Page 124 - A Jacobite Exile

worthy of the name, what do they do? Why, they are beaten by a tenth of
their number of half-starved men, led by a mad-brained young fellow who

had never heard a shot fired before, and lose all their cannon, guns,
ammunition, and stores. Why, I was heartbroken, myself, when I heard of

it; but Peter, instead of blowing out his brains, or drowning himself, set to
work, an hour after the news reached him, to bring up fresh troops, to
re-arm the men, and to prepare to meet the Swedes again, as soon as the

snow is off the ground.

"If James of England had been Peter of Russia, he would be ruling over
Ireland now, and England and Scotland, too.

"But now, I must be off. Don't you worry about your head. I have seen as
bad a clip given by a blackthorn. I have got to go round now and see the

wounded, and watch some operations being done, but I will come in again
this evening. Don't eat any more of their messes, if they bring them in. You
and I will have a snug little dinner together. I might get you put into a more

dacent chamber, but the general is one of the old pig-headed sort. We don't
pull together, so I would rather not ask any favours from him.

"The czar may come any day--he is always flying about. I will speak to him
when he comes, and see that you have better entertainment."