Mothe, or do much more than hold our ground
about the wood, from which the Frenchman had in vain attempted to dislodge
us. La Mothe retired behind his forty guns, his cavalry protecting them
better than it had been enabled to annoy us; and meanwhile the convoy,
which was of more importance than all our little force, and the safe
passage of which we would have dropped to the last man to accomplish,
marched away in perfect safety during the action, and joyfully reached the
besieging camp before Lille.

Major-General Cadogan, my lord duke's quartermaster-general (and between
whom and Mr. Webb there was no love lost), accompanied the convoy, and
joined Mr. Webb with a couple of hundred horse just as the battle was
over, and the enemy in full retreat. He offered, readily enough, to charge
with his horse upon the French as they fell back; but his force was too
weak to inflict any damage upon them; and Mr. Webb, commanding as
Cadogan's senior, thought enough was done in holding our ground before an
enemy that might still have overwhelmed us had we engaged him in the open
territory, and in securing the safe passage of the convoy. Accordingly,
the horse brought up by Cadogan did not draw a sword; and only prevented,
by the good countenance they showed, any disposition the French might have
had to renew the attack on us. And no attack coming, at nightfall General
Cadogan drew off with his squadron, being bound for head quarters, the two
generals at parting grimly saluting each other.

"He will be at Roncq time enough to lick my lord duke's trenchers at
supper," says Mr. Webb.

Our own men lay out in the woods of Wynendael that night, and our general
had his supper in the little castle there.

"If I was Cadogan, I would have a peerage for this day's work," General
Webb said; "and Harry, thou shouldst have a regiment. Thou hast been
reported in the last two actions: thou wert near killed in the first. I
shall mention thee in my dispatch to his grace the commander-in-chief, and
recommend thee to poor Dick Harwood's vacant majority. Have you ever a
hundred guineas to give Cardonnel? Slip them into his hand to-morrow, when
you go to head quarters with my report."

In this report the major-general was good enough to mention Captain
Esmond's name with particular favour; and that gentleman carried the
dispatch to head quarters the next day, and was not a little pleased to
bring back a letter by his grace's secretary, addressed to
L