Vergor sanctioned the enterprise, and the
boaster marched proudly forth with his company. Arriving in front of
the New Englanders he astounded the latter, and supplied his comrades
in the fort with food for endless mirth, by facing the right about
and leading his shame-faced files quietly back to Beausejour. Pierre
was profoundly thankful to the old sergeant for having dissuaded him
from joining in the sally. Covering Vannes's humiliation the fort
opened a determined fire, which after a time disabled one of the small
mortars which the assailants had placed in position. Gradually the
English brought up the rest of their guns, and on the following day
a sharp artillery duel was carried on between the fort and the ridge.
Within the ramparts things went but ill, and Pierre became despondent
as his eyes were opened to the almost universal corruption about him.
Enlightened by the shrewd comments of the old sergeant, the quiet
penetration of his father's glance, which saw everything, he soon
realized that fraud and self-seeking were become the ruling impulse
in Beausejour. "Like master, like man" was a proverb which he saw
daily fulfilled. Vergor thought more of robbing than of serving his
country, and from him his subordinates took their cue. Le Loutre,
with his fiery fanaticism, went up, by contrast, in the estimation
of the honest-hearted boy. As the siege dragged on some of the Acadians
became homesick, or anxious about their families. These begged leave
to go home; which was of course refused.
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