He had many an adventure in this service, and more than once escaped capture by what was almost a miracle, yet his ardor3 was not in the least damped by any of these thrilling experiences, and he had no sooner got safely back from one outing than he began to plan for another.
Major Rogers meanwhile had been despatched to Nova Scotia on a special mission, and consequently was far away when the French resolved to wipe out the disgrace of the defeats of Dieskau and Rigaud by sending such a force against the obstinate5 defenders6 of the English fort as would render complete victory an absolute certainty.
To this undertaking7 Montcalm himself gave his personal attention, and got together at Montreal an army of regulars, Canadians, and Indians that, so far as numbers went, certainly seemed to assure success.
By the end of July he had all transported to Ticonderoga, where Bourlamaque, with the battalion8 of Bearn and Royal Rousillon had been since May, finishing the fort and sending out scouting parties to discover the strength and designs of the English at Fort William Henry.
Ticonderoga, which by being made the base of the projected attack upon the English stronghold had become a point of great importance, is a high rocky promontory9 between Lake Champlain on the north and the mouth of the outlet10 of Lake George on the south. Near its extremity11 and close to the fort were encamped the battalions12 of Bourlamaque.
Two miles farther south a wide space had been cleared which was covered by the tents of the regiments13 of La Reine, Languedoc, and Guienne, all commanded by Levis.
From this camp a road a mile and a half long had been cut through the forest to the navigable waters, and at the end of this road was another fortified14 camp formed of colony regulars, Canadians, and Indians, under command of Rigaud.
Beyond this at the edge of Lake George, and at Rogers' Rock, were stationed advance parties whose business it was to watch the movements of the English.
There were thus gathered within a range of four miles fully15 eight thousand fighting men, representing the brightest civilization and the darkest barbarism of the day, from the scholarly Montcalm and the accomplished16 Levis with their suite17 of courtly young officers, to the foulest18 man-eating savages19 of the uttermost northwest.
The Indian allies numbered nearly two thousand. They were exceedingly difficult to manage and cost their employers infinite trouble, besides being a tremendous expense. There was no keeping them fed. Rations20 would be served to them for a week, and they would consume them in a couple of days and demand more. Once when refused they took the matter into their own hands, and butchered and devoured21 a drove of cattle intended for the troops.
Their supreme22 delight was to get drunk; and sometimes when crazed with brandy they fought like wolves, grappling and tearing each other with their teeth.
Some of them were cannibals, and actually dared to indulge in their abominable23 appetite while in camp, the unfortunate victim being an English prisoner taken by one of their war parties.
Such were the fiends in human form whose aid the French had enlisted24, and who subsequently were to cast so dark a stain upon the record of this enterprise.
It was the 1st of August when, having got everything arranged to his satisfaction, Montcalm set his whole force in motion toward the object of his undertaking. The spectacle presented was a brilliant and imposing25 one, and well calculated to strike terror into the hearts of those against whom it was prepared.
Seth and a little band of his Rangers26, who had ventured out from Fort William Henry on a scouting expedition, beheld27 it from the summit of a lofty hill, and their spirits sank at the sight.
"Heaven help us! There's no counting them!" exclaimed Seth in a tone of consternation28. "We can't possibly hold the fort against them. They've five times as many men as we have, at least."
"Let us hurry back to the fort then and tell Colonel Monro," Reuben Thayer made haste to suggest. "Perhaps he'll think it best not to attempt to defend our fort, but to retreat to Fort Edward."
"We can't tell him too soon what we've seen," returned Seth. "But I'm sure he won't give up the fort without a fight. He's too brave to do that."
In this opinion of Lieutenant-Colonel Monro, who then was in command at Fort William, Seth showed how well he knew the man, for the sturdy Scotch29 veteran certainly was not of the kind to beat a retreat or to surrender at discretion30. On the contrary, he could be relied upon to fight to the very last; and, if need be, to die rather than give up his sword.
What the Rangers saw was the French flotilla moving up the lake in the full blaze of the afternoon sun.
First a great swarm31 of birch canoes crowded with naked savages in war paint and feathers, and gliding32 swiftly over the smooth water in no particular order. Next came two hundred and fifty bateaux, moved by sail and oar33, some bearing the Canadian militia34 and some the battalion of old France in handsome uniform. Then followed the cannon35 and mortars36, each one placed on a platform, sustained by two bateaux lashed37 side by side, and rowed by the militia of Saint Ours. The battalions of Bearn and Rousillon, the Canadians of Gaspe with the provision boats and the field hospital continued the procession, and lastly a rear-guard of regulars closed the long line.
No wonder that while the watching scouts38 could not help being filled with admiration39 at the spectacle, they also were depressed40 by the conviction that to repel41 the attack of such a force was hopeless, and that the fate of their beloved fort was sealed.
With utmost speed they made their way back through the woods, and told Commander Monro what they had seen.
As Seth rightly judged, the brave old man, while fully realizing the seriousness of the situation, did not for a moment contemplate42 the evacuation of the fort, or the anticipating of the attack by sending a message of surrender to Montcalm.
What he did do was at once to despatch4 a note to General Webb, who was at Fort Edward, fourteen miles distant, with nearly two thousand men, informing him of the advance of the French and asking for reinforcements, a request which he repeated again and again during the siege, without evoking43 any response from Webb, who seemed to have been too timid to do as he should have done, namely, hasten forward with his troops to the support of his imperilled brethren in arms.
All told, including sailors and mechanics, Monro had a bare two thousand men wherewith to oppose the eight thousand of the French commander. Yet when Montcalm, having arrived within striking distance of the fort, and completed his preparations for the siege, sent an aide-de-camp to him with the following letter:
"I owe it to humanity to summon you to surrender. At present I can restrain the savages, as I might not have power to do under other circumstances, and an obstinate defence on your part can only retard44 the capture of the place a few days, and endanger an unfortunate garrison45 which cannot be relieved. I demand a decisive answer in an hour;" the doughty46 Scotchman gave his answer at once, and it was that he and his soldiers would defend themselves to the last, emphasizing his refusal by a broadside from his cannon so soon as the truce47 was ended.
While the white flags were flying the Indians swarmed48 over the fields before the fort; and when they learned the result of the parley49, an Abenakis chief shouted exultantly50 in broken French:
"You won't surrender, eh! Fire away then, and fight your best, for if I catch you, you shall get no quarter"—a threat that was only too awfully51 fulfilled in the sequel.
At this time Fort William Henry was an irregular bastioned square, formed by embankments of gravel52, surmounted53 by a rampart of heavy logs laid in tiers crossed one upon another, the interstices being filled with earth. The lake protected it on the north, the marsh54 on the east, and ditches with chevaux-de-frise on the south and west. Seventeen cannons55, great and small, besides mortars and swivels were mounted upon the ramparts.
Montcalm's first proceeding56 was to open trenches57 for the protection of his soldiers—a task of extreme difficulty, as the ground was covered with half burned stumps58, roots, and fallen trunks. All night of the 4th of August eight hundred men toiled59 with pick and spade and axe60, while the cannon from the fort flashed through the darkness, and grape and round shot whistled and screamed over their heads.
Before daybreak the first parallel was completed, and a battery nearly finished on the left, while another was well started on the right. The men now worked under cover, safe in their burrows61, one gang relieving another, as the operations went steadily62 on all day.
So soon as these forts were in readiness, Montcalm mounted his cannon upon them, eight at the left and eleven at the right, and proceeded to bombard Fort William Henry vigorously. The fort replied with spirit, and for several days ensuing the heavy guns thundered from dawn until dark, while from a hundred peaks and crags the astonished wilderness63 roared back the sound.
The Indians enjoyed this artillery64 performance greatly. They had been of no use whatever thus far, as instead of devoting themselves to scouting, they loitered about the camp and trenches, or amused themselves by firing at the fort from behind stumps and logs.
Some, in imitation of the French, dug little trenches for themselves in which they wormed their way toward the ramparts, and now and then picked off an artilleryman, although not without loss on their own side.
Seth, whose heart was hot against the redskins, not only because they were of the enemy, but because of what he had himself suffered at their merciless hands, made a point of watching for them; and not a day passed without his having the satisfaction of putting an end to the career of one or more of them.
By the end of the week the French had pushed their trenches so far forward that a battery was begun not two hundred and fifty yards from the fort, and the Indians lay so thick among the beans, maize65, and cabbages that none of the garrison dared show themselves for an instant, as that meant certain death.
The position of the besieged66 had now become deplorable. More than three hundred of them had been either killed or wounded; the dread67 disease of smallpox68 was raging in their midst and the casemates were crowded with the sick. All the large cannon were burst or dismounted, the ramparts were already breached69 in several places, and a general assault might be looked for at any time, while there was evidently no hope of assistance from Fort Edward where General Webb still stayed inert70.
After consultation71 with his officers Monro determined72 upon attempting a sortie in force, and among those selected to share in it were the Rangers, the majority of whom had so far escaped both shot and sickness.
"We have about reached the end of our tether," the sturdy old Scotchman said sadly to the council. "A sortie seems to be the only thing left for us to try. I confess I am not at all sanguine73 myself of it doing us any good, but there's no telling. It may gain us some respite74 even though it does not effect our deliverance."
There was no dissenting75 voice, but on the contrary a hearty76 support of the veteran's project; and when volunteers for the forlorn hope were invited by him, not one of the officers held back.
Seth felt highly gratified when to the Rangers was assigned the perilous77 honor of taking the lead.
"There is only one chance in ten of our getting back alive, Reuben," he said to his friend, as, with countenance78 whose gravity showed how fully they realized what was before them, they talked together after the council of officers had dispersed79, "but we can only do our best. If we have to surrender, I pray God we may not fall into the hands of those red devils the French have with them. I'd rather be shot at once than be taken prisoner by them and tortured to death."
"And so would I," answered Reuben. "They're perfect fiends, not human beings, and the French ought to be ashamed of themselves for having such allies."
It was at the dead of night when the majority of the effective men in the garrison silently moved out of the fort and across the fields in the direction of Montcalm's encampment.
They were favored in their enterprise by the intense darkness of the night, and by the fact that the bombardment had been so heavy all day that the French were persuaded they had practically cannonaded their antagonists80 into helplessness, and consequently took no special precautions against a night attack.
Led by the Rangers, who seemed to possess the faculty81 of seeing in the dark, the gallant82 band made its way resolutely83 toward the enemy's position, and had got so near that they could hear the sentries84 exchanging the watchword on their rounds, when the challenge "Qui va la?" rang sharply out on the still night air, and they came to a sudden halt.
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收听单词发音
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1
scouting
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| 守候活动，童子军的活动 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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4
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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6
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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7
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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8
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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9
promontory
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| n.海角；岬 | |
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10
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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11
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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14
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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15
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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16
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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17
suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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18
foulest
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| adj.恶劣的( foul的最高级 )；邪恶的；难闻的；下流的 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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21
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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22
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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23
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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24
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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25
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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26
rangers
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| 护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员 | |
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27
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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28
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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29
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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30
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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31
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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32
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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33
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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34
militia
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| n.民兵，民兵组织 | |
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35
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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mortars
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| n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵 | |
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37
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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38
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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39
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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40
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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41
repel
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| v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥 | |
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42
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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43
evoking
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| 产生，引起，唤起( evoke的现在分词 ) | |
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44
retard
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| n.阻止，延迟；vt.妨碍，延迟，使减速 | |
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45
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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46
doughty
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| adj.勇猛的，坚强的 | |
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47
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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48
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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49
parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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50
exultantly
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| adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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51
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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52
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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53
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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54
marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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55
cannons
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| n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 ) | |
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56
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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57
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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58
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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59
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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60
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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61
burrows
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| n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 )；翻寻 | |
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62
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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63
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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64
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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65
maize
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| n.玉米 | |
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66
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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68
smallpox
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| n.天花 | |
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69
breached
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| 攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反 | |
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70
inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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71
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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73
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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74
respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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75
dissenting
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| adj.不同意的 | |
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76
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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77
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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78
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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79
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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81
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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82
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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