ious to come
now got frightened, and were most difficult to get into order.
Dumas and the regulars did their utmost; but it was plain that the
people were scared out of their lives lest the English should
suddenly appear and attack them. After a long time we got into a
sort of order, and began the march, when all of a sudden there were
a crash and a blaze, and everything was thrown into confusion. They
yelled out that the English were upon them, and headed for the
boats."

"O Colin--the men who were so keen to fight!" cried Corinne; whilst
the midshipmen doubled themselves up with laughter, exclaiming
beneath their breath:

"O gallant burghers of Quebec!"

"It was disgraceful!" cried Colin hotly; "and more disgraceful
still was it that the fire came from our own side--from the
Seminary scholars, who had gone in advance; a thing they had no
business to do. But this was not the worst--at least it was not the
end of the bungling; for if you will believe me, the same thing
happened three distinct times. Twice more after we had got the men
formed up again, and were leading them up the hill behind the
English guns, did those wretched Seminary scholars mistake them for
the enemy and fire into their ranks. The last time they killed a
score or more, and wounded quite a large number of others. That was
too much. The men turned tail and fled helter-skelter back to the
boats, and there was no getting them back after that. The scholars,
too, when they heard what they had done, were seized with panic,
and joined the rout.

"I never saw such a scene in my life as the opposite shore
presented just as the dawn was breaking and the first gun boomed
out, and we knew that we ought to have been marching in compact
order along the crest of the hill to fall upon the gunners from
behind. Well, if this is how Quebec manages her affairs, she
deserves to have her houses battered in. We shall soon have the
answer from the English batteries, and we shall deserve it, too!"

Colin was right. The iron storm began all too soon, and proved to
the full as destructive as had been feared. Churches and houses
were laid in ruins, and disastrous fires broke out, consuming
others. The unhappy occupants of the Lower Town fled from the
smoking ruins, some to take refuge with friends in the Upper Town,
which was considerably less exposed; others to fly into the open
country beyond, where they trusted to be safe from the English
invader. As the military a