Guard was mounted regularly at the fort, and there were several hundred militia in the town; but the parades were more formal than useful, and twenty men were judged sufficient for the defense7 of the fort.
Governor Rocheblave retired8 to rest that night, somewhat disturbed in mind. The message from old Tabac had puzzled and annoyed him, but he was too confident of his own ability to manage the Indians to fear for the issue of next day’s conference.
He sat up till ten o’clock, preparing an artful speech, to be[56] followed by munificent9 presents, and finally went to bed hopeful of success.
Meanwhile, Ruby10 and her red friends were hospitably11 quartered in an empty building near the “palace,” and to all appearance were settled for the night, when the rest of the townspeople were asleep.
About three-quarters of a mile above the town, on the opposite side of the river Kaskaskia, stood the farm-house of Monsieur Picard, a worthy12 market-gardener, who supplied the town with vegetables; and around this house, about an hour after dark, events were taking place which would have alarmed the Governor considerably13, had he known them.
Monsieur Picard and his family, in their night-clothes, and all pale with terror, were surrounded by a crowd of rough-looking men, who were questioning them about the town, in English.
“Mon Dieu, messieurs,” said the unhappy gardener, “eef you vill not keel me, I vill tell all I know. Monsieur Rocheblave, de Gouverneur, he have two, t’ree, twenty t’ousand soldier dere, and he march and make parade, eh, mon Dieu, how I know vat14 it mean—I be not soldat, I do not know, but dey say de Americains dey come to cut our t’roats, comme les Indiens, and M. Rocheblave he say dat he extair-r-rminate dem for King Shorge!”
“How many men are in the fort?” inquired one man, less savage15 in aspect than the rest, and in good French.
“Not many, monsieur, not many. There is only the company of Capitaine Ledoux to mount guard there,” said Picard, glibly16.
“Good!” said the other. “Where’s Adjutant Frank?”
It was Clark who spoke17. There was a short silence.
Then Captain Harrod answered.
“I thought you knew, colonel. The little cuss found a hoss yesterday, and rid off into the perrary, all alone, this arternoon. He said as how he war a-goin’ on a scout4 on his own hook.”
Clark seemed disturbed.
“I know, captain, I know; but I thought he had come back. The boy promised to be with us by dark. Has any one seen him since?”
[57]
There was no answer, and Clark groaned18 aloud.
“The rash lad! He must have lost his way. If there were any Indians about, I should judge him a prisoner; and if he has been taken into Kaskaskia, the town will be alarmed, and we shall have hard work!”
It was seldom the cautious leader allowed his feelings to be publicly noticed, and it was evident he was deeply stirred by the fate of the little adjutant, who had become a wonderful favorite with all the command during the weary secret march over the prairies of Illinois. He turned sternly on Picard, saying:
“Now, sir, tell me quick, and tell me truly, as you value your life, has the Governor of Kaskaskia any notion we are here?”
“My God! monsieur, how can he? Should I be where I am, if that were the case? I will tell the truth, monsieur. The Governor expects you to come up the river, and men are there, on the watch.”
“Then we waste time here,” said the leader, abruptly19. “Major Bowman, take your own company, with Harrod’s and Helm’s. Cross in this man’s boat, and march on the town as I told you. When you hear a gun from the fort, rush in with a shout, take the place, and disarm20 every one. You know the orders. Captain Montgomery’s company will follow me. Place a guard over this house, and shoot any one who tries to come out. Get in there!”
He signified his orders to the terrified Picards, who hurried into the house, expecting nothing less than instant death. The ignorant French were full of superstitious21 terrors about the Americans, whom they had been taught to regard as merciless savages22; and Clark’s seeming brutality23 only confirmed the impression.
Then there was a hurried embarkation24 by the riverside.
Honest Picard never dreamed that his flat-boat, which had conveyed so many loads of cabbage to Kaskaskia, would come one July night, to be a transport for ferocious25 enemies. But it was even so, now. Loaded down to the water’s edge with wild-looking backwoodsmen, it served as a ferry for the three companies destined26 to attack the town, and, in less than[58] an hour after, the whole body was on its silent way to Kaskaskia.
At the moment of starting, Clark led the remaining company down the river toward the fort, only about a half-mile below. The men proceeded in Indian file, stealing along like ghosts; and a person a hundred yards off could have suspected nothing.
In a short time the gray bastions of the fort loomed27 up before them, standing28 at the edge of a high bank, down which one of its outworks stretched to the water’s edge.
The leader stayed his men with a signal and stole forward himself to reconnoiter, when the sound of voices in gay conversation struck his ear; and, the moment after, a little postern door low down by the water, opened, and two men came out and advanced toward the Americans as if careless of danger.
Without an order given, every one of the invaders29 sunk down to the earth in an instant and vanished from view, leaving Clark alone in the middle of the open glacis.
The commander did not drop. He knew that he had been seen, for the two men halted and seemed undecided whether to advance or not.
Suddenly one of them called out in French:
“Qui vive? (Who goes there?) Is it thou, Picard?”
Clark started violently. It was the voice of the missing adjutant. With admirable presence of mind he imitated the voice and rustic30 accent of the gardener, answering:
“It is I, indeed. Has the doctor gone back yet? My wife is sick.”
“The doctor went back at sunset,” answered Frank, “but here is Poirier, the hospital steward31. He and I were coming over to break a bottle with thee, Picard; but, since thy wife is sick, Poirier shall do what he can.”
“Come on then, in God’s name,” said Clark, turning away to aid the stratagem32. “You have a lancet to let blood, without doubt. Hasten, ere it be too late. She has fits.”
“Come on, Poirier,” cried the little adjutant; and the hospital steward, completely deceived, hurried along after Clark, until in the midst of the crouching33 borderers.
In another moment he was surrounded, and a dozen knives[59] brandished34 at his throat, with a sternly whispered command to keep silence, if he valued his life.
The poor fellow was so overcome with terror that he dropped senseless in the road, and the little adjutant hurriedly said:
“Into the fort, colonel, like lightning. The garrison35 sleep. I’ll tell you how I fooled them when we’re safe. Not a moment is to be lost. I’ll show the way.”
With the rapid, stealthy rush of so many tigers, Montgomery’s company followed the flying figure to the fort, swarmed36 in at the postern, took the sentries37 on the ramparts without firing a shot, and in ten minutes were in full possession.
Then, with his own hand, Clark fired a six-pound shot over the town, a signal answered by loud yells from the opposite side of the river, as Bowman’s men rushed in like a tempest through the deserted38 streets.
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1
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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militia
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| n.民兵，民兵组织 | |
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3
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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4
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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5
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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6
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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7
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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8
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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9
munificent
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| adj.慷慨的，大方的 | |
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10
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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11
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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12
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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13
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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14
vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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15
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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16
glibly
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| adv.流利地，流畅地；满口 | |
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17
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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18
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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19
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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20
disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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21
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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22
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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23
brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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24
embarkation
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| n. 乘船, 搭机, 开船 | |
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25
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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26
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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27
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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28
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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29
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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31
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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32
stratagem
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| n.诡计，计谋 | |
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33
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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34
brandished
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| v.挥舞( brandish的过去式和过去分词 )；炫耀 | |
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35
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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36
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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37
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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38
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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