Page 108 - A Jacobite Exile

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