"Let us save the boats, if we can."
The scouts followed him and ran down to the shore; but the Indians had
done their work well. The two sloops, and many of the boats, were well
alight, and it was evident at once that, long before a hole could be
broken through the ice, and buckets brought down from the fort, they
would be beyond all hopes of saving them.
The French, too, opened fire from the woods bordering the lake, and, as
the light of the flames exposed his men to the enemy's marksmen, James
at once called them back to the fort, and the sloops and boats burned
themselves out.
At noon, next day, the French filed out from the woods on to the ice,
at a distance of over a mile.
"What now?" Edwards exclaimed. "They surely don't mean to be fools
enough to march across the ice to attack us in broad daylight."
"It looks to me," James replied, "as if they wanted to make a full show
of their force. See, there is a white flag, and a party are coming
forward."
An officer and several men advanced towards the fort, and Major Eyre
sent out one of his officers, with an equal number of men, to meet
them. There was a short parley when the parties came together, and then
the French officer advanced towards the fort with the English, his
followers remaining on the ice.
Pages:
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312