At Narva the four young officers had all purchased horses.  Most of the Swedish officers were mounted; and the king encouraged this, as, on occasion, he could thereby collect at once a body of mounted men ready for any enterprise; but their own colonel preferred that, on the march, the lieutenants and ensigns should be on foot with their men, in order to set them an example of cheerful endurance.  Those who wished it, however, were permitted to have horses, which were, on such occasions, led in the rear of the regiment.

Captain Jervoise had approved of the purchase of the horses, which were got very cheaply, as great numbers had been captured.

“If we can get over the difficulty of the forage,” he said, “you will find them very useful for preserving your health during the winter.  A ride will set your blood in motion, and, wherever we are quartered, there are sure to be camps within riding distance.  The king approves of officers taking part in dashing expeditions, so you may be able to take a share in affairs that will break the monotony of camp life.”

They found great benefit from being able to ride about.  Forage was indeed very scarce.  They had no means of spending their pay on luxuries of any kind, their only outlay being in the purchase of black bread, and an occasional load of forage from the peasants.  Their regiment was with the force under the command of Colonel Schlippenbach, which was not very far from Marienburg, a place open to the incursions of the Russians.  Baron Spens was at Signiz, and Colonel Alvedyhl at Rounenberg, and to both these places they occasionally paid a visit.

In order to keep the company in health, Captain Jervoise encouraged the men to get up games, in which the four young officers took part.  Sometimes it was a snowball match in the open; at other times a snow fort was built, garrisoned, and attacked.  Occasionally there were matches at hockey, while putting the stone, throwing the caber, running and wrestling matches, were all tried in turn; and the company suffered comparatively little from the illness which rendered so large a proportion of the Swedish army inefficient.

Colonel Schlippenbach was an energetic officer, and had, several times, ridden past when the men were engaged in these exercises.  He expressed to Captain Jervoise his approval of the manner in which he kept his men in strength and vigour.

“I shall not forget it,” he said, one day, “and if there is service to be done, I see that I can depend upon your company to do it.”

In January, he took a party of horse, and reconnoitred along the River Aa, to observe the motions of the Saxons on the other side; and, hearing that a party of them had entered Marienburg, he determined to take possession of that place, as, were they to fortify it, they would be able greatly to harass the Swedes.  Sending word to the king of his intention, and asking for an approval of his plan of fortifying the town, he took three companies of infantry and four hundred horse, made a rapid march to Marienburg, and occupied it without opposition.