day or night, bombs were singing over the eighteen-foot
palisades of the fort. From within Walsh, Kelsey, and Bailey made a
brave defence. They poured scalding water on the heads of the Frenchmen
and Indians who ventured too near the walls. From the sugar-loaf tower
roofs of the corner bastions their sharpshooters were able to pick off
the French assailants, while keeping in safety themselves. They killed
Chateauguay, d'Iberville's brother, as he tried to force his way into
the fort through a rear wall. But the wooden towers could not withstand
the bombs, and at length both sides were ready to parley for terms. With
the hope that they might save their furs, the English hung out a
tablecloth as a flag of truce, and the exhausted fighters seized the
opportunity to eat and sleep. The weather had turned bitterly cold. No
ship could come from England till spring. Under these conditions, Walsh
made the best bargain he could. It was agreed that the English officers
should be lodged in the fort and should share the provisions during the
winter. D'Iberville took possession; and again, only one post on the
Bay--Albany, in charge of James Knight--remained in English hands.

On the miseries of the English prisoners that winter there is no time to
dwell. D'Iberville had departed, leaving La Forest, one of his men, in
command. The terms of the surrender were ignored. Only four officers
were maintained in the fort and given provisions. The rest of the
English were driven to the woods. Those who hung round the fort were
treated as slaves. Out of the fifty-three only twenty-five survived. No
English ship came to Nelson in the following summer--1695. The ship that
anchored there that summer was a French privateer, and in her hold some
of the English survivors were stowed and carried to France for ransom.

In August 1696, however, two English warships--the _Bonaventure_ and the
_Seaforth_--commanded by Captain Allen, anchored before Nelson. La
Forest capitulated almost on demand; and, again, the English with Nelson
in their hands were virtually in possession of the Bay. Allen made
prisoners of the whole garrison and seized twenty thousand beaver pelts.
While the _Bonaventure_ and the _Seaforth_ lay in front of the fort, two
ships of France, in command of Serigny, one of d'Iberville's brothers,
with provisions for La Forest, sailed in, and on sight of the English
ships sailed out again to the open sea--so hurriedly, indeed, that one
of the