Chapter 11: Traitors in the Camp

Madame La Tour greatly enjoyed Raoul’s relation of his Boston experience.

“You see, virtue is not always merely its own reward,” she said, smiling proudly upon her nephew. “It is sometimes well rewarded in other ways. Be ever ready to champion the weak and the innocent, Raoul. They are God’s children, and you are doing His work when you take their part against the wicked and cruel people, of which, alas! there seems to be too many in this world.”

The summer passed into autumn, and the autumn into winter, without bringing anything of special moment into the lives of those at Fort La Tour, save somewhat disquieting rumours of the intentions of Charnace.

It was said that he had gone to France to obtain the revocation of La Tour’s commission as Lieutenant-General of Acadia, and authority to take him prisoner, and send him back to be imprisoned in the Bastile.

Now Charnace was known to have great influence at Court, and in those days, when the French kings so lightly valued their possessions in America, and did pretty much what those who had most influence over them advised, there was no telling how far Charnace might succeed in his hostile plans.

Accordingly La Tour set himself to prepare for the danger then threatening him, while his good wife prayed that, in some way, further conflict might be averted.

With the coming of spring, the news was confirmed by the appearance of Charnace in the ship St. Francis and his sending a messenger to demand La Tour’s surrender.

To this La Tour defiantly replied that he would not give up either himself or his fort, so long as he had a pound of powder left; and Charnace, not being ready for an attack just then, withdrew to the Penobscot, where he had a fort of his own, to prepare for another siege.