CHAPTER VIII

THE PASSAGE OF THE DWINA

FEW hours after Charlie’s arrival home, Major Jer-
voise and Harry came round to the house.

“T congratulate you, Jervoise, on your new rank,” Sir
Marmaduke said heartily as he entered; “and you too,
Harry. It has been a great comfort to me to know that
you and Charlie have been together always. At present
you have the advantage of him in looks. My lad has no
more strength than a girl, not half the strength, indeed, of
many of these sturdy Swedish maidens.”

“Ves, Charlie has had a bad bout of it, Carstairs,” Major
Jervoise said cheerfully; “but he has picked up wonder-
fully in the last ten days, and in as many more I shall look
to see him at work again. I only wish that you could have
been with us, old friend.”

“Tt is of no use wishing, Jervoise. We have heard
enough here of what the troops have been suffering through
the winter, for me to know that if 1 had had my wish and
gone with you, my bones would now be lying somewhere
under the soil of Livonia.”

“Ves, it was a hard time,” Major Jervoise agreed, “but
we all got through it well, thanks principally to our turning
to at sports of allkinds. ‘These kept the men in health and
prevented them from moping. The king was struck with

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