and noise, and when
morning came, affording sufficient light to bring out the "bead sights"
on the Kentucky rifles, the matchless marksmen in Clark's band forced
the British to close the embrasures and entirely cease trying to use
their cannon; but the fight with small arms went merrily on until the
middle of the forenoon.

Meantime Gaspard Roussillon had tied Francis Maisonville's hands fast
and hard with the strap of his bullet-pouch.

"Now, I'll scalp you," he said in a rumbling tone, terrible to hear.
And with his words out came his hunting knife from its sheath.

"O have mercy, my dear Monsieur Roussillon!" cried the panting captive;
"have mercy!"

"Mercy! yes, like your Colonel's, that's what you'll get. You stand by
that forban, that scelerat, that bandit, and help him. Oh, yes, you'll
get mercy! Yes, the same mercy that he showed to my poor little Alice!
Your scalp, Monsieur, if you please! A small matter; it won't hurt
much!"

"But, for the sake of old friendship, Gaspard, for the sake--"

"Ziff! poor little Alice!"

"But I swear to you that I--"

"Tout de meme, Monsieur, je vais vous scalper maintenant."

In fact he had taken off a part of Maisonville's scalp, when a party of
soldiers, among whom was Maisonville's brother, a brave fellow and
loyal to the American cause, were attracted by his cries and came to
his rescue.

M. Roussillon struggled savagely, insisting upon completing his cruel
performance; but he was at last overpowered, partly by brute force and
partly by the pleading of Maisonville's brother, and made to desist.
The big man wept with rage when he saw the bleeding prisoner protected.
"Eh bien! I'll keep what I've got," he roared, "and I'll take the rest
of it next time."

He shook the tuft of hair at Maisonville and glared like a mad bull.

Two or three other members of Lamothe's band were captured about the
same time by some of the French militiamen; and Clark, when on his
round cheering and directing his forces, discovered that these
prisoners were being used as shields. Some young creoles, gay with
drink and the stimulating effect of fight, had bound the poor fellows
and were firing from behind them! Of course the commander promptly put
an end to this cruelty; but they considered it exquisite fun while it
lasted. It was in broad daylight, and they knew that the English in the
fort could see what they were doing.

"It's shameful to treat prisoners in this way," said Clark. "I