French and English: A Story of the Struggle in America

by Evelyn Everett-Green

  Chapter 3: Victory.

  "Julian! Is that you I see? Truly I had begun to fear that somemisfortune had befallen you. So you have been within the walls ofthe town, and have returned safe and sound? Your face is a verywelcome one, my friend!"

  Wolfe stretched out his hand, which was eagerly grasped by Julian.It was a still, close evening, and the sullen booming of the gunscontinued without abatement. So used had the ears of besiegers andbesieged grown to that sound of menace, that it was hardly heededmore than the roar of the surf upon the shore.

  Wolfe was lying in his tent, looking white and worn, as wasgenerally the case after the labours of the day were ended. Hisindomitable spirit bore him gallantly through the working hours ofthe long, hot days; but night found him exhausted, and often toosuffering to sleep. Julian had been his best companion at suchtimes as these, and he had missed him a good deal these past days.

  "I have been within the city and citadel, and have returned safeand sound," answered Julian, throwing off the cloak he wore overhis white French uniform. "It cannot be long before the placesurrenders. Our guns are doing fearful havoc. Fires break out, asyou must see, continually. The King's Bastion was almost allconsumed yesterday. The hearts of the townspeople are growing faintwithin them. The officers and soldiers are bold, and show acheerful front; but they begin to know that sooner or later theywill have to throw up the game."

  Wolfe's eyes kindled with martial joy.

  "It is the turn of the tide, the turn of the tide!" he exclaimed,his whole face instinct with anticipation of triumph. "The Englishflag has been trailed in the dust, humiliated, vanquished; but sheshall wave aloft over yon proud fortress, which men have calledimpregnable. And if there, why not over Quebec itself?"

  Then, whilst he made Julian refresh himself with food and drink, hebid him tell all the story of his visit to Louisbourg: how he hadobtained entrance, what he had seen and heard, and what opinion henow held as to the position of the foe and the chances of thesiege.

  Wolfe was much delighted with the anecdotes related of the courageand kindness of Madame Drucour.

  "The Commander shall hear of that. Brave lady! I would not that sheshould suffer needless hurt. Tell me, Julian, are they in need offood or wine or any such thing within the walls? I would gladlysend to the brave Madame some token of goodwill and appreciation."

  "They are well victualled; but I heard Madame say that the sickwere suffering somewhat from scurvy, and that she wished she hadfruit to distribute amongst them. Some of them have come off theships, where the illness is frequent. Madame Drucour visits thesick constantly, and dresses their wounds with her own hands whenthe surgeons are busy. And, indeed, they need all the help they canget, for the sick and wounded increase upon their hands daily."

  "They shall have fruit!" cried Wolfe eagerly. "We had a ship arriveto help the squadron, and she came laden with pines from the WestIndies. We will send in a quantity to Madame Drucour under a flagof truce. We may be forced to fight our fellow men, but we need notforget that they are of the same flesh and blood as ourselves. Anhonourable foe is second only to a friend."

  "Madame will be grateful for any such act of courtesy, I am sure,"replied Julian. "She is a noble lady--gracious, beautiful, andbrave. She spoke good words to me, little knowing who I was. Itmade me feel something treacherous to accept her courtesies,knowing myself for a spy. But yet I have not hurt them by myspying; I can see that the defence cannot long be maintained bythose within the walls. Beyond that I have little to say. The firesby day and night tell of the destruction and havoc our guns aremaking. It needs no spy to report that."

  General Amherst was keenly interested next day in hearing the storyJulian had to tell, and was ready and eager to send a present offruit and other dainties for the sick to Madame Drucour. Undercover of a flag of truce the convoy was dispatched, and for half aday the guns on both sides ceased firing.

  In addition to the fruit the General sent a very polite letter tothe lady, expressing his regret for the annoyance and anxiety shemust be experiencing, and sending a number of small billets andmessages from wounded Frenchmen in their hands to their friends inthe city.

  The messengers returned bearing with them a basket and a note. Thebasket contained some bottles of choice wine for the General'stable, and the letter, written by Madame Drucour herself, wascouched in terms of courtesy and gratitude. She declared that thefruit for the sick was just the very thing she had been mostdesiring, and wondered what bird of the air had whispered themessage into the ear of the noble English officer. As for the waritself, deplorable as it must always be, the knowledge that theywere fighting against a generous and worthy foe could not but be asource of happiness; and, in conclusion, the lady added that theyhad within the walls of Louisbourg a surgeon of uncommon skill withgunshot wounds, and that his services should always be at thecommand of any English officer who might desire them.

  "That is like her!" exclaimed Julian to Wolfe, when the terms ofthe letter were made known. "She is a very noble and gracious lady,and I trust and hope no hurt will come to her. But she exposesherself to many perils in the hope of cheering and heartening upthe men. They all fight better for the knowledge that she is nearthem; and she goes her daily rounds of the ramparts, be the firingever so hot!"

  The cannon were roaring again now from both lines of batteries. Thedoomed fortress was holding out gallantly, and had as yet given nosign of surrender.

  Wolfe was hard at work, day after day, drawing his lines closer andcloser. His military genius showed itself in every disposition ofhis lines and batteries. He saw at a glance exactly what should bedone, and set to work to do it in the best possible way.

  "How many ships have they in the harbour?" he asked of Julian, twodays after his return from the town.

  "Only two of any size--the Bienfaisant and the Prudent. The resthave been sunk or destroyed."

  "I think we had better make an end of those two," said Wolfethoughtfully.

  "It might not be a task of great difficulty, if it could be donesecretly," said Julian. "The soldiers are mostly on land. They needthem more in the citadel than on board; and they think the shipsare safe, lying as they do under their own batteries. If we couldget a dull or foggy night, we might make a dash at them. We canenter the harbour now that the Island battery is silenced and thefrigate Arethuse gone. They say the sailors on board the ships arelonging for a task. They would rejoice to accomplish something ofthat sort."

  "Get me ready a boat, and you and Humphrey row me out to our fleetyonder," said Wolfe, looking out over the wide expanse of bluebeyond the harbour. "I will speak of this with the Admiral, and seewhat he thinks of the undertaking."

  They rowed him out from Flat Point to the flagship, and put him onboard. It was a fine sight to see the great battleships anchored inthe bay, ready to take their part in the struggle at a word ofcommand. But the French fleet had done little or nothing to harassthem. They were complete masters of the deep. Even the ships in theharbour had not ventured out, and now only two of them remained.

  "There will be none tomorrow, if this sea mist comes down," saidWolfe, with a little grim smile, as he entered the boat again. "Rowme to the harbour's mouth; I would take a look for myself at theposition of the vessels."

  The sun was shining brilliantly upon land, but over the sea therewas a little haze, which seemed disposed to increase. It had beenso for two or three days, the fog coming thicker at night. Wolfelooked keenly about him as he reached the mouth of the harbour. Hedid not attempt to enter it, but sat looking before him withintent, critical gaze.

  "I see," he remarked, after a pause. "Now row me once more to theflagship, and so back. The thing can be done."

  Promptitude was one of Wolfe's characteristics; he never let grassgrow under his feet. If the thing was to be done, let it be done atonce; and the British tar is never a laggard when there is fightingor adventure to be had!

  Julian and Humphrey volunteered for the service. Humphrey was afavourite with the sailors, havi
ng been employed almost constantlyin carrying messages to and from the fleet, or in helping to landtransports. He was as expert now in the management of a boat as thebest of the jack tars, and was eager to take part in the daringenterprise which was to be carried out that night.

  Six hundred sailors, collected from different vessels, were to betold off for the task. They set to work with hearty goodwill,muffling their oars, and preparing for their noiseless advance intothe harbour. The guns would roar ceaselessly overhead. That woulddo much to drown any sound from the water. Still, care and cautionwould have to be exercised; for the batteries of the fortresscommanded the harbour, and the ships lay beneath their protectingguns. If the little flotilla betrayed its approach by any unguardedsound, it might easily be annihilated before ever it could approachits goal. So that the task set the hardy sailors was not withoutits distinct element of peril, which was perhaps its chiefestattraction.

  The shades of night gathered slowly over land and sea. It seemed toHumphrey and some of those waiting in the boats as though night hadnever fallen so slowly before. But their eyes were gladdened by thesight of the soft fog wreaths which crept over the water as thedusk fell, lying upon it like a soft blanket, and blotting out thedistance as much as the darkness could do.

  It was not a heavy fog. The sailors were in no danger of losingtheir way as they rowed, first for the harbour mouth, and then forthe two French warships at anchor beneath the batteries. But it wasthick enough to hide their approach from those on land. It was notprobable that even the crews of the vessels would be aware of theirclose proximity till the word to board was given. Unless someaccidental and unguarded sound betrayed their advance, they mightin all likelihood carry all before them by a surprise movement.

  Julian was in the same boat as the officer in command of theexpedition. His intimate knowledge of the position of the warvessels would be of use in this murk and darkness. Humphrey took anoar in the same boat; and the little fleet got together, andcommenced its silent voyage just as the clocks of the fortressboomed out the midnight hour.

  It was a strange, ghostly voyage. There was a moon in the skyoverhead, and the outlines of the hills and batteries, and even ofthe fortress itself, could be distinguished wherever the groundrose high enough; but wreaths of white vapour lay lazily along thewater, or seemed to curl slowly upwards like smoke from some fire,and the boats rowed along in the encircling mist, only able to gainglimpses from time to time of the moonlit world as a puff of winddrove the vapour away from their path and gave them a transitoryoutlook upon their surroundings.

  The dull roar of the guns filled the air. Sometimes the batterieswere silent at night; but Wolfe kept things alive on this occasion,in order to cover the approach of the boarding party. Now the mouthof the harbour was reached, and the little fleet gathered itselfmore compactly together, and the muffling of the oars was carefullylooked to. Directions as to the order to be observed had been givenbefore, and the boats fell into their appointed position withquickness and accuracy.

  Julian took the helm of the leading boat, and steered it across theharbour towards the anchored vessels. He knew exactly where and howthey lay. And soon the little flotilla was lying compactlytogether, its presence all unsuspected, within a cable's length ofthe two battleships.

  Now the time for concealment was over. The men seized their arms inreadiness. The boats dashed through the water at full speed. Thenext moment hundreds of hardy British sailors were swarming up thesides of the French vessels, uttering cheers and shouts of triumphthe while.

  Humphrey and Julian were amongst the first to spring upon the deckof the Bienfaisant. The startled crew were just rushing up frombelow, having been made aware of the peril only a few secondsearlier. Some of them were but half dressed; few of them knew whatit was that was happening. They found themselves confronted byEnglish sailors with dirk and musket. Sharp firing, shouts, curses,cries, made the night hideous for a few minutes, and then a ringingvoice called out in French:

  "Surrender the vessels, and your lives shall be spared."

  It was Julian who cried these words at the command of the officer,and there was no resistance possible for the overpowered crew. Thesoldiers were on shore within the fort. They were but a handful ofmen in comparison with their English assailants. It was impossibleto dispute possession.

  "Take to your boats and go ashore, and you shall not be molested,"was the next cry; and the men were forced to obey, the fightinghaving lasted only a very brief space: for it was evident from thefirst that the English were masters, and needless carnage was notdesired by them.

  Nevertheless the peril to the English sailors was by no means overyet. The guns in the battery now opened fire upon the fleet ofboats, and a hailstorm of shot and shell raged round them; so thatthe French sailors dared not leave the vessel, but crowded belowout of the hot fire, preferring to trust to the tender mercies oftheir captors rather than to the guns of their countrymen.

  "Tow her away under one of our own batteries," was the order, givenas coolly as though this leaden rain were nothing but a summershower.

  Humphrey sprang to the side, and cut the cable which anchored herto her moorings. Just at that moment a glow of light through thefog fell across the deck, and looking up he saw a pillar of flamerising from the water close at hand, and casting strange lights andshadows upon the shifting mists which enwrapped them.

  "They have fired the Prudent!" exclaimed Julian. "Now we shall havelight for our task; but we shall be a better target for the enemy'sfire. We must lose no time. Cut loose the second cable; we shouldbe moving. See that the boats are all ready to tow us along. What agrand sight that burning ship is!

  "Ah, I see now. She is aground with the ebb tide. They could notmove her, so they have fired her instead. There are her boatsrowing for shore with her crew in them!"

  It was a strange, grand sight, watching the flames enwrap thedoomed vessel from stem to stern, till she was one sheet of rosylight. Even the guns from shore had ceased to fire for a briefspace, as though the gunners were watching the weird spectacle ofthe illuminated fog, or were perhaps afraid lest their fire shouldhurt their own comrades in the boats. But the English sailors tookadvantage of the lull to set to their task of towing theBienfaisant with hearty goodwill.

  "She moves! she moves!" cried Humphrey excitedly, standing at thewheel to direct her course. "Well pulled, comrades--well pulledindeed! Ah, their guns are going to speak again! They will not letus go without a parting salute."

  The batteries on shore opened their mouths, and belched forth flameand smoke. The ship staggered beneath the leaden hail; but the gunswere too high to do mischief to the boats upon the water, and thesailors replied by a lusty cheer. Julian wiped away a few drops ofblood that trickled down his face from a slight cut on his temple;but for the most part the shot struck only the spars and rigging,whistling harmlessly over the heads of the men on deck, who laughedand cheered as they encouraged their comrades in the boats to rowtheir hardest and get beyond reach of the enemy's fire.

  Wolfe had planted a battery himself just lately which commanded apart of the harbour, and beneath this sheltering battery theBienfaisant was towed, whilst the sailors cheered might and main;and once out of reach of the enemy's fire, rested on their oars andwatched the grand illumination of the flame-wrapped Prudent.

  "If war is a horrible thing," said Julian reflectively to Humphrey,"it has at least its grand sights. Look at the red glare upon theshifting fog banks! Is it not like some wild diabolic carnival? Onecould fancy one saw the forms of demons flitting to and fro in allthat reek and glare."

  Humphrey's grave young face wore a rather stern look.

  "I have seen other fires than that, and heard of those I have notseen--fires the memory of which will live in my heart for years andyears! If we burn the vessels of the French, is it not because theyhave hounded on the Indians to burn our homesteads, ay, and withthem our defenceless wives and children, mothers and sisters? Shallnot deeds like these bring about a stern retaliati
on? Are we nothere to take vengeance upon those who have been treacherous foes,and shamed the Christian profession that they make? Shall we pityor spare when we remember what they have done? The blood of ourbrothers cries out to us. We do but repay them in their own coin."

  "Yes," returned Julian thoughtfully; "there is a stern law ofreaping and sowing ordained of God Himself. We may well believethat we are instruments in His hands for the carrying out of Hispurpose. Yet we must seek always to be led of Him, and not to takematters into our own hands. 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saiththe Lord.'"

  "I believe He will," said Humphrey, with a flash in his eyes; "butgive it to me to be there to see!"

  "As I think we shall," answered Julian, "for I believe that the keyof the war will lie next at Quebec. Whoever holds that, holds thepower in Canada, and from Canada can command the western frontier.And the taking of Quebec is the object upon which the mind of Wolfeis firmly set. You know how often he has said to us, 'If I couldachieve that, I could say my Nunc Dimittis with joy andthankfulness.' I believe in my heart that he will live to see thatglorious victory for England's arms."

  Wolfe was waiting upon the strand for the boat which brought Julianand Humphrey back with the details of the victorious enterprise. Hegrasped them both by the hand.

  "Now I think that surrender cannot much longer be delayed, and, intruth, I hope it will not be. News has reached us from the west ofsome great disaster at Ticonderoga. It is but the voice of rumour.A light fishing smack brought letters to the General this evening,dated from Albany, and sent by special messenger. Nothing definiteis known; but they report a disastrous defeat, attributed to theuntimely death of Lord Howe quite early in the expedition. I cannotsay what truth there may be in this, but I fear some great disasterhas recently taken place. It has made the General and his officersvery stern and resolved. England's honour has been sorely tarnishedby these many defeats. But I believe her star will rise again.Louisbourg at least must fall ere long."

  Julian and Humphrey were both filled with sorrow and anxiety atthis piece of news. Charles and Fritz were both likely, theythought, if living still, to be there with the army; and one wasanxious for news of his brother, and the other of his comrade andfriend.

  "When Louisbourg is taken," said Humphrey, "I shall ask leave ofabsence to go to seek my brother. My sister in Philadelphia willgive me tidings of him. I shall go thither, and come back when theattempt upon proud Quebec is made."

  "If I had my way, we should sail from Louisbourg straight forQuebec," cried Wolfe, with a flash in his eyes. "I would follow upone blow by another. Yet I know not whether our instructions willcarry us thus far. Nevertheless, I hope to live to see the day whenthe English flag shall wave over the ramparts of that city andfortress which has been called the Impregnable."

  The news, rumour though it was and unconfirmed, of fresh disasterto the English arms in the interior excited much feeling in theEnglish ranks. Had there been another massacre, such as haddisgraced the struggle at Fort William Henry? What would be thenext tidings which would reach them of their brethren in arms?

  There had been so many tales of horror told out in the wild westthat strong men often shuddered at the bare thought of what theymight have to bear. So the faces of men and officers were alikestern and dark; and when the white flag fluttered at last from thewalls of Louisbourg, and the news ran like wildfire through thecamp that the fortress was about to surrender, there was a feelingin all hearts that the terms granted should not be too easy. Franceowed England a deep and mighty debt, which sooner or later she mustpay.

  Wolfe was sent for to be with General Amherst when he received thedeputation of the French, and he returned to his quarters lookinggrave and thoughtful.

  "We have told them that they must surrender as prisoners of war,and send their reply within an hour. If they refuse, we attack atonce both by land and sea. We are all resolved that the siege shallbe brought to an end. If we could have been here a month earlier,we might have effected a junction with our friends in the west, andhave averted the calamity which has overtaken them there."

  "Will they accept?" asked Julian eagerly. "They are in a sorestrait, but yet they are brave men. They might, perhaps, havelooked to be permitted to march out with the honours of war aftertheir bold defence."

  "Yes; and this would have been granted them had it not been forwhat happened at Fort William Henry. But the memory of that daycannot be wiped out from the memory of our officers, The Generalwas supported by the bulk of his officers. They will have noconditions. They will treat the sick and the wounded and the townspeople with every consideration, but they will be absolute masters.The Admiral was there, and he and the General signed the note. Theyare resolved to abide by its contents."

  Excitement reigned everywhere. The firing had ceased, and thestillness of the air was like that which sometimes precedes thebursting of a thunderstorm, What reply would the fort return? andhow quickly would it arrive? It was understood that, in the eventof delay, a general assault would be made, and some of the soldierswould have eagerly welcomed the order for the advance.

  Keen excitement prevailed when it became known that a messenger hadcome, not bringing the expected reply, but one asking for lessrigorous terms.

  "The General would not see him," was the cry. "He was sent back tosay that nothing would be changed from the last letter addressed tothe Governor. The Admiral and General are alike agreed. There willbe no wavering from that."

  It was plain that there was some variance in the city itself. Inthe ranks of the besieging force there was intense excitement andstir. Every man was looking to his arms, save when he was askingnews and gazing towards the walls of the city. That somethingdecisive must soon be settled was apparent to all.

  The white flag again! A messenger was coming out towards the campwith the reply. He appeared in no haste, and paused again and againto look back. Suddenly another man appeared running hastily afterhim. The first messenger paused, consulted with him, and thenturned back towards the city. The second man ran on alone, makingvehement signs, as though afraid there might yet be somemisunderstanding.

  "We accept! we accept!" he shouted out, waving a paper above hishead, beside himself with excitement.

  Two men followed him; they were taken into the tent of the General,who, with the Admiral, was awaiting the final answer. But the firstmessenger remained without, panting and exhausted, and Julianinstantly recognized him as an officer who had shown him somekindness during his short stay within the fortress.

  He came up to him now, and the recognition was mutual.

  "So you were a spy all the while, my friend!" said the Frenchman,with something like a grim laugh. "Had we known that, you wouldhave received a different welcome. Ah well, it matters little now.And it is a pity for brave men to die like dogs. We were in a sadpass before. You could not have told much that was not alreadyknown."

  "The fortress is ready to capitulate?"

  "Not the fortress, but the town. Bad as our condition is, we wouldnot have surrendered on those terms. We had indeed dispatched amessenger to say as much. But the Provost and the citizens were toomany for us. They ran to the citadel, and made such work that theGovernor yielded, and I offered, being fleet of foot, to run afterthe messenger and stop him if it could be done. Luckily his ownheart misgave him, and he had not hurried. And close upon my heelswere sent others with more definite instructions. And thusLouisbourg passes into the hands of gallant foes. But I trust theywill show every courtesy to our brave Madame."

  "Have no fear on that score," answered Julian; "I have told in theEnglish camp of the bravery and gracious kindness of Madame leGeneral. Our commander will see that she is treated with everyconsideration; as also the sick and wounded, her special charge. Itis well not to drive us to assault the weakened town. Now we shallenter as friends rather than foes."

  "So said the Provost, remembering that the English have much causeof complaint against us. We cannot deny that ourselves. Ah me! itis the chance of war. We ha
ve had our triumphs, and now you haveyour turn. It is not here but at Quebec that the real trial ofstrength will be. I think, my friends, you will find that you havea hard nut to crack there."

  "So they said of Louisbourg, and yet that has been done," answeredJulian, with a smile. "But come in, and refresh yourself in my tenthere whilst the messengers are conferring with our General. Theywill have to draw up terms of capitulation. There will be time toget a good meal whilst that is being done."

  At dawn the following morning the drums beat. The English soldiersgot into order, and marched through the Dauphin gate into the town.The French soldiers, drawn up in array, threw down their muskets,and with tears of mortification marched away, leaving the victorsin possession.

  The English flag was run up, amid wild cheering, and floated overthe grim and shattered ramparts. The turn of the tide had come atlast, and Louisbourg had fallen into the hands of the English.