The horses are fresh, and we will put as many miles between us and Toulouse as they can carry us, before nightfall." The return journey was accomplished without misadventure.

They made no more halts than were required to rest their horses and, travelling principally at night, they reached La Rochelle without having encountered any body of the enemy.
While they had been absent, the army of Conde and the Admiral had marched into Lorraine and, eluding the forces that barred his march, effected a junction with the German men-at-arms who had been brought to their aid by the Duke Casimir, the second son of the Elector Palatine.

However, the Germans refused to march a step farther, unless they received the pay that had been agreed upon before they started.
Conde's treasury was empty, and he had no means, whatever, of satisfying their demand.

In vain Duke Casimir, himself, tried to persuade his soldiers to defer their claims, and to trust their French co-religionists to satisfy their demands, later on.

They were unanimous in their refusal to march a step, until they obtained their money.
The Admiral then addressed himself to his officers and soldiers.