“Yes, ride forward,” growled Cumberland. “You’ve the pick of my scoundrels with you, Goldstein--hard riders and coarse feeders--they’ll help you pick off stragglers.” The two men exchanged a glance of understanding. Difference of rank apart, they were brotherly in the instincts that they shared; and his Grace of Cumberland, from his youth up, had had a gift for choosing his friends among those who rode unencumbered by conscience, or pity, or any sort of tenderness. And, as he had said just now, he found them mostly in the kennels. “One word,” said Cumberland, as the other prepared to ride forward. “There’s no quarter to be given. For the country’s sake--for the safety of the King--we shall make an example of these rebels.” Goldstein glanced warily at him, to see if he jested and looked for an answering wink. But it pleased the Duke to assume an air which he thought royal. “An example, you understand?” he repeated. “Tell these gentle devils of yours that they can ride on a free rein. If you scotch a Pretender’s man, put your heel on him and kill him outright. Our royal safety--England’s safety--depends on it.” Goldstein, as he spurred forward to gather his cavalry together, grinned pleasantly. “Our royal safety--England’s safety,” he muttered, mimicking the Duke’s rough, broken accent. “He’s got it pat by heart, though it seems yesterday he crossed from Hanover.” He gathered his men, and rode forward at their head through the rain and the sleety mud that marked the passage of the Highlanders. And when they had gone three miles or so on the northern road, they captured a frightened countryman, who was getting his sheep down from the pastures in anticipation of the coming snow. It was the first blood they had drawn in this campaign, and Goldstein made the most of it. He liked to have a weak thing at his mercy, and he spared the farmer no threat of what would follow if he failed to tell the truth. For his pains, he learned that the Highlanders were marching fast along the northern road, five hours ahead of them. He learned, too, that one who answered to the Prince’s description still rode behind his army, and that he was accompanied only by one gentleman on horseback. They went forward, leaving the countryman half-dazed with fright; and presently Goldstein’s men began to murmur at the hardships of the road. A rough company at best, united only by a common lust of pillage and rapine, they needed a firmer hand on them than one promoted from their own ranks could give.