The Livonian peasants were, however, at work, and set fire to the town in many places.  The flames spread rapidly.  Great stores of hides and leather, and a huge magazine filled with hemp, added to the fury of the conflagration, and the whole town was burned to the ground; numbers of the Russians preferring death by fire, in the houses, to coming out and surrendering themselves.

Many of the fugitives had succeeded in reaching a strong position on the hill commanding the town.  This consisted of a convent, surrounded by strong walls mounted with cannon, which played upon the town while the fight there was going on.  As Baron Spens had no guns with him, he was unable to follow up his advantage by taking this position, and he therefore gave orders to the force to retire, the peasants being loaded with booty that they had gathered before the fire spread.

The loss of the Swedes was thirty killed and sixty wounded, this being a small amount of loss compared with what they had inflicted upon the enemy.

“I call that a horrible business, Captain Jervoise,” Charlie said, when the troops had returned to Marienburg.  “There was no real fighting in it.”

“It was a surprise, Charlie.  But they fought desperately after they gained the town.”

“Yes, but we did nothing there beyond firing away at the windows.  Of course, I had my sword in my hand; but it might as well have been in its sheath, for I never struck a blow, and I think it was the same with most of our men.  One could not cut down those poor wretches, who were scarce awake enough to use their arms.  I was glad you held our company in rear of the others.”

“Yes; I asked the colonel before attacking to put us in reserve, in case the enemy should rally.  I did it on purpose, for I knew that our men, not having, like the Swedes, any personal animosity against the Russians, would not like the work.  If it had come to storming the convent, I would have volunteered to lead the assault.  At any rate, I am glad that, although a few of the men are wounded, no lives are lost in our company.”

Harry cordially agreed with his friend.  “I like an expedition, Charlie, if there is fighting to be done; but I don’t want to have anything more to do with surprises.  However, the cavalry had a good deal more to do with it than we had; but, as you say, it was a ghastly business.  The only comfort is they began it, and have been robbing the peasants and destroying their homes for months.”

Many small expeditions were sent out with equally favourable results; but Captain Jervoise’s company took no part in these excursions.

Charles the Twelfth was passionately fond of hunting and, in spite of his many occupations, found time occasionally to spend a day or two in the chase.  A few days after the attack upon Pitschur, he came to Marienburg to learn all particulars of the Russian position from Colonel Schlippenbach, as he intended, in the spring, to attack the triangle formed by three fortresses, in order to drive the Russians farther back from the frontier.