f the town, and the ships themselves will be
sent some distance up the river out of harm's way. We have kept
some of the best for fire ships; the rest will remain at a
distance, beyond the river Richelieu."

"You think, then, that no British ship can pass the guns of the
town?"

Montcalm's face was a study of calm confidence.

"I only wish they might attempt it," he said. "We would sink them
one by one, as a child's boats could be sunk by throwing stones
upon them. The English have a task before them the magnitude of
which they have little idea of. First they have the river itself to
navigate; then they have the guns of Quebec to settle with. Let
them take their choice between Scylla and Charybdis; for of a
certainty they lie betwixt the two."

Indeed the guns of Quebec were formidable enough. Next day Montcalm
took Madame Drucour and her niece and nephew a tour of inspection
about the town, and up to one of the heights which gave them a
panoramic view of the city and its defences, both within and
without. The batteries of the town bristled with formidable guns;
the town itself swarmed with soldiers--regulars, militia, Indians.
From the adjacent country men of all ages had come flocking in,
eager to bear arms against the foe. The Bishop had issued a mandate
to his flock, urging them to rally round their leaders, and never
surrender the fair domain of Canada to the heretic usurper.

There was plenty of enthusiasm now amongst the Canadians they came
flocking into the camp in great numbers. All were hardy fellows,
trained to a certain sort of rough fighting from their very
childhood. They were invaluable in forest warfare, as had been
proved again and again. But they lacked the stamina of the regular
soldier. They were invariably unsteady when exposed to fire in the
open, and they were impatient of discipline and control. Vaudreuil
was always loud in their praise, trying to give them the credit of
every successful engagement. But Montcalm reposed much more
confidence in his regular soldiers; although he gave these others
their due when they had proved of service to him.

It was a wonderful sight to see the lines of defence stretching
right away from the river St. Charles, close to the promontory on
which Quebec was built, to that other invisible gorge where the
wonderful cataract of the Montmorency flung its waters into the
greater St. Lawrence below. Opposite was the height of Point Levi,
with its smaller batteri