Page 267 - A Jacobite Exile

He had nothing to complain of, either as to his comfort or food. The
governor, who spoke a little Polish, visited him every day, and asked many

questions as to his native country. On one of these visits he said to him:

"You asked me yesterday if I knew Doctor Kelly, one of the chief surgeons
of the army, who, as you had heard, was at present on the Volga. You
mentioned that he was a friend of yours, and that you had made his

acquaintance, when you were unlucky enough before to be a prisoner in our
hands. I am sorry to say that I have today seen an official report, in which

his name appears among the list of those who have fallen victims to the
pestilence."

"I am sorry to hear that," Charlie exclaimed; "both because he was very
kind to me, and I liked him much, and because, in the second place, I was

sure that he would have used his influence, with the czar, to obtain my
exchange as soon as possible."

"It is very unfortunate," the governor said, "especially as these exchanges
are of rare occurrence. A few officers may be taken prisoners on each side

in the skirmishes, but the numbers are too small to make the loss of any
importance, either to Russia or Sweden, and it is months since either have
taken any steps to bring about exchanges. I myself have no influence. My

appointment here is a sort of punishment, for having offended the czar by
not having brought up my regiment in time to take part in the fight, when

you attacked us at Narva. I saved the regiment, but that was not regarded as
any excuse for having been three days longer on the march than the czar
expected; so I was sent here, as a sort of dismissal from active service.

"You know no one else who could move in your matter?"

"No one. The governor of the castle at Plescow was a surly fellow, and was
reprimanded by the czar, at least so I heard, for not having treated me

sufficiently well. I was only three or four days there, and the only officer I
saw besides Doctor Kelly was a friend of his, another doctor. He was at the

table when I dined with Kelly. He seemed to me to be a fine fellow, and, by
the by, he did say jokingly that, if I was ever made prisoner again, I was to