nd fir trees, felled and laid on the ground with the
tops outward.

Not a shot was fired until the English boats approached the beach,
then, from behind the leafy screen, a deadly storm of grape and
musketry was poured upon them. It was clear at once that to advance
would be destruction, and Wolfe waved his hand as a signal to the boats
to sheer off.

On the right of the line, and but little exposed to the fire, were
three boats of the Light Infantry under Lieutenants Hopkins and Brown,
and Ensign Grant, who, mistaking the signal, or wilfully
misinterpreting it, dashed for the shore directly before them. It was a
hundred yards or so east of the beach--a craggy coast, lashed by the
breakers, but sheltered from the cannon by a small projecting point.

The three young officers leapt ashore, followed by their men. Major
Scott, who commanded the Light Infantry and Rangers, was in the next
boat, and at once followed the others, putting his boat's head straight
to the shore. The boat was crushed to pieces against the rocks. Some of
the men were drowned, but the rest scrambled up the rocks, and joined
those who had first landed. They were instantly attacked by the French,
and half of the little party were killed or wounded before the rest of
the division could come to their assistance.

Some of the boats were upset, and others stove in, but most of the men
scrambled ashore, and, as soon as he landed, Wolfe led them up the
rocks, where they formed in compact order and carried, with the
bayonet, the nearest French battery.

The other divisions, seeing that Wolfe had effected a landing, came
rapidly up, and, as the French attention was now distracted by Wolfe's
attack on the left, Amherst and Lawrence were able to land at the other
end of the beach, and, with their divisions, attacked the French on the
right.

These, assaulted on both sides, and fearing to be cut off from the
town, abandoned their cannon and fled into the woods. Some seventy of
them were taken prisoners, and fifty killed. The rest made their way
through the woods and marshes to Louisbourg, and the French in the
other batteries commanding the landing places, seeing that the English
were now firmly established on the shore, also abandoned the positions,
and retreated to the town.

General Amherst established the English camp just beyond the range of
the cannon on the ramparts, and the fleet set to work to land guns and
stores at Flat Point Cove. For some da