“Well spoken, Rupert,” Sir John said.  “Now we have kept you talking in the sun an unconscionable time; come over to our tent, and have something to wash the dust away.  We have some fairly good Burgundy, of which we bought a barrel the other day from a vintner in Nimeguen, and it must be drunk before we march.

“Are these the officers of your troop?  Pray present me.”

Rupert introduced his friends to Captain Lauriston and Lieutenant Dillon, and the invitation was extended to them.  For the time, however, it was necessary to see to the wants of the men, but later on the three officers went across to the tents of the king’s dragoons, to which regiment Lord Fairholm and Sir John Loveday both belonged, and spent a merry evening.

Upon the following day the Earl of Marlborough sent for Rupert and inquired of him how he liked the life, and how he was getting on; and begged of him to come to him at any time should he have need of money, or be in any way so placed as to need his aid.  Rupert thanked him warmly, but replied that he lacked nothing.

The following day the march began, and Rupert shared in the general indignation felt by the British officers and men at seeing the splendid opportunities of crushing the enemy—­opportunities gained by the skill and science of their general, and by their own rapid and fatiguing marches—­thrown away by the feebleness and timidity of the Dutch deputies.  When the siege of Venloo began the main body of the army was again condemned to inactivity, and the cavalry had of course nothing to do with the siege.

The place was exceedingly strong, but the garrison was weak, consisting only of six battalions of infantry and 300 horse.  Cohorn, the celebrated engineer, directed the siege operations, for which thirty-two battalions of infantry and thirty-six squadrons of horse were told off, the Prince of Nassau Saarbruch being in command.

Two squadrons of the 5th dragoons, including the troop to which Rupert belonged, formed part of the force.  The work was by no means popular with the cavalry, as they had little to do, and lost their chance of taking part in any great action that Boufflers might fight with Marlborough to relieve the town.  The investment began on the 4th? of September, the efforts of the besiegers being directed against Fort Saint Michael at the opposite side of the river, but connected by a bridge of boats to the town.

On the 17th the breaches were increasing rapidly in size, and it was whispered that the assault would be made on the evening of the 18th, soon after dusk.

“It will be a difficult and bloody business,” Captain Lauriston said, as they sat in their tent that evening.  “The garrison of Fort Saint Michael is only 800, but reinforcements will of course pour in from the town directly the attack begins, and it may be more than our men can do to win the place.  You remember how heavily the Germans suffered in their attack on the covered way of Kaiserwerth.”