CHAPTER VIII
A PERILOUS ENTERPRISE
Hitherto all had gone so well with Charles La Tour that he could hardlybe blamed if he came to look upon himself as a favoured child offortune. He had had the whole of Acadia to himself, so to speak, andwhat with fishing, fur-trading, and farming, had greatly increased hissubstance.
But now rumours of a rival came to disturb his peace. Another Charles,who was generally known as Charnace, had obtained from the French Kingcertain grants and privileges in Acadia, and, wrath at finding La Touralready monopolizing the country, he let it be known that he proposedto contest the field with him by force of arms.
He chose his time well for the attack upon Fort La Tour, coming whenthe stock of provisions were lowest, the garrison smallest, and thosewhose support could be counted upon were most widely scattered, and hebrought with him a strong force of soldiers in his four staunch vessels.
Stationing his two ships and the galiot so that they blockaded the shipchannels, and the pinnace to the north-east of Partridge Island, helanded several hundred men so as to control the surrounding country,and then settled down for a siege, feeling quite confident that thecapitulation of the fort was only a question of time.
In the meantime the commander of Fort La Tour had not been idle,although the coming of Charnace had been like a bolt out of the blue,for he did not expect to see anything of him that year. He lost notime in making preparations for a determined defence, in which hisstout-hearted wife gave him efficient help. By means of spies, he gotfull information as to his enemy's purpose, and laughed grimly at thelatter's threats.
"And so he has vowed that he will send me back to France in manacles,has he? Well, words are cheap. It is easy to indulge in big talk, butnot always so easy to put it into deeds. We shall see how MonsieurCharnace will keep his word."
Raoul was not at all dismayed at being besieged. On the contrary, hewas pleased by the prospect of exciting times, and promised himself totake as active a part in the defence as his uncle would permit.
"What right has Charnace coming here to attack us?" he asked with fineindignation at the insolence of the intruder. "We were here first, andhe has no business interfering. We must give him such a beating thathe will not dare to come near us again."
Keeping his ships well out of range of the cannon at the fort, and hismen safely disposed in the protection of the woods, Charnace sought tocut off all supplies by sea or land, and thus let slow starvation winthe day for him. Now La Tour was just then eagerly expecting thearrival from La Rochelle of the armed ship _Clement_ with a full cargoof supplies of all sorts, and a goodly number of soldiers andcolonists. In fact, the vessel was overdue, and if she should come upthe bay without warning, she would assuredly be captured by Charnace'sships, which would have no difficulty in overpowering her.
"We must stop her before she comes too far," he said, "and yet I hardlyknow how it is to be managed. Charnace's spies and scouts are allaround us. Have you any notion how it can be managed, Constance?"And, as was usually the case when in perplexity, he turned for counselto the shrewd woman who was so peculiarly his helpmate.
"Let us send for Joe Takouchen," was her reply. "He may think of away."
Accordingly Joe was sent for, and promptly appeared, his usuallyimpassive countenance betraying curiosity as to the reason for thesummons.
Joe was a splendid specimen of the Souriquois, who worshipped Madame LaTour as though she were divine. She had been particularly kind both tohimself and his family, and he was ready to risk his life for her onany occasion. The situation was explained to Joe, while he listened insilence, but with a comprehending expression. Then, nodding his headsagely, he said:
"Joe will take the message to the ship. He will go to-night."
"And how will you manage it, Joe?" asked La Tour.
Joe smiled significantly, and explained that his plan was to steal outof the fort at night, make his way to the headlands south-west, andthence put off in a canoe, as soon as the supply ship came in sight.La Tour's face lit up at the proposition.
"It's a big risk, Joe, but if any man alive can carry the thing out itis you. Whom will you take with you?"
Joe replied that Jean Pitchebat, a stalwart Frenchman, who was hisspecial friend, would be his choice, and La Tour approved.
Raoul, who had been a silent listener hitherto, now spoke up.
"May I go with Joe too, Uncle Charles?" he asked, in a tone whoseanxiety showed how fully he was in earnest.
La Tour looked at the boy with such manifest surprise that the latterflushed hotly. Yet, being full of his desire, he turned to Joe andsaid entreatingly:
"You will not mind taking me, will you?"
Joe glanced inquiringly at his master and mistress. He was very fondof Raoul, and had no objection to taking him along, but he felt thatthe matter was not one for him to settle. La Tour had it on the tip ofhis tongue to brusquely refuse Raoul's request, but the expression onhis wife's face made him pause, and before he spoke, she said in hergentle way:
"You might let him go, Charles. He will be in God's hands. There isdanger everywhere now, and his heart is set upon going."
"Oh, very well, then, so long as Joe is willing. What do you say,Joe?" and La Tour turned to the taciturn Indian.
"Joe say all right," was the laconic response, at which Raoul clappedhis hands gleefully.
They set off the same night. Fortunately it was both dark and windy,so that there was all the less danger of their movements being seen orheard. But they must needs exercise the utmost caution, for Charnacehad many Indians in his service, and they would no doubt be acting asscouts and sentinels in the neighbourhood of the fort.
Joe led the way with amazing dexterity, stepping over the ground assilently as a serpent, and the other two followed, doing their best toimitate him. Several times he stopped short, peered eagerly into thedarkness, listened intently for a moment, and then, muttering somethingwhich Raoul could not catch, changed his course to right or left.
"JOE LED THE WAY."]
Once the sound of voices came out of the night to them, and Raoul'sheart throbbed wildly. He was not so much afraid of being captured ashe was that they should be balked in their purpose, and that the supplyship, coming up without warning, would fall into Charnace's hands.They were evidently passing through the line of their enemy'ssentinels, and in peril of being betrayed by the slightest sound. Verycautiously did Joe make his way, now turning this way and now that,while Raoul and Jean kept so close that they could almost touch him.It was trying work, that told upon muscles and nerve, yet Raoul heldhis own with the men all right, and certainly moved as silently asJean, even if he could not quite equal Joe.
At last they seemed to be getting well away from the fort, and intosafer ground, when suddenly a dark form rose in front of them.