whom could talk French, while Hugh was hospitably entertained by
the sergeants of the staff.

The next morning the tents were struck, and the heavy baggage was,
in accordance with Lord Marlborough's orders, sent to the fortress
of Bergen op Zoom. But, to Rupert's surprise and uneasiness, no
attempt was made to carry out the second part of the instruction
contained in the dispatch.

The day passed quietly, and at night the party were very merry
round a campfire. At eight o'clock next morning a horseman rode
into camp with the news that the French were attacking the rear,
and that the army was cut off from the Scheldt!

The Earl of Marlborough's prevision had proved correct. The French
marshals had determined to take advantage of their central
position, and to crush one of their enemy's columns. On the evening
of the 29th, Marshal Villeroi detached Marshal Boufflers with
thirty companies of grenadiers and thirty squadrons of horse. These
marching all night reached Antwerp at daybreak without interruption,
and uniting with the force under the Marquis Bedmar, issued out
30,000 strong to attack Obdam. Sending off detached columns, who
moved round, and--unseen by the Dutch, who acted with as great
carelessness as if their foes had been 500 miles away--he took
possession of the roads on the dykes leading not only to Fort Lille
on the Scheldt, but to Bergen op Zoom, and fell suddenly upon the
Dutch army on all sides.

Scarcely had the messenger ridden into Eckeron, when a tremendous
roar of musketry broke out in all quarters, and the desperate
position into which the supineness of their general had suffered
them to fall, was apparent to all.

In a few minutes the confusion was terrible. Rupert and Hugh
hastily saddled their horses, and had just mounted when General
Obdam with twenty troopers rode past at full gallop.

"Where can he be going?" Rupert said. "He is not riding towards
either of the points attacked."

"It seems to me that he is bolting, Master Rupert, just flying by
some road the French have not yet occupied."

"Impossible!" Rupert said.

But it was so, and the next day the runaway general himself brought
the news of his defeat to the League, announcing that he had
escaped with thirty horse, and that the rest of his army was
destroyed. It is needless to say that General Obdam never
afterwards commanded a Dutch army in the field.

The second part of the news which he brought the Hague was not
correct.