AUTHOR OF "TOM BURNABY" "BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE"
"KOBO: A STORY OF THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR"
Illustrated by William Rainey, R.I.
NEW YORK
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
27 AND 29 WEST 230 STREET
1905
"Honour hath three things in it: the vantage-ground to do good; the
approach to kings and principal persons; and the raising of a man's own
fortunes."
--_Bacon_.
_My dear Tom,_
_You received my former books so kindly that I feel assured you will not
object to have this volume inscribed with your name. I am not the less
convinced of this because you know well the country in which my opening
scenes are laid, and I had the pleasure last year of playing cricket
with you within a few miles of the village here disguised as Winton St.
Mary._
_I hope you will bear with me for one minute while I explain that in
writing this book I had three aims. First, to tell a good story: that
of course. Secondly, to give some account of the operations that
resulted in one of the most brilliant victories ever gained by our
British arms. Thirdly, to throw some light--fitful, it may be, but as
clear as the circumstances of my story admitted--on life and manners two
hundred years ago. History, as you have no doubt already learnt, is not
merely campaigning; and I shall be well pleased if these pages enlarge
your knowledge, in ever so slight a degree, of an interesting period in
our country's annals. And if you, or any other Christ's Hospital boy,
should convict me of borrowing a week from the life of a great
personage, or of antedating by a little a development in our national
pastime--well, I shall feel complimented by such evidence of careful
reading, and not be in the least abashed._
_I take the opportunity of this open letter to acknowledge my
indebtedness to the monumental "Memoires militaires relatifs a la
succession d'Espagne" issued by the French General Staff; to Mr. Austin
Dobson for a detail which only his perfect knowledge of the 18th century
could so readily have supplied; and to Lord Wolseley's brilliant life of
Marlborough, which every student of military history must hope so
competent a hand will continue and complete._
_Yours very sincerely,_
_HERBERT STRANG._
_Michaelmas Day, 1905._
*Contents*
_Chapter_ I
The Queen's Purse-Bearer
_Chapter_ II
Sherebiah Shouts
_Chapter_ III
Master and Man
_Chapter_ IV
Mynheer Jan Grootz and Another
_Chapter_ V
A Message from the Squire
_Chapter_ VI
My Lord Marlborough makes a Note
_Chapter_ VII
Snared
_Chapter_ VIII
Flotsam
_Chapter_ IX
Monsieur de Polignac Presses his Suit
_Chapter_ X
Bluff
_Chapter_ XI
The Battle of Lindendaal
_Chapter_ XII
Harry is Discharged
_Chapter_ XIII
Concerning Sherebiah
_Chapter_ XIV
Harry Rides for a Life
_Chapter_ XV
The Water of Affliction
_Chapter_ XVI
Knaves All Three
_Chapter_ XVII
In the Dusk
_Chapter_ XVIII
A Little Plot
_Chapter_ XXI
Marlborough's March to the Danube
_Chapter_ XX
The Castle of Rauhstein
_Chapter_ XXI
Across the Fosse
_Chapter_ XXII
The Fight in the Keep
_Chapter_ XXIII
Blenheim
_Chapter_ XXIV
The Wages of Sin
_Chapter_ XXV
A Bundle of Letters
_Chapter_ XXVI
The New Squire
_Chapter_ XXVII
Visitors at Winton Hall
*List of Illustrations*
_Plate_ I
The Fight in the Castle Yard . . . . . . _Frontispiece_
_Plate_ II
Harry makes a Diversion
_Plate_ III
My Lord Marlborough
_Plate_ IV
At the Last Gasp
_Plate_ V
"Mon Colonel, we are surrounded!"
_Plate_ VI
The Stroke of Eight
_Plate_ VII
"Fire and Fury!" shouted Aglionby
_Plate_ VIII
Mein Wirth is Surprised
*Map And Plan*