corching place."

If it seemed odd to the lad that the English soldiers were commanded
by a Frenchman, it was still stranger that the French forces they were
marching to meet were under an Englishman. Yet so it was; the
commander of Louis's army in Spain being the Duke of Berwick, a son of
James II and Arabella Churchill, Marlborough's sister. The two
generals were well matched, according to the opinion that prevailed
among the troops.

Weeks passed, and as yet George Fairburn had seen no actual fighting.
He was all eager to get into action, and was not much comforted by the
declaration of the old sergeant under whom he marched.

"Bide your time, my lad," the veteran would say, "you will get your
full share of fighting; enough to satisfy even a fire-eater such as I
can see you're going to be."

One evening, to his intense delight, the lad was sent forward with a
skirmishing party, a report having come in that the enemy was
concealed somewhere in one of the wooded valleys of the neighbourhood.
After a cautious march of three or four miles, the little company,
commanded by a lieutenant of foot, dropped down into a dingle, at the
bottom of which ran a stream almost everywhere hidden by the thick
growth of trees. The men were startled, on turning a corner in the
break-neck path, to see below them the French flag flying from what
appeared to be an old mill. Scattered about were the roofs of a dozen
cottages, and at the doors could be perceived a number of soldiers
lolling at their ease.

"The enemy, by Jove!" whispered George, who was leading in his usual
eager fashion, pointing out the flag and the hamlet to the lieutenant.
"Wouldn't it be a good joke to whip off their flag from that old mill,
sir!"

The officer laughed at the notion; he was not much more than a boy
himself.

"My lad," said he, "we must know how many the enemy are first."

"I'll climb to the roof there, and from it I can see right down into
the village and command a view of everything in it."

"Do you mean to say, youngster, that you would risk it?" the officer
asked in surprise.

"Oh, wouldn't I, sir," the lad replied with flushed face. "Say the
word, sir, please."

The lieutenant nodded, saying, "It's worth it. But be cautious."

The soldiers looked on while the boy carried out his freak, for such
they judged his bit of reconnoitring to be. Cautiously George crept
towards the mill, the sloping roof of which came almost down to the
very hi