Then you'll see what
we'll do."
"Well," said his father, "I'll wait as patiently as possible!"
After placing the mother and children in their refuge, which was already
thronged, our two Acadians, with a tearful farewell, hastened back
to take their part in the defense of Beausejour.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE NEW ENGLANDERS.
The refuge of good wife Lecorbeau, and the children, and "Pierre's little
one" was a wooded bit of rising ground which, before the diking-in of
the Tantramar marshes, had been an island at high water. It was still
called Isle au Tantramar. Among the trees, under rude lean-to tents and
improvised shelters of all sorts, were gathered the women and children
of Beausejour, out of range of the cannon balls that they knew would
soon be flying over their homes. The weather was balmy, and their
situation not immediately painful, but their hearts were a prey to
the wildest anxieties.
By this time the New Englanders had landed over against Fort Lawrence,
and had joined their forces with those of the English at the fort.
The numbers of the attacking army filled the Acadians with apprehension
of defeat. Many of them, like Lecorbeau, had in the past taken oath
of allegiance to King George, and these feared lest, in the probable
event of the English being victorious, they should be put to death
as traitors. This difficulty was solved, and their fears much mitigated,
in a thoroughly novel way. The commandant assured them solemnly that if
they refused to join in the defense of the fort he would shoot them down
like dogs.
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