— 42 — 



expanse of water before them, the green beaches dotted 

 with kine, and the fertile uplands clothed in verdure, 

 showing fair promise of a luxuriant harvest. ' Watch 

 well, my friends, aloug the north shore capes, if you do 

 not see small white objects ! They seem to be like sails. 

 Oh, if it only were the relief for the colony, from 

 France ? what a rich joke we would play upon the 

 English ! Look now at the effect of the sun on the white 

 sails ! ' At that moment a vessel, crossing from Cape 

 Tourmente in the direction of the channel, which was 

 then used between Pointe d'Argentenay and Madame 

 Island, could be distinctly made out. * Count them ! ' 

 hurriedly exclaimed the reverend gentleman ; ' one — 

 two — three ! ' 



" But the sun has gone down ; the shade of the lofty 

 capes reaches as low as the traverse, shutting out all 

 objects from view. 



" ' My poor country ! ' exclaims the priest, closing 

 the spy-glass ; ' my poor country ! what is to become of 

 you, should these be English ships ? What with Sir 

 William Johnson, and the New England militia towards 

 Lake Champlain, you stand a poor chance, now; that an 

 enemy shows himself in the very heart of Canada. ' 



" ' Cheer up ! reverend sir, ' retorted the village 

 notary ! ' we have at Quebec, Montcalm and a fine 

 army to defend us ; and have we not also there one of 

 our own people, a Canadian, the Marquis of Vaudreuil ? ' 



" ' My dear notary, let us place our hope in God ! 

 we have but little help to expect from men/ gloomily 

 rejoined the minister of religion. 



"'What?' said the warlike N. P. (1); "do you 

 forget how often French soldiers and Canadian militia 

 have repulsed the New Englanders ? ' 



" I do not, I assure you, good friend ; but, then we 

 were united, and had no traitors amongst us ; — to-day, 



(1) N. P. Notary Public. 



