to speak. The risk of disembarking and trying to fight us
will be immense. They will lose ten men to our one in every
encounter. And if we can play this waiting game long enough, the
storms of winter will come down upon us, and the Admirals will have
to withdraw their fleet to some safe harbourage, and we shall have
saved Quebec!"

"Yes," said the Abbe--"that sounds a wise and wary policy; but will
the Canadian militia be patient and obedient during the long period
of inaction? They are accustomed to a sort of fierce, short forest
warfare, quick marches, hand-to-hand fights, and the freedom to
return to their homes. How will they like the long imprisonment in
the camp, without being brought face to face with the foe? The
Canadian soldiers have always given trouble; I fear they will do so
again."

"If they become troublesome," said Montcalm, with a tightening of
the lips, "they will be told that the Indians shall be loosed upon
their lands and farms to harry and destroy! Mutineers are accorded
scant mercy. Monsieur de Vaudreuil has made up his mind how to deal
with them in such case."

The Abbe stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"If we alienate the Canadians, and have only the regulars to fall
back upon, we shall be very short handed."

"True; but I do not anticipate such a contingency. The Canadians
are no more desirous of seeing England's flag waving over their
lands than we are ourselves. They may be rebellious and
discontented, but they will hardly go further than that."

"It is ill work fighting with discontented soldiers," said Madame
Drucour thoughtfully.

"Very true, Madame. I often wish we had better material for our
army. I abhor the Indians, and distrust the Canadians. But what can
we do? France has sore need of all her soldiers for her European
wars. What can she do for us here out in the western wilds? She has
her hands full at home."

"And yet," said the Abbe, "if she loses her hold upon these same
western wilds, she will lose that new kingdom upon which her eyes
have been greedily fastened for two centuries or more. She has
claimed half the world as her own; will she lose all for the sake
of some petty quarrel with her neighbours?"

Montcalm smiled and slowly shook his head.

"Our royal master has his hands something too full at times," he
said; "yet we will do our best for him out here."

"And if General Amherst with his great army should succeed in
capturing Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and