Part 10 (1/2)

”His very moustache is beginning to show,” Sir John Loveday said, laughing.

Rupert joined in the laugh, for in truth he had that very morning looked anxiously in a gla.s.s, and had tried in vain to persuade himself that the down on his upper lip showed any signs of thickening or growing.

”Well, and how many unfortunate English, Dutch, and Germans have you dispatched since we saw you?”

”Oh, please hush,” Rupert said anxiously. ”No one knows that I have any idea of fencing, or that I have ever drawn a sword before I went through my course of the broadsword here. I would not on any account that any one thought I was a quarrelsome swordster. You know I really am not, and it has been purely my misfortune that I have been thrust into these things.”

”And you have never told any of your comrades that you have killed your man? Or that Dalboy proclaimed you in his salle to be one of the finest blades in Europe?”

”No, indeed,” Rupert said. ”Why should I, Sir John?”

”Well, all I can say is, Rupert, I admire your modesty as much as your skill. There are few fellows of your age, or of mine either, but would hector a little on the strength of such a reputation. I think that I myself should c.o.c.k my hat, and point my moustache a little more fiercely, if I knew that I was the c.o.c.k of the whole walk.”

Rupert smiled. ”I don't think you would, Sir John, especially if you were as young as I am. I know I have heard my tutor say that the fellow who is really c.o.c.k of a school, is generally one of the quietest and best-tempered fellows going. Not that I mean,” he added hastily, as his companions both laughed, ”that I am c.o.c.k, or that I am a quiet or very good-tempered fellow. I only meant that I was not quarrelsome, and have indeed put up more than once with practical jokings which I might have resented had I not known how skillful with the sword I am, and that in this campaign I shall have plenty of opportunities of showing that I am no coward.”

”Well spoken, Rupert,” Sir John said. ”Now we have kept you talking in the sun an unconscionable time; come over to our tent, and have something to wash the dust away. We have some fairly good Burgundy, of which we bought a barrel the other day from a vintner in Nimeguen, and it must be drunk before we march.

”Are these the officers of your troop? Pray present me.”

Rupert introduced his friends to Captain Lauriston and Lieutenant Dillon, and the invitation was extended to them. For the time, however, it was necessary to see to the wants of the men, but later on the three officers went across to the tents of the king's dragoons, to which regiment Lord Fairholm and Sir John Loveday both belonged, and spent a merry evening.

Upon the following day the Earl of Marlborough sent for Rupert and inquired of him how he liked the life, and how he was getting on; and begged of him to come to him at any time should he have need of money, or be in any way so placed as to need his aid. Rupert thanked him warmly, but replied that he lacked nothing.

The following day the march began, and Rupert shared in the general indignation felt by the British officers and men at seeing the splendid opportunities of crus.h.i.+ng the enemy--opportunities gained by the skill and science of their general, and by their own rapid and fatiguing marches--thrown away by the feebleness and timidity of the Dutch deputies. When the siege of Venloo began the main body of the army was again condemned to inactivity, and the cavalry had of course nothing to do with the siege.

The place was exceedingly strong, but the garrison was weak, consisting only of six battalions of infantry and 300 horse.

Cohorn, the celebrated engineer, directed the siege operations, for which thirty-two battalions of infantry and thirty-six squadrons of horse were told off, the Prince of Na.s.sau Saarbruch being in command.

Two squadrons of the 5th dragoons, including the troop to which Rupert belonged, formed part of the force. The work was by no means popular with the cavalry, as they had little to do, and lost their chance of taking part in any great action that Boufflers might fight with Marlborough to relieve the town. The investment began on the 4th? of September, the efforts of the besiegers being directed against Fort Saint Michael at the opposite side of the river, but connected by a bridge of boats to the town.

On the 17th the breaches were increasing rapidly in size, and it was whispered that the a.s.sault would be made on the evening of the 18th, soon after dusk.

”It will be a difficult and b.l.o.o.d.y business,” Captain Lauriston said, as they sat in their tent that evening. ”The garrison of Fort Saint Michael is only 800, but reinforcements will of course pour in from the town directly the attack begins, and it may be more than our men can do to win the place. You remember how heavily the Germans suffered in their attack on the covered way of Kaiserwerth.”

”I should think the best thing to do would be to break down the bridge of boats before beginning the attack,” Lieutenant Dillon remarked.

”Yes, that would be an excellent plan if it could be carried out, but none of our guns command it.”

”We might launch a boat with straw or combustibles from above,”

Rupert said, ”and burn it.”

”You may be very sure that they have got chains across the river above the bridge, to prevent any attempt of that kind,” Captain Lauriston said.

Presently the captain, who was on duty, went out for his rounds, and Rupert, who had been sitting thoughtfully, said, ”Look here, Dillon, I am a good swimmer, and it seems to me that it would be easy enough to put two or three petards on a plank--I noticed some wood on the bank above the town yesterday--and to float down to the bridge, to fasten them to two or three of the boats, and so to break the bridge; your cousin in the engineers could manage to get us the petards. What do you say?”

The young Irishman looked at the lad in astonishment.

”Are you talking seriously?” he asked.