at the traces in the
earth, told the tale as truly as if he had been there.

"Tandakora and his warriors stood behind these vines," he said, going to
a little arbor. "See their traces and in the center of them the prints
left by the gigantic footsteps of the Ojibway chief. The house had been
plundered by some one, maybe by the warriors themselves, before the
soldiers came. Then the Ojibway and his band hid here and waited. It was
easy for them. The soldiers knew nothing of wilderness war, and they
came up to the house, unsuspecting. They were at the front door, when
Tandakora and his men fired. Three of them fell dead where they lie. The
fourth was wounded and tried to escape. Tandakora ran from behind the
vines. Here goes his trail and here he stopped, balanced himself and
threw his tomahawk."

"And it clove the wounded soldier's head," said Robert. "Here he lies,
telling the rest of the tale."

They buried the four, but they found new tragedies. Thus the month of
August with its successes and failures, its attacks and counter-attacks
dragged on, as the great siege of Quebec waged by Phipps and the New
Englanders nearly three-quarters of a century before had dragged.

[A] The story of Edward Charteris is told in the author's novel, "A
Soldier of Manhattan."

[B] The story of Zeb Crane and his remarkable achievements is
contained in the author's novel, "A Soldier of Manhattan."

CHAPTER XV

THE LONE CHATEAU

Despite his courage and the new resolution that he had acquired during
his long months on the island, Robert's heart often sank. They seemed to
make no progress with the siege of Quebec. Just so far had they gone and
they could go no farther. The fortress of France in the New World
appeared impregnable. There it was, cut clear against the sky, the light
shining on its stone buildings, proud and defiant, saying with every new
day to those who attacked it that it could not be taken, while Montcalm,
De Levis, Bougainville, St. Luc and the others showed all their old
skill in defense. They heard too that Bourlamaque after his retreat from
Ticonderoga and Crown Point was sitting securely within his lines and
intrenchments at Isle-aux-Noix and that the cautious Amherst would delay
longer and yet longer.

It was now certain that no help could be expected from Amherst and his
strong army that year. The most that he would do would be to keep
Bourlamaque and his men from coming to