90 A JACOBITE EXILE

and we may thank our stars, though we did not think so at
the time, that we were kept nearly three months at Malmoe
instead of being here with Welling.”

_ “But do you seriously think, major, that the king means
to attack the Russians?’ Cunningham asked.

“My own idea is that he does, Cunningham. I cannot
see what else there is for us to do. At any rate, if he does,
you may be sure that we shall make a tough fight for it.
The cavalry showed the other day that they can stand up
against many times their number of the Russians, and if
they can do it, I fancy we can. There is one thing, the
very audacity of such an attempt is in its favour.”

“Well, we will all do our best, you may be sure; but
since Thermopyle, I doubt if men have fought against longer
odds.”

The next morning the men fell in, Captain Jervoise, who,
like all of his rank, was mounted, took his place at the
head of his company, and the little army marched away
from Wesenberg.

It was a dreary march to Purts, but the sight of the
ruined villages and devastated fields aroused a feeling of
indignation and fury among the troops, and a fierce long-
ing to attack men who had so ruthlessly spread ruin through
a fertile country. Orders were issued that evening that
the men were to husband their provisions as much as pos-
sible, and the order was more stirctly obeyed than such
orders usually are, for the men saw for themselves that there
was no possibility of obtaining fresh supplies in the wasted
country, and were well aware that there existed no train of
waggons and horses capable of bringing up stores from
Wesenberg. ‘There were a few aged men and women
remaining at Purts, and from these they learned that their
next day’s march would take them to a very difficult pass,
which was held by six hundred of the Russian cavalry,
together with a force of infantry and some guns.