st steadiness and coolness, and
keeping well in shelter, until, when the soldiers and cattle had got
well on their way towards the fort, James gave the order to fall back,
and the band, crawling among the stumps, and pausing to fire at every
opportunity, made their way back without having lost a man, although
several had received slight wounds.

Chapter 16: The Massacre At Fort William Henry.

When the skirmishing round Fort Henry was over, La Corne, with a body
of Indians, occupied the road that led to Fort Edward; and Levis
encamped close by, to support him, and check any sortie the English
might make from their intrenched camp. Montcalm reconnoitred the
position. He had, at first, intended to attack and carry the intrenched
camp, but he found that it was too strong to be taken by a rush. He
therefore determined to attack the fort, itself, by regular approaches
from the western side, while the force of Levis would intercept any
succour which might come from Fort Edward, and cut off the retreat of
the garrison in that direction. He gave orders that the cannon were to
be disembarked at a small cove, about half a mile from the fort, and
near this he placed his main camp. He now sent one of his aides-de-camp
with a letter to Monro.

"I owe it to humanity," he said, "to summon you to surrender. At
present I can restrain the savages, and make them observe the terms of
a capitulation, but I might not have the power to do so under other
circumstances, and an obstinate defence on your part could only retard
the capture of the place a few days, and endanger the unfortunate
garrison, which cannot be relieved, in consequence of the dispositions
I have made. I demand a decisive answer within an hour."

Monro replied simply that he and his soldiers would defend themselves
till the last.

The trenches were opened on the night of the 4th. The work was
extremely difficult, the ground being covered with hard stumps of trees
and fallen trunks. All night long 800 men toiled at the work, while the
guns of the fort kept up a constant fire of round shot and grape; but
by daybreak the first parallel was made. The battery on the left was
nearly finished, and one on the right begun. The men were now working
under shelter, and the guns of the fort could do them little harm.

While the French soldiers worked, the Indians crept up through the
fallen trees, close to the fort, and fired at any of the garrison who
might, for a moment, e