make them believe we have a hundred soldiers.” Then, flashing upon them a smile, which from her babyhood had won all hearts to do her bidding, she added, more gently, “We must all be brave together. You must pray, and my brothers and I will fight like men, and help will soon come.”
Then she left them, aud went below to the place where the ammunition was stored. Here she found the two soldiers left behind by the hunting party, one hiding in a corner, the other with a lighted match in his hand, making his way toward where the powder was stored.
“Gachet!"" she called so suddenly that he dropped the match, “what are you going to do?"
“Light the powder, and blow us al] up out of the hands of those heathen,” he answered.
“You miserable coward!” she cried, stamping her foot on the match until the spark was quenched. “Are you a fool? Think you that I, the daughter of the seignior of Verchères, will give up this fort while one of us remains to defend it? You are cowards, both of you. Come out of here, and help me do what must he done.”
Followed by them, she made the rounds of the stockade, finding several places where the ten-foot posts had fallen on the ground, leaving breaches by which the enemy could enter without hindrance.
Tugging at the posts herself, helping to lift them with her brothers’ aid, while the men dug new holes, settled the posts, and “tamped” them firmly into place, Madeleine at last felt that all had been done that could be to make the outer defenses secure.
Laviolette. who had mounted the bastion near the gate, and was keeping a close watch on field and river, now reported a canoe coming rapidly toward the landing, containing the Fontaine family, seeking refuge in the fort. Madeleine called the two soldiers, and asked one of them to go to meet the little party of refuges but both held back, making the excuse that it was their duty to stay within the fort, and not leave it without military protection.
“Cowards again!” flashed forth Madeleine. “Then I shall go myself.”
“No, no, M’m’selle,” hastily interposed old Laviolette, “let me go. I cannot see my seigniar’s daughter go unprotected.”
“Not so, my good Laviolette.” she answered. “We can spare but one from our small force in case anything happens, and you are far more valuable here than I, for you have a cool head to direct them, and have stood a siege before. The others are but frightened sheep.”
Then, as her little brothers clung to her, begging her not to go, she said cheerily:
“There is n’t as much danger as you think, dear boys. If the savages see the gate of the fort opened, and one from within going calmly to meet the new-comers, they will feel that our numbers are strong, and that it is a ruse to tempt them to come over to attack us, and that while they are rushing upon us, a force from the fort will come out and destroy them.”
Laviolette nodded his head gravely.
“M’m’selle has read the mind of the Iroquois. That is what they will think,” he agreed, “else would I never suffer her to go alone.”
“Stand here at the gate, little brothers, with guns cocked, and Laviolette will keep good watch from the bastion; and when we reach that white stone just there, open the gate, that there may be no delay in our entering, Au revoir,” and slipping through the gate, she walked down the path and met the refugees near the river-hank, and they walked back to the fort as calmly and boldly as they could, not daring to run, Although no shots were fired at them, they felt that they were watched by far-seeing, cruel, unfriendly eyes, and once again, as Madeleine said in later days, “The time seemed very long.” It was with thankful hearts that they passed within the stockade gate and the heavy beams which barred it were swung into place after them.
That afternoon the respite continued, but when the early autumn twilight settled down, the weather changed suddenly; the wind rose, and, mingled with its wailings, came the sound of shots from the forest, while the anxious watchers, peering through the fast-gathering darkness, saw shadowy forms flitting from tree to tree, drawing nearer the fort.
An anxious little group assembled within the block-house for a hurried council of war.
“They are drawing nearer and nearer,” Madeleine said. “You think that they plan to attack us to-night, Monsieur Fontaine?”
“I fear so, M’m’selle Madeleine,” he answered anxiously, while old Laviolette nodded his head in assent. “It is their way, you know,” he continued, “to slip up by degrees, and with shrieks and yells, that help by terrifying the besieged, storm the walls, and capture the stockade, if possible. Then Heaven help those whom they capture, or who surrender.”
“I know,” Madeleine said gravely, “but they fear to attack a place they think well defended. Our hope lies in making them think we are many. Even it they took the fort, the block-house could be held until help came. Therefore it is there that you strong men are most needed to guard the helpless women and children, whatever befalls us others. Do you, Monsieur Fontaine, with La