before, but he seldom waved it.

"Are they ever coming?" asked Robert, who felt as if he had been
standing on the field many hours.

"We've not long to wait now, lad," replied Willet. "Our own army is
ready and I think the fate of America will soon be decided here on this
cloudy morning."

Another light puff of rain struck Robert in the face, but as before he
did not notice it. The crackling fire of the sharpshooters increased.
They were stinging the British flanks and more men in scarlet fell, but
the army of Wolfe remained immovable, waiting, always waiting. It was
for Montcalm now to act. French field pieces added their roar to the
crackle of rifles and muskets, and now and then the fierce yell of the
Indians rose above both. Robert thought he saw a general movement in the
French lines, and his thought was Willet's also.

"The moment has come! Steady, lads! Steady!" said the hunter.

The whole French army suddenly began to advance, the veterans and the
militia together, uttering great shouts, while the Indians on the flanks
gave forth the war whoop without ceasing. Robert remained motionless.
The steadfastness of soul that he had acquired on the island controlled
him now. Inwardly he was in a fever, but outwardly he showed no emotion.
He glanced at Montcalm on the black horse, and St. Luc on the white, and
then at the scarlet and silent ranks of Wolfe's army. But the French
were coming fast, and he knew that silence would soon burst into sudden
and terrible action.

"The French lines are being thrown into confusion by the unevenness of
the ground and the rapidity of their advance," said Willet. "Their
surprise at our being here is so great that it has unsteadied them. Now
they are about to open fire!"

The front of the charging French burst into flame and the bullets sang
in the scarlet ranks. Wolfe's army suddenly began to move forward, but
still it did not fire, although the battle of the skirmishers on the
flanks was rapidly increasing in ferocity. The rangers were busy now,
replying to the Indians and Canadians, but Robert still took rapid
glances and he looked oftenest toward the Americans, where his friends
stood. The advance of the French became almost a run, and he saw all the
muskets and rifles of his own army go up.

A tremendous volley burst from the scarlet ranks, so loud and so close
together that it sounded like one vast cannon shot. It was succeeded
presently by another, and then by an irregul