“I don’t know how you judge things,” said Claverhouse, “but I would not be quite at my ease if I were his Highness of Orange, in command of the army, and with more than one nation’s interest at stake, instead of a poor devil of a volunteer, with little pay, less reputation, and no responsibility. If we were marching across a plain and could see twenty miles round, or if there were no enemy within striking reach, well, then this were a pleasant march from Neville to Binch, for that is where I’m told we are going. But, faith, I don’t like the sight of this country in which 37 we are being entangled. If Condé has any head, and he is not a fool, he could arrange a fine ambuscade, and catch those mighty and vain-glorious Imperialists and that fool Souches like rats in a trap. Or he might make a sudden attack on the flank and cut our army into two, as you divide a caterpillar crawling along the ground.”
“The General knows what he is about, no doubt,” replies Carlton with true English phlegm; “he has made his plan, and I suppose the cavalry have been scouting. It’s their business who have got the command to arrange the march and the attack, and ours to do the fighting. It will be soon enough for us to arrange the tactics when we get to be generals. What say you to that, Mr. Graham? There’s no sign of the enemy at any rate, and Souches must be well in through the valley.”
“No,” said Graham, “there are no Frenchmen to be seen, but they may be there behind the hill on our right, and quick enough to show themselves when the time comes. Oh! I like this bit of country, for it minds me of the Braes of Angus, and I hate a land where all is flat and smooth. By heaven! what a chance there is for any commander who knows how to use a hill country. See ye here, comrade, suppose this was Scotland, and this 38 were an army of black Whigs, making their way to do some evil work after their heart’s desire against their King and Church, and I had the dealing with them. All I would ask would be a couple of Highland clans and a regiment of loyal gentlemen, well-mounted and armed. I would wait concealed behind yon wood up there near the sky-line till those Imperialists were fairly up the glen and out of sight and the Dutch were plodding their way in. Then I’d launch the Highlanders, sword in hand, down the slope of that hill, and cut off the rear-guard, and take the baggage at a swoop, and in half an hour the army would be disabled and the third part of it put out of action.”
“What about the Imperial troops and the Dutch, my General?” said Carlton, much interested in Claverhouse’s plan of battle. “You can’t take an army in detachments just as you please.”
“You can with Highlanders and cavalry, and then having struck your blow retire as quickly as you came. Faith, there would be no option about the retiring with your Highlanders; when they got hold of the baggage they would do nothing more. After every man had lifted as much as he could carry, he would make for the hills and leave the other 39 troops to do as they pleased. An army of Highlanders is quickly gathered and quickly dispersed, and the great point of attraction is the baggage. Condé has no Highlanders, the worse for him and the better for us, but he has plenty of light troops––infantry as well as cavalry––and if he doesn’t take this chance he ought to be discharged with disgrace. But see there, what make you of that, Carlton?”
“What and where?” said Carlton, looking in the direction Claverhouse pointed. “I see the brushwood, and it may be that there are troops behind, but my eyes cannot detect them.”
“Watch a moment that place where the leaves are darker and thicker, and that tree stands out; you can catch a glitter, just an instant, and then it disappears. What do you say to that?”
“By the Lord!” cried Carlton, who was standing in his stirrups and shading his eyes with his hand, “it’s the glitter of a breastplate. There’s one trooper at any rate in that wood, and if there is one there may be hundreds. What think you?”
“What I’ve been expecting for hours. Those are the videttes of the French army, and they have been watching us all the time our vanguard was passing. I’ll stake a year’s 40 rental of the lands of Claverhouse that if we could see on the other side of that hill we would find Condé’s troops making ready for an attack.”
“I will not say but that you are right, and I don’t like the situation nor feel as comfortable as I did half an hour ago. Do you think that the general in command knows of this danger, or has heard that the French outposts are so near?”