near my post, calling in a low and subdued tone on the
name of Captain de Haldimar. The accents, hastily and
anxiously uttered, were apparently those of a female.
For a moment I continued irresolute how to act, and
hesitated whether or not I should alarm the garrison;
but, at length, presuming it was some young female of
the village with whom my captain was acquainted, it
occurred to me the most prudent course would be to apprize
that officer himself. While I yet hesitated whether to
leave my post for a moment for the purpose, a man crossed
the parade a few yards in my front; it was Captain de
Haldimar's servant, Donellan, then in the act of carrying
some things from his master's apartment to the guard-room.
I called to him, to say the sentinel at the gate wished
to see the captain of the guard immediately. In the course
of a few minutes he came up to my post, when I told him
what I had heard. At that moment, the voice again repeated
his name, when he abruptly left me and turned to the left
of the gate, evidently on his way to the rampart. Soon
afterwards I heard Captain de Haldimar immediately above
me, sharply calling out 'Hist, hist!' as if the person
on the outside, despairing of success, was in the act of
retreating. A moment or two of silence succeeded, when
a low conversation ensued between the parties. The distance
was so great I could only distinguish inarticulate sounds;
yet it seemed to me as if they spoke not in English, but
in the language of the Ottawa Indians, a tongue with
which, as you are well aware, gentlemen, Captain de
Haldimar is familiar. This had continued about ten minutes,
when I again heard footsteps hastily descending the