The Minneapolis journal., 1902-12-13

raining shot ardS shell upon the upper town
and the citadel. Piedmont, the French
chief Of artillery was making what reply
he could The fleet of Admiral Saunders
in the basin had been moving up toward
the lower town during the past week, and
as de Ramesay watched them, large boats
full of troops were even then being landed
on the meadows and flats at the mouth OF
the ST. Charles river and were being
drawn up in columns under cover of the
ships batteries, as if preparing to ap-
proach and storm the gate nearest the
bridge.
De Ramesay had just come In from a
tour, Of the walls. It was a hopeless out
look indeed before the governor. He had
done his best, but the end was approach
ing. Sad indeed is the moment
when we realize that our best
all had been reduced and reduced until
starvation stared them in the face. No
part Of the town was safe now from the
English fire. The very chateau itself In
which he stood was riddled with shells.
There was a great gaping hole in the roof
Of his cabinet, through which the rain
poured dismally.
| The temper Of the garrison had grown
worse and worse. Nothing whatever had
been heard from De Lewis. De Ramesay
I felt that If an assault were delivered 1t
could not be met His garrison originally
consisted Of $50 troops of the line, some
| four or five hundred colony troops, and
/ the local militia, but had been much re-
duced by death, wounds and starvation
and was growing less every day. The
colonial soldiers and militia had been de.
serting in handfuls.
Presently Captain Rouvigny entered.
monsieur he said, saluting, "a body
of merchants, headed by Monsieur Dame
are here to see you, and
of In great
Iof the chateau, captain interrupted the
governor gloomily, 'tand summon the OF.
sEficors Of my staff. Let some one go fol
4 Monsieur Fiedrn ont if he can be spared
from the walls. We need his counsel.
81 omitted to state, monsieur, contin
j ued the young officer, that the merchant:
are accompanied by the officers of the cit.
4 militia
8 ..Let them all come together. will se'
4 them all. know what 1t means, 6 sal
s|De Ramesay despondently.
4 "A few moments after he entered tn
great hall Of the bullet-riddled castle
Mary Of the portraits which had adorned
lit had been destroyed by the fire OF tn
I enemy Grim old Frcntenac, the uncon
q querable, however, still kept watch an,
ward over the territory he had loved, nov
. fass slipping into the hands of the nate
| English. Had he been in De Vaudreuil'
). place, thought De Ramesay, they Nigh
4 not now be in such a pass.
Z Through the broken window panes tn
i lrain beat and the wind swept in nournfu
harmony with the thoughts OF the peopl
|Who crowded the room. At the lowe
1 end were congregated a body Of the mos
= influential citizens Of the town. Thei
J. tplain but rich dress, comfortable cioaks
! prosperous appearance, proclaimed tina
4 they were men of substance and condition
la little apart from them stood the officer
I lof the colonial militia in bedraggled
. weather stained uniforms.
The merchants faced De Ramesay bold
], lily. The eyes of the citizen soldiery sam
Ito the ground, and they looked everyWher
:s|but at him They shifted uneasily unde
1.-the stern gaze OF the veteran commander
while their hands played nervously wit
i their sword hits. De Ramesay was at
tended by the officers Of his stan, abl
4 soldiers all; some Of them were drenche
J, with rain and covered with marks Of thei