[wood] AxN URSULINE EPIC 21 



thick of the final assault some Iroquois got in so close that they could 

 chap at the foot of the ■eitockade without being exposed to the fire from 

 the loop-holes. Daulac then tried to dislodge them with a barrel of 

 powder. But this, unfortunately, miscarried. The barrel blew up in- 

 side the fort, killed and wounded several of the defenders, and left a 

 breach wide open. The Iroquois at once swarmed in from all sides, 

 though, even then, they could not close with their steadfast opponents. 

 Anahotaha, worthy comrade of Daulac, charged and killed five with his 

 tomahawk. But, as he regained the ranks, he fell, mortally wounded, 

 beside the burning palisade. " Lay my head on tlie fire," he implored 

 ■with his dying breath, " the Inoquois must never get my scalp !'' Daulac 

 fell next. A last desperate scuffle, and all was over. The Iroquois were 

 dumbfounded at the resistance they had met with and disheartened by 

 their enormous losses. Their next council broke up after deciding that 

 a country defended by such heroes was too dangerous to attack. They 

 slank back to their wigwams, while a contrite apostate Huron escaped 

 to carry the tale of death and victory throughout the waiting settlements. 

 Thus ended Canada's Thermopylae. 



The Colony dragged through the misery of three more years. Then 

 came the memorable earthquake which threatened an almost greater 

 ruin. One effect of this stupendous and widespread upheaval may still 

 be seen at Les Eboulem-^nts, where the whole face of a mountain fell 

 headlong into tlie St. Lawrence. In Quebec the shocks recurred violently 

 for seven months, and the terrified people thought it was the end of the 

 world. The first great shock scared the roisterers at the carnival out of 

 their senses. The second threw all the Ursulines to the ground while 

 they were singing matins. Throughout this long, heart-shaking ordeal 

 trembling women and children kept coming to La Mère Marie, as to the 

 one human sanctuary that could preserve them from the Avenging Angel. 

 Xot since the Great Famine, nearly four hundred A-ears before, when long 

 processions of naked Flagellants scourged themselves through every 

 high street and market square in Europe, had there been such universal 

 contrition. The priests could scarcely leave the thronged confessionals, 

 even to eat and sleep. Again the cry of " Back to France !" went up, 

 and was piteously echoed from the whole stricken colony. But two 

 winged souls rose to the foreseeing heights of prophecy, and two clear 

 voices called on the people to stay their panic and have steadfast faith 

 in Canada. One was the voice of Laval, the first bishop, who set a 

 supreme example by founding, in this terrible 1663, the great seminary 

 which still bears his name and carries on his work with undiminished 

 vigour. The other was tlie voice of La Mère Marie, who, for the third 

 time in her life, stood between a discouraged people and apparent ruin, 

 and nerved them to one more effort for the salvation of their country. 



