he hands
of the Swedes, as prisoners of war. The total loss in killed and
wounded of the Swedes was under two thousand, the chief loss being
due to the desperate resistance of the Russians, after the battle
was irretrievably lost. It may be doubted whether so complete and
surprising a victory, between armies so disproportionate in force,
was ever before gained.

The king had exposed himself, throughout the day, most recklessly,
and was everywhere in the thick of the Russian bullets, and yet he
escaped without so much as a scratch. The Malmoe Regiment had been
with the left wing, but suffered comparatively little loss, as they
were one of the last to enter the intrenchments, and it was only
when darkness was closing in that they were called up to take a
part in the attack on the position held by the Russians.

"Never was the saying, that fortune favours the brave, more
signally verified, Jervoise," Major Jamieson said, as he sat down
to a rough breakfast with the officers of the Scottish company, on
the morning after the Russian surrender.

"That's true enough, but Russians are brave, too, as they showed at
the end of the day. I fancy you have a scotch proverb to the effect
that 'fou folk come to no harm.' I think that is more applicable in
the present case."

The major laughed.

"The fou folk relates rather to drunkenness than madness, Jervoise.
But, of course, it would do for both. I own that the whole
enterprise did seem, to me, to be absolute madness, but the result
has justified it. That sudden snowstorm was the real cause of our
victory, and, had it not been for that, I still think that we could
not have succeeded. The Russian cannon certainly continued to fire,
but it was wholly at random, and they were taken by surprise when
we suddenly appeared at the side of the ditch, while we were across
before they could gather any force sufficient to defend it.

"After that, panic did the rest. The commander in chief fell early
into our hands. There was no one to give orders, no one to rally
them, and I expect the Russian soldiers gave us credit for having
brought on that storm, to cover our assault, by the aid of malign
spirits.

"Well, lads, and how did you feel when the shots were whistling
about?"

"I did not like it at all, major," Charlie said. "It seemed such a
strange thing, marching along in the thick of that snowstorm,
hearing the rush of cannonballs overhead, and the boom of guns, and
yet be unable t