ps behind the village were to
take up a position to resist any attack made in that direction.
Desmond dismounted, as did Mike, and the latter took the two
horses, fastened them to a tree, and then, with Desmond's scarf,
bound his arm firmly against his side.

"We have made a mess of it entirely, your honour," he said, "and
have got a terrible bating. Sure we were lucky in getting here.
Faith, I thought we were caught when you were hailed."

"It was a narrow escape, Mike; and if they had waited till I had
got a little nearer, and had seen my uniform, I must have
surrendered."

"It seems to me that we are like rats in a trap, Mr. Kennedy."

"Something like it, Mike; but it is hard if we can't get through
them, in the dark."

"That we will do, sure enough," Mike said confidently; "but which
way should we go?"

"That I can't tell you. You see, they are in strength in front,
Marlborough and Eugene are on the left and partly behind us, and
the troops you saw come across the hills are somewhere in the
rear. If it were daylight, not a man of us would escape; but as it
is, it will be hard if we cannot make our way through.

"What I am thinking about chiefly, at present, is the safety of
O'Sullivan, O'Neil, and d'Eyncourt. They ought to have been here
as soon as we were. They may either have lost their way in the
darkness, or fallen into the hands of the enemy. However, I shall
not give them up for another half hour."

The firing was now abating, and presently died away completely;
except for a few scattered shots, showing that the allies had been
halted where they stood, and were no longer pressing forward.
Another hour passed, and Desmond's comrades were still absent.

In the meantime, the general had called together the colonels of
the several regiments, had explained the situation to them, and
repeated Vendome's orders. The news came like a thunderbolt upon
them, for the din of firing round the village had completely
deadened all distant sound, and they were wholly unaware of what
was passing in other parts of the field.

"I must leave the matter to your individual discretion," the
general said. "Those of you who think your men can be relied on,
can try to escape and join the marshal in a body. Those who have
not that confidence in their regiments--and indeed some of these
have been almost annihilated--had best tell them to scatter. Those
who remain here will assuredly be made prisoners in the morning.

"It is