“We are English soldiers,” Hugh said, “on our way to Bergen op Zoom, when by some carelessness a keg of powder blew up, our boat went to the bottom, and we have been swimming for it for the last couple of hours.”

“Are you the English officer and soldier who left Dort this afternoon?” one of the men said.  “We saw you come down to the quay with Mynheer Von Duyk and his daughter.  Our boat lay next to the boat you went by.”

“That is so,” Hugh said.  “Are you going to Bergen?  We have enough dollars left to pay our passage.”

“You would be welcome in any case,” the boatman said.  “Hans Petersen is not a man to bargain with shipwrecked men.  But go below.  There is a fire there.  I will lend you some dry clothes, and a glass of hot schnapps will warm your blood again.”

Arrived at Bergen, one of the boatmen, at Rupert’s request, went up into the town, and returned with a merchant of ready-made clothes, followed by his servant bearing a selection of garments such as Rupert had said that they would require, and in another half hour, after a handsome present to the boatmen, Rupert and Hugh landed, dressed in the costume of a Dutch gentleman and burgher respectively.  Their first visit was to an armourer’s shop, where Hugh was provided with a sword, in point of temper and make fully equal to that with which he had so reluctantly parted.  Then, hiring horses, they journeyed by easy stages to Huy, a town on the Meuse, six leagues above Liege, which Marlborough, again forbidden by the Dutch deputies to give battle when he had every prospect of a great victory, was besieging.

The capture of the fortress, and subsequently of Limberg, was all the campaign of 1703 effected; whereas, had the English commander been allowed to have his way, the great results which were not obtained until after three years’ further fighting might at once have been gained.

Rupert was greeted with enthusiasm by his comrades on his return.  After the battle before Antwerp the duke had caused inquiries to be made as to the fate of his young friend, and had written to Dort, and had received an answer from Rupert announcing his convalescence and speedy return to duty.

Upon hearing his tale of the fresh attempt upon his life by Sir Richard Fulke, the commander-in-chief wrote to the States General, as the government of Holland was called, and requested that orders should be issued for the arrest of Sir Richard Fulke, wherever he might be found, upon a charge of attempt at murder.  Nothing was, however, heard of him, and it was supposed that he had either returned to England or passed into Germany.

After the capture of Limberg the army went into winter quarters, and the 5th dragoons were allotted their old quarters near Liege.