The Adventures of Harry Rochester: A Tale of the Days of Marlborough and Eugene Read online

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  Cover art]

  The Fight in the Castle Yard]

  The Adventures of Harry Rochester

  A Tale of the Days of Marlborough and Eugene

  BY

  HERBERT STRANG

  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; theapproach to kings and principal persons; and the raising of a man's ownfortunes."

  --_Bacon_.

  _My dear Tom,_

  _You received my former books so kindly that I feel assured you will notobject to have this volume inscribed with your name. I am not the lessconvinced of this because you know well the country in which my openingscenes are laid, and I had the pleasure last year of playing cricketwith 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 inwriting this book I had three aims. First, to tell a good story: thatof course. Secondly, to give some account of the operations thatresulted in one of the most brilliant victories ever gained by ourBritish arms. Thirdly, to throw some light--fitful, it may be, but asclear as the circumstances of my story admitted--on life and manners twohundred years ago. History, as you have no doubt already learnt, is notmerely campaigning; and I shall be well pleased if these pages enlargeyour knowledge, in ever so slight a degree, of an interesting period inour 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 greatpersonage, or of antedating by a little a development in our nationalpastime--well, I shall feel complimented by such evidence of carefulreading, and not be in the least abashed._

  _I take the opportunity of this open letter to acknowledge myindebtedness to the monumental "Memoires militaires relatifs a lasuccession d'Espagne" issued by the French General Staff; to Mr. AustinDobson for a detail which only his perfect knowledge of the 18th centurycould so readily have supplied; and to Lord Wolseley's brilliant life ofMarlborough, which every student of military history must hope socompetent 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