Part 4 (1/2)

Herrick

WOLFE AND MONTCALM

The eventful night of the twelfth was clear and calht but that of the stars Within two hours before daybreak thirty boats, croith sixteen hundred soldiers, cast off from the vessels and floated doard in perfect order with the current of the ebb-tide To the boundless joy of the army, Wolfe's malady had abated, and he was able to colooe, and the disaster at Montmorenci, had oppressed him with the deepest melancholy, but never impaired for a y of his action

He sat in the stern of one of the boats, pale and weak, but borne up to a caliven, every arrange tide sufficed to bear the boats along, and nothing broke the silence of the night but the gurgling of the river, and the low voice of Wolfe, as he repeated to the officers about hiy in a Country Churchyard,” which had recently appeared, and which he had just received froely appropriate words:--

”The paths of glory lead but to the grave,” the shadows of his own approaching fate stole with mournful prophecy across his mind

”Gentlemen,” he said, as he closed his recital, ”I would rather have written those lines than take Quebec to--place, the boats edged closer in towards the northern shore, and the woody precipices rose high on their left like a wall of undistinguished blackness

”_Qui vive?_” shouted a French sentinel froloohlanders fro down the river with supplies for the garrison, and as a convoy froht, the sentinel was deceived and allowed the English to proceed A few ain, and this ti close down to the water's edge, as if all his suspicions were aroused; but the skilful replies of the Highlander once more saved the party fro-place in safety,--an indentation in the shore about a league above the city and now bearing the name of Wolfe's Cove

Here a narrow path led up the face of the heights, and a French guard was posted at the top to defend the pass By the force of the current the fore that which carried Wolfe hieneral was one of the first on shore He looked upward at the rugged heights which towered above hiloom ”You can try it,” he coolly observed to an officer near hiet up”

At the point where the Highlanders landed, one of their captains, Donald Macdonald, apparently the same whose presence ofin advance of his ed by a sentinel He replied in French, by declaring that he had been sent to relieve the guard, and ordering the soldier to withdraw

Before the latter was undeceived, a crowd of Highlanders were close at hand, while the steeps beloere thronged with eager cli theuard turned out and h brave resistance In a moment they were cut to pieces, dispersed, or ht and quickly formed upon the plains above Meanwhile the vessels had dropped doith the current and anchored opposite the landing-place The re troops diseht in safety to the shore

The sun rose, and from the ramparts of Quebec the astonished people saw the Plains of Abrahalish forers had borne the evil tidings to Montcalm, and far and near his wide-extended ca of alarm-drums and the din of startled preparation He, too, had had his struggles and his sorrows The civil power had thwarted hi his soldiers; and no small portion of the Canadian militia had dispersed from sheer starvation In spite of all, he had trusted to hold out till the winter frosts should drive the invaders fro the news of their successful temerity fell like a cannon-shot upon his ear Still he assuot to the weak side of us at last,” he is reported to have said, ”and wehaste his troops were pouring over the bridge of St Charles, and gathering in heavy masses under the western raive assurance of success, their triumph would have been secure, for five French battalions and the armed colonial peasantry amounted in all to ht before stretched the long, thin lines of the British forces--the Highlanders, the steady soldiery of England, and the hardy levies of the provinces--less than five thousand in nu in the full assurance of success

It was nine o'clock, and the adverse ar on the other The clouds hung low, and at intervals war both alike The coppice and corn-fields in front of the British troops were filled with French sharp-shooters, who kept up a distant spattering fire Here and there a soldier fell in the ranks, and the gap was filled in silence

At a little before ten the British could see that Montcal to advance, and in a few moments all his troops appeared in rapidafter theheavily as soon as they caer was pulled, not a soldier stirred, and their ominous composure seemed to damp the spirits of the assailants It was not till the French ithin forty yards that the fatal as given, and the Britishexplosion Like a shi+p at full career arrested with sudden ruin on a sunken rock, the ranks of Montcal stor the field for a moment shut out the view, but, when the white wreaths were scattered on the wind, a wretched spectacle was disclosed: men and officers tumbled in heaps, battalions resolved into a one; and, when the British muskets were levelled for a second volley, the masses of the militia were seen to cower and shrink with uncontrollable panic

For a fewa sharp and not ineffectual fire But now, echoing cheer on cheer, redoubling volley on volley, traitives in crowds, the British troops advanced and swept the field before them The ardour of the men burst all restraint They broke into a run and with unsparing slaughter chased the flying ht-footed Highlanders dashed along in furious pursuit, hewing down the French many in the very ditch of the fortifications Never was victory more quick or more decisive

In the short action and pursuit the French lost fifteen hundred men, killed, wounded, and taken Of the remainder some escaped within the city, and others fled across the St Charles to rejoin their couard the camp The pursuers were recalled by sound of trulish troops withdrawn beyond reach of the cannon of Quebec Townshend and Murray, the only general officers who reiment in turn and thanked the soldiers for the bravery they had shown; yet the trius went from rank to rank that Wolfe had fallen

In the heat of the action, as he advanced at the head of the grenadiers of Louisburg, a bullet shattered his wrist, but he wrapped his handkerchief about the wound, and showed no sign of pain A moment more and a ball pierced his side Still he pressed foraving his sword and cheering his soldiers to the attack, when a third shot lodged deep within his breast He paused, reeled, and staggering to one side, fell to earth Brown, a lieutenant of the grenadiers, Henderson, a volunteer, an officer of artillery, and a private soldier, raised hi hirass

They asked if he would have a surgeon, but he shook his head and answered that all was over with hi death, and those around sustained his fainting foraze fro ranks of their coh fire and smoke ”See how they run,” one of the officers exclaimed, as the French fell in confusion before the levelled bayonets ”Who run?” de his eyes like a man aroused froive way everywhere” ”Then,” said the dying general, ”tell Colonel Burton to iment down to Charles River, to cut off their retreat froe Now, God be praised, I shall die in peace,” heon his side he calmly breathed his last

Alreat adversary, Montcalm, as he strove with vain bravery to rally his shattered ranks Struck doith a mortal wound, he was placed upon a litter and borne to the General Hospital on the banks of the St Charles The surgeons told hilad of it,” was his calht survive, and was told that he had not”So much the better,” he said; ”I am happy that I shall not live to see the surrender of Quebec” Officers froarrison came to his bedside to ask his orders and instructions ”I will give no more orders,” replied the defeated soldier; ”I have reater arrison and this wretched country My time is very short, therefore, pray leave me”

The victorious army encae with zealous energy, but, before a single gun was brought to bear, the white flag was hung out, and the garrison surrendered On the eighteenth of September, 1759, the rock-built citadel of Canada passed for ever from the hands of its ancient masters