“I wish you to ascertain, if possible, what this force is doing, and where it is posted.  If you ride across to the mill, on the eminence behind Diepenbeck, you may be able to get sight of them; or, if the smoke renders it impossible to discover matters from that point, ride on to the farther hill, and, descending there on the enemy’s left, you will be able to make your way close enough to ascertain what is going on.  You are well mounted, and need not greatly fear capture, for they would hardly care to divert a party of cavalry in pursuit of a single officer.  Still, it is as well not to push your horse too hard on your way out, for you may possibly need all his strength.”

A minute later, Desmond was cantering his horse down the declivity to the Norken.  Crossing by the bridge near Mullen, he turned to the right and rode up the hill of Royegham.  Here a strong brigade, composed of cavalry and infantry, under General Grimaldi, was stationed.  Desmond rode up to him.

“The Duke of Berwick has sent me to ascertain, sir, the position of a strong body of the enemy’s troops, whom he observed marching from the river towards our right.  May I ask if you have noticed them?”

“We saw them move away, after crossing the river, but have not seen them since.  I should fancy they are engaged in front of Diepenbeck; but the ground is so undulating, and the view so obscured by smoke, that we have not caught sight of them since they issued from Oudenarde—­indeed, the hill behind Diepenbeck prevents our seeing down into the low land beyond.”

“I will ride on there, sir,” Desmond said.  “Certainly a better view can be obtained than from this side.”

A canter of a mile took him to the summit of the hill at whose foot Diepenbeck stood.  He could see the masses of French troops, gathered in and in front of the village; but beyond that a veil of smoke covered the country, and entirely obscured the contending parties, whose position could only be guessed by the incessant rattle of their musketry fire.

Turning again, he rode down the dip that separated the hill from that of Oycke.  He had just gained the crest, when he saw a large force marching rapidly towards the mill.  Seeing at once the serious nature of the movement, he turned and galloped, at full speed, to the point where the generals were still watching the progress of the fight.

“I could learn nothing of the force you spoke of from General Grimaldi at Royegham, nor on the heights above Diepenbeck; but, riding towards Oycke, I saw them advancing at full speed towards the windmill, at which they had already almost arrived.”

An exclamation of anger broke from the duke.

“This is what comes,” he muttered, “of placing a fool in command of the army.”

Turning away, he at once communicated the news to Vendome, who stamped his foot furiously on the ground.

“Just when victory was in our grasp,” he said, and turned his glass towards Oycke, which was some four miles distant.