icers agreed. Already the lads
were beginning to take an interest in great matters of state, as was
natural in the case of well-educated and intelligent youngsters. And
they felt that when either event should happen it would be a bad day
for the rest of Europe.

Baffled in his great scheme, Marlborough set his hand to another
important work. Across the province of Brabant in Flanders the French
held a wonderful belt of strongholds, stretching from Namur to
Antwerp. No invasion of France could possibly be made from the
Netherlands so long as Louis held this formidable line of defences.
Moreover, the near presence of these fortresses to Holland was a
standing threat to the Dutch, and, when Marlborough made known his
plans to them, they for once fell in with them.

Thus it happened that Lieutenant Blackett and his friend Cornet
Fairburn found themselves once more in the thick of war. They had had
a preliminary skirmish or two not long before--the retaking of Huy,
the frightening of Villeroy from Liege, and what not--but now
something more serious was afoot. That the task the Duke had set
himself was a difficult one, every man in his service knew, but they
knew also that he was not a commander likely to be dismayed by mere
difficulties. Villeroy, the leader of the French, had 70,000 troops
with him, a larger force than the Allies could get together.

It was near Tirlemont that Marlborough began his operations. The march
to the place went on till it was stopped by a small but awkward brook,
the Little Gheet, on the farther side of which the French were very
strongly posted in great numbers. So formidable an affair did the
crossing appear that the Dutch generals objected to the attempt being
made. Marlborough, usually the best-tempered of men, was in a rage,
and determined to push the attack in spite of them. It was the morning
of July 17, 1705.

"We are in for hard knocks to-day, if appearances go for anything,"
Blackett said quietly to George, as their regiment prepared, with the
other cavalry, to open the proceedings.

"So much the better," was George's laughing answer; "without hard
knocks there is no promotion, eh?"

All was ready; the bugle rang out the signal for the attack. The long
line of Marlborough's horse fronted the Gheet at no great distance
away, the field-pieces were in position, the infantry and reserves
somewhat to the rear. Beyond the stream, with the advantage of rising
ground, were planted the Fr