The intervening ground mostly
hid them from the ramparts, and they had to depend upon
their own defences. Drucour had sent out two-thirds of
his garrison to oppose the landing. Each point was
protected by artillery and entrenchments. Eight guns were
mounted and a thousand men stood guard over the quarter-mile
of beach which lay between the two little surf-lashed
promontories of Kennington Cove. But Wolfe's brigade made
straight for shore. The French held their fire until the
leading boats were well within short musket-shot. Then
they began so furiously that Wolfe, whose tall, lank
figure was most conspicuous as he stood up in the
stern-sheets, waved his cane to make the boats sheer off.
It looked as if the first successful landing would have
to be made elsewhere, a bitter disappointment to this
young and ardent brigadier, whose command included the
pick of the grenadiers, light infantry, and Highlanders.
But three boatloads of light infantry pushed on against
the inner point of the cove.
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