A PERILOUS ENTERPRISE
Hitherto all had gone so well with Charles La Tour that he could hardly
be blamed if he came to look upon himself as a favoured child of
fortune. He had had the whole of Acadia to himself, so to speak, and
what with fishing, fur-trading, and farming, had greatly increased his
substance.
But now rumours of a rival came to disturb his peace. Another Charles,
who was generally known as Charnace, had obtained from the French King
certain grants and privileges in Acadia, and, wrath at finding La Tour
already monopolizing the country, he let it be known that he proposed
to contest the field with him by force of arms.
He chose his time well for the attack upon Fort La Tour, coming when
the stock of provisions were lowest, the garrison smallest, and those
whose support could be counted upon were most widely scattered, and he
brought with him a strong force of soldiers in his four staunch vessels.
Stationing his two ships and the galiot so that they blockaded the ship
channels, and the pinnace to the north-east of Partridge Island, he
landed several hundred men so as to control the surrounding country,
and then settled down for a siege, feeling quite confident that the
capitulation of the fort was only a question of time.
In the meantime the commander of Fort La Tour had not been idle,
although the coming of Charnace had been like a bolt out of the blue,
for he did not expect to see anything of him that year. He lost no
time in making preparations for a determined defence, in which his
stout-hearted wife gave him efficient help. By means of spies, he got
full information as to his enemy's purpose, and laughed grimly at the
latter's threats.
"And so he has vowed that he will send me back to France in manacles,
has he? Well, words are cheap. It is easy to indulge in big talk, but
not always so easy to put it into deeds. We shall see how Monsieur
Charnace will keep his word."
Raoul was not at all dismayed at being besieged. On the contrary, he
was pleased by the prospect of exciting times, and promised himself to
take as active a part in the defence as his uncle would permit.
"What right has Charnace coming here to attack us?" he asked with fine
indignation at the insolence of the intruder. "We were here first, and
he has no business interfering. We must give him such a beating that
he will not dare to come near us again."
Keeping his ships well out of range of the cannon at the fort, and his
men safely disposed in the protection of the woods, Charnace sought to
cut off all supplies by sea or land, and thus let slow starvation win
the day for him. Now La Tour was just then eagerly expecting the
arrival from La Rochelle of the armed ship _Clement_ with a full cargo
of supplies of all sorts, and a goodly number of soldiers and
colonists. In fact, the vessel was overdue, and if she should come up
the bay without warning, she would assuredly be captured by Charnace's
ships, which would have no difficulty in overpowering her.
"We must stop her before she comes too far," he said, "and yet I hardly
know how it is to be managed. Charnace's spies and scouts are all
around us. Have you any notion how it can be managed, Constance?"
And, as was usually the case when in perplexity, he turned for counsel
to the shrewd woman who was so peculiarly his helpmate.
"Let us send for Joe Takouchen," was her reply. "He may think of a
way."
Accordingly Joe was sent for, and promptly appeared, his usually
impassive countenance betraying curiosity as to the reason for the
summons.
Joe was a splendid specimen of the Souriquois, who worshipped Madame La
Tour as though she were divine. She had been particularly kind both to
himself and his family, and he was ready to risk his life for her on
any occasion. The situation was explained to Joe, while he listened in
silence, but with a comprehending expression. Then, nodding his head
sagely, he said:
"Joe will take the message to the ship. He will go to-night."
"And how will you manage it, Joe?" asked La Tour.
Joe smiled significantly, and explained that his plan was to steal out
of the fort at night, make his way to the headlands south-west, and
thence put off in a canoe, as soon as the supply ship came in sight.
La Tour's face lit up at the proposition.
"It's a big risk, Joe, but if any man alive can carry the thing out it
is you. Whom will you take with you?"
Joe replied that Jean Pitchebat, a stalwart Frenchman, who was his
special friend, would be his choice, and La Tour approved.
Raoul, who had been a silent listener hitherto, now spoke up.
"May I go with Joe too, Uncle Charles?" he asked, in a tone whose
anxiety showed how fully he was in earnest.
La Tour looked at the boy with such manifest surprise that the latter
flushed hotly. Yet, being full of his desire, he turned to Joe and
said entreatingly:
"You will not mind taking me, will you?"
Joe glanced inquiringly at his master and mistress. He was very fond
of Raoul, and had no objection to taking him along, but he felt that
the matter was not one for him to settle. La Tour had it on the tip of
his tongue to brusquely refuse Raoul's request, but the expression on
his wife's face made him pause, and before he spoke, she said in her
gentle way:
"You might let him go, Charles. He will be in God's hands. There is
danger everywhere now, and his heart is set upon going."
"Oh, very well, then, so long as Joe is willing. What do you say,
Joe?" and La Tour turned to the taciturn Indian.
"Joe say all right," was the laconic response, at which Raoul clapped
his hands gleefully.
They set off the same night. Fortunately it was both dark and windy,
so that there was all the less danger of their movements being seen or
heard. But they must needs exercise the utmost caution, for Charnace
had many Indians in his service, and they would no doubt be acting as
scouts and sentinels in the neighbourhood of the fort.
Joe led the way with amazing dexterity, stepping over the ground as
silently as a serpent, and the other two followed, doing their best to
imitate him. Several times he stopped short, peered eagerly into the
darkness, listened intently for a moment, and then, muttering something
which Raoul could not catch, changed his course to right or left.
[Illustration: "JOE LED THE WAY."]
Once the sound of voices came out of the night to them, and Raoul's
heart throbbed wildly. He was not so much afraid of being captured as
he was that they should be balked in their purpose, and that the supply
ship, coming up without warning, would fall into Charnace's hands.
They were evidently passing through the line of their enemy's
sentinels, and in peril of being betrayed by the slightest sound. Very
cautiously did Joe make his way, now turning this way and now that,
while Raoul and Jean kept so close that they could almost touch him.
It was trying work, that told upon muscles and nerve, yet Raoul held
his own with the men all right, and certainly moved as silently as
Jean, even if he could not quite equal Joe.
At last they seemed to be getting well away from the fort, and into
safer ground, when suddenly a dark form rose in front of them.