100 A JACOBITE EXILE

At Narva the four young officers had all purchased horses.
Most of the Swedish officers were mounted; and the king
encouraged this, as on occasion he could thereby collect at
once a body of mounted men ready for any enterprise; but
their own colonel preferred that on the march the lieutenants
and ensigns should be on foot with their men, in order to
set them an example of cheerful endurance. ‘Those who
wished it, however, were permitted to have horses, which
were on such occasions led in the rear of the regiment.

Captain Jervoise had approved of the purchase of the
horses, which were got very cheaply, as great numbers had
been captured. “If we can get over the difficulty of the
forage,” he said, “you will find them very useful for pre-
serving your health during the winter. A ride will set your
blood in motion, and wherever we are quartered there are
sure to be camps within riding distance. ‘The king
approves of officers taking part in dashing expeditions, so
you may be able to take a share in affairs that will break
the monotony of camp-life.”

They found great benefit from being able to ride about.
Forage was indeed very scarce. They had no means of
spending their pay on luxuries of any kind, their only out-
lay being in the purchase of black bread, and an occasional
load of forage from the peasants. ‘Their regiment was with
the force under the command of Colonel Schlippenbach,
which was not very far from Marienburg, a place open to
the incursions of the Russians. Baron Spens was at Signiz,
and Colonel Alvedyhl at Rounenberg, and to both these
places they occasionally paid a visit. In order to keep
the company in health, Captain Jervoise encouraged the
men to get up games, in which the four young officers took
part. Sometimes it was a snowball match in the open; at
other times a snow fort was built, garrisoned, and attacked.
Occasionally there were matches at hockey, while putting the