to reach him with one?

The life-and-death question for Wolfe was how to land
close enough above Quebec and soon enough in September
to make Montcalm fight it out on even terms and in the
open field.

The brigadiers' plan of landing high up seemed all right
till they tried to work it out. Then they found troubles
in plenty. There were several places for them to land
between Cap Rouge, nine miles above Quebec, and
Pointe-aux-Trembles, thirteen miles higher still. Ever
since July 18 British vessels had been passing to and
fro above Quebec; and in August, Murray, under the guard
of Holmes's squadron, had tried his brigade against
Pointe-aux-Trembles, where he was beaten back, and at
Deschambault, twenty miles farther up, where he took some
prisoners and burnt some supplies. To ward off further
and perhaps more serious attacks from this quarter,
Montcalm had been keeping Bougainville on the lookout,
especially round Pointe-aux-Trembles, for several weeks
before the brigadiers arranged their plan. Bougainville
now had 2,000 infantry, all the mounted men--nearly
300--and all the best Indian and Canadian scouts, along
the thirteen miles of shore between Cap Rouge and
Pointe-aux-Trembles. His land and water batteries had
also been made much stronger. He and Montcalm were in
close touch and could send messages to each other and
get an answer back within four hours.