s not an impertinent
question?" said he. "Surely you could rejoin the army here. Montcalm,
I fancy, would be glad enough to help one who has already served under
him so bravely."

"No, honest friend, there is no hope for me in that quarter. Montcalm
could not help me even if he would. It would answer no good purpose
were I to tell you why, and it is better for you that you should not
know. I am no longer Colonel de Beaujardin, but a nameless wanderer.
If you speak of me it must only be as Claude the poor French peasant;
but it were best not to do so at all, or you may get yourself, and me
too, into trouble. Yet something I must do, and I have resolved to go
off to Cape Breton, where, as I have learned at Quebec, the English are
about making an attack on Louisburg."

"On Louisburg!" exclaimed the Canadian. "Why, I should have thought
they had enough of that last year."

"At all events," replied Isidore, "they will find the task no easy one
with such a fellow as our brave Drucour in command of the place; but he
will need all his skill and bravery too, for I heard before I left
France of the great preparations the English have been making to ensure
success this time. Some months ago their Admiral Boscawen sailed from
England, and is now in command of a score of line of battle ships, and
nearly as many frigates; they say at Quebec that his fleet has left
Halifax, with more than a hundred smaller vessels, carrying a force of
twelve thousand men to attack Louisburg. The English have fetched home
a general named Amherst from Germany, where they have been helping our
enemy, King Frederick of Prussia, and have given him the command, and
there is also a Colonel Wolfe amongst their officers, who, they say,
has already done good service. If they are as slow about making the
attack as they have been in coming from England, they'll not take
Louisburg this year. They have got a Minister now, however, who hates
us thoroughly, and will give us trouble enough. I daresay you have
heard of this Mister Pitt I speak of."

"O yes, I have heard of him sure enough, monsieur, but it don't matter
much about him. I suppose they have not got any generals like ours,
and when it comes to fighting, let them come, say I."

"You seem quite to forget, my friend, that these English once had a
general called Marlborough," said Isidore.

"O yes, they once had," retorted Boulanger; "but as the famous old song
says--

'Monsieur Malbrou