Sweden, and that his son and young Carstairs should also enter the
army.

"They are but sixteen yet," he said, "but are stout, active
fellows, and could hold their own in a day's march or in a stout
fight with many men. Of course, if I could obtain commissions for
them, all the better, but if not they are ready to enlist in the
ranks. Roughing it will do them no harm."

"Their age is no drawback," Major Jamieson said. "There are many no
older, both in the ranks and as officers. Men in Sweden of all ages
and of all ranks are joining, for this unprovoked attack, on the
part of Poland, has raised the national spirit to boiling heat. The
chief difficulty is their and your ignorance of the language. Were
it not for that, I could obtain, from the minister of war,
commissions for you at once."

He sat thinking for some minutes, in silence.

"I think I see how it can be managed, Jervoise. I have some twenty
or thirty Scotchmen in my regiment, and I know a colonel who has as
many in his, and these I could manage to get, in exchange for an
equal number of my Swedes. Ships are coming daily from Scotland,
and most of them bring young fellows who have come out to join the
army.

"You know how the Scots fought, under Gustavus Adolphus, and there
is scarce a glen in Scotland where there are not traditions of
fathers, or grandfathers, who fought in Hepburn's Green Brigade.
Therefore, it is natural that, seeing there is no chance of
military service at home, there should be many young fellows coming
out to join.

"I can go across this evening to the minister of war, who is a
personal friend of mine, and get him to give you permission to
raise a company of Scotchmen for service. I shall, of course, point
out to him that you will enlist them here. I shall show him the
advantage of these men being gathered together, as their ignorance
of the language makes them, for some time, useless as soldiers if
enrolled in a Swedish regiment. I shall mention that I have twenty
in my own corps, who are at present positively useless, and in fact
a source of great trouble, owing to their understanding nothing
that is said to them, and shall propose that they be at once handed
over to you. As to the exchange, we can manage that quietly between
ourselves. You would have no difficulty with fresh-landed men, as
these will naturally be delighted at joining a company of their own
countrymen."

"Thank you very heartily, Jamieson. This altogether exce