s for all his
troops--a village being allotted to each company. Before they marched
off to their various quarters, Hector urged the officers to impress upon
their men the advantage of behaving well to the villagers.

"Of course the presence of so many men will be of serious inconvenience
to them, but they will doubtless make the best of it if they find that
they are treated civilly and that their lodgers endeavour to give as
little trouble as possible. See that everything down to the smallest
article is paid for, and investigate every complaint, and I will punish
any offenders severely. I have inquired into the average prices that
sheep, fowls, pigs, goats, and other articles fetch, and have made out a
list for each company; the peasants will be gainers by it, for they
will be saved the journey down to the towns. Let this be stuck up in a
conspicuous place in each village.

"The intendant will go round and make contracts for the supply of meat,
and will see whether it will be more advantageous to erect ovens for
the baking of bread in each village or to arrange to buy it ready baked
there, we supplying the flour; for the troops, after being accustomed to
good bread at St. Denis, will not be content with the black bread upon
which these poor people exist. I shall pay a visit to each company
in regular order, see that all is going on well, try men who have
misbehaved themselves, and listen gladly to any suggestions that the
respective captains may make to me."

The first company was quartered at Saline, and although the cold was
severe and the life rough the troops were well contented, and Hector was
glad to find that his instructions were carried out and that excellent
relations were maintained between the troops and their hosts.

Early in the spring Turenne collected a force of three regiments of
cavalry and two of infantry, and, passing the Rhine at Breisach, fell
suddenly upon a force of Imperialists in the Black Forest, defeated
them, and took three or four hundred prisoners, among whom were many
officers, the rest of them escaping to the army commanded by Count
Merci. In May the Bavarian army, numbering eight thousand foot and seven
thousand horse, marched to besiege Freiburg, five leagues from Breisach,
and Turenne followed with all his force, which now numbered ten thousand
men. He found, however, that the Imperialists had occupied all the
strong positions in the neighbourhood of the town, and not caring to run