On that September day the tide was full about noon, and with the tide
came in the English ships. Knowing the anchorage, they came right into
the river's mouth, in a long, ominously silent line. The mixed rabble
of Le Loutre crowded low behind their breastworks; and hundreds of eager
eyes on Beausejour strained their sight to catch the first flash of
the battle.
"Do you see that little knoll yonder with the poplars on it?" said Pierre
to his father and the sergeant. "Let's go over there and hide in the
bushes, and we can see twice as well as we can from here. There's
a little creek makes round it on the far side, and we'll be just
as safe as here!"
"Yes," responded the sergeant, "it's a fine advanced post. We'll just
slip down round the foot of the hill as if we were bound for the dikes,
so there won't be a crowd following us."
[Illustration "They sped rapidly across the marsh."]
As the three sped rapidly across the marsh, Antoine Lecorbeau said
significantly to his son:
"Do you see how these English spare our people? They haven't fired
a single big gun, yet with the metal on board their ships they could
knock those breastworks and the men behind them into splinters. They
could batter down the dike, and let the tide right in on them."
"Aye! aye!" assented the old sergeant, "they're a brave foe, and
I would we could have a brush with them. They're landing now without
firing a shot!"
At this moment the irregular firing from the breastwork grew more rapid
and sustained, and our three adventurers hurried on to the knoll, eager
for a better view.
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