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The musket belched forth its leaden fury, and the lieutenant fell dead.
"No use tackling small fry when the big uns are there," explained thehunter, as he reloaded.
Allen and Baker had both fired their pistols and wounded two of thesoldiers.
"Let us charge them," suggested Allen, and almost before the words wereuttered the little band of patriots had emerged from behind theirbarricade and were pressing the English toward the door.
With their leader dead, and four more dead or wounded, the soldiersbecame demoralized, and throwing away their guns, ran just as fast asthey would had a pack of hungry wolves been in pursuit.
"Shall we pursue?" asked Baker.
"No, we will return to the camp. I think we have done all we can thistrip."
The return to the Isle-aux-Noix was accomplished without any adventure,and Allen was warmly welcomed by Gen. Montgomery.
The young Irish leader had just determined on the siege of St. John,and the information that Allen could give him proved very useful.
The whole plan of campaign was discussed and considerably modifiedafter Allen had given his views on the subject.
The Green Mountain warrior suggested that the besiegers should beprotected by what is termed circumvallation--that is, by a line orseries of works surrounding the place, not to serve offensively againstthe place, but to defend the siege army from an attack from without.
His plan was adopted and the work was intrusted to him.
The English in St. John watched the preparations and laughed at theabsurdity of the affair.
"Those rebels think they can fight," said the colonel in command. "Letthem make all their preparations, and we will blow them all intosmithereens in no time."
But as he watched the works proceed he was not quite so sanguine.
"Who is leading the rebels?" he asked.
"Gen. Richard Montgomery."
"Montgomery? Not the Irish general who was with the British atMartinique?"
"The same, Colonel."
"By Jove! by Jupiter! he knows what he is doing. Who is second incommand?"
"Ethan Allen."
"By Jove! we have blundered. We ought never to have allowed them tocome so near. I thought that they were an undisciplined lot ofpeasants, who knew nothing about war, and would flee as soon as weopened fire on them."
"Perhaps the rank and file will."
"They dare not."
"Why?"
"I was with Montgomery at Havana, and I know that he would turn his gunon his own men if they showed any signs of retreating. He is the verydevil when fighting."
"What shall we do?'
"I must think."
The colonel had shown his anxiety more than he had intended, and hemust have some time to recover his equilibrium.
In a few minutes he had taken his glass and scanned the enemy's works.
