im and his war plans. The party even passed a resolution to the effect that they would not hear of peace so long as a Bourbon ruled over Spain. Then there were the intrigues at work

ce a formidable rival to th

get his next step. Fieldsend was already captain, and hoped ere the close of the 1707 campaign to get his majority. As for George Fairburn, he was quite content to be a soldier for soldiering's sake, yet would t

rlborough, from the very opening he experienced the old Dutch thwartings and oppositions, and, after a short and vexatious summer,

sh, Dutch, and Portuguese troops under Galway, at Almanza. So great a misfortune was this that Galway declared that Spain would have to be evacuated by

had set himself. On the Rhine the Prince of Baden was badly defeated by Villars, at Stollhofen, the disaster laying Germany open to invasion by Louis. The gallant Sir

friends than ever, and not unnaturally so, after all that had happened and was happening. The reports they had occasionally

upplemented by murmurings among the troops quartered at Antwerp, and still more by the uneasiness of the Dutch, who were disposed to make a separ

two lieutenants said to each other, "and, if we have luck,

French army boasted two generals, the royal Duke of Burgundy, an incapable leader, and the Duke of Vend?me, a most capable one. A more unfortunate partnership could not well be imagined; Burgun

fagged out with the marchings and the heat of the day wh

ked when the signal to halt came. To his surprise

ke," commented hi

ry were got toget

renchmen to slip away without fighti

ght wing, a very strong force, was Prince Eugene, who, having now nothing to do in Italy, had hurried northwards to join his friend. In such hot haste had the Prince travelled, indeed, that he had out-strippe

f the most involved and intricate on record, and that it is well nigh impossible to

to the river. A terrible hand-to-hand encounter followed, bayonet and sword alone being used for the most part in such cramped quarters. In the thick of it the Duke sent the Dutch

the departing day an advancing column was observed to be moving towards them. What could it mean? Apparently that the enemy had rallied and were once more facing the

, addressing Colonel Rhod

ked up George's opinion. The word ran quickly along the line that the sho

g madly across the intervening space, each with his handkerchief fastened to the point of his sword, and both shouting and gesticulati

the two flew towards their friends, for the men towards whom they were speeding had by this time discovered their mistake and had ceased firing. It was a neck and neck race, and a very near thing. As the horsemen

hich in its turn had advanced along a curving line. Each body in the growing darkness had mistaken the other for the enemy. The plucky dash made by the two

Dutchman's division and the Prince's. Darkness alone prevented the slaughter from being greater than it was. The numbers of those

reat leader beat high, when he thought of the mighty possibilities before him. But it was not to be. The Prince raised the strongest objections to the Duke's bold plan, and the Dutch were terrified at the bare thought of it. So Marlborough turned him to another task, the siege of the great s

resolute to defend and keep the place as the Allies were to take it. The actual investment of the town was placed in the hands of Eugene, whose men had by this time arrived, whi

d few military operations have produced more sp

reconnoitring party had accordingly been sent out to glean tidings of it. From a wooded knoll a glimpse of the missing train was caught, and at the same moment a large body of French was perceived approaching from the opposite direction. The Frenchmen had not yet seen the convoy, be

hastily told it to the officer in command, Major

of horses near. A voice, authoritative and impatient, caused them to look round in wonderment, as a mounted officer came galloping up. He inquired of the peasants whether they had seen anything

up such vile French?"

ied with another grin, to which the other muttered,

r was very muddy, and the marks of hoofs were plentiful. "We are evidently close upon them," remarked the officer jubilantly,

"we can save the convoy. Our men, after trampling over the burn here, w

e head of the convoy hove in sight. To lead the train in a different dire

d, when he learnt the story, "it was a smart tric

for his unhappy and exhausted country. The terms offered by the Allies, however, were too exacting, and not a Frenchman but rose to t

round. From London, which George saw now for the first time, the two travelled all the way

lage. At the entrance to it they came all at once upo

!" declare

, "And with three ladies all