The taking of this place was a necessity to Karl pending the arrival of his reinforcements, as his army was deprived of everything, and the resources of Mazeppa almost at an end.
The Swedish army was now reduced to 18,000 men, but besides these Karl commanded the Cossacks of Mazeppa, and several thousand Kalmucks and Moldavians, free lances attached to his standard by the love of booty and of glory.
With this force Karl advanced on Poltava; he had the mortification of finding that Mentchikoff had outmaneuvered him, and flung 5000 men into the town.
The King pressed the siege and had taken several of the outworks when he learnt of the approach of the Czar with 70,000 men.
CHAPTER II
KARL, returning to his camp after having beaten one of the advanced detachments of the Czar’s army, was noticed by General Rehnsköld to be colorless as a man of stone, and when he came to dismount at the door of his tent, those who accompanied him observed that his boot was dripping blood, and the side of his horse soaked.
The Prince of Wurtemberg ordered his servant to run for a surgeon, and General Lewenhaupt caught the King’s arm.
“Sire, you are wounded!” he exclaimed.
Karl, in his proud obstinacy and his desire to endure everything in silence, would have denied the fact even now, but the pain was so intense that he could not conceal it any longer, nor could he put his foot to the ground.
“A ball struck my heel,” he said sternly.