At daybreak they shifted their position, and gained a spot completely hidden from below, but from which an entire view of the river could be obtained.

“Tide will be low in a couple of hours,” the midshipman said.  “There are the fleet below.  They will come up with the first flood, so, in three or four hours, they will be abreast of us.  I hope they will make out our signal.”

“I have no fear of that,” James replied.  “They are sure to keep a sharp lookout for it.”

Presently the tide grew slacker, and, half an hour later, the ships were seen to hoist their sails, and soon began to drop slowly up the river.  When they approached, James fastened his handkerchief against the trunk of a tree, well open to view from the river, and then stood with his eyes fixed on the approaching ships.  Just as the Sutherland came abreast of the spot where they were standing, the ensign was dipped.  James at once removed his handkerchief.

“Now,” he said, “Middleton, you can turn in and take a sleep.  At twelve o’clock tonight there will be a boat below for us.”

Two or three hours after darkness had fallen, James and his companion made their way down the slope, and crawled out to the water’s edge.  There was no sentry within hearing, and they sat down, by the edge of the river, until suddenly a light gleamed for an instant, low down on the water, two or three hundred yards from the shore.

They at once stepped into the river, and, wading out for some little distance, struck out towards where they had seen the light.  A few minutes’ swimming, and they saw something dark ahead.  Another few strokes took them alongside, and they were hauled into the boat.

The slight noise attracted the attention of a sentry, some little distance along the shore, and his qui vive came sharply across the water, followed a few seconds later by the flash of his gun.

The crew now bent to their oars, and, a quarter of an hour later, the boat was alongside the Sutherland, which, with her consorts, was slowly drifting up the stream.  General Wolfe and the admiral were on deck, and anxiously waiting the arrival of the boat.  The former, in his anxiety, hailed the boat as it approached.

“Is Captain James Walsham on board?”

“Yes, sir,” James replied.

“Bravo, bravo!” the general cried, delighted.

“Bravo!” he repeated, seizing James Walsham’s hand as he stepped on deck.  “I did not expect to see you again, Captain Walsham, at least until we took Quebec.  Now, come to my cabin at once and tell me all about it.  But perhaps you are hungry.”

“I am rather hungry, general,” James said quietly.  “We have had nothing to eat but a crust of bread for three days.”

“We?  Who are we?” the general asked quickly.

“Mr. Middleton and myself, sir.  He escaped after I had left, and joined me.”

“The galley fires are out,” the admiral said, “but you shall have some cold meat in my cabin, instantly.”