r
you the sweets of peace amid the horrors of war. England, in her
strength, will befriend you; France, in her weakness, leaves you to your
fate."

Wolfe could hardly have felt the confidence he here expressed. The
longer he looked upon the French position the less he must have liked
it, and the larger must Amherst and his eventual cooperation have loomed
in his mind as a necessary factor to success. But would Amherst get
through to Montreal and down the St. Lawrence in time to be of use
before the short season had fled? Those who were familiar with the
difficulties would certainly have discouraged the hope which Wolfe for a
time allowed himself to cherish; and Wolfe, though he admired his friend
and chief, did not regard celerity of movement as his strongest point.

About the first move, however, in the game Wolfe had to play there could
be no possible doubt, and that was the occupation of Point Levis. This
was the high ground immediately facing Quebec, where the river,
narrowing to a width of twelve hundred yards, brought the city within
cannon-shot from the southern bank. It was the only place, in fact, from
which it could be reached. It is said Montcalm had been anxious to
occupy it, and intrench it with four thousand men, but was overruled on
the supposition that the upper town, about which official Quebec felt
most concern, would be outside its range of fire. If this was so, they
were soon to be undeceived.

The occupation of Point Levis by Monckton's brigade, which Wolfe now
ordered on that service, need not detain us. They crossed from the camp
of Orleans to the village of Beaumont, which was seized with slight
resistance. Thence moving on along the high road to Point Levis, they
found the church and village occupied by what Knox, who was there,
estimates at a thousand riflemen and Indians. The Grenadiers charging
the position in front, and the Highlanders and light infantry taking it
in the rear, it was stormed with a loss of thirty men, and Monckton then
occupied a position which, so far as artillery fire was concerned, had
Quebec at its mercy. The brigadier, who had fully expected to find
French guns there, at once began to intrench himself on this conspicuous
spot, while floating batteries now pushed out from Quebec and began
throwing shot and shell up at his working-parties, till Saunders sent a
frigate forward to put an end to what threatened to be a serious
annoyance.

The French had changed their mi