To Major Glegg, who bore the General’s despatches from Canada, the Prince Regent remarked that “General Brock had done more in an hour than could have been done in six months by negotiation.”  The fulfilment of Isaac’s favourite maxim, “Say and do,” was being demonstrated in a most remarkable manner.

[Illustration:  “PORTRAIT OF MAJOR-GENERAL BROCK, 18 X 6”]

CHAPTER XXIII.

“HERO, DEFENDER, SAVIOUR.”

General Sheaffe, the only field officer available, and junior colonel of the 49th, of whom the reader has already heard, had been brought from the East to take command at Niagara in Brock’s absence.  Like Prevost, he was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1763, a son of the deputy collector of that port.  There the two had been school-fellows, and both found it difficult to engage in vigorous diplomatic or military conflict with the Americans.  To Sheaffe’s credit, it should be said that he applied for another station.

It was Sheaffe, however, who acceded to General Dearborn’s specious demand that the freedom of the lakes and rivers be extended to the United States Government during the armistice.  This was done while Brock was in the West.  Sheaffe it also was who, with hat in hand and strange alacrity, later agreed, despite his first terrible blunder, to repeat the offence.  On the very afternoon that the British defeated the Americans at Queenston, and when the moral effect of that victory, followed up by vigorous attack, would have saved Canada from a continuance of the war, and deplorable loss of life and trade, Sheaffe actually agreed to another armistice.  For this second truce, like his first, “no valid reason, military or civil, has ever been assigned.”  As far as the British were concerned, neither of these two was necessary, but, on the contrary, directly to their disadvantage.  Isaac Brock, alas! was not made in duplicate.

Our hero remained but a few hours in Kingston.  He was needed in Niagara.  The enemy was burning to avenge Detroit.  The sight of Hull’s ragged legions passing as prisoners of war along the Canadian bank of the river, bound for Montreal, did not tend to soften the hearts of the Americans.  Stores and ordnance continued to pour into Lewiston.  Brock needed 1,000 additional regulars.  He might as well have asked for the moon.  Early in September he stated that if he could maintain his position six weeks longer “the campaign would end in a manner little expected in the States.”  Scores of American marines and seamen were marking time, waiting for the launching of the vessels which Captain Chauncey had been given free license to build to ensure United States supremacy of the lakes.  Prevost’s eyes were still bandaged.  Brock warned his grenadiers of the 49th to be ready for trouble.  He foresaw that the Niagara river would be crossed, but at what point was uncertain.  Stray musket-balls whistled across at night as thick as whip-poor-wills in summer.  This firing was “the unauthorized warfare between sentinels.”  The peaceful citizens of Newark, returning from dance or card-party—­even the imminence of war did not wholly stifle their desire for innocent revelry—­found it embarrassing.