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They advanced with great bravery; but the barricade could not be surmounted, while they were assailed by a perfect storm of bullets from the defenders, securely posted above. Catinat next ordered the troops stationed on the Guinevert to advance from that direction, so as to carry the position from behind.
When the fine weather arrived, suitable for a mountain campaign, the French general, Catinat, assembled a strong force, and marched into the valley, determined to make short work of this little nest of bandits on the Balsille. On Sunday morning, the 30th of April, 1690, while Arnaud was preaching to his flock, the sentinels on the look-out discovered the enemy's forces swarming up the valley.
"Cavalier, as I understand, was a reasonable man, but the knave, who is called after the late Marshal Catinat, stirred up the others; they march into my village, persuade my penitents to join them, set fire to my house and even to my dear dilapidated church, and have sworn to hew me into ten thousand pieces, if I ever shew myself there again.
Old Catinat was now so weak that he was past the answering of questions, his daughter was forever at his side, and the soldier was diplomatist enough, after a training at Versailles, to say much without saying anything, and so their secret was still preserved. De Catinat had known what it was to be a Huguenot in Canada before the law was altered. He had no wish to try it after.
Next instant they were both down in one wild heap of tossing heads and struggling hoofs, De Catinat partly covered by his horse, and his comrade hurled twenty paces, where he lay silent and motionless in the centre of the road. Monsieur de Vivonne had laid his ambuscade with discretion.
It was buttressed up against their wall, and extended a clear twenty feet out, with a broad wooden stair leading down from the further side. In the centre stood a headsman's block, all haggled at the top, and smeared with rust-coloured stains. "I think it is time that we left," said Amos Green. "Our work is all in vain, Amos," said De Catinat sadly.
"My name is Amory de Catinat, once of the regiment of Picardy. Surely you are Achille de la Noue de Sainte Marie, whom I remember when you came with your father to the government levees at Quebec." "Yes, it is I," the young man answered, holding out his hand and smiling in a somewhat constrained fashion.
"Yes." "We have come for you." "God bless you, Amos." "Is your wife there?" "No, but I can rouse her." "Good! But first catch this cord. Now pull up the ladder!" De Catinat gripped the line which was thrown to him, and on drawing it up found that it was attached to a rope ladder furnished at the top with two steel hooks to catch on to the bulwarks.
"Good-morning, Captain de Catinat." The new-comer was a tall, graceful brunette, her fresh face and sparkling black eyes the brighter in contrast with her plain dress. "I am on guard, you see. I cannot talk with you." "I cannot remember having asked monsieur to talk with me." "Ah, but you must not pout in that pretty way, or else I cannot help talking to you," whispered the captain.
Cavalier bowed once more, and was about to go; but M. de Villars accompanied him and Lalande, who had now joined them, and who stood with his hand on Cavalier's shoulder, a few steps farther. Catinat seeing that the conference was at an end, entered the garden with his men.
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