ld finish the matter at once
by killing and scalping him.

The next morning, he again went off to the Sutherland. He was in high
spirits, for his name had appeared in orders as captain, and as
appointed assistant quartermaster general on the headquarter staff. On
entering the general's cabin, he thanked him for the promotion.

"You have earned it over and over again," the general said. "There are
no thanks due to me. Now, have you thought out a plan?"

James briefly stated the difficulties which he perceived in the way of
any other scheme than that of getting himself taken prisoner by the
French, and showed that that was the only plan that seemed to offer
even a chance of success.

"But you may not be able to escape," Wolfe said.

"I may not," James replied, "and in that case, sir, I must of course
remain a prisoner until you take Quebec, or I am exchanged. Even then
you would be no worse off than you are at present, for I must, of
course, be taken prisoner at some point where the French are in force,
and where you do not mean to land. My presence there would give them no
clue whatever to your real intentions, whereas, were I taken prisoner
anywhere along the shore, they would naturally redouble their
vigilance, as they would guess that I was looking for some way of
ascending the heights."

"How do you propose being taken?" Wolfe asked.

"My idea was," James replied, "that I should land with a party near Cap
Rouge, as if to reconnoitre the French position there. We should, of
course, be speedily discovered, and would then retreat to the boats. I
should naturally be the last to go, and might well manage to be cut
off."

"Yes," Wolfe replied, "but you might also, and that far more easily,
manage to get shot. I don't think that would do, Captain Walsham. The
risks would be twenty to one against your escaping being shot. Can you
think of no other plan?"

"The only other plan that I can think of," James said, "might involve
others being taken prisoners. I might row in towards Cap Rouge in broad
daylight, as if to examine the landing place, and should, of course,
draw their fire upon the boat. Before starting, I should fire two or
three shots into the boat close to the water line, and afterwards plug
them up with rags. Then, when their fire became heavy, I should take
the plugs out and let the boat fill. As she did so, I could shout that
I surrendered, and then we could drift till we neared the shore in the
water-