h of November, Arnold received intelligence that Montgomery
had captured St. Johns. He was instantly roused to emulation. His men,
too, were inspirited by the news. The wind had abated: he determined
to cross the river that very night. At a late hour in the evening he
embarked with the first division. By four o'clock in the morning a
large part of his force had crossed without being perceived, and
landed about a mile and a half above Cape Diamond, at Wolfe's Cove, so
called from being the landing-place of that gallant commander. Just
then a guard-boat, belonging to the Lizard, came slowly along shore
and discovered them. They hailed it, and ordered it to land. Not
complying, it was fired into and three men were killed. The boat
instantly pulled for the frigate, giving vociferous alarm.

Without waiting the arrival of the residue of his men, for whom the
canoes had been despatched, Arnold led those who had landed to the
foot of the cragged defile, once scaled by the intrepid Wolfe, and
scrambled up it in all haste. By daylight he had planted his daring
flag on the far-famed Heights of Abraham. Here the main difficulty
stared him in the face. A strong line of walls and bastions traversed
the promontory from one of its precipitous sides to the other;
enclosing the upper and lower towns. On the right, the great bastion
of Cape Diamond crowned the rocky height of that name. On the left was
the bastion of La Potasse, close by the gate of St. Johns, opening
upon the barracks.

A council of war was now held. Arnold, who had some knowledge of the
place, was for dashing forward at once and storming the gate of St.
Johns. Had they done so, they might have been successful. The gate was
open and unguarded. Through some blunder and delay, a message from the
commander of the Lizard to the lieutenant-governor had not yet been
delivered, and no alarm had reached the fortress. The formidable
aspect of the place, however, awed Arnold's associates. Cautious
counsel is often fatal to a daring enterprise. While the counsel of
war deliberated, the favorable moment passed away. The
lieutenant-governor received the tardy message. He hastily assembled
the merchants, officers of militia, and captains of merchant vessels.
All promised to stand by him, and the walls looking upon the heights
were soon manned by the military. Arnold paraded his men within a
hundred yards of the walls, and caused them to give three hearty
cheers; hoping to excite a