men around him, was in imminent
danger of capture by the French troops, who were pouring thick upon
the spot.

Colonel Rhodes charged at the head of his regiment straight upon the
French, and a lane was cut through. It was a matter of a few minutes.
The Duke was saved, and the enemy retired in woeful disappointment.
The first to reach the Duke were Blackett and Fairburn, and the lads
were flushed with joy and pride when their distinguished leader,
looking at them with a smile, said, with all his old pleasantness of
manner, "Gentlemen, I thank you."

The Brabant line of strongholds was broken. Villeroy fell back, and
Marlborough had his will on the defences. No inconsiderable section of
the belt was rendered useless. No longer did an impassable barrier
stretch between the Netherlands and France. The importance of the
victory could hardly be overstated. As one writer has well pointed
out, "All Marlborough's operations had hitherto been carried on to the
outside of these lines; thenceforward they were all carried on within
them."

A day or two later the Duke came to inspect the regiment to which our
boys belonged, just as he was inspecting others. The men with their
officers were drawn up, and the General's eyes ran along the line.
Presently he spoke a word to the colonel in command of the regiment,
and, to their no small confusion, Lieutenant Blackett and Cornet
Fairburn were called out to the front.

"How old are you?" the Duke inquired, as the youths saluted.

"Nearly twenty, may it please your Grace." "Just turned nineteen, by
your Grace's leave." Such were the replies.

"Hum!" said the Duke thoughtfully, "you shall have your promotion in
due course. You are young, and can afford to wait for it." This to
Matthew. "As for you"--turning to George--"you have fairly earned your
lieutenancy." And he turned away.

CHAPTER IX

ANNUS MIRABILIS

"Don't imagine, my dear lad, that they are going to make captains of
mere boys like ourselves." This was the reply, given with a hearty
laugh, when George Fairburn, after receiving his friend's warm
congratulations at the close of the inspection, was condoling with
Matthew on his failure to get his step. "A captain at twenty is
somewhat unlikely," Blackett went on. "I suppose so," replied George.
"After all we are only glorified schoolboys, some of our fellows tell
us. Yet you look three-and-twenty, if a day. However, all will come in
time, let us hope."

The bri