They had had
a preliminary skirmish or two not long before--the retaking of Huy,
the frightening of Villeroy from Liege, and what not--but now
something more serious was afoot. That the task the Duke had set
himself was a difficult one, every man in his service knew, but they
knew also that he was not a commander likely to be dismayed by mere
difficulties. Villeroy, the leader of the French, had 70,000 troops
with him, a larger force than the Allies could get together.
It was near Tirlemont that Marlborough began his operations. The march
to the place went on till it was stopped by a small but awkward brook,
the Little Gheet, on the farther side of which the French were very
strongly posted in great numbers. So formidable an affair did the
crossing appear that the Dutch generals objected to the attempt being
made. Marlborough, usually the best-tempered of men, was in a rage,
and determined to push the attack in spite of them. It was the morning
of July 17, 1705.
"We are in for hard knocks to-day, if appearances go for anything,"
Blackett said quietly to George, as their regiment prepared, with the
other cavalry, to open the proceedings.
"So much the better," was George's laughing answer; "without hard
knocks there is no promotion, eh?"
All was ready; the bugle rang out the signal for the attack.
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