of the Montmorency and were marching along to support
the attack, when, suddenly and unexpectedly, the grenadiers
spoiled it all! Wolfe had ordered the Louisbourg Grenadiers
and the ten other grenadier companies of the army to form
up and rush the redoubt. But, what with the cheering of
the sailors as they landed the rest of Monckton's men,
and their own eagerness to come to close quarters at
once, the Louisbourg men suddenly lost their heads and
charged before everything was ready. The rest followed
them pell-mell; and in less than five minutes the redoubt
was swarming with excited grenadiers, while the French
who had held it were clambering up the grassy hill into
the safer entrenchments.

The redoubt was certainly no place to stay in. It had no
shelter towards its rear; and dozens of French cannon
and thousands of French muskets were firing into it from
the heights. An immediate retirement was the only proper
course. But there was no holding the men now. They broke
into another mad charge, straight at the hill. As they
reached it, amid a storm of musket balls and grape-shot,
the heavens joined in with a terrific storm of their own.
The rain burst in a perfect deluge; and the hill became
almost impossible to climb, even if there had been no
enemy pouring death-showers of fire from the top. When
Wolfe saw what was happening he immediately sent officers
running after the grenadiers to make them come back from
the redoubt, and these officers now passed the word to
retire at once. This time the grenadiers, all that were
left of them, obeyed. Their two mad rushes had not lasted