anger. "I
was down at Louisburg myself last year and know it well, with its great
harbour that would hold all the British navy together, and the two
great tongues of land sheltering it from the south-western and
north-western gales, and Goat Island in the middle with its long reef
of rocks."

"Just so," continued Isidore. "Well, there had been such a fog for the
first week, and the sea broke on the beach so heavily, that even those
bold English, with that fellow Wolfe to lead them, could not effect a
landing until the 8th, and then they met with a pretty warm reception.
It was of no use, however; our fellows were gradually driven back, and
the siege began in good earnest. Every yard of ground was contested,
but by degrees our outlying batteries were first silenced, then taken,
and it was whilst this was going on that I reached the place. Besides
our regular troops there were three or four hundred Canadians and some
Indians; and being a soldier with some experience, I got the command of
a company of irregulars. So matters went on, until at length the Goat
Island batteries were silenced; but on the 9th of last month----"

"The 9th!" cried Boulanger. "Ah, I recollect that day well enough.
I'll tell you about that presently; go on, I pray you."

"Well, on that night we made a tremendous sortie, and took the enemy by
surprise. They were commanded by a British Lord--Dundonald was his
name--but if the poor fellow was taken unawares he paid dearly for it,
for he was killed, together with a great number of his men. Yet they
were soon reinforced, and came on so gallantly that we were repulsed,
losing many men and some prisoners. I, too, was hit, but luckily it
was only a graze."

"What! You were in the sortie then?" exclaimed Boulanger, not a little
excited by the narrative.

"Yes, and our brave general was pleased to say I had done good service
in bringing off some of our men who were nearly surrounded. He offered
at once to give me a company of regulars, and asked my name. But I
told him plainly that I was under a cloud and could not accept his
offer; still he insisted on giving me a few words in writing, which he
said might some day be of use to me.

"The rest of my sad story is soon told," Isidore went on to say.
"Three of our great ships had already been set on fire in the harbour,
and the enemy kept up such a cannonade upon them that it was impossible
to save them; but the town being, as you know, three o