neighbouring redoubts some weeks before, whilst
other vessels were standing on towards Quebec. Night came on as
Isidore and his father reached the town; there all was bustle and
excitement, and every one was anticipating a fresh attack on the
Montmorency lines before daybreak.

There was an attack indeed, but not in the quarter where Montcalm
expected it. Before daybreak on the following morning the great mass
of the enemy's forces, which had been secretly carried past the town to
a considerable distance up the river during the night, was stealthily
dropping down again, and was then landed on the beach at Le Foullon,
now immortalised by the name of "Wolfe's Cove."

History scarcely contains a more exciting chapter than that which
records this daring plan, and the equally daring manner in which it was
achieved. Leading his troops up by a single narrow and rugged
path--the Highlanders actually climbing up the precipitous face of the
cliff itself--Wolfe had by daybreak arrayed his little army of between
four and five thousand men on the Plains of Abraham, only a mile from
the ramparts of the fortress. A couple of hours later Montcalm had led
out his forces to try the issue of a pitched battle before Quebec.

At first the French outflanked and forced back the English left, but
with a timely reinforcement Townsend stopped their further progress.
There was, at the same time, some desultory fighting on Wolfe's right,
which extended to the lofty banks of the St. Lawrence, but the decisive
conflict took place in the centre, in which Montcalm had placed his few
battalions of French regulars. These advanced with the greatest
gallantry, inflicting serious loss on the English by their rapid and
well-sustained fire, which, however, was not returned, for Wolfe was
riding along the line encouraging his men, and forbidding a single shot
until the word should be given. On came the French with loud shouts,
advancing to within forty or fifty paces of the British line; then with
one tremendous ringing volley the fate of the day was decided. The
hitherto serried and continuous line of the French veterans was simply
broken up into scattered and shapeless fragments, which nevertheless
still tried to advance. They were, however, met with a charge which
soon completed their discomfiture, and the battle was won. De
Bougainville indeed subsequently came up and threatened an attack in
the rear, but the bold front made by the English comp