Page 133 - A Jacobite Exile

At eight o'clock, having had a bowl of broth, Charlie descended to the
courtyard in charge of an officer and two soldiers, the doctor accompanying

him. Here he found a Swedish officer belonging to the king's personal staff.
The Russian handed the lad formally over to his charge, saying:

"By the orders of the czar, I now exchange Ensign Carstairs for Captain
Potoff, whom you, on your part, engage to send off at once."

"I do," the Swede said; "that is, I engage that he shall be sent off, as soon as

he can be fetched from Revel, where he is now interned, and shall be safely
delivered under an escort; and that if, either by death, illness, or escape, I
should not be able to hand him over, I will return another officer of the

same rank."

"I have the czar's commands," the Russian went on, "to express his regret
that, owing to a mistake on the part of the officer commanding here, Ensign
Carstairs has not received such worthy treatment as the czar would have

desired for him, but he has given stringent orders that, in future, any
Swedish officers who may be taken prisoners shall receive every comfort

and hospitality that can be shown them."

"Goodbye, Doctor Kelly," Charlie said, as he mounted his horse, which had

been saddled in readiness for him. "I am greatly obliged to you for your
very great kindness to me, and hope that I may some day have an

opportunity of repaying it."

"I hope not, Carstairs. I trust that we may meet again, but hope that I sha'n't

be in the position of a prisoner. However, strange things have happened
already in this war, and there is no saying how fortune may go. Goodbye,

and a pleasant journey."

A Russian officer took his place by the side of the Swede, and an escort of

twenty troopers rode behind them, as they trotted out through the gate of
the convent.