Page 105 - A Jacobite Exile

in dashing expeditions, so you may be able to take a share in affairs that
will break the monotony of camp life."

They found great benefit from being able to ride about. Forage was indeed

very scarce. They had no means of spending their pay on luxuries of any
kind, their only outlay being in the purchase of black bread, and an
occasional load of forage from the peasants. Their regiment was with the

force under the command of Colonel Schlippenbach, which was not very
far from Marienburg, a place open to the incursions of the Russians. Baron

Spens was at Signiz, and Colonel Alvedyhl at Rounenberg, and to both
these places they occasionally paid a visit.

In order to keep the company in health, Captain Jervoise encouraged the
men to get up games, in which the four young officers took part.

Sometimes it was a snowball match in the open; at other times a snow fort
was built, garrisoned, and attacked. Occasionally there were matches at
hockey, while putting the stone, throwing the caber, running and wrestling

matches, were all tried in turn; and the company suffered comparatively
little from the illness which rendered so large a proportion of the Swedish

army inefficient.

Colonel Schlippenbach was an energetic officer, and had, several times,

ridden past when the men were engaged in these exercises. He expressed to
Captain Jervoise his approval of the manner in which he kept his men in

strength and vigour.

"I shall not forget it," he said, one day, "and if there is service to be done, I

see that I can depend upon your company to do it."

In January, he took a party of horse, and reconnoitred along the River Aa,
to observe the motions of the Saxons on the other side; and, hearing that a
party of them had entered Marienburg, he determined to take possession of

that place, as, were they to fortify it, they would be able greatly to harass
the Swedes. Sending word to the king of his intention, and asking for an

approval of his plan of fortifying the town, he took three companies of
infantry and four hundred horse, made a rapid march to Marienburg, and