At the battle of Blenheim, Rupert Holliday escaped untouched, but
Hugh was struck with a fragment of shell, and severely wounded. He
was sent down the Rhine by water to the great military hospital
which had been established at Bonn; and Rupert, who was greatly
grieved at being separated from his faithful follower, had the
satisfaction of hearing ere long that he was doing well.
Rupert had assigned him as orderly a strong, active young fellow,
named Joe Sedley, who was delighted at his appointment, for the
"little cornet" was, since his defeat of the German champion, the
pride of the regiment. Joe was a Londoner, one of those fellows who
can turn their hand to anything, always full of fun, getting
sometimes into scrapes, but a general favourite with his comrades.
The campaign over, Rupert, who was now a lieutenant, asked and
obtained leave to go home for the winter; he had long since been
reconciled with his mother; and it was two years and a half since
he had left home. Hugh and Joe Sedley had also obtained leave, upon
Rupert's application on their behalf.
On his way down Rupert resolved to pay a visit for a few days to
his kind friends at Dort. They had written begging him to come and
see them; and a postscript which Maria had put in her last letter
to him, to the effect that she had reason to believe that her old
persecutor was in the neighbourhood, and that her father had taken
renewed precautions for her safety, added to his desire to visit
Dort.
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