The young men were nothing loth to go back to their respective regiments, to say truth, when the time came.  Inaction did not seem to agree with their young blood.  Matthew, his wound now quite healed, was eager to get his next step.  Fieldsend was already captain, and hoped ere the close of the 1707 campaign to get his majority.  As for George Fairburn, he was quite content to be a soldier for soldiering’s sake, yet would thankfully take promotion if it came his way.  Blackett had paid a visit to the west-country home of the Fieldsends, and it was whispered that he had there found a mighty attraction.  But more of this may come later.

The year, to the bitter disappointment of our young officers, proved an unlucky one.  In all directions things went wrong.  As for Marlborough, from the very opening he experienced the old Dutch thwartings and oppositions, and, after a short and vexatious summer, he closed the campaign almost abruptly, and much earlier than in former years.  There was to be no promotion for anybody yet awhile.

In Spain there was an overwhelming disaster.  The French and Spanish forces, commanded by the redoubtable Berwick, completely defeated the combined English, Dutch, and Portuguese troops under Galway, at Almanza.  So great a misfortune was this that Galway declared that Spain would have to be evacuated by the Allies.  The cause of the Archduke Charles was to all intents and purposes lost, and the Bourbons were henceforth firmly seated on the throne of Spain.

Misfortune trod on the heels of misfortune.  Prince Eugene attempted to take Toulon, the chief naval station in the Mediterranean, but failed to accomplish the task he had set himself.  On the Rhine the Prince of Baden was badly defeated by Villars, at Stollhofen, the disaster laying Germany open to invasion by Louis.  The gallant Sir Cloudesley Shovel, who had risen from the position of cabin-boy, was drowned in a great storm off the Scilly Islands, England thereby losing one of her ablest admirals.

Glad were George and Matthew when, after a dull winter, the Duke opened his campaign of 1708.  The young men were now greater friends than ever, and not unnaturally so, after all that had happened and was happening.  The reports they had occasionally from the elder Fairburn were in the highest degree cheering.  The two ladies were well; the pits were prospering marvellously.

The feeling at home, rumour said, was setting strongly in favour of ending the war and coming to terms with France.  This discontent at home was supplemented by murmurings among the troops quartered at Antwerp, and still more by the uneasiness of the Dutch, who were disposed to make a separate treaty with France and drop out of the conflict.  Marlborough felt that he must achieve some brilliant success before that campaign was ended.

“There is going to be hot work for us, that is plain,” the two lieutenants said to each other, “and, if we have luck, we shall get the promotion we have been waiting so long for.”