We may be going to push forward in that direction, and occupy some strong position until the army comes up, but it would be the height of madness to attack an enemy, in a strong position, and just tenfold our force." "Well, we shall see," Jamieson said coolly.

"It is certain that Narva cannot hold out much longer, and I know that the king has set his heart on relieving it; but it does seem somewhat too dangerous an enterprise to attack the Russians.

At any rate, that is the direction in which we are going, tomorrow.

It is a good seventy miles distant, and, as they say that the whole country has been devastated, and the villagers have all fled, it is evident that when the three days' bread and meat we carry are exhausted we shall have to get some food, out of the Russian camp, if nowhere else." Captain Jervoise laughed, as did the others.
"We can live for a short time on the horses, Jamieson, if we are hard pushed for it, though most of them are little beyond skin and bone." "That is true.

The cavalry are certainly scarcely fit for service.
Welling's troops have had a very hard time of it, and we may thank our stars, though we did not think so at the time, that we were kept nearly three months at Malmoe, instead of being here with Welling." "But do you seriously think, major, that the king means to attack the Russians ?" Cunningham asked.
"My own idea is that he does, Cunningham.