How Canada Was Won: A Tale of Wolfe and QuebecBrereton, F. S. (Frederick Sadleir)
History
How Canada Was Won: A Tale of Wolfe and Quebec
Brereton, F. S. (Frederick Sadleir)
United States -- History -- French and Indian War, 1754-1763 -- Juvenile fiction
"To-night! To-night!" he said over and over again to himself as he
paced backwards and forwards. "And father is there. Where can he have
been, and how comes it that Silver Fox has managed to get into Quebec?
He seems to know the place, too, and is in no hurry to depart."
He had purposely walked in the opposite direction to that taken by
the chief, but now he watched him out of the corner of his eye.
Silver Fox was dawdling idly in the courtyard, as many another Indian
had done on that and on previous days. He strolled along the wall,
looked out at the magnificent prospect spread out before him, at
the rolling waters of this, one of the mightiest of rivers, at the
green slopes of the Isle of Orleans, and at the blue and green vista
beyond, the forest-clad southern bank which stretched right away
across the much-debated frontier to America, the colony filled with
the hardy sons of Old England, and with fugitives from many parts of
the world. Silver Fox halted for quite a little while and filled his
pipe meditatively, striking flint and steel with great deliberation,
and puffing languidly as if he had nothing in the world to occupy him,
nothing to fear, and only desired to remain there and think and watch
the lovely country below. For half an hour at least he leaned against
the granite parapet, and then Steve saw him walk softly along some
dozen paces, turn his head to the place where the sentry was placed,
and then deliberately point below.
"A signal undoubtedly," thought Steve. He dropped his hand to show
that he was watching, and then turned away again, while the Indian
chief daubed in the colours of the Hurons struck flint and steel again
as if his tobacco had not been lit sufficiently, and then sauntered
calmly from the courtyard. Half an hour later our hero ventured to the
same spot and carelessly looked over. Down below, some thirty feet
perhaps, was a narrow path running between the wall of the fort and
another wall which hemmed in the courtyard of a private residence.
"That is where I am to expect them," he thought. "Well, it is a good
place, for the path is little used, and at night time it is densely
dark. Now how am I to get here without upsetting the sentries?"
He thought for a little while, and then suddenly walked across the
courtyard, clambered up the flight of steps which led to the room
which had been allotted to him as his quarters, and promptly took off
some of his clothing. A minute later he had thrown himself on his
couch, where he lay half on his face, feigning illness. An hour or
more later there was a step outside, and the guard, whose duty it was
to make a round of the rooms occasionally, looked in at the door.
"Ha! Monsieur sleeps," he said gently, for he was a good fellow, and
Steve had always been pleasant with him. "Monsieur is tired. I will be
careful not to wake him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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