There was no physical boundary between Canada and the United States here in the hills, no fence or marking. In daylight surveyors’ markers might be found, but not too easily. This track was used only by the animals, deer for the most part. And smugglers.
They crossed the low ridge and went slowly down the other side. The border was somewhere around here, no one was quite sure. Jacques stopped suddenly and cocked his head. Phillipe came up beside him.
“What is it?”
“Be quiet!” his brother whispered hoarsely. “There is something out there — I heard a noise.”
“Deer — ”
“Deer don’t rattle, crétin. There again, a clinking.”
Phillipe heard it too, but before he could speak dark forms loomed up before them. Mounted men.
“Merde! Customs — a patrol!”
Jacques cursed under his breath as he struggled his revolver from his pocket. His much-treasured Lefaucheaux caliber.41 pin-fire. He pointed it at the group ahead and pulled the trigger.
&nbs
p; Again and again.
Stabs of flame in the darkness. One, two, three, four shots — before the inevitable misfire. He jammed the gun into his pocket, turned and ran, pulling the horse after him.
“Don’t stand there, you idiot. Back, we go back! They cannot follow us across the border. Even if they do we can get away from them. Then later get around them, use the other trail. It’s longer — but it will get us there.”
Slipping and tugging at the horses they made their way down the hill and vanished into the safety of the forest.
There was panic in the cavalry patrol. None of them had ventured into this part of the mountains before and the track was ill-marked. Heads down to escape the rain, no one had noticed when the corporal had missed the turning. By the time it grew dark they knew that they were lost. When they stopped to rest the horses, and stretch their legs, Jean-Louis approached the corporal who commanded the patrol.
“Marcel — are we lost?”
“Corporal Durand, that is what you must say.”
“Marcel, I have known you since you peed yourself in bed at night. Where are we?”
Durand’s shrug went unseen in the darkness. “I don’t know.”
“Then we must turn about and return the way we came. If we go on like this who knows where we will end up.”
After much shouted argument, name-calling and insults, they were all from the same village, the decision was made.
“Unless anyone knows a better route, we go back,” Corporal Durand said. “Mount up.”
They were milling about in the darkness when the firing began. The sudden flashes of fire unmanned them. Someone screamed and the panic grew worse. Their guns were wrapped about to keep them dry; there was no time to do anything.
“Ambush!”
“I am shot! Mother of God, they have shot me!”
This was too much. Uphill they fled, away from the gunfire. Corporal Durand could not stop them, rally them, not until the tired horses stumbled to a halt. He finally assembled most of them in the darkness, shouted loudly so the stragglers would find them.
“Who was shot?”
“It was Pierre who got it.”
“Pierre — where are you?”
“Here. My leg. A pain like fire.”