The rangers, with Robert, Tayoga and Willet, still hovered on the flanks.
Robert felt intense excitement.

He always believed afterward that he understood even at that instant the greatness of the cloudy dawn that had come, and the momentous nature of the approaching conflict, holding in its issue results far greater than those of many a battle in which ten times the numbers were engaged.
"How far away is Quebec ?" he asked.
"Over there about a mile," replied Willet.

"We can't see it because the ridge that the French call the Buttes-a-Neveu comes in between." "But look!" exclaimed Robert.

"See, what is on the ridge!" The stretch of broken ground was suddenly covered with white uniforms.
They were French soldiers, the battalion of Guienne, aroused in their camp near the St.Charles River by the firing, and come swiftly to see what was the matter.

There they stood, staring at the scarlet ranks, drawn up in battle before them, unable to credit their eyes at first, many of them believing for the moment that it was some vision of the cloudy dawn.
"I think that Montcalm's army will soon come," said Willet to Robert.
"You see, we're literally between three fires.