195 CHAPTER IX. "Oh, few and weak their numbers were, A handful of brave men; But to their God they gave their prayer, And rush'd to battle then. They left the plowshare in the mold, Their flocks and herds without a fold, The sickle in the unshorn grain, The corn half garner'd on the plain, And muster'd in their simple dress For wrongs to seek a stern redress-- To right those wrongs, come weal, come wo, To perish or o'ercome their foe." McLellan. UCH were the men who followed the bold Arnold, through terrible difficulties and privations, from their quiet homes in New England, and, in the midst ol light falling snow, appeared like a specter army on the heights of Point Levi, to the wondering people of Quebec. Through the treachery of the Indian Eneas (who pretended to have been taken prisoner), Cramahé and his council knew that a small American force was in the wilderness, but they would not believe that it would ever reach Quebec; therefore the fact was not made known to the military or the people. They had taken the precaution, however, to keep all boats on the Quebec side of the river. It was about eight o'clock in the morning when Arnold and his followers emerged from the forest and displayed upon the banks of the St. Lawrence., Quebec was at once in a tumult. The drums beat to arms, and the Canadians were terribly alarmed. Some near Point Levi had fled across to the city, and their fears caused them to greatly magnify the number and character of the Americans. By a mistake of a single word the fears of the people were greatly increased, for the news spread that the mysterious army that descended from the wilderness was clad in _sheet iron._ * Arnold resolved to cross the river immediately, and found means to communicate his intentions to his friends in Quebec. * But for several days and nights a tempest of wind and sleet raged upon the St. Lawrence, and he was obliged to wait its pleasure at Point Levi. In the mean while the garrison of the city was strengthened by troops from Sorel, under McLean, and the prospect of success for the patriots was proportionably lessened. At length the wind ceased. Between thirty and forty birch canoes were procured, and about nine o'clock in the evening of the 13th the first division crossed; before daylight five November, 1775 hundred Americans landed safely, and rendezvoused at Wolfe's Cove. The ene- my had placed a frigate (the Lizzard) and a sloop in the river, to intercept them, but the vigilance of these they eluded until just as the last party passed a guard-boat. One hundred and fifty men were at Point Levi, but it was too late to return for them. No time was * Morgan's riflemen wore linen frocks, their common uniform. The Canadians, who first saw these emerge from the woods, said they were _vêtu en toile_--clothed in linen cloth. The word _toile_ was changed _tole_, iron plate.