At one o'clock in the morning he was aroused with alarming news. A strong brigade of Lambert's cavalry with two guns had seized Chillingham Castle, which was but twenty miles from the Border. Furious to think that the precious armistice was broken, and still more that Lambert should have taken advantage of the withdrawal of the outposts to cover an advance with a flag of truce, he ordered Zankey's instant arrest. It was a fearful night. The darkness was impenetrable and a storm was raging. But at such a moment nothing mattered to the tough old campaigner. In an hour his orders for the army were written, and he was galloping away recklessly to inspect the fords uphill and downhill along the frozen roads, regardless of the protests of his staff. "It was God's infinite mercy we had not our necks broke," wrote one of them afterwards. At Norham the storm had increased to such a fury that he was compelled to take shelter in the castle. By daylight, however, he had visited every pass over the Tweed, and a little before noon he reached Coldstream, where he intended to make his head-quarters. Here was the best ford over the river, and he had ordered a strong force to muster for its protection. So well had his orders been obeyed that he found his troops had already consumed everything that was fit for food or drink in the place. But "old George" was as indifferent to hunger as he was to fatigue. In dismay his staff saw him sit down in a small cottage and quietly take out a quid of tobacco. It was for him all that Captain Bobadil boasted. His staff stole away to hunt for a dinner, and when they returned the general was still serenely chewing where they had left him.