Page 128 - A Jacobite Exile

the men. If we live roughly, so does he, and, on the march, he will take his
meals among the soldiers, and wrap himself up in his cloak, and sleep on

the bare ground, just as they do. And as for his bravery, he exposes his life
recklessly--too recklessly, we all think--and it seemed a miracle that,

always in the front as he was, he should have got through Narva without a
scratch."

"Yes, that was a bad bit of business, that Narva," the other said
thoughtfully. "Why do you think we were beaten in the horrible way we

were?--because the Russians are no cowards."

"No; they made a gallant stand when they recovered from their surprise,"

Charlie agreed. "But in the first place, they were taken by surprise."

"They ought not to have been," the doctor said angrily. "They had news,
two days before, brought by the cavalry, who ought to have defended that
pass, but didn't."

"Still, it was a surprise when we attacked," Charlie said, "for they could not

suppose that the small body they saw were going to assail them. Then, we
had the cover of that snowstorm, and they did not see us, until we reached
the edge of the ditch. Of course, your general ought to have made proper

dispositions, and to have collected the greater part of his troops at the spot
facing us, instead of having them strung out round that big semicircle, so

that, when we made an entry they were separated, and each half was
ignorant of what the other was doing. Still, even then they might have
concentrated between the trenches and the town. But no orders had been

given. The general was one of the first we captured. The others waited for
the orders that never came, until it was too late. If the general who

commanded on the left had massed his troops, and marched against us as
we were attacking the position they held on their right, we should have
been caught between two fires."

"It was a badly managed business, altogether," Doctor Michaeloff growled;

"but we shall do better next time. We shall understand Charles's tactics
better. We reckoned on his troops, but we did not reckon on him.