88 A JACOBITE EXILE

There was some disappointment that the enemy had fallen
‘back at the approach of Welling’s force, but all felt sure
that it would not be long before they met them, for the
king would assuredly lose no time in advancing against
them as soon as his army could be brought over. They
were not, however, to wait for the arrival of the main force,
although the cavalry only took part in the first affair.
General Welling heard that a force of three thousand Cir-
cassians had taken up their quarters in a village some
fifteen miles away, and sent six hundred horse under Majors
Patkul and ‘Tisenbausen to surprise them; they were at first
successful, and, attacking the Circassians, set fire to the
village, and were engaged in slaughtering the defenders,
when twenty-one squadrons of Russian cavalry came up and
fell upon them, attacking them on all sides, and posting
themselves so as to cut off their retreat.

The Swedes however gathered in a body, and charged
the Russians so furiously that they cut a way through their
ranks, losing, however, many of their men, while Major
Patkul and another officer were made prisoners.

‘The king was at Revel when this engagement took place,
and although but few of the troops had arrived, he was too
impatient for action to wait until the coming of the fleet.
He therefore marched to Wesenberg with his body-guard
and a few troops from Revel. He at once despatched a
thousand men to cover the frontier, and issued orders for
the rest of the troops to leave the whole of their baggage
behind them, to take three days’ provision in their haver-
sacks, and to prepare to march the next morning.

Major Jamieson came into the cottage occupied by Cap-
tain Jervoise and his officers late in the evening. ‘They
had a blazing fire, for it was now the middle of November
and the nights were very sharp.

“Well, Jervoise, what do you think of the orders?” he
asked, as he seated himself on a log that had been brought
in for the fire.