, Ostend, Nieuport,
and Dunkirk, with some smaller fortresses, alone held out for the
French.

The Duke of Marlborough issued the most stringent orders for the
protection and fair treatment of the inhabitants, and so won such
general goodwill among the populations, that when he advanced on
Antwerp the local troops and citizens insisted on a surrender; and
the French troops capitulated, on condition of being allowed to
march out with the honours of war, and to be escorted safely to the
French frontier. Ostend was then besieged, and captured after a
brave resistance; and then, after a desperate resistance, the
important and very strong fortress of Menin was carried by assault,
1400 of the storming party, principally British, being slain at the
breach. Dindermande and Ath were next taken, and the allied army
then went into winter quarters, after a campaign as successful, and
far more important in its results, than that of Blenheim.

Chapter 17: A Prisoner of War.

In the brilliant results which arose from the victory at Ramilies,
Rupert Holliday had no share. The 5th dragoons formed part of the
cavalry force which, when the battle was over, pursued the broken
French cavalry to the gates of Hochstad.

In the pursuit, along a road encumbered with deserted waggons,
tumbrels, and guns, the pursuers after nightfall became almost as
much broken up as the pursued.

Rupert's horse towards the end of the pursuit went dead lame, and
he dismounted in order to see if he could do anything to its hoof.
He found a sharp stone tightly jammed in the shoe, and was
struggling to get this out when the troop again moved forward. Not
doubting that he would overtake them in a minute or two, and
fearing that unless his horse was relieved of the stone it would
become so lame that it would not be able to carry him back, Rupert
hammered away at it with a large boulder from the road. It was a
longer job than he had anticipated, and five minutes elapsed before
he succeeded in getting the stone out, and then, mounting his
horse, he rode briskly forward. Presently he came to a point where
the road forked. He drew rein and listened, and thought he heard
the tramping of horse on the road that led to the left. As he rode
on the noise became louder, and in another five minutes he came up
to the troop.

It was quite dark, and riding past the men, he made his way to the
head of the column.

"I have had an awful bother in getting rid of that sto