n Spens. The troops were halted in a wood, and ordered
to light fires to cook food, and to prepare for a halt of some
hours. Great fires were soon blazing and, after eating their meal,
most of the troops wrapped themselves in the blankets that they
carried, in addition to their greatcoats, and lay down by the
fires.

They slept until midnight, and were then called to arms again. They
marched all night, and at daybreak the next morning, the 13th of
February, were near Pitschur, and at once attacked the Russian camp
outside the town. Taken completely by surprise, the Russians fought
feebly, and more than five hundred were killed before they entered
the town, hotly pursued by the Swedes. Shutting themselves up in
the houses, and barricading the doors and windows, they defended
themselves desperately, refusing all offers of surrender.

The Livonian peasants were, however, at work, and set fire to the
town in many places. The flames spread rapidly. Great stores of
hides and leather, and a huge magazine filled with hemp, added to
the fury of the conflagration, and the whole town was burned to the
ground; numbers of the Russians preferring death by fire, in the
houses, to coming out and surrendering themselves.

Many of the fugitives had succeeded in reaching a strong position
on the hill commanding the town. This consisted of a convent,
surrounded by strong walls mounted with cannon, which played upon
the town while the fight there was going on. As Baron Spens had no
guns with him, he was unable to follow up his advantage by taking
this position, and he therefore gave orders to the force to retire,
the peasants being loaded with booty that they had gathered before
the fire spread.

The loss of the Swedes was thirty killed and sixty wounded, this
being a small amount of loss compared with what they had inflicted
upon the enemy.

"I call that a horrible business, Captain Jervoise," Charlie said,
when the troops had returned to Marienburg. "There was no real
fighting in it."

"It was a surprise, Charlie. But they fought desperately after they
gained the town."

"Yes, but we did nothing there beyond firing away at the windows.
Of course, I had my sword in my hand; but it might as well have
been in its sheath, for I never struck a blow, and I think it was
the same with most of our men. One could not cut down those poor
wretches, who were scarce awake enough to use their arms. I was
glad you held our company in rear of t