hese words.
He did not gesticulate, neither did he elevate his voice, but the light
of the camp-fire flickering upon his face revealed an expression of
earnestness and conscious strength. Advancing a step or two towards the
officer he said in a lower voice:

"Have I spoken too much?"

"You have spoken the truth!" roared the officer, stamping his foot
violently, and then muttered in English:

"Just what I said at the time. This old Frenchman has told the truth in
all its naked harshness."

The officer was Major Meigs, one of those who had most strenuously
disapproved of the despatch of the flag of truce, and whose opinion of
the event is recorded in history.

He thanked Batoche for his valuable information and assured him that he
would repeat all he had said to Colonel Arnold.

"Perhaps you would allow an old soldier to add another word," continued
the hermit, as they were about to separate.

The officer was so impressed with what he had heard, and with the
peculiar manner of the strange being who addressed him, that he granted
an eager permission.

"As a lover of liberty, as an enemy of the English, as a friend of the
Bastonnais, I think, after what has happened, it would be better for
your troops to withdraw for a time from within sight of the walls of
Quebec."

The officer looked up dubiously.

"They might retire to some village a little up the river. There they
could revictual at leisure."

No answer.

"And wait for reinforcements."

The officer smiled approvingly.

"And give their friends in and around the town time to organize and
complete their arrangements. As yet we have done little or nothing. But
in a week or ten days we could do a great deal."

"The idea is an excellent one, and will be considered," said the
officer, shaking the hand of Batoche, after which the interview
terminated.

Whether the old man's advice had any weight or not, the very course
which he suggested was adopted a couple of days later. Feeling his
inability to press the siege unaided, and learning that Colonel McLean,
with his Royal Emigrants, had succeeded in reaching Quebec from Sorel,
on the very day that he himself had crossed from Point Levis, thus
strengthening the garrison of the town with a few regulars, Arnold, on
the 18th November, broke up his camp and retired to Pointe-aux-Trembles,
to await the arrival of Montgomery from Montreal.

XIII.

A WOMAN'S TACTICS.

When Zulma Sarpy reached home on t