"
"Their age is no drawback," Major Jamieson said. "There are many no
older, both in the ranks and as officers. Men in Sweden of all ages
and of all ranks are joining, for this unprovoked attack, on the
part of Poland, has raised the national spirit to boiling heat. The
chief difficulty is their and your ignorance of the language. Were
it not for that, I could obtain, from the minister of war,
commissions for you at once."
He sat thinking for some minutes, in silence.
"I think I see how it can be managed, Jervoise. I have some twenty
or thirty Scotchmen in my regiment, and I know a colonel who has as
many in his, and these I could manage to get, in exchange for an
equal number of my Swedes. Ships are coming daily from Scotland,
and most of them bring young fellows who have come out to join the
army.
"You know how the Scots fought, under Gustavus Adolphus, and there
is scarce a glen in Scotland where there are not traditions of
fathers, or grandfathers, who fought in Hepburn's Green Brigade.
Therefore, it is natural that, seeing there is no chance of
military service at home, there should be many young fellows coming
out to join.
"I can go across this evening to the minister of war, who is a
personal friend of mine, and get him to give you permission to
raise a company of Scotchmen for service.
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