has declared he will "_eat his Christmas dinner in Quebec or in Hell_!"
Whereupon Carleton retorts, "He may choose his own place, but he shan't
eat it in Quebec."

Montgomery was now in the same position as Wolfe at the great siege.
His troops daily grew more ragged; many were without shoes, and
smallpox was raging in camp. He could not tempt his foe to come out
and fight; therefore he must assault the foe in its own stronghold. It
will be remembered, Wolfe had feigned attack to the fore, and made the
real attack to the rear. Montgomery reversed the process. He feigned
attack to the rear gates of St. John and St. Louis, and made the real
attack to the fore from the St. Charles and the St. Lawrence. While a
few soldiers were to create noisy hubbub at St. John and St. Louis
gates from the back of the city, Arnold was to march through Lower Town
from the Charles River side, Montgomery along the narrow cliff below
the Citadel, through Lower Town, to that steep Mountain Street which
tourists to-day ascend directly from the wharves of the St. Lawrence.
On the squares of Upper Town the two armies were to unite and fight
Carleton. The plan of attack practically encompassed the city from
every side. Spies had brought rumors to Carleton that the signal for
assault for the American troops was to be the first dark stormy night.
Christmas passed quietly enough without Montgomery carrying out his
threat, and on the night before New Year's all was quiet. Congress
soldiers had dispersed among the taverns outside the walls, and
Carleton felt so secure he had gone comfortably to bed. For a month,
shells from the American guns had been whizzing over Upper Town, with
such small damage that citizens had continued to go about as usual. On
the walls was a constant popping from the sharpshooters of both sides,
and occasionally {305} an English sentry, parading the walls at
imminent risk of being a target, would toss down a cheery "Good morrow,
gentlemen," to a Congress trooper below. Then, quick as a flash, both
men would lift and fire; but the results were small credit to the aim
of either shooter, for the sentry would duck off the wall untouched,
just as the American dashed for hiding behind barricade or house of
Lower Town. Some of the Americans wanted to know what were the
lanterns and lookouts which the English had constructed above the
precipice of Cape Diamond. Some wag of a habitant answered these were
the sign of a wooden