The question of provisions was the most important now.  It was true that large quantities had been captured in the Russian camp, but, beyond a magazine of corn, abandoned by the fugitives at Tama and brought in, there was no prospect of replenishing the store when exhausted, for the whole country, for a great distance round, had been completely devastated by the Russians.  These had not retreated far, having been rallied by the czar at Plescow, and quartered in the towns of the frontier of Livonia, whence they made incursions into such districts as had not been previously wasted.

“This is dull work,” Archie Cunningham said, one day.  “The sooner we are busy again, the better.  There is nothing to do, and very little to eat.  The cold is bitter, and fuel scarce.  One wants something to warm one’s blood.”

“You are not likely to have anything of that kind, for some months to come,” Major Jamieson replied dryly.  “You don’t suppose we are going to have a battle of Narva once a week, do you?  No doubt there will be a few skirmishes, and outpost encounters, but beyond that there will be little doing until next spring.  You can make up your mind, for at least five months, of the worst side of a soldier’s life—­dull quarters, and probably bad ones, scanty food, cold, and disease.”

“Not a very bright lookout, major,” Forbes laughed.  “I hope it won’t be as bad as that.”

“Then I advise you to give up hoping, and to make up your mind to realities, Forbes.  There is a good deal of illness in the camp now, and there will be more and more as the time goes on.  There is nothing like inaction to tell upon the health of troops.  However, we certainly shall not stay here.  It would be impossible to victual the army, and I expect that, before long, we shall march away and take up quarters for the winter.

“As to operations on a great scale, they are out of the question.  After the thrashing they have had, the Russians will be months before they are in a condition to take the offensive again; while we are equally unable to move because, in the first place, we are not strong enough to do so, and in the second we have no baggage train to carry provisions with us, and no provisions to carry if we had it.”

On the 13th of December, the king quitted Narva with the army, and on the 19th arrived at Lais, an old castle six miles from Derpt, and here established his headquarters.  A few of the troops were stationed in villages, but the greater part in rough huts in the neighbourhood, and along the frontier.

It was not long before Major Jamieson’s predictions were verified.  A low fever, occasioned by the fatiguing marches and the hardships they had endured, added to the misery from the cold and wet that penetrated the wretched huts, spread rapidly through the army.  Many died, and great numbers were absolutely prostrated.

The king was indefatigable in his efforts to keep up the spirits of the troops.  He constantly rode about from camp to camp, entering the huts, chatting cheerfully with the soldiers, and encouraging them by kind words and assurances that, when the spring came, they would soon gain strength again.