Two days later, Berwick’s corps joined Vendome, and that of Eugene marched into Marlborough’s camp.  In spite of the loss that he had suffered at Oudenarde, this reinforcement raised Vendome’s army to over one hundred and ten thousand men, which was about the same force as Marlborough had under his command.

After Eugene had joined him, standing as he did between Vendome’s army and Paris, Marlborough proposed that the enemy’s fortresses should be neglected, and that the army should march directly on Paris.  The movement might have been attended with success, but was of so daring a description that even Eugene opposed it, while the commanders of the Dutch, Danes, and Prussians were unanimously against it; and he consequently decided to lay siege to Lille—­a tremendous undertaking, for Lille was considered the strongest fortress in France, and Vendome, with over a hundred thousand men, was within a couple of days’ march of it.

His dispositions were made with extreme care, and a tremendous convoy of heavy artillery, ammunition, and provisions was brought up from Ostend, without the French being able to interfere with its progress.  Marlborough, with his British contingent and the Hanoverians, was to cover the operations of the siege, which was to be undertaken by Prince Eugene with the rest of the allied army.

Vendome marched at once with his army, and, making a circuit, placed himself between Lille and Paris, deserting his recent conquests in Ypres, Ghent, and Bruges, all of which fell into the hands of the allies.

Chapter 13:  Convalescent.

Desmond was not present with the French army, for many hours after their arrival at Ghent.  He suffered intense pain on the ride thither, and was then taken to a hospital that had been hastily formed for the reception of wounded officers.  Here the surgeons had agreed that there was nothing for it, but to amputate the arm halfway between the wrist and the elbow.  The limb was already greatly swollen.

“Under ordinary circumstances,” the surgeon said, “we should wait until we had reduced the inflammation, but this might be a matter of a week or ten days, and there is no time to spare, as the army will probably march away in a few days, and travel would increase the inflammation to such an extent that your life might be sacrificed.”

“I would rather have it taken off at once, doctor,” Desmond said.  “The operation cannot hurt very much more than the arm is hurting already, and the sooner it is over, the better.”

Surgery was in its infancy at that time.  Anesthetics were undreamt of; but the surgeons of the French army had large experience, and the operation was very skilfully performed, for the time.  The stump was then seared with a hot iron.

“You have stood it well,” the surgeon said, for, except when the iron was applied to the wound, no groan had issued from Desmond’s lips.  “Now, your servant must keep these dressings continually soaked with water, and, in a few days, we may hope that you will be able to travel in a waggon without danger.”