ut in habits and character the two men differed
widely. Warren was in the prime of life, and the ardour of youth still
burned within him. He was impatient at the slow movement of the
siege."

The Siege of Louisbourg started by Warren's and Pepperrill's demand
that the fortress surrender, and the historic answer of Duchambon,
the French commander, that they should have their answer from the
cannon's mouth. It is not my purpose to tell of it in detail, for it
lasted forty-seven days and strained the nerves of everyone to the
breaking point. But one or two things happened in the time which, to
my mind, make our Captain seem a very human person. There was, for
instance, his amazing kindness, as unfailing to his captives as to his
own men. When the great French man-of-war _Vigilant_ came to the aid
of the beleaguered fortress, Warren joyously captured the monster, in
full sight of Louisbourg and under the big guns there. It was this
incident, by the bye, for which he was knighted afterwards. The French
captain, Marquis de la Maisonfort, who was Warren's prisoner, wrote in
a letter to Duchambon: "The Captain and officers of this squadron
treat us, not as their prisoners, but as their good friends."

Warren went wild with rage when he heard of the horrors that had
befallen an English scouting party which had fallen into the hands of
a band of Indians and Frenchmen, and hideously tortured. He wrote
stern protests to Duchambon, and it was at this time that he urged
Pepperrill most earnestly to attack. But the more phlegmatic officer
could not see it in that way. Warren then argued with increasing heat
that by this time the French reinforcements must be near, and could
easily steal up under cover of the fog which was thick there every
night. When Pepperrill still objected he lost his temper entirely, and
said and wrote a number of peppery things. "I am sorry," he said,
"that no one plan, though approved by all my captains, has been so
fortunate as to meet your approbation or have any weight with you!"

Pepperrill explained imperturbably that Warren was trying to take too
much authority upon himself. Captain Peter sent him a furious note: "I
am sorry to find a kind of jealousy which I thought you would never
conceive of me. And give me leave to tell you I don't want at this
time to acquire reputation, as I flatter myself mine has been pretty
well established long before!"

And then, as full of temper as a hot-headed schoolboy,