Introduction
I , Christine Douglass-Williams, was terminated as Director on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) by the Queen’s Privy Council on the advice of Canada’s Heritage Minister Melanie Joly, four months after receiving a threatening letter from Joly about my writings on political Islam for the online publication Jihad Watch, directed by Robert Spencer and a project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center in California. Melanie Joly was moved to a Tourism portfolio in July 2018 during a Cabinet shuffle, but I reference her position in the present form as key events unfolded that relate to her influence as Heritage Minister.
The CRRF is an ‘arms-length’ Federal Government agency—and Crown Corporation—which was established as an outcome of the signing of the Japanese Redress Agreement of 1988 between Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and redress leader Art Miki. Ironically, ‘armslength’ means independent of under contract law, despite having mutual interests.
I was appointed to the CRRF in 2012 under the Conservative Stephen Harper government, and reappointed in 2015. At that time, the CRRF functioned under the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and Minister Jason Kenny. After the election of the Liberal Government, the foundation was placed under the Department of Heritage, of which Melanie Joly became Minister. It is also worthwhile to note that I became an External Adviser to the Office of Religious Freedom in June 2015; that office was shut down immediately after Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada. The office, which denounced draconian blasphemy laws globally, was originally dedicated to Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was minister of minorities in Pakistan who openly opposed Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and was assassinated for doing so by Pakistani jihadis.
Joly made good on her written threat to have me removed as a Director with the CRRF under fabricated accusations of
‘Islamophobia.’ The Privy Council terminated my appointment as a Governor in Council Appointee on December 20, 2017, despite my years of dedicated commitment to the Foundation, on which I also served as Chair of the Investment Committee, a member of the Human Resource, Executive and former Nominations Committees. I also served as a jurist in assessing the best practices of organizations and individuals in promoting harmonious race relations from nationwide submissions for the CRRF biennial Award of Excellence Gala.
The reason for my CRRF termination was for criticizing political Islam on Jihad Watch, on my own time, and because of MyPersonal Warning to Icelanders, which was published on Jihad Watch and translated for publication in Iceland’s largest newspaper, the Morgunbladid. In the article, I warned about the deceptions that Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic supremacist operatives used in their goals of subversion in the West. Their tactics are well-documented. I personally make a distinction between those Muslims who choose to practice Islam in peace and with respect for the separation from mosque and state, and those more devout Muslims dedicated to the shariah imperative to jihad with their agenda to usurp democratic constitutions, demand special privileges over other creeds, and attack non-Muslims as an obligation of the faith. I make this distinction clear in my book, TheChallengeofModernizingIslam (Encounter Books, 2017). It is odd to be removed from a race relations foundation for my private work in criticizing the range of abuses that are characteristic of authoritative Islamic doctrine, particularly in light of the fact that Islam is not a race. In the following pages, the reason will become more apparent as I tell my story, which illustrates a disturbing picture of how I was made a public example as Canada marches to the orders of Muslim Brotherhood operatives.
Part 1
MY CRRF ADVOCACY AND VISION FOR UNITY
As I prepared to document the events leading up to my termination of duties at the CRRF, I sorted through the hundreds of emails reflecting the trying times and earlier fine ones as our Executive team and board strove for a united Canada.
During my years with the CRRF, I contributed to ideas of youth engagement, Canada-wide lectures and round tables, because I believed that all Canadians should participate in the evolution of Canada’s democracy under a banner of multiculturalism, under which immigrants were inevitably bringing in their myriad cultural practices and imported conflicts. I was of the conviction that responsible leadership was fundamental in maintaining Canadian democratic rights and freedoms for all, regardless of color, creed, and culture.
I understood the truth about racism and intolerance between visible minority groups. For example, Afghans are treated deplorably in Iran, and racism and colorism are found in abundance in the country of my birth, Trinidad. One difficulty I had with certain CRRF stakeholders was their indignant approach toward white people, European culture, and history. The messages conveyed at the CRRF Award of Excellence gala, programs, and roundtables were sometimes disturbing to me, as many guest speakers condemned only one kind of racism and bigotry from the podium: that of white people against black people; white people against natives; white people against Muslims.
The board knew my sentiments, but the challenge in organizations is to keep stakeholders satisfied. In the view of the standardized victimology stakeholders, the evolution of modern-day multicultural Canada, free of systemic, state-driven interracial conflict and full of opportunities for visible minorities, did not matter. It also was not discussed that many community leaders perpetuated their own disadvantage and oppression through hatred of white people and conflict within their own family structures and communities, which was also deemed to be the white people’s fault. All the while, other countries still held black slaves and practiced
misogyny and the worst kind of abuses against fellow human beings. Topping the list of such abusers were Islamic supremacists, who also sought to obliterate the nation of Israel out of bigotry against Jews and which propagated a code of laws [shariah] that assigned special status based on gender, race and religion. One lady from the black community once drew my attention when she publicly declared onstage during a CRRF symposium that blacks and Jews suffer the worst hate crimes, so why was it that all everyone heard about was ‘Islamophobia’?
Our Canada
As I continued to sort through emails, I was reminded of a casual off-CRRF premises meeting between members of the Executive CRRF team and external contributors to brainstorm on possible ideas for youth engagement in multicultural Canada. I retained the email of my own contribution toward fostering Canadian values and harmony. As a patriotic Canadian, I was inspired to suggest an idea for implementation as part of a program for youth. This was my submitted documentation, which I sent via an email on the morning of August 26, 2014:
The wholeproject can possibly be centered around the Theme “Oh Canada” and even named “Our Canada” related to our nationalanthem.Whattheconceptof“OurCanada”means can be a question asked and a concept builtupon and outlined for students.
Perhaps we can use the national anthem to illustrate points: O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command. Considerations: how does each and every Canadian make this their home and their Canada while being loyally patriotic andlovingtowardcountry?
With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The True North strong and free!
Considerations: whatare ways tobuilda strong Canadain unityandkeepitfreeandstrong?
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Considerations: what does this statement mean? It suggeststhateveryone far andwidehasa responsibility toward Canada.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Considerations: What are the attributes of Canada and what is it about Canada that attracts immigrants? What can immigrantsdotokeepourlandgloriousandfree? Howcanthe leadership among various immigrant groups be guides in teachingtheircommunitiestogetalongwithothercommunities and stand on guard by not allowing wars from back home to perpetuatethemselveshereinCanada.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Consideration:a finalsolidificationofthewholemeaningof “OurCanada,”withtheevolvedthemeof:ThisisOurCanadaso let’sbuildittogetherandlet’sprotectittogether .
Building on Operation Thank you can be a subcategory under “Our Canada” called “Operation Welcome” signifying that to enable our national anthem—to help us stand on guard together—we need to welcome one another so what are ways that every single group in the country can work on welcoming the other especially those who hate one another from “back home” and how can all Canadians work together and facilitate that?
A section on Canadian Human Rights and our Constitution and laws can also be presented as documents to protect all Canadians and all Canadians (in order to stand on guard) need to do their part to preserve the meaning of those documents for the good of Canada. In this scenario, lots of art and caricatures can be used to “soften” a hard message.
REGISTERED LETTER FROM CANADIAN HERITAGE MINISTER M.P. MELANIE JOLY
There was a series of events leading up to the receipt of a registered letter of warning from Canada’s Heritage Minister, Melanie Joly.
May 22, 2017
CRRF Chairman Albert Lo called me personally at home to inquire about a reporter from Iceland who had been emailing and calling the Foundation repeatedly for days, as well as the Heritage Department, accusing me of being anti-Muslim, stemming from my talk in Iceland and my Útvarp Saga radio station warning about hate speech in mosques and my open view in defense of mosque surveillance. This reporter—confirmed to be Bjartmar O.Þ. Alexandersson—demanded answers as to why I would be serving in a federal anti-racism organization, to which he was given “no comment.”
June 6, 2017
Mr. Lo, with a markedly tense tone to his voice, phoned me again to subtly deliver the message that I was being watched by certain bureaucrats in the Department of Heritage. I told him that “whoever put you up to this, please tell him or her to put their concerns in writing.”
July 18, 2017
I received an early afternoon phone call from the office of Graham Flack, Deputy Minister of Heritage, with a follow-up email “Invitation from Graham Flack” for a teleconference with him, which read: “Graham Flack & Christine Douglass-Williams. We will call Ms. Williams at…(home #)…Friday, Jul 21, 2017 from 11 AM to 11:20 AM.”
I mulled over this request, recalled Mr. Lo’s tense phone call, and made the decision minutes later to cancel the meeting, requesting to “please send any conversation you would like to have in writing either in an email or by mail.”
July 25, 2017
A registered letter arrived at my home from the Minister of Heritage Melanie Joly:
Dear Ms. Douglass-Williams:
I am writing to you to express my concerns about your capacity to continue serving as a director of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF). Certain online articles and blogs authored by you suggest to me that your conduct is not compatible with the mandate, vision and values of the organization, and is inconsistent with the expectations of you as a Governor in Council (GIC) appointee.
As you know, the CRRF is dedicated to the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination in Canadian society. Its purpose, as defined by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Act, is “to facilitate throughout Canada the development, sharing and application of knowledge and expertise in order to contribute to the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination in Canadian society.”[1]
The work of the CRRF is premised on the desire to create and nurture an inclusive society based on equity, social harmony, mutual respect and human dignity. Its underlying principle in addressing racism and racial discrimination emphasizes positive race relations and the promotion of shared Canadian values of human rights and democratic institutions. It strives to coordinate and cooperate with all sectors of society, and develop partnerships with relevant agencies and organizations at the local, provincial, and national levels.
You were appointed to serve during pleasure, as a director of the CRRF. As a GIC appointee you are expected to perform your duties in the public interest and to uphold the highest ethical standards so that public confidence and trust in the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of the Government are conserved and enhanced. In addition, you have the duty to act in the best
interests of the CRRF within the framework of its statutory mandate and to exercise care and due diligence.
I have become aware of language used in your online articles and blogs that appear to be inappropriate and inconsistent with the CRRF mandate, vision, and values of promoting diversity and inclusion, and respect for democracy.
For example:
1. “My personal warning to Icelanders,” May 16, 2017:
You are in trouble. Your numbers are too small in a vast land to continue as you are, in allowing Islamic supremacist incursion into your country as you have. You have unwittingly allowed it, being taken in by your own acceptance and tolerance of immigrants, which is admirable. Your nation has evolved, as all Western states have evolved, to be willing to welcome minorities from every country of the globe, and you have implemented a constitution that declares the equality of everyone under the law. But you need street smarts with regard to immigrants. Islamic supremacists will smile at you, invite you to their gatherings, make you feel loved and welcome, but they do it to deceive you and to overtake you, your land and your freedoms. They intentionally make you feel guilty for questioning their torturous deeds toward humanity—toward women, Christians, gays, Jews, apostates, infidels and anyone who dares to oppose these deeds. If they were genuine, they would make no apologies for such abuses globally, but they would offer to make amends by contributing to the reform of the thinking of their coreligionists, bringing them to deem all humans to be equal in their eyes. They would not accuse you of racism if you question them, which you should do if you really care about the lives and well-being of your fellow human beings globally.
2. “Canada moving toward criminalizing “Islamophobia,” January 28, 2017:
A big question to bear in mind is why the “Islamophobia” motion was “unanimously” agreed upon in Parliament. What happened to the few Conservative members present? And to the interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and official opposition, Rona Ambrose? Were they, too, intimidated into submission at the expense of Canadians?
This incursion of Islamic supremacists and their allies and lapdogs peddling their wares into Canadian Parliament is a grave concern.
3. “I was challenged: Why Write About Jihadists and Muslim Migrant Crimes?,” June 10, 2016:
How many Westerners want our cities and countries to become replicas of Islamic states, with the full range of all the atrocities committed in them? We’re on our way there, folks, unless we hold leaders accountable; those who should be protecting the citizens of our countries from bloodthirsty criminals and people who are encroaching upon our freedoms and safety.
Some of these people cannot fathom modern-day truth about the bloodthirsty hatred and evil zeal of Jihadists, who ultimately aim to destroy our freedoms in the name of a religion that is historically rooted in war and conquest; and most importantly, is still carrying out that war today, both militarily and insidiously. And since 1948, Muslims have killed over 10 million of their coreligionists, as well as thousands of non-Muslims.
In light of the foregoing, I am concerned with your continued role as a director on the Board of Directors and I am considering whether to recommend to the GIC that your appointment be terminated. However, before I make my decision I am prepared to hear from you.
As your appointment is during the pleasure of the Government, it may be terminated at any time, with or without cause. I ask that by close of business on August 11, 2017, you provide me with any representations, in writing, that you believe
should be taken into account before a decision is made regarding your continued appointment as a director of the CRRF. Before I decide whether or not to make any recommendation to the GIC, I will carefully consider your written submissions. Should I proceed with a recommendation, the GIC will consider your representations along with my submission and will ultimately determine whether or not to terminate your appointment. Any termination would be effected through the use of an Order in Council. If you would like more information on this process, I would encourage you to speak to Janine Sherman, Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Senior Personnel and Public Service Renewal) at 613‑957‑5465.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Melanie Joly, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Canadian Heritage
August 14, 2017
An email arrived to fellow board member Kandy, who gave me permission to use her name, but I chose not to use her full name for her own protection:
From:NicoleBrockbank
Sent:Monday,August14,20171:02PM
To:Kandy xxxx
Subject:CanadianRaceRelationsFoundationquestion
HiKandy,
I'm a journalist with CBC News Toronto. I couldn't find any contact information(phone or email) for the board of directors oftheCanadianRace RelationsFoundationon thewebsite,so I thoughtI'dreachouthere.
I'm just wondering if I could have a quick chat with you by phone? I've received some information in a tip that I'd like to talkwithyouaboutofftherecord.
August
15, 2017
An email was sent out by a member of the Executive Committee to all board members and newly appointed members, whom I had not met:
IamwritingyouasxxxxandonbehalfofAlbertLo, Chairperson of the CRRF . Albert is travelling in the United States and does nothaveeasyaccesstoacomputer.
At least three members of the Board have received calls and notes from a CBC reporter based on "a tip from one of our viewers.”Itwas furtherclaimedthatthereportercouldnotfind numbers or e-mailsofwhomto contact at CRRF and was "just lookingforanofftherecordcomment.”
Iwant to thanktheBoardmemberswhohave alreadyreferred the calls to xxxx but would like to state our protocol for all membersatthesametime.
OnlyxxxxarespokespersonsfortheCRRF . Allmediacallseither on or off the record should be referred to xxxx whose e-mail address is included in the addresses above. She will decide on the best course ofaction, to refer the call to xxxxx or to deal with it herself. On matters relating to CRRF it is essential that wespeakwithonevoice.
We willhavethechancetogooverthedetailsandrationalesof theexternalcommunicationspolicyattheupcomingorientation andBoardmeetinginOctober .
Untilthen, thankyou for your cooperation andsupport on this veryimportantmatter .
August 18, 2017
In an email to me:
HiMs.Douglass-Williams,
My name is Stephanie Levitz and I’m a reporter with The CanadianPress.
I’mwritinginconnectiontoyourroleasaboardmemberofthe Canadian Race Relations Foundation. It’s come to my attention thatconcerns have beenraisedwithinthefoundation,andalso within government, about your writings on Jihad Watch and whethertheyarecompatiblewithyour workon theboard.I’ve been further informed that those concerns have resulted in a processbeinginitiatedtoreviewyourposition.
I’d like to hearyour side of thestory and wonder ifyou had sometimetospeaktoday. Icanbereachedviathisemailorby phoneatxxxx.Idointendtopublishastoryabouttheissue.
Stephanie
Two days later, the story broke into mainstream media: “Federal appointee to race relations board under scrutiny for writings on Islam.”
I was subsequently heartened by the many letters in my defense that were sent to Melanie Joly, along with a few to Chairman Albert Lo. A petition was started by lawyer Robert Onley, son of former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley to “Keep Christine Williams on Canadian Race Relations Foundation Board & Protect Free Speech.”[2] It drew 1,323 signatures before becoming obsolete due to my firing. The petition was also promoted by wellknown University of Toronto Psychologist Jordan B. Peterson who tweeted out: “Keep Christine Williams on the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Board.”
Robert Spencer wrote Melanie Joly his personal letter: Honorable Minister Joly:
I am writing in support of Christine Douglass-Williams, a member of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, who I understand has come under scrutiny for writing for my web publication, Jihad Watch.
The Canadian Press has identified as questionable one specific piece that Ms. Douglass-Williams published at Jihad Watch (among other places), in which she refers to deceptive Islamic supremacists. However, neither the Canadian Press nor anyone else has offered any evidence for why what Ms. Douglass-Williams wrote was wrong or hateful.
In the piece, she referred to Muslims who posture as moderate when they actually aren’t. Do such people actually exist? Consider the imam Fawaz Damra, who according to contemporary media reports was known in the Cleveland area “as a voice of moderate, mainstream Islam.” He “was often seen at public events with politicians and leaders of other faiths, including several prayer services after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.” Meanwhile, he was “disparaging Jews in Arabic as ‘pigs and monkeys’ and raising money for the killing of Jews by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
This is just one example of many that confirm the correctness of Ms. Douglass-Williams’ observations. Yet despite the reasonableness of her statement, the Canadian Press reports that “there are concerns that Douglass-Williams’s views are a hindrance to her work with the foundation and an affront to its legally defined mandate, which is to help eliminate racism and racial discrimination in Canada.”
There is in reality no racial issue involved here. Jihad terror and the deceptions of some terror-aligned leaders is not race. Islamic jihadists are people of all races. Ms. Douglass-Williams, in standing against jihad terror and Sharia oppression, is not only not jeopardizing the work of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, but enhancing it, but standing against the spread of an ideology that is frankly and unapologetically supremacist and
violent and set against the survival of Canadian pluralist principles.
Meanwhile, I am deeply concerned that Ms. DouglassWilliams is being smeared by association with me and Jihad Watch. I have been writing against jihad terror and Shariajustified denial of human rights for many years, and I’ve found over the years that one tactic that the allies of jihad terror and Sharia supremacist groups frequently resort to in Canada, the U.S., and Western Europe is to smear those who expose their activities as “hatemongers,” “racists,” and “bigots.”
But a false charge does not become true for being often repeated. I invite you to read any of my 17 published books (which I am happy to send you free of charge), thousands of articles, and 45,000+ posts at Jihad Watch, and am confident that you find not a trace of “hatred,” “racism,” or “bigotry” in them. All my work has been and is in defense of the freedom of speech, the freedom of conscience, and the equality of rights of all people before the law.
More to the point, I invite you to read all of Ms. DouglassWilliams’ published writings at Jihad Watch, and you will see that there is no reason for anyone who is concerned about racism and about preserving pluralistic societies to be concerned.
If I can answer any questions or be of any possible service to you in your further consideration of this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kindest regards,
Robert Spencer Director, Jihad Watch
[3]
Dr. Daniel Pipes wrote: Dear Ms Joly:
I write to express my dismay that you would consider dropping Ms Douglass-Williams from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation board for reasons connected to her views on Islam and related topics.
As the author of a foreword to her very recent book, The Challenge of Modernizing Islam: Reformers Speak Out and The Obstacles They Face, I can assure you that she scrupulously distinguishes between Muslims who uphold Western values and those who are totalitarian.
She is a sophisticated observer of this issue whose knowledge and connections should be of particular value to the foundation - not the reason to force her off the board. Doing so would tarnish CRRF's reputation. I urge you not to.
Yours sincerely,
Hon. Daniel Pipes President Middle East Forum
[4]
Philanthropist, lawyer and board member of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Michael Diamond, stated in a blog:
“I have watched as promise after promise, made in order to get elected, has been avoided or abrogated. I have watched as Trudeau told our veterans, who he promised to assist to improve their situation, were told there was not enough money for them, while enormous amounts are being invested in citizens of other countries brought here as refugees. I have watched as the Liberals eliminated a law introduced by the Conservatives which would have given the government the ability to deport dual citizens who were a security threat to our country. I have recently watched Trudeau welcome former ISIS fighters, who may still be ISIS fighters back into the country, putting ever more strain on the limited resources of our security establishment.
I watched as Islam was elevated above other religions with M103, in a clearly racist move meant to appease one group of Canadians at the expense of others. I watched as Christine Douglass-Williams was removed as a Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.”[5]
I was granted an extension by Melanie Joly to reply to her registered letter. My reply included explanations of the three examples she had identified from my writings.
My response was as follows:
The extracted passage in Item 1 conveys my concerns about what I termed “Islamic supremacist incursion” into Iceland. There, I characterized Icelanders’ “acceptance and tolerance of immigrants” as “admirable” but cautioned about Islamic extremist and terrorist threats against “women, Christians, gays, Jews, apostates, infidels and anyone who dares oppose.” Elsewhere, as you will know from my history, I have repeatedly, explicitly indicated that the latter two categories include the great many Muslims who do not bend to extremism. In my recent book, The Challenge of Modernizing Islam, Muslims and others recounted their serious fears about Islamic supremacism and their ideas for doctrinal and other solutions to the muchdebated threat of Islamic extremism. In Item 1, I also urged care in accepting at face value exaggerated and divisive claims of racism made by ideological radicals aiming to silence responsible criticism of extremism by cowing those Muslims and non-Muslims who would debate these problems. Various prominent Canadian Muslims have, of course, for many years spoken out about such issues, including author, columnist and former Muslim Canadian Congress member, Raheel Raza, Dr. Farzana Hassan, and University of Western Ontario politicalscience professor, Dr. Salim Mansur.
No reasonable person could regard this passage, when taken in context, as inconsistent with the duties and responsibilities of a member of the Board of CRRF. Indeed, one would expect no
less of a CRRF Board member. As someone who has condemned publicly every significant variety of extremism and terrorism, whether from neo-Nazi, white, Christian, black, left-fascist, Islamic or other motivation, I could not imagine upon what basis a rational critique of my performance, could be founded.
The same could be said of the content of Item 2.
This Item also warns of what, in Canadian security-andintelligence terminology, might be referred to as “influence” activity – some of it possibly clandestine in nature and therefore largely unknown to Canadian voters – aimed at deceptively influencing Canada’s senators, Members of Parliament and bureaucratic decision-makers, and resultant law and public policy, in favor of radical interests. The passage reflects the responsible view that certain such behavior would be constitutionally untenable, and, consistent with this, unlawful.
The extracted passages under Item 2 convey, in this context, my concerns about the prospect of such troubling influence activity moving Canada toward possible criminalization of the illdefined, controversial concept of “Islamophobia.” Many of Muslim background underscore the fact that, whilst actionable adverse treatment of individual Muslims must be dealt with vigorously under law, the word “Islamophobia” is an unhelpfully ambiguous guide to both law and policy and is misplaced in Motion M103. The incorporating of the root word, “Islam,” in this terminology, might suggest that the religion of Islam should be beyond critical discussion in a way that no other religion can or should be held immune to reasonable, Charter, s. 2, freeexpression debate.
The content of the third Item quoted my asking rhetorically whether Westerners would “want our cities and countries to become replicas of Islamic states.” Taken in context, including my stated concern about “our freedoms and safety,” this was a clear in obvious reference to theocratic and theologically dominated states which enforce politico-legal systems that
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CHAPTER XXVI THE CHILD
General Montcalm was slowly pacing up and down the room he occupied at his headquarters on the St. Charles; the only other person present was Langlade, called by courtesy Captain Langlade. A look of great annoyance was on the General’s face.
“You cannot do this,” he said. “What you have engaged to accomplish you must carry out to the end. If you withdraw yourself from the Indians, you will do our cause incalculable harm. They know you; they obey you; you are a power with them. With the Canadians you are no one; they have their own officers. In my opinion, you are bound to retain your present position until the end of the campaign; the wrongs you deplore would be greatly increased if your influence were withdrawn. I entreat of you, make no change at the present critical moment. As far as lies in my power, I will lighten your duties; but you must remain with your Indians, to hold them in hand and to restrain them.”
“I have promised my people I would have nothing further in common with the Indians,” said Charles.
“You pledged yourself first to me,” said the General. “You cannot desert me; you would do far greater harm by withdrawing yourself. I entreat of you not to do this thing.” And he went up to the young man, and took his hand with the persuasive eloquence for which he was so noted.
Charles knew full well that the General was right; that, once his authority removed, the Indians would be more difficult than ever to hold under restraint, and that their natural cruelty would have free scope. Scalps without number! they had no other ambition. The Iroquois, if they were foremost in war and in eloquence, were also foremost in savage acts. They were proud to have a white man as their leader, and would revenge his desertion, perhaps even by withdrawing themselves from the French cause. He realised for the
first time how difficult it is to retrace false steps, and to undo wrongdoing. He had joined himself to the Indians, he had sworn to serve the French cause, of his own free will and for his own personal ends: was he justified in withdrawing himself at so critical a moment for reasons equally personal? His sense of justice told him he was not. After a few minutes’ reflection, during which the General watched him anxiously, he said, in serious, measured tones, very different from the eager, impetuous voice of old,—
“I will remain with you. I have done harm enough already. It is no longer with me a question of right, but what is least wrong. I have studied my own inclinations all my life; now I am going against them.”
“And you do well, believe me,” said Montcalm. “No one can hate the Indians more than I do; my whole soul recoils from them. How you ever came to join them has been a wonder to me; but having done so, it is but fair that you should remain at your post until the war is over. I should never know an hour’s tranquillity if you were not their leader. Thank you for your decision; some day I may perhaps find means of proving my gratitude.”
“You could render me a service now at once, if you would,” said Charles.
“Name it,” answered the General.
“I told you I had a son,” said Charles quickly; “his mother died trying to save the Marshes. She had carried the child with her in her long journeyings, and when the Indians attacked the village, she hid him in the trunk of a tree while she went to the rescue. When the fray was over she told my sister Loïs where to find the child, but when she sent to look for it, it had disappeared. I have been a long time tracing it, but at last discovered that a half-brother of Nadjii’s, the lad who had warned Roger of the meditated attack, had found the child, brought it up here, and given it in charge of a Huron woman, living at Lorette. At first I doubted the story; but I went to see the child two days ago, and recognised him as my son. I cannot leave him where he is—it is not safe; and, moreover, I never wish him to know that he has Indian blood in his veins I have thought that at the Convent of the Ursulines they would take him in, and care for him, if you would obtain admission for him.”
“Nothing can be simpler,” answered Montcalm. “You know that three months ago Mercèdes entered as a novice. After that affair of Montreal I never allowed her to return to Madame Péan: indeed, she had no desire to do so; she begged me to let her enter the convent at once. In fact, she pined and drooped from that time, until I brought her back to Quebec, and she and Marthe both entered the Ursulines together. Since then she has recovered, and whenever I can manage to find time to go and see her, she is as bright and happy as I can wish. Yes, certainly, I will give you a letter to the Superior. Take your child there; it will be well cared for I will write it at once;” and sitting down, he drew the writing materials towards him. “There,” he said, handing the letter to Charles, “if you present yourself tomorrow, and ask to see the Superior in my name, you will gain admittance. Give her this. I have explained everything; the child will be safe there.”
“Thank you,” said Charles; “and now I will leave you. I shall be in Quebec to-morrow. You may trust me; I am yours until the war is over,” he added.
“I have your word,” answered Montcalm; “surely that is enough,” and accompanying him to the door, they shook hands, and then he watched the young man go down the hill-side, on his way to the Indian quarters.
“A fine fellow, but a ruined life,” he thought. “Thank goodness I have persuaded him to remain with his Indians; the game would have been as good as played out if he had deserted us.”
It was early morning as Charles Langlade strode rapidly along the road leading from the hamlet of Lorette to Quebec. Through meadows and rye-fields it wound, crossing and recrossing the swift St. Charles, a somewhat lonely road with a few cottages scattered here and there, and irregular, shabby-looking cabins along the lanes, at the doors of which lounged Indian boys and girls of all shades and colours. This was the Huron village of Lorette. They were Christians after their fashion, the poor remnant of the mighty Huron nation, converted by the Jesuits and crushed by the Iroquois in the far western wilderness.
But Charles Langlade was not alone. He carried on his shoulder a boy of some three years old. The two resembled each other most
curiously, except that the child’s skin was still fair and soft, whilst the father’s was bronzed and weather-beaten. There were the same deep blue eyes and curling chestnut hair, the same pose of the head slightly tossed back. They looked very picturesque, the hunter in his crimson shirt, one arm raised, holding the half-naked child, who sat proudly aloft, clutching at his father’s hair, beating his little bare feet against the broad chest, and laughing aloud for glee; so bubbling over with life, that the passers-by turned to look back at them.
It was a goodly sight; and so they reached the heavy stone gateway leading into the city, set thick with mighty bolts and spikes. Here Charles Langlade paused, and showed his pass before he could gain admittance; but he was not detained long, and went his way through a squalid lane, the old “Sault au Matelot,” looking its best this bright summer morning, creeping under the shelter of the city walls and overhanging rock, from which drooped weeds and grass, with just a few rays of sunlight penetrating here and there, glistening on the abundant moisture which slowly trickled down, until at last he reached the flight of steps leading from the lower to the upper town, and having climbed them stood at the convent gates. He paused a moment before pulling the great bell, lifted the child from off his shoulder, and placed it on the ground. As it stood thus beside him he looked at it, and passed his hand over the rough curly head, straightening the short crimson cotton blouse, which, with innumerable strings of coloured beads round its neck, was all the clothes it boasted; then with an impatient sigh he pulled the rope dangling at the gateway. The sound rang through the silent court and garden, and presently a small panel was pushed on one side, and a voice asked,—
“Who is there?”
“From his Excellency General Montcalm. I am the bearer of a letter to the reverend mother,” said Langlade.
The little panel was clapped quickly to again, and he heard the receding footsteps of the doorkeeper.
He was not kept long waiting. This time the little door let into the big gateway was unbarred, and he was bidden to enter; and, after she had carefully rebolted the door, the nun preceded him through the garden, full of flowers, clumps of lilac bushes, roses, and
hollyhocks, blossoming within the shelter of the high surrounding walls, while the bright morning sun poured down on the alleys and greensward with all the glory of the short Canadian summer.
He was ushered into a long whitewashed room, the only furniture of which was a deal table, a few common chairs, and a tall crucifix on the wall.
The nun pointed to a chair, and disappeared with that soft gliding movement habitual to her class; but Charles Langlade, picking the child up, carried it to the open window and looked out on the quiet scene; and as he caught a glimpse of black robes moving among the trees, he wondered in his secret heart if Mercèdes were there. A strange longing had been upon him all that day to see her face once more, and then—well, then it would be over.
The door opened, and a tall thin woman in black robes and veil, her face framed in white linen, entered noiselessly. Behind her was another figure dressed in the same fashion, only she wore a long white robe and veil; her face was very pale and her eyes downcast, but in her Charles Langlade recognised Mercèdes; and thus it was these two stood once more in each other’s presence.
“I have read the General’s letter, Mr. Langlade, and understand that you wish to leave your child with us for a time. You can do so; we will take all care of it, and when this terrible war is over you can claim it of us.”
So said the reverend mother, and advancing, she tried to take the little hand; but the child, terrified, clung to his father, uttering Indian words indicative of fear at the strange figure before him, such as he had never seen before.
“He will soon get accustomed to us,” said the mother gently. “Sister Mercèdes, will you try your influence?”
Charles whispered a few words to the boy, and, sitting down, placed him on his knee, and as Mercèdes approached, he said,— “Mademoiselle, your father bade me enquire after your health and well-being.”
“Tell my dear father I am well and happy,” she answered; “and that we pray unceasingly for his success.”
She spoke quite calmly, and the colour had come back into her face.
“I will not forget,” he answered; then again he spoke to the child. The boy looked up at the young novice, who, trembling slightly, held out her arms and smiled upon him, speaking a few soft words such as she had been wont to use to her little sister at home, and he answered with a wild cry, like a bird.
“He is only a little savage; you must tame him,” said Charles, rising and placing the child in her arms; and bowing low before her and the mother, he went towards the door. He paused one second on the threshold, and the last thing he saw was the white figure of the nun, clasping in her arms the child in its red robe and gaudy beads.
Would they ever meet again?
CHAPTER XXVII
TWO HEROES
Late one evening Loïs was startled by an Indian youth creeping round the house. Going out to him, he gave her a folded paper, which proved to be a letter from Charles. It ran thus:—
“Yes, Loïs, I have found the boy, and I have placed him in safety in the Ursuline Convent in Quebec, with Mercèdes Montcalm. When the war is over, if you will have him he shall be conveyed to you; at present it would be impossible to do so with any safety. After my assurance to you that I would separate myself from the Indians, you will be surprised to hear that at General Montcalm’s entreaty I have retained my command. He represented to me, and I think justly, that I had no right for any private consideration, any personal quarrel, to bring disunion into his army, which, by throwing up my Indian command, and attaching myself to the Canadian contingent, I should most assuredly do. It would be a breach of honour. My first engagement was made to him. The Indians are only held in check by my influence; if that were removed, their cruelty and licence would be unbounded.
“All this I know to be true, and therefore I have decided not to inflict further wrong on others; what is done I must abide by. Bitterly as I deplore the past, at the present moment I feel bound to those who, knowing nothing of my private life, have placed confidence in me. It cannot last long. General Wolfe is pushing on towards Quebec, but our positions are strong. It is now July. In less than three months the winter will force the English to retreat, probably to return to England; the Indians will then disperse and I shall be released. In the meantime, I am almost face to face with Roger. I am stationed with General Levis on the heights of Montmorenci, and I have every reason to believe
that Roger, with his Rangers, is in the forest, trying to discover a ford across the river. We are on the same search. If it be so, we can scarcely do otherwise than meet one day. Pray for us, Loïs, and that this cruel war may end, and that we may once more all dwell together in peace!
“Your loving brother, ”C L .
“P.S.—An Indian will be the bearer of this letter; you may trust him to send me back news of what is going on at the Marshes. I am watching over you; you need fear no fresh aggression.”
The question of this ford, alluded to in the above letter, was of great importance, and it was only discovered after many days of close watching by the French. Early one morning, General Levis’s aide-de-camp, a Scotchman, appeared in his tent bringing with him a peasant, who explained that he had crossed a ford a few hours earlier.
“Then you shall serve us as guide,” said Levis, and he told off eleven thousand Canadians under their officer, Repentigny, with orders to intrench themselves opposite the ford. Charles Langlade, with four hundred Indians, went in advance, crossed the ford, and discovered the English in the forest; not considering himself sufficiently strong to attack, he returned and told Repentigny, who sent to Levis, who again sent to Vaudreuil!
The Indians, thinking they would be baulked of their prey, became mutinous at the delay, and Langlade found it impossible to restrain them; they declared that if he would not lead them, they would attack the Rangers without him, and, to avoid this, he recrossed the ford.
So savage was their onset that they drove the Rangers back on the regulars, who, however, stood their ground and repulsed the Indians with considerable loss. Nevertheless, they carried off thirtysix scalps. Montcalm and Vaudreuil determined to remain on the defensive; the English were powerless to injure them. Wolfe’s position was a dangerous one; his army was separated into three parts, at such distances that it would have been impossible for any one of them to come to the assistance of the other
The deep and impassable Montmorenci flowed between the two camps, but from the cliffs on either side a gunshot might easily reach and hit a man.
The Canadians were also growing daily more and more dispirited. They were ready for active service, but the inaction to which they were condemned tried their patience severely.
It was summer-time. The harvest was at hand, and the militia men thought of the crops waiting to be gathered in. Many deserted and went home to their villages, notwithstanding the exhortations of their priests; what was found most efficacious to keep them from so doing was the Governor’s threat to let the Indians loose upon any who should waver in their allegiance.
But in the midst of all these difficulties it was the characters of the men who stood at the helm which filled those around them, and indeed their enemies, with admiration.
Montcalm’s career in Canada was a struggle against an inexorable destiny. He bore hunger, thirst, and fatigue without a murmur, caring for his soldiers, but with no thought for himself. In the midst of general corruption he stood forth immaculate, having but one thought, the good of the colony; the savages themselves declared they learnt from him patience in suffering.
A story is told of an Indian chief, when presented to Montcalm, expressing his astonishment that a man who was capable of such great deeds should be so diminutive in stature.
“Ah! how small thou art!” he exclaimed; then added, “but I see reflected in thy eyes the height of the oak and the vivacity of the eagle.”
His own soldiers and his officers worshipped him, but such men as the Governor Vaudreuil and his satellites, Bigot, Cadet, and the rest, both hated and feared him, as the evil man hates and fears the just one.
In the opposite camp a dying man held sway. James Wolfe knew that he was doomed; and his heart sank within him as the days went by, and at the end of July he found himself no nearer taking Quebec than upon the first day on which he landed. He could not move Montcalm to attack. On the 31st of July he made a desperate
attempt on the French camp, on the heights of Montmorenci; but notwithstanding acts of the most daring courage, the English were driven back with enormous loss. The blow was such a severe one that Wolfe, thoroughly disheartened, meditated fortifying the Île-auxCoudres, and then sailing for England with the remainder of his army, to return the following year. But the following year! could he even reckon on a month of life? and he had so hoped, when he accepted his office from William Pitt, to return triumphant, having blotted out and repaired the faults of his predecessors. Imbued with an ardent love of glory, what must have been the feelings of such a man at the prospect of issuing the order for the army he had expected to lead to victory to sail homewards—if not conquered, at least foiled! He could not make up his mind to such a step as long as there still remained the shadow of a chance.
In the middle of August he issued another proclamation, couched in the following terms:—
“Seeing that the people of Canada have shown so little appreciation of my mercy, I am resolved to listen no longer to the sentiments of humanity which have so far ruled me. It is a cause of bitter sorrow to me to be obliged even remotely to imitate the acts of barbarity perpetrated by the Canadians and Indians; yet in justice to myself and my army, I feel bound to chastise the Canadian people. From henceforth therefore any village or settlement which offers resistance to British rule will be razed to the ground.”
The churches were to be respected, and women and children treated with due honour. “If any violence is offered to a woman, the offender shall be punished with death.”
The Rangers and Light Infantry were charged to carry out these orders, and soon on the sunny plains around Quebec flames and smoke arose from many a farmhouse and peaceful village, and the population went forth in flocks, victims of the scourge of war The Governor Vaudreuil wrote despatches home in which he dilated at great length upon the barbarity of the English, utterly ignoring the fact that for years past he had sent his savages the length and breadth of the English colonies to waste and murder at will, without regard to either age or sex. Quebec was itself greatly injured; many families had forsaken the city, and taken refuge at Pointe-aux-
Trembles, some eighteen miles up the river on the north shore. Colonel Carleton landed here with six hundred men, and took upwards of a hundred ladies, old men, and children prisoners. They were conducted to Wolfe’s camp, where they were courteously treated, the ladies being invited to dine at his table, and the following day they were sent under escort back to Quebec.
The general aspect of affairs grew daily more and more serious for English and French alike. Dysentery and fever broke out in the English camp. On the French side the Canadians were deserting in great numbers, and food was becoming daily so scarce that the rations had to be again and again reduced. English ships prevented food arriving from Montreal by the river, and the conveyance by land was both slow and expensive. In Quebec there was real suffering.
To add to the English troubles, General Wolfe became so seriously ill that it was feared the end could not be far off. He was utterly prostrate, and could only at times rouse himself to attend to business. But in his own mind he was maturing long-conceived plans; and when at last an alleviation to his sufferings had been obtained, he dictated a letter to Brigadier-Generals Monckton, Townshend, and Murray, laying three different plans for attacking the enemy before them. They answered that they considered none of them feasible, but proposed placing part of the English army between Quebec and its means of supply, thus forcing Montcalm either to fight or surrender. Wolfe accepted this alternative; but he was utterly dependent even for the power to act upon his physician.
“I know you cannot cure me,” he said; “but pray make me up so that I may be without pain for a few days, and able to do my duty That is all I ask.”
“I will do my best,” answered the physician; and he so far succeeded, that by the first days of September Wolfe was able to mount his horse and show himself to his men. But the difficulty still remained unsolved. How could they land the troops so as to surprise the French and approach Quebec? As Montcalm had said, only by treason could it be accomplished.
CHAPTER XXVIII AT LAST
“If you will allow me, I will reconnoitre. Disguised as an Indian, I can approach both the Indian and Canadian camps. I can even penetrate into Quebec itself. I know the language, I know their ways; I am the man most fitted to undertake this task. Information you must have before risking the safety of the whole army.”
“He is quite right, and Captain Roger is the only man who, with the least chance of success, can undertake to procure us that information, without which it is almost madness for us to attempt a landing. If he is willing to risk his life, we shall be his debtors,” said Colonel Howe.
“I am willing,” answered Roger “With my knowledge of Indian and Canadian warfare, I run very little danger of being caught. You have decided, I think, to take the fleet up the St. Lawrence, and to effect a landing on the other side of Quebec. That there is a footpath or a subterraneous passage somewhere in the neighbourhood of what is called L’Anse de Foulon I am certain. I have heard that it is a spot much favoured by smugglers. The Jesuits had a depôt in the neighbouring cliffs; and since then Bigot and his crew are said to make it their hiding place. The whole thing lies in a nutshell—to discover the path and to assure myself to what extent it is fortified.”
“Just so,” exclaimed Wolfe excitedly. “If only we could secure a footing on the plain and force the French to fight us!”
“In two days at latest if I am alive I will report to you; if I fail in my attempt I will at least try to send you a message,” said Roger.
“Of all the services you have rendered us, Captain Roger, and they have not been a few, this will be the greatest,” said the General, holding out his hand. “If I could only bring this war to a close I should die happy.”
“Let us hope you may live to enjoy the fruits of your long anxiety, General,” said Roger; and he took his leave.
As the door closed upon him Colonel Howe turned to Wolfe, saying, “He’ll do it. There’s not such another fellow in the army; and now my advice is to break up the camp here and embark a great portion of the troops. The French will imagine we are preparing to sail for England.”
This plan was carried out, General Wolfe going on board the Sutherland.
Admiral Holmes’ fleet, with three thousand six hundred men on board, sailed up and down the river, The French were thus kept night and day on the watch to oppose their landing; and Montcalm, though he fully believed the English were on the eve of their departure, never for one moment relaxed his vigilance, feeling sure Wolfe would not be satisfied to withdraw without striking one decisive blow. So by night and by day he was on foot, trusting no one’s supervision save his own. He had sent three thousand men to Bougainville, above Quebec. Captain de Vergor, with a hundred Canadians, was posted on the heights near the town; this spot was looked upon as perfectly safe, being inaccessible, and was therefore considered sufficiently protected.
The town of Quebec was suffering greatly from the effects of the English fire. The handsome houses which adorned the quay were in ruins, literally shelled out. Many of the churches were destroyed, the cathedral dome was laid open, and the convent and garden of the Ursulines were torn up by the falling bombs.
The nuns had dispersed, some taking refuge at the General Hospital, going sadly from their cloistered schoolrooms and little ones to the sad hospital wards, now filled with the wounded and dying, and where their services were needed by night and by day. Mercèdes with Marthe had found refuge in their old rooms, and had taken with them Charles Langlade’s boy. They had managed to inform the father of this, and he had sent back word entreating them to guard the child, as Nadjii’s father Ominipeg—the “Black Eagle,” as he was surnamed—was seeking for him, fearful lest he should fall a prisoner into the hands of the English.
Charles himself had to feign ignorance of the child’s whereabouts, so as not to rouse the chief’s anger at a moment when his services were so requisite; therefore he commended the boy to their care until
such time as he could send for or fetch him, and they accepted the charge, and from henceforth kept him concealed, never leaving him.
When Roger quitted General Wolfe’s presence, he was determined at any risk to discover something, let it be what it might, which would enable the English to reach the French. He was heartily sick of the war; the ruined homesteads, the misery he saw at home and abroad, and the many hardships he himself had endured, made him long for peace, almost at any price.
If Wolfe set sail for England it would all have to be begun over again. The Indians, encouraged by the French Government, would once more commit depredations on the frontier settlements, and rapine and ruin would ensue; and then with the spring the war would be renewed. No, much as he might regret the alternative, he felt that either the English must conquer, or they must be so beaten as to allow of no return. It was France or England.
There was very little difference between the Rangers’ dress and that of the Canadian scouts. The militia had a sort of uniform, but it was never very strictly adhered to; especially as time went on, and the difficulty of procuring materials of any sort increased.
The French guarded the river banks, and it would require great skill to land; yet that night, after sunset, a boat ran along the coast, and when the sentries challenged it, the answer seemed satisfactory; for it passed on up the river towards Quebec, without apparently attempting to avoid observation. One or two shots were fired at it from English ships, but in the darkness they evidently missed it, for the boat shot past and suddenly disappeared in a sort of cove, on either side of which high cliffs rose almost perpendicularly.
Roger had been absent four days. It was the evening of the 11th of September. Autumn was settling down over the land, to be succeeded by the bitter Canadian winter.
“He’s failed, probably been killed; he’d have been back before now if he had discovered anything,” said Wolfe, in a voice of hopeless despair, standing on the foredeck of the Sutherland. John Jervis, Earl of St. Vincent, and George Carleton, Lord Dorchester, the friends of his boyhood, were beside him.
“You have no right to speak so positively It is only four days since he started, and a man like Roger is certain to have taken his precautions; he is not likely easily to allow himself to be trapped,” said the former; and even while he spoke a shrill whistle fell on their ears, and, looking down, they saw a canoe with an Indian in it lying close under the bulwarks.
“It’s he!” said Lord Dorchester; and a few seconds later Roger stood in their midst.
“Well, any news?” said Wolfe, coming forward.
“I should not be here now if I had none,” said Roger, in a low voice; “but first let me take off these trappings and give me some food. I have touched nothing for twenty-four hours, and then only a crust of bread.”
“Come into my cabin,” said Wolfe, and he led the way.
Half an hour later the chief officers on board the Sutherland were summoned to the General’s cabin.
Wolfe was walking up and down, two deep red spots on his pale thin cheeks, his eyes glittering.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “Captain Roger will tell you what he has seen and heard. You will judge whether the plan he proposes be possible; myself I tell you at once that, notwithstanding all the apparent difficulties, I consider it the only thing open for us to attempt; there is a possible chance of success. Will you explain your plan, Captain?”
“It is not necessary for me to tell you,” said Roger, “how I came by the facts I am going to lay before you, and from them to the conception of a plan which, though desperate, is in itself simple. You saw my disguise. I have assumed several during the last few days, by means of which, and by my knowledge of Indian and Canadian habits, I have managed to approach the different camps, and at last penetrated even into Quebec. Here, by means of bribery, I succeeded in being introduced into Captain Vergor’s own quarters on the heights overlooking Quebec, and can now assure you from personal evidence that, fully persuaded of their secure position, they are left practically unguarded. The officer in command goes quietly
to bed, and has, moreover, weakened his guards by allowing the Canadians to go home to their villages to help get in their harvest.”
“But, taking all this for granted,” said Lord St. Vincent, “we have still those heights to scale before we can dislodge even so poor a watch.”
“I am coming to that,” said Roger. “Food is not only lacking in Quebec, but the soldiers in camp are absolutely without bread, or even flour. The commissariat declared yesterday it could distribute no further rations. You may imagine the effect of this; but they were buoyed up with the assurance that a number of boats are coming from Quebec to the camp with provisions. Where these boats land, we can,” said Roger, “and I discovered that the spot fixed upon is the Anse de Foulon, the old smuggling cove. Last night, disguised as an Indian, I paddled into it, accompanied by a man I have sworn not to name. He pointed out to me what he called a path, and then left me in terror lest we should be surprised. The moon was fitful, if you remember, last night; nevertheless, it sufficed me to discover what we want. It is a steep, precipitous ascent; half-way up trees have been felled and laid across, forming a thick abattis; then there is a deep gap some ten feet across and six feet deep; after this the road widens out, and though the ascent is steep, it is comparatively easy. I will undertake to lead a body of men to the top to-morrow night, if you consent. We shall take Vergor and his guard by surprise; and when this is accomplished you can land your troops under cover of night, and by morning you can range them in order of battle on the heights overlooking Quebec.”
“Land a whole army! It is incredible!” said Lord St. Vincent. “Allowing that the path be unguarded, there are sentries all along the river.”
“But they are expecting their own provision boats,” said Wolfe. “If our boats go down in advance, they may easily mistake us for them in the darkness. Howe, will you take the lead with Captain Roger? He will show you the way.”
“Certainly I will,” said Colonel Howe. “I have implicit confidence in the Captain. Give us a score of men, and we will see if we cannot reach the top and dislodge a parcel of sleepy Frenchmen;” and he laughed lightly, as if he had been proposing a pleasure party.
“Then, gentlemen, that is settled; to-morrow night we make the attempt,” said Wolfe, in a decided voice. “Captain Roger, you had better turn in and take a good long rest,” and he held out his hand to Roger.
“Thank you, I shall be all the better for a good sleep;” then, turning to Colonel Howe, he added, “Unless I am very much mistaken, Colonel, you and I shall see the sun rise over Quebec the day after to-morrow. I am glad it should be so.”
“So am I,” answered the Colonel heartily, and they shook hands.
“I think we are all glad,” said several voices.
“Even if it be the dawn of my last day on earth, I shall greet it with thankfulness,” said Wolfe, and the council broke up for a few hours.
CHAPTER XXIX ON THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM
The following day the English vessels and boats drifted up the river with the tide, within sight of the French sentinels, as if they were seeking a landing place; they had done this more or less for the last week, so Bougainville, who was encamped on the St. Charles, watched them without anxiety, satisfied that they would repeat the same manœuvre on the morrow.
As night drew on, Admiral Saunders, stationed opposite Beauport, opened fire upon the French, under cover of which the troops were embarked. Whether due to the excitement or to the remedies administered by his physician, Wolfe certainly for that day seemed to have taken a new lease of life. But in his own mind, we are told, the certainty that his end was near never for one moment forsook him. As he paced up and down the Sutherland, gazing at the deep blue autumnal sky overhead, to those who watched him his pale face seemed almost transfigured by the light and fire in his eyes. A young midshipman, John Robinson, to whom he had shown especial kindness, standing near him, heard him slowly recite those words which may truly be called his death elegy, so inseparably have they become linked with his name:—
“The boast of Heraldry, the pomp of Pow’r, And all that Beauty, all that Wealth e’er gave Await alike the inevitable hour:
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.”
And, seeing that the lad was watching him, he laid his hand on his shoulder, adding, “I had rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec.”
At two o’clock on the morning of the 13th, the signal was given for the troops to enter the boats, and seventeen hundred men took their places in them, and slowly drifted down the stream to their destination.
The French sentries placed along the shore, notwithstanding the darkness, became aware of a more than usual traffic on the river, and challenged them.
“Qui vive?”
“France,” answered Colonel Howe.
“Which regiment?”
“La Reine,” answered the same officer, who knew that Bougainville commanded part of that regiment, and so they passed on. Lower down the river they were once more challenged. This time the answer was, “Provision boats. Don’t make a noise, the English will hear us.”
In the darkness, Captain Roger, Colonel Howe, and twenty-four volunteers rowed up to the low sandy beach at the foot of the crags, which seemed to rise perpendicularly from the water’s edge.
The volunteers were picked men. A few of Roger’s best Rangers were amongst them. No sentry was on the shore; no alarm was given.
The order for perfect silence had been issued, and Roger leading the way, as noiselessly as possible the ascent was begun. Like shadows they moved up the pathway, crawling often on their hands and knees, the foremost removing obstacles for those who came after, till at last they gained the top, and saw before them the cluster of white tents. No word of command was given. That silent group of brave men realised to the full at that moment that victory or defeat was in their hands, and with the impulse to conquer or to die in the attempt, they rushed into the sleeping camp before the slightest sound announced their presence. Captain Vergor was in bed; he was shot, but not mortally, and made prisoner. The same fate awaited others, but in the darkness the greater number of the French fled. Then there arose from the heights such a cheer as only trueborn Britons can give forth in the hour of triumph, and it was answered from below by men waiting breathlessly in the boats to know whether they too might scale the long dark slope of the woody precipice—the path to victory! General Wolfe was the first to leap ashore, and in his excitement he struck the earth with his sword’s point, as if claiming it for Old England.
And then the ascent began, each man with his musket slung over his shoulder. Trenches were leapt, abattis were broken through; the stream of men came pouring up from the boats, which, as soon as they were emptied, rowed back to the ships and brought more, until all the troops were landed.
The day was hardly dawning when Wolfe stood with the advanced troops on the heights. Anxiously, with penetrating eyes, he gazed in the direction from whence he supposed the French would come. At the expiration of an hour, when almost all the English troops had reached the summit, a cloud of dust, like smoke, with flashes of light, was seen on the horizon.
“The French!” said Wolfe calmly, pointing to the long line growing ever more and more distinct in the increasing morning light. On an open tract of grass, interspersed with cornfields, having on one side the St. Lawrence, and sloping down on the other to the St. Charles, General Wolfe and his officers stationed the English army, numbering in all three thousand five hundred men; and there, on the ever-celebrated Plains of Abraham, they awaited their adversaries.
Montcalm, when first informed of the landing of the English, exclaimed,—
“It can be but a small party come to burn a few houses and retire.”
He sent at once to Vaudreuil, who was quartered near Quebec, but receiving no answer, at six o’clock he mounted, and, accompanied by Langlade and Johnstone, rode towards the town. As he crossed the St. Charles, he saw on the heights above Quebec the long red line of the English army calmly awaiting him. He knew now that it must be fought out. He turned his horse’s head to the Governor’s quarters; a short and sharp altercation ensued, and then Montcalm, joining his army, rode towards the battle-field, where already the battalion of Guienne had taken up its position. The whiteand-blue uniforms of the regular French army, flanked by the sombre-clad Canadians, were clearly visible; whilst the Indians in their war-paint, with their waving plumes and steel hatchets, were stationed some twenty paces in advance, with orders to throw themselves into the first breach made in the English ranks by the French balls.
