The following is an excerpt from 'The Scot in New France' (1880) by J.M. Lemoine. It is an account of Robert Stobo, the man whose life this text is loosely based upon. Five years previous to the battle of the Plains of Abraham, one comes across three genuine Scots in the streets of Quebec--all however prisoners of war, taken in the border raids--as such under close surveillance. One, a youthful and handsome officer of Virginia riflemen, aged 27 years, a friend of Governor Dinwiddie, had been allowed the range of the fortress, on parole. His good looks, education, smartness (we use...
Long Stories - Post by : Jigger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 1465
CHAPTER XXX. "WHERE ALL THE LOVERS CAN HIDE"It was in the saffron light of early morning that I saw it, the Tall Calvary of the Valdoche Hills. The night before I had come up through a long valley, overhung with pines on one side and crimsoning maples on the other, and, travelling till nearly midnight, had lain down in the hollow of a bank, and listened to a little river leap over cascades, and, far below, go prattling on to the greater river in the south. My eyes closed, but for long I did not sleep. I heard a night-hawk go...
Long Stories - Post by : Jigger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 3515
CHAPTER XXIX. "MASTER DEVIL" DOLTAIREThe bells of some shattered church were calling to vespers, the sun was sinking behind the flaming autumn woods, as once more I entered the St. Louis Gate, with the grenadiers and a detachment of artillery, the British colours hoisted on a gun-carriage. Till this hour I had ever entered and left this town a captive, a price set on my head, and in the very street where now I walked I had gone with a rope round my neck, abused and maltreated. I saw our flag replace the golden lilies of France on the citadel where...
Long Stories - Post by : Jigger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 2725
CHAPTER XXVIII. "TO CHEAT THE DEVIL YET"My hurt proved more serious than I had looked for, and the day after my escape I was in a high fever. General Wolfe himself, having heard of my return, sent to inquire after me. He also was ill, and our forces were depressed in consequence; for he had a power to inspire them not given to any other of our accomplished and admirable generals. He forbore to question me concerning the state of the town and what I had seen; for which I was glad. My adventure had been of a private nature, and...
Long Stories - Post by : Jigger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 1853
CHAPTER XXVII. A SIDE-WIND OF REVENGEI knew it was Doltaire's life or mine, and I shrank from desecrating this holy place; but our bitter case would warrant this, and more. As I came quickly through the hall, and round the corner where stood Gabord, I saw a soldier talking with the Mother Superior. "He is not dead?" I heard her say. "No, holy Mother," was the answer, "but sorely wounded. He was testing the fire-organs for the rafts, and one exploded too soon." At that moment the Mother turned to me, and seemed startled by my look. "What is it?" she...
Long Stories - Post by : Jigger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 1814
CHAPTER XXVI. THE SECRET OF THE TAPESTRYThat evening, at eight o'clock, Jean Labrouk was buried. A shell had burst not a dozen paces from his own door, within the consecrated ground of the cathedral, and in a hole it had made he was laid, the only mourners his wife and his grandfather, and two soldiers of his company sent by General Bougainville to bury him. I watched the ceremony from my loft, which had one small dormer window. It was dark, but burning buildings in the Lower Town made all light about the place. I could hear the grandfather mumbling and...
Long Stories - Post by : Jigger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 3129
CHAPTER XXIII. WITH WOLFE AT MONTMORENCIAt Louisburg we found that Admiral Saunders and General Wolfe were gone to Quebec. They had passed us as we came down, for we had sailed inside some islands of the coast, getting shelter and better passage, and the fleet had, no doubt, passed outside. This was a blow to me, for I had hoped to be in time to join General Wolfe and proceed with him to Quebec my knowledge of the place should be of service to him. It was, however, no time for lament, and I set about to find my way...
Long Stories - Post by : Jigger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 2471
CHAPTER XXII. THE LORD OF KAMARSKAWe were five altogether--Mr. Stevens, Clark, the two Boston soldiers, and myself; and presently we came down the steep passage in the cliff to where our craft lay, secured by my dear wife--a birch canoe, well laden with necessaries. Our craft was none too large for our party, but she must do; and safely in, we pushed out upon the current, which was in our favour, for the tide was going out. My object was to cross the river softly, skirt the Levis shore, pass the Isle of Orleans, and so steal down the river. There...
Long Stories - Post by : GregMeyers - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 848
CHAPTER XXI. LA JONGLEUSEAt nine o'clock I was waiting by the window, and even as a bugle sounded "lights out" in the barracks and change of guard, I let the string down. Mr. Stevens shot round the corner of the chateau, just as the departing sentinel disappeared, and attached a bundle to the string, and I drew it up. "Is all well?" I called softly down. "All well," said Mr. Stevens, and, hugging the wall of the chateau, he sped away. In another moment a new sentinel began pacing up and down, and I shut the window and untied my bundle....
Long Stories - Post by : GregMeyers - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 1493
CHAPTER XX. UPON THE RAMPARTSThe Governor visited me. His attitude was marked by nothing so much as a supercilious courtesy, a manner which said, You must see I am not to be trifled with; and though I have you here in my chateau, it is that I may make a fine scorching of you in the end. He would make of me an example to amaze and instruct the nations--when I was robust enough to die. I might easily have flattered myself on being an object of interest to the eyes of nations. I almost pitied him; for he appeared so...
Long Stories - Post by : GregMeyers - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 3393
CHAPTER XIX. A DANSEUSE AND THE BASTILERecovering, I found myself lying on a couch, in a large, well-lighted room hung about with pictures and adorned with trophies of the hunt. A wide window faced the foot of the bed where I lay, and through it I could see--though the light hurt my eyes greatly--the Levis shore, on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence. I lay and thought, trying to discover where I was. It came to me at last that I was in a room of the Chateau St. Louis. Presently I heard breathing near me, and, looking over, I...
Long Stories - Post by : abfinger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 1700
CHAPTER XVIII. THE STEEP PATH OF CONQUESTNow I am come to a period on which I shall not dwell, nor repeat a tale of suffering greater than that I had yet endured. All the first night of this new imprisonment I tossed on my wretched bed in pain and misery. A strange and surly soldier came and went, bringing bread and water; but when I asked that a physician be sent me, he replied, with a vile oath, that the devil should be my only surgeon. Soon he came again, accompanied by another soldier, and put irons on me. With what...
Long Stories - Post by : abfinger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 2518
CHAPTER XVII. THROUGH THE BARS OF THE CAGEI should have tried escape earlier but that it was little use to venture forth in the harsh winter in a hostile country. But now April had come, and I was keen to make a trial of my fortune. I had been saving food for a long time, little by little, and hiding it in the old knapsack which had held my second suit of clothes. I had used the little stove for parching my food--Indian corn, for which I had professed a fondness to my jailer, and liberally paid for out of funds...
Long Stories - Post by : abfinger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 843
CHAPTER XVI. BE SAINT OR IMPImmediately I opened the packet. As Doltaire had said, the two books of poems I had lent Alixe were there, and between the pages of one lay a letter addressed to me. It was, indeed, a daring thing to make Doltaire her messenger. But she trusted to his habits of courtesy; he had no small meannesses--he was no spy or thief. DEAR ROBERT (the letter ran): I know not if this will ever reach you, for I am about to try a perilous thing, even to make Monsieur Doltaire my letter-carrier. Bold as it is, I...
Long Stories - Post by : abfinger - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 2445
CHAPTER XIII. "A LITTLE BOAST"My new abode was more cheerful than the one I had quitted in the citadel. It was not large, but it had a window, well barred, through which came the good strong light of the northern sky. A wooden bench for my bed stood in one corner, and, what cheered me much, there was a small iron stove. Apart from warmth, its fire would be companionable, and to tend it a means of passing the time. Almost the first thing I did was to examine it. It was round, and shaped like a small bulging keg on...
Long Stories - Post by : omnits - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 1771
CHAPTER XII. "THE POINT ENVENOMED TOO!"I was roused by the opening of the door. Doltaire entered. He advanced towards me with the manner of an admired comrade, and, with no trace of what would mark him as my foe, said, as he sniffed the air: "Monsieur, I have been selfish. I asked myself to breakfast with you, yet, while I love the new experience, I will deny myself in this. You shall breakfast with me, as you pass to your new lodgings. You must not say no," he added, as though we were in some salon. "I have a sleigh here...
Long Stories - Post by : singh_punjabi - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 3210
CHAPTER XI. THE COMING OF DOLTAIREAt last I was roused by Gabord's voice. He sat down, and drew the leaves of faded corn between his fingers. "'Tis a poor life, this in a cage, after all--eh, dickey-bird? If a soldier can't stand in the field fighting, if a man can't rub shoulders with man, and pitch a tent of his own somewhere, why not go travelling with the Beast--aho? To have all the life sucked out like these--eh? To see the flesh melt and the hair go white, the eye to be one hour bright like a fire in a kiln,...
Long Stories - Post by : singh_punjabi - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 1002
CHAPTER X. AN OFFICER OF MARINESWhat was my dismay to know that I was to be taken back again to my dungeon, and not lodged in the common jail, as I had hoped and Alixe had hinted! When I saw whither my footsteps were directed I said nothing, nor did Gabord speak at all. We marched back through a railing crowd as we had come, all silent and gloomy. I felt a chill at my heart when the citadel loomed up again out of the November shadow, and I half paused as I entered the gates. "Forward!" said Gabord mechanically, and...
Long Stories - Post by : singh_punjabi - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 3610
CHAPTER IX. A LITTLE CONCERNING THE CHEVALIER DE LA DARANTEI was wakened completely by the shooting of bolts. With the opening of the door I saw the figures of Gabord and Voban. My little friend the mouse saw them also, and scampered from the bread it had been eating, away among the corn, through which my footsteps had now made two rectangular paths, not disregarded by Gabord, who solicitously pulled Voban into the narrow track, that he should not trespass on my harvest. I rose, showed no particular delight at seeing Voban, but greeted him easily--though my heart was bursting to...
Long Stories - Post by : singh_punjabi - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 2814
CHAPTER VIII. AS VAIN AS ABSALOMGabord, coming in to me one day after I had lain down to sleep, said, "See, m'sieu' the dormouse, 'tis holiday-eve; the King's sport comes to-morrow." I sat up in bed with a start, for I knew not but that my death had been decided on without trial; and yet on second thought I was sure this could not be, for every rule of military conduct was against it. "Whose holiday?" asked I after a moment; "and what is King's sport?" "You're to play bear in the streets to-morrow--which is sport for the King," he retorted;...
Long Stories - Post by : singh_punjabi - Date : May 2012 - Author : Gilbert Parker - Read : 1524
Authors
Short Stories
Long Stories
Funny Stories
Love Stories
Stories For Kids
Poems
Essays
Nonfictions
Plays
Folktales
Fairy Tales
Fables
Learning Kitchen
Home
The Seats Of The Mighty - Appendix
