ond skin and
bone."

"That is true. The cavalry are certainly scarcely fit for service.
Welling's troops have had a very hard time of it, 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
Thermopylae, 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 longing 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 possible, and the order was more strictly 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. It was
the intention of the king to encamp that evening near the pass,
and, when within three or four miles of it, General Meidel, who had
with him the quartermaster of the army, and four hundred cavalry,
rode on ahead to choose a site for the camp. He presently saw a
large body of Russian foragers in front of him, and sent back to
the king for permission to attack them. Charles ordered the army to
continue its march, and, hurrying forward with some o