we were suddenly surrounded by a number of black-looking men, and commanded to offer no resistance, the attempt too would have been vain among such a multitude, the tallest of them advanced towards us and said: 'I see then before me, some of the brave and valiant Camisards! You are welcome!' We could not make out who they were, they had not the appearance of the militia of the country, and were even more fearful than the madcaps, whom the fierce hermit formerly headed. After we had examined one another closer, he, who seemed to be the leader said: 'What a miserable perilous life such brave fellows lead, and none to acknowledge their value; and the sacrifice they make. You are forbidden to plunder, what do you gain by all your exertions? as we are told, you are not allowed under penalty of death to plunder even the demolished churches, and carry off the gold and silver vessels; no, you suffer all to melt in the flames. We think differently, we are not, it is true, your companions in faith, but you must make common cause with us. Behold our party consists of fifty, all united together by solemn oaths, you can never escape from us again, if you will not join us, you must die, you know the country and the inhabitants, name to us then the rich catholics, that we may direct our visits thither, and you shall have a fair portion of the booty which falls to us.'--What could we do? we were compelled to conduct them about, as they kept strict watch over us. I cannot bear to think on the horrors we were forced to witness; but one, more frightful than the rest, was committed against one of my comrades, who attempted to escape from them, for our consciences tortured us day and night. The horrible ill-treatment which had preceded the murder of our brother, bound us still more firmly to these highwaymen. The country was soon filled with rumours respecting these black Camisards, as they were called. Under this mask they were, however, by no means scrupulous about plundering merely their brothers in the faith, but they also attacked the houses of the newly converted, and whose families were known as zealous reformers. One evening when they surrounded a country house and had dispatched me to inspect the place more closely, we were surprised and compelled to make a hasty retreat, and I availed myself of the opportunity to escape into a garden, and from thence into the wood. They have now however a long