*

*  *


"  Quebec  had  surrundered.  About  the  end  of  Sep-
tember the  curd  of  Chateau-Richer  had  arrived  from
the  mountain,  leading  his  flock,  and  set  to  work  to  erect
huts  on  the  spot  where  their  homes  had  previously
stood.  The  young  folks  felt  delighted  at  again  seeing
the  banks  of  the  St  Lawrence  ;  the  old  men  shed  tears
at  having  lived  to  see  the  day  when  the  English  were
masters  of  the  country  ;  the  fathers  of  families  pondered
sorrowfully  over  the  waste  and  destruction  which  had
befallen  their  lands.  Monsieur  Crespin,  N.  P.,  was
cogitating  on  the  legal  difficulties  which  would  surround
him  if  he  had  to  administer  justice  in  the  English  lan-
guage ;  it  was  doubly  trying  to  a  man  of  his  years,  after
the  trouble  he  had  taken  to  master  the  French  tongue.
—  49  —

Behind  the  crowd,  on  stretchers,  were  conveyed  the  two
youths,  Drouin  and  Gravel ;  they  had  not  yet  rallied
from  the  effects  of  their  race.
*


"  Sixteen  years  had  passed  over.  Brought  to  the
lowest  ebb,  by  the  pillage  (1)  and  destruction  perpe-
trated by  the  British  soldiery,  the  inhabitants  saw  a
brighter  future  in  store  for  them;  some  had  even
retrieved  their  losses.  Amongst  the  latter  might  be
counted  Gravel,  who  was  now  a  pater  familias,  and
whose  loyalty  had  been  rewarded  by  a  lieutenancy  in
the  militia.     One  day,  an  English  officer  of  rank  called


(i)  The  canny  Scots  who  played  such  a  conspicuous  part
in  the  War  of  the  Conquest,  if  they  did  suffer  in  their  numbers,
rather  increased  their  "  material  guaranties".
