en me no answer."

"Well, you can return to your quarters, sir. Your company did me
good service in that fight, and Colonel Schlippenbach did not speak
in any way too warmly in their favour. I would that I had more of
these brave Englishmen and Scotchmen in my service."

Charlie's head, however, was not as hard as he had believed it to
be; and the long ride brought on inflammation of the wound, so
that, on the following morning, he was in a high state of fever. It
was a fortnight before he was convalescent, and the surgeon then
recommended that he should have rest and quiet for a time, as he
was sorely pulled down, and unfit to bear the hardships of a
campaign; and it was settled that he should go down with the next
convoy to Revel, and thence take ship for Sweden.

He was so weak, that although very sorry to leave the army just as
spring was commencing, he himself felt that he should be unable to
support the fatigues of the campaign, until he had had entire rest
and change. A few hours after the decision of the surgeon had been
given, Major Jamieson and Captain Jervoise entered the room where
he was sitting, propped up by pillows.

"I have a bit of news that will please you, Charlie. The king sent
for the major this morning, and told him that he intended to
increase our company to a regiment, if he could do so. He had heard
that a considerable number of Scotchmen and Englishmen had come
over, and were desirous of enlisting, but, from their ignorance of
the language, their services had been declined. He said that he was
so pleased, not only with the conduct of the company in that fight,
but with its discipline, physique, and power of endurance, that he
had decided to convert it into a regiment. He said he was sorry to
lose its services for a time; but, as we lost twenty men in the
fight, and have some fifteen still too disabled to take their
places in the ranks, this was of the less importance.

"So we are all going to march down to Revel with you. Major
Jamieson is appointed colonel, and I am promoted to be major. The
king himself directed that Cunningham and Forbes shall have
commissions as captains, and you and Harry as lieutenants. The
colonel has authority given him to nominate Scotch and English
gentlemen of good name to make up the quota of officers, while most
of our own men will be appointed non-commissioned officers, to
drill the new recruits. The king has been good enough, at Colonel
Jamieson's request