ey have a
day to rest, halfway. Your horses could do more, riding them on
alternate days; but it would be as much as mine could do to manage
that."

"We must take them by turns, Karl. That will give each horse a
partial rest--one day out of three."

"Like that they could do it, I should say, major, in about a
fortnight."

They rode first to Breslau, and thence to Magdeburg, passing
through many towns on the long journey, but none of any great
importance. At Magdeburg they heard that they must make for
Hanover, where they would be able to ascertain the precise position
of the duke's army, which was on the northern frontier of
Westphalia.

While the French, under the Duke of Broglio, were advancing north
from Frankfort-on-Maine; another French army, under Contades, was
moving against Ferdinand from the west. As it was probable that
there would, at least, be no great battle until the two French
armies combined, Fergus, who had already given his horses two days'
complete rest, remained for three days at Magdeburg; as it was
likely that he would have to work them hard, when he joined the
duke.

Five days later he rode into the Duke of Brunswick's principal
camp, which was near Osnabrueck, where was situated his central
magazine.

"I am glad to see you, Major Drummond," the duke said cordially,
when Fergus reported himself. "I thought perhaps the king would
select you for the service, and I know how zealous and active you
are. I am greatly in need of a staff officer who can speak English,
for none of mine can do so.

"I think that we shall have some hard fighting here, soon. You see
that I am very much in the position of the king, menaced from two
directions. If I move to attack Contades, Broglio will have Hanover
entirely open to him; while if I move against him, Contades will
capture Muenster and Osnabrueck and get all my magazines, and might
even push on and occupy the town of Hanover, before I could get
back. So you see, I have nothing to do but to wait in this
neighbourhood until I see their designs.

"I have some twelve thousand of your countrymen here, and I rely
upon them greatly. We know how they fought at Fontenoy. Splendid
fellows they are. There is a Scotch regiment with them, whose
appearance in kilts and feathers in no slight degree astonishes
both the people and my own soldiers. Their cavalry are very fine,
too. They have much heavier horses than ours, and should be
terrible in a charge.

"How