1692.] THE HEROINE OF VERCHERES. 305 



She appealed to the soldiers, but their courage was 

 not equal to the attempt ; on which, as she declares, 

 after leaving Laviolette to keep watch at the gate, 

 she herself went alone to the landing-place. " I 

 thought that the savages would suppose it to be 

 a ruse to draw them towards the fort, in order to 

 make a sortie upon them. They did suppose so, 

 and thus I was able to save the Fontaine family. 

 When they were all landed, I made them inarch 

 before me in full sight of the enemy. We put so 

 bold a face on it, that they thought they had more 

 to fear than we. Strengthened by this reinforce- 

 ment, I ordered that the enemy should be fired on 

 whenever they showed themselves. After sunset, 

 a violent north-east wind began to blow, accom- 

 panied with snow and hail, which told us that we 

 should have a terrible night. The Iroquois were 

 all this time lurking about us ; and I judged by 

 their movements that, instead of being deterred by 

 the storm, they would climb into the fort under 

 cover of the darkness. I assembled all my troops, 

 that is to say, six persons, and spoke to them thus : 

 * God has saved us to-day from the hands of our 

 enemies, but we must take care not to fall into 

 their snares to-night. As for me, I want you to 

 see that I am not afraid. I will take charge of 

 the fort with an old man of eighty and another who 

 never fired a gun ; and you, Pierre Fontaine, with 

 La Bonte and Gachet (our two soldiers), will go to 

 the blockhouse with the women and children, be- 

 cause that is the strongest place ; and, if I am taken, 

 don't surrender, even if I am cut to pieces and 



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