urchase of the horses, which
were got very cheaply, as great numbers had been captured.

"If we can get over the difficulty of the forage," he said, "you
will find them very useful for preserving your health during the
winter. A ride will set your blood in motion, and, wherever we are
quartered, there are sure to be camps within riding distance. The
king approves of officers taking part in dashing expeditions, so
you may be able to take a share in affairs that will break the
monotony of camp life."

They found great benefit from being able to ride about. Forage was
indeed very scarce. They had no means of spending their pay on
luxuries of any kind, their only outlay being in the purchase of
black bread, and an occasional load of forage from the peasants.
Their regiment was with the force under the command of Colonel
Schlippenbach, which was not very far from Marienburg, a place open
to the incursions of the Russians. Baron Spens was at Signiz, and
Colonel Alvedyhl at Rounenberg, and to both these places they
occasionally paid a visit.

In order to keep the company in health, Captain Jervoise encouraged
the men to get up games, in which the four young officers took
part. Sometimes it was a snowball match in the open; at other times
a snow fort was built, garrisoned, and attacked. Occasionally there
were matches at hockey, while putting the stone, throwing the
caber, running and wrestling matches, were all tried in turn; and
the company suffered comparatively little from the illness which
rendered so large a proportion of the Swedish army inefficient.

Colonel Schlippenbach was an energetic officer, and had, several
times, ridden past when the men were engaged in these exercises. He
expressed to Captain Jervoise his approval of the manner in which
he kept his men in strength and vigour.

"I shall not forget it," he said, one day, "and if there is service
to be done, I see that I can depend upon your company to do it."

In January, he took a party of horse, and reconnoitred along the
River Aa, to observe the motions of the Saxons on the other side;
and, hearing that a party of them had entered Marienburg, he
determined to take possession of that place, as, were they to
fortify it, they would be able greatly to harass the Swedes.
Sending word to the king of his intention, and asking for an
approval of his plan of fortifying the town, he took three
companies of infantry and four hundred horse, made a rapid march to