Thus the ancient rivals became comrades in arms, and members of the same regiment, for George from that time was a cavalry man.  His other friend, Fieldsend, was attached to a line regiment again.

Bit by bit Lieutenant Blackett, during the next days, contrived to give his friend a full and vivid account of the great battle of Blenheim, just won by the Allies.  He was not a great hand at a tale, whatever he might be on the field, and we may piece together his story for him.  His adventures and his doings in that memorable fight may well delay our tale for a little space.

That year Louis of France had determined to make a vigorous effort, or rather a series of efforts, and sent various armies to oppose the different members of the Grand Alliance.  But his main plan was to attack the Empire, making Bavaria, the Elector of which was his only supporter in that part of the world, his advance post.  For some time Louis had been secretly encouraging Hungary in the rebellion she was contemplating.  He trusted, therefore, that the Emperor would find himself attacked by his Hungarian subjects to rearward, while he was engaged with the combined French and Bavarian forces in front.  It was a very fine scheme.

But there was one man, and only one, who saw through it—­Marlborough.  At once the Duke set off southwards, carrying with him also a force of Dutchmen, deceiving their rulers by a ruse.  He sent for the valiant Prince Eugene to meet him, and the two famous generals saw each other for the first time.  Mutual admiration and friendship sprang up between them, to last through the rest of their lives.  Prince Louis of Baden had given some trouble by wishing to share the command with Marlborough.  Him they at last got rid of by sending him to take the important fortress of Ingolstadt, commanding the Danube.  Marlborough’s magnificent march from the Netherlands to the upper Danube is one of the finest things in military story.

Marlborough and Prince Eugene met with the French and Bavarian forces near the village of Blenheim, on the same river, and close to Hochstaedt, the scene of the defeat of the allied troops the year before, and joyfully the leaders prepared to join battle.  The commanders on the side of the enemy were Marshal Marsin, the Prince of Bavaria, and Marshal Tallard.  The last of these had managed to slip past Eugene some time before and join his colleagues.

The order of battle on the side of the Allies was this.  The right was commanded by Eugene, the left by Lord Cutts, a gallant officer, the centre, a vast body of cavalry mainly, by Marlborough himself.  Opposed to Eugene were the Elector and Marsin, while Tallard faced the Duke, but on the farther bank of the little brook Nebel, which empties itself into the Danube just below.  Tallard’s centre was weak, as he had crowded no fewer than seventeen battalions into the village of Blenheim, on his extreme right and close to the bank of the great river.