s, healing
differences, and getting the whole arrangement of the campaign into
something like working order. At last, everything being fairly in
trim, he set out on the 2nd of July from the Hague, with full power
as commander-in-chief of the allied armies, for Nimeguen. There he
ordered the British troops from Breda, 8000 Germans from
Kaiserwerth, and the contingents of Hesse and Luneburg, 6000
strong, under the Prince of Zell, to join him.

As these reinforcements brought his army up to a strength superior
to that of the French, although Marshal Boufflers had hastily drawn
to him some of the garrisons of the fortresses, the Earl of
Marlborough prepared to strike a great blow. The Dutch deputies who
accompanied the army--and whose timidity and obstinacy a score of
times during the course of the war thwarted all Marlborough's
best-laid plans, and saved the enemy from destruction--interfered
to forbid an attack upon two occasions when an engagement would, as
admitted by French historians, have been fatal to their whole army.
Marlborough therefore was obliged to content himself by outflanking
the French, compelling them to abandon Cleves, to cross the Meuse,
and to fall back into Flanders, with some loss, and great haste and
disorder.

In vain the French marshal endeavoured to take post so as to save
the Meuse fortresses, which stood at the gates of Flanders, and by
their command of the river prevented the allies from using the
chain of water communications to bring up supplies. Marlborough
crossed the line by which his siege train was coming up, and then
pounced upon Venloo, a very strong fortress standing across the
Meuse--that is to say, the town was on one side, the fort of Saint
Michael on the other.

After this chapter, devoted to the necessary task of explaining the
cause and commencement of the great War of Succession, we can
return to the individual fortunes of our hero.

Chapter 7: Venloo.

Upon the 5th dragoons being, with the others lying with it in camp
at Breda, ordered up to join the main army at Nimeguen, Rupert was,
to his great delight, declared to be sufficiently advanced in his
knowledge of drill to take his place regularly in the ranks; and
Hugh and the other recruits also fell into their places in the
various troops among which they were divided, Hugh being, at
Rupert's request, told off to Captain Lauriston's troop. With drums
beating and colours flying, the column from Breda marched into