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Chapter 16
Wewillfollowwithasmallguard,forsuchrespectisduetoonewhoholdsthehonorofhiskinginkeeping;andharkee,Duncan,"headded,inahalfwhisper,thoughtheywerealone,"itmaybeprudenttohavesomeaidathand,incasethereshouldbetreacheryatthebottomofitall."
Theyoungmanavailedhimselfofthisordertoquittheapartment;and,asthedaywasfastcomingtoaclose,hehastened,withoutdelay,tomakethenecessaryarrangements.Averyfewminutesonlywerenecessarytoparadeafewfiles,andtodespatchanorderlywithaflagtoannouncetheapproachofthecommandantofthefort.WhenDuncanhaddoneboththese,heledtheguardtothesally-port,nearwhichhefoundhissuperiorready,waitinghisappearance.Assoonastheusualceremonialsofamilitarydeparturewereobserved,theveteranandhismoreyouthfulcompanionleftthefortress,attendedbytheescort.
Theyhadproceededonlyahundredyardsfromtheworks,whenthelittlearraywhichattendedtheFrenchgeneraltotheconference,wasseenissuingfromthehollowway,whichformedthebedofabrookthatranbetweenthebatteriesofthebesiegersandthefort.FromthemomentthatMunrolefthisownworkstoappearinfrontofhisenemies,hisairhadbeengrand,andhisstepandcountenancehighlymilitary.TheinstanthecaughtaglimpseofthewhiteplumethatwavedinthehatofMontcalm,hiseyelighted,andagenolongerappearedtopossessanyinfluenceoverhisvastandstillmuscularperson.
