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.