o see anything but the rear files of the company in
front."

"It was an uncanny feeling, Charlie. I felt it myself, and was very
grateful that we were hidden from the enemy, who, of course, were
blazing away in the direction in which they had last seen us. We
only lost three killed and twelve wounded, altogether, and I think
those were, for the most part, hit by random shots.

"Well, if this is the way the king means to carry on war, we shall
have enough of it before we are done."

The sick and wounded were sent into the town, the first thing, but
it was not until the Russians had all crossed the river that the
king, himself, rode triumphantly into the place, surrounded by his
staff, amid the wild enthusiasm of the inhabitants, whom his
victory had saved from ruin and massacre.

The town, although strongly fortified, was not a large one, and its
houses were so dilapidated, from the effects of the Russian
bombardment, that but few of the troops could be accommodated
there. The rest were quartered in the Russian huts. On the 26th, a
solemn service of thanksgiving for the victory was celebrated, with
a salute from all the cannon of the town and camp, and by salvos of
musketry from the troops.

The question of provisions was the most important now. It was true
that large quantities had been captured in the Russian camp, but,
beyond a magazine of corn, abandoned by the fugitives at Tama and
brought in, there was no prospect of replenishing the store when
exhausted, for the whole country, for a great distance round, had
been completely devastated by the Russians. These had not retreated
far, having been rallied by the czar at Plescow, and quartered in
the towns of the frontier of Livonia, whence they made incursions
into such districts as had not been previously wasted.

"This is dull work," Archie Cunningham said, one day. "The sooner
we are busy again, the better. There is nothing to do, and very
little to eat. The cold is bitter, and fuel scarce. One wants
something to warm one's blood."

"You are not likely to have anything of that kind, for some months
to come," Major Jamieson replied dryly. "You don't suppose we are
going to have a battle of Narva once a week, do you? No doubt there
will be a few skirmishes, and outpost encounters, but beyond that
there will be little doing until next spring. You can make up your
mind, for at least five months, of the worst side of a soldier's
life--dull quarters, and probably