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| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-03-03 11:23:06 -0800 |
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| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-03-03 11:23:06 -0800 |
| commit | dfa1222c8e96a6e79135731b37fa808b5d39368d (patch) | |
| tree | b072e25b85fc000f907e91a53e24a17db130772c /44190-h/44190-h.html | |
| parent | 552aa102db40f8d921b621f828fbe118e6cd2903 (diff) | |
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- float: left; - margin-right: 1em } - -.align-right { clear: right; - float: right; - margin-left: 1em } - -.align-center { margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto } - -div.shrinkwrap { display: table; } - -/* SECTIONS */ - -body { margin: 5% 10% 5% 10% } - -/* compact list items containing just one p */ -li p.pfirst { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0 } - -.first { margin-top: 0 !important; - text-indent: 0 !important } -.last { margin-bottom: 0 !important } - -span.dropcap { float: left; margin: 0 0.1em 0 0; line-height: 1 } -img.dropcap { float: left; margin: 0 0.5em 0 0; max-width: 25% } -span.dropspan { font-variant: small-caps } - -.no-page-break { page-break-before: avoid !important } - -/* PAGINATION */ - -.pageno { position: absolute; right: 95%; font: medium sans-serif; text-indent: 0 } -.pageno:after { color: gray; content: '[' attr(title) ']' } -.lineno { position: absolute; left: 95%; font: medium sans-serif; text-indent: 0 } -.lineno:after { color: gray; content: '[' attr(title) ']' } -.toc-pageref { float: right } - -@media screen { - .coverpage, .frontispiece, .titlepage, .verso, .dedication, .plainpage - { margin: 10% 0; } - - div.clearpage, div.cleardoublepage - { margin: 10% 0; border: none; border-top: 1px solid gray; } - - .vfill { margin: 5% 10% } -} - -@media print { - div.clearpage { page-break-before: always; padding-top: 10% } - div.cleardoublepage { page-break-before: right; padding-top: 10% } - - .vfill { margin-top: 20% } - h2.title { margin-top: 20% } -} - -/* DIV */ -pre { font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.9em; white-space: pre-wrap } - -</style> -<title>BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE</title> -<meta name="PG.Rights" content="Public Domain" /> -<meta name="PG.Title" content="Boys of the Light Brigade" /> -<meta name="PG.Producer" content="Al Haines" /> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/img-cover.jpg" /> -<meta name="DC.Creator" content="Herbert Strang" /> -<meta name="DC.Created" content="1905" /> -<meta name="MARCREL.ill" content="William Rainey" /> -<meta name="PG.Id" content="44190" /> -<meta name="PG.Released" content="2013-11-15" /> -<meta name="DC.Language" content="en" /> -<meta name="DC.Title" content="Boys of the Light Brigade A Story of Spain and the Peninsular War" /> - -<link href="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" rel="schema.DCTERMS" /> -<link href="http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators" rel="schema.MARCREL" /> -<meta content="Boys of the Light Brigade A Story of Spain and the Peninsular War" name="DCTERMS.title" /> -<meta content="boys.rst" name="DCTERMS.source" /> -<meta content="en" scheme="DCTERMS.RFC4646" name="DCTERMS.language" /> -<meta content="2013-11-15T22:21:19.598847+00:00" scheme="DCTERMS.W3CDTF" name="DCTERMS.modified" /> -<meta content="Project Gutenberg" name="DCTERMS.publisher" /> -<meta content="Public Domain in the USA." name="DCTERMS.rights" /> -<link href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44190" rel="DCTERMS.isFormatOf" /> -<meta content="Herbert Strang" name="DCTERMS.creator" /> -<meta content="William Rainey" name="MARCREL.ill" /> -<meta content="2013-11-15" scheme="DCTERMS.W3CDTF" name="DCTERMS.created" /> -<meta content="width=device-width" name="viewport" /> -<meta content="EpubMaker 0.3.20a7 by Marcello Perathoner <webmaster@gutenberg.org>" name="generator" /> -</head> -<body> -<div class="document" id="boys-of-the-light-brigade"> -<h1 class="center document-title level-1 pfirst title"><span class="x-large">BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE</span></h1> - -<!-- this is the default PG-RST stylesheet --> -<!-- figure and image styles for non-image formats --> -<!-- default transition --> -<!-- default attribution --> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="clearpage"> -</div> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="align-None container language-en pgheader" id="pg-header" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the </span><a class="reference internal" href="#project-gutenberg-license">Project Gutenberg License</a><span> -included with this eBook or online at -</span><a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license">http://www.gutenberg.org/license</a><span>.</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<div class="align-None container" id="pg-machine-header"> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>Title: Boys of the Light Brigade -<br /> A Story of Spain and the Peninsular War -<br /> -<br />Author: Herbert Strang -<br /> -<br />Release Date: November 15, 2013 [EBook #44190] -<br /> -<br />Language: English -<br /> -<br />Character set encoding: UTF-8</span></p> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-start-line"><span>*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK </span><span>BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE</span><span> ***</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-produced-by"><span>Produced by Al Haines.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span></span></p> -</div> -<div class="align-None container coverpage"> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 72%" id="figure-118"> -<img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Cover art" src="images/img-cover.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Cover art</span></div> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container frontispiece"> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 61%" id="figure-119"> -<span id="the-95th-charge-home"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="The 95th Charge Home" src="images/img-front.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">The 95th Charge Home</span></div> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container titlepage"> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="x-large">Boys of the Light Brigade</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="x-large">A Story of -<br />Spain and the Peninsular War</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">BY</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="large">HERBERT STRANG</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="small">AUTHOR OF "TOM BURNABY"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">With a Preface by Colonel WILLOUGHBY VERNER -<br />late Rifle Brigade</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">Illustrated by William Rainey, R.I.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED -<br />LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY -<br />1905</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container verso"> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>To Spain they sent The Rifle Corps</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>To teach the French the Art of War!</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>—</span><em class="italics">Old Rifleman's Song</em><span>.</span></div> -</div> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container dedication"> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">DEDICATED -<br />BY PERMISSION -<br />TO -<br />FIELD-MARSHAL HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="medium">THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT AND STRATHEARN -<br />K.G., K.T., K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E, G.C.V.O.,</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="medium">COLONEL-IN-CHIEF</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="medium">AND TO THE OFFICERS OF</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="medium">THE RIFLE BRIGADE -<br />(Formerly 95th Rifles)</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="bold large">Preface</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Mr. Herbert Strang has asked me to write a few -words explanatory of the title he has chosen for this -book.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Light Brigade" was the name given to the first -British Brigade of Light Infantry, consisting of the 43rd -Light Infantry, 52nd Light Infantry, and the 95th Rifles, -which were trained together as a war-brigade at Shorncliffe -Camp in the years 1803-1805, just a century ago, -by General Sir John Moore, the Hero of Corunna.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>These regiments subsequently saw much service together -in various quarters of the globe; they were engaged -in the Expedition to Denmark in 1807, the Campaign in -Portugal in 1808 under Sir Arthur Wellesley, including -the Battle of Vimeiro, and the famous Corunna Campaign -under Sir John Moore.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In July, 1809, The Light Brigade, consisting of the same -three corps, was re-formed under the gallant Brigadier-General -Robert Craufurd (afterwards slain at their head -at the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo in 1812), at Vallada, -in Portugal, and it was in the same month that it made -the forced march, famous in all history as "the March -of the Light Division", of some fifty miles in twenty-four -hours to the battle-field of Talavera. In June, 1810, when -at Almeida, in Spain, "The Light Brigade" was expanded -into "The Light Division" by the addition of Ross's -"Chestnut Troop" of Horse Artillery,[#] the 14th Light -Dragoons,[#] the 1st King's German Hussars, and two -regiments of Portuguese Caçadores.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">[#] The present "A" Battery, R.H.A., which bears -its proud title of "The -Chestnut Troop" in the army lists to this day.</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span class="small">[#] The present 14th (King's) Hussars. -Charles Lever, the novelist, recounts -some of their gallant deeds in </span><em class="italics small">Charles O'Malley, the Irish Dragoon</em><span class="small">.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>It was as "</span><em class="italics">The</em><span> Light Division", throughout the long -and bloody struggle in the Peninsula, and up to the Battle -of Toulouse, fought in April, 1814, that the regiments -of the old "Light Brigade" maintained their proud -position, so well described by Sir John Kincaid (who -was adjutant of the 1st Battalion at the Battle of -Waterloo) in his delightful book, </span><em class="italics">Adventures in the Rifle -Brigade</em><span>. He writes of the 95th Rifles in the Peninsula as -follows:—</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"We were the Light Regiment of the Light Division, and fired the -first and last shot in almost every battle, siege, and skirmish in which -the army was engaged during the war.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In stating the foregoing, however, with regard to regiments, -I beg to be understood as identifying our old and gallant associates, -the Forty-third and Fifty-second, as a part of ourselves, for they bore -their share in everything, and I love them as I hope to do my better -half (when I come to be divided); wherever we were, </span><em class="italics">they</em><span> were; -and although the nature of our arm[#] generally gave us more employment -in the way of skirmishing, yet, whenever it came to a pinch, -independent of a suitable mixture of them among us, we had only -to look behind to see a line, in which we might place a </span><em class="italics">degree of -confidence almost equal to our hopes in heaven</em><span>; nor were we ever -disappointed. There never was a corps of Riflemen in the hands -of such supporters!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">[#] The Baker rifle, a short weapon with -a flat-bladed sword-bayonet known -as a "sword", very like the present so-called "bayonet", -only longer. Hence -the Rifleman's command, "Fix swords!" The -three battalions of the 95th -were (with the exception of the 5th battalion -of the 60th Regiment) the only -corps in the British army armed with rifles -at the period of the Peninsular -War, all others carrying long smooth-bore muskets, -known as "Brown Bess", -with long three-sided bayonets. -The Baker rifle fired with precision up to 300 -yards, whereas "Brown Bess" could not be depended -upon to hit a mark at -one-third that range.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Such was the "Light Brigade" which gives its title -to this book.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The story deals with a period full of interest to Englishmen. -Napoleon, having overrun Spain with some 250,000 -men, swept away and defeated all the Spanish armies, -and occupied Madrid, had set his hosts in motion to -re-occupy Portugal and complete the subjugation of -Andalusia. At this critical moment in the history of Spain, -Sir John Moore, who had landed in the Peninsula with -a small British army only about 30,000 strong, conceived -the bold project of marching on Salamanca, and thus -threatening Napoleon's "line of communications" with -France—whence he drew all his supplies and ammunition. -The effect was almost magical. Napoleon was compelled -instantly to stay the march of his immense armies, whilst -at the head of over 80,000 of his finest troops he hurled -himself on the intrepid Moore. The latter, thus assailed by -overwhelming numbers, was forced to order a retreat on -his base at Corunna, a movement which he conducted -successfully, despite the terrible privations of a rapid march in -mid-winter through a desolate and mountainous country, -with insufficient transport and inadequate staff arrangements. -Thrice he turned to bay and thrice did he severely -handle his pursuers. Finally, at Corunna, after embarking -his sick and wounded, he fought the memorable battle -of that name, and inflicted on the French such heavy losses -that his army was enabled to re-embark and sail for -England with but little further molestation. The gallant -Moore himself was mortally wounded, and died the same -night. The effects of the Corunna campaign were to -paralyse all the Emperor's plans for nigh three months, -during which time the Spaniards rallied and regained -confidence, and the war took a wholly different turn, -although it was only after five years' constant fighting -that the French invaders were finally driven out of the -country.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Spaniards, on the other hand, animated by the -presence of their English allies, once again took up arms -in all directions and made a desperate resistance. No -struggle was of more appalling or sustained a nature -than was their second defence of Saragossa, which, in -the words of the French soldiers engaged in the siege, -was defended not by soldiers but by "an army of madmen".</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The following story has thus a double interest. In its -account of Moore's great Retreat it illustrates what we -did for Spain in her dark days of 1808-1809; while in -the pages dealing with the heroic Defence of Saragossa -it illustrates what Spain did for herself.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<!-- class::noindent white-space-pre-line - -WILLOUGHBY VERNER, - Colonel, - late Rifle Brigade. --> -<!-- class::noindent white-space-pre-line - -HARTFORD BRIDGE, WINCHFIELD, - 13*th September*, 1904. --> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="bold large">Contents</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> I</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#corporal-wilkes-wants-to-know">CORPORAL WILKES WANTS TO KNOW</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> II</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#some-introductions">SOME INTRODUCTIONS</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> III</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#palafox-the-man-palafox-the-name">PALAFOX THE MAN, PALAFOX THE NAME</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> IV</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-delicate-mission">A DELICATE MISSION</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> V</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-roadside-adventure">A ROADSIDE ADVENTURE</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> VI</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#monsieur-taberne">MONSIEUR TABERNE</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> VII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#pepito-intervenes">PEPITO INTERVENES</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> VIII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#don-miguel-priego">DON MIGUEL PRIEGO</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> IX</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#some-surprises">SOME SURPRISES</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> X</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-emperor-s-despatch">THE EMPEROR'S DESPATCH</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XI</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#napoleon-in-pursuit">NAPOLEON IN PURSUIT</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#corporal-wilkes-on-guard">CORPORAL WILKES ON GUARD</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XIII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#don-miguel-s-man">DON MIGUEL'S MAN</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XIV</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#an-incident-at-cacabellos">AN INCIDENT AT CACABELLOS</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XV</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-great-retreat">THE GREAT RETREAT</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XVI</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-battle-of-corunna">THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XVII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#in-the-guadalquivir">IN THE GUADALQUIVIR</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XVIII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-squire-of-dames">A SQUIRE OF DAMES</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XIX</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#palafox-the-man">PALAFOX THE MAN</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XX</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-day-with-tio-jorge">A DAY WITH TIO JORGE</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXI</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#night-on-the-ramparts">NIGHT ON THE RAMPARTS</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#juanita">JUANITA</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXIII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-fight-in-the-ruins">THE FIGHT IN THE RUINS</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXIV</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-bon-chat-bon-rat">"A BON CHAT, BON RAT"</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXV</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#pepito-finds-a-clue">PEPITO FINDS A CLUE</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXVI</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#wanted-don-miguel-priego">WANTED: DON MIGUEL PRIEGO</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXVII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-eleventh-hour">THE ELEVENTH HOUR</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXVIII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-last-fight-in-saragossa">THE LAST FIGHT IN SARAGOSSA</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXIX</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#french-leave">FRENCH LEAVE</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXX</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-whip-hand">THE WHIP HAND</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXXI</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#doctor-grampus-and-a-french-cook">DOCTOR GRAMPUS AND A FRENCH COOK</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXXII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-prisoner-at-bayonne">THE PRISONER AT BAYONNE</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXXIII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#palafox-the-name">PALAFOX THE NAME</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXXIV</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#dead-men-tell-no-tales">DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXXV</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#doom">DOOM</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><em class="italics">Chapter</em><span> XXXVI</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#sergeant-wilkes-wants-to-know">SERGEANT WILKES WANTS TO KNOW</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#glossary-of-spanish-words">*Glossary of Spanish Words*</a></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="bold large">List of Illustrations</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>Plate I</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#the-95th-charge-home">THE 95TH CHARGE HOME</a><span> . . . . . . . . . Frontispiece</span></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>Plate II</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#a-question-of-supply">A QUESTION OF SUPPLY</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>Plate III</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#jack-captures-a-dragoon">JACK CAPTURES A DRAGOON</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>Plate IV</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#jack-makes-an-opportune-appearance">JACK MAKES AN OPPORTUNE APPEARANCE</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>Plate V</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#francisco-falls-from-the-plank">FRANCISCO FALLS FROM THE PLANK</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>Plate VI</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#jack-has-a-narrow-escape">JACK HAS A NARROW ESCAPE</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>Plate VII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#jack-leads-a-forlorn-hope">JACK LEADS A FORLORN HOPE</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>Plate VIII</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><a class="reference internal" href="#miguel-escapes-from-the-garden">MIGUEL ESCAPES FROM THE GARDEN</a></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="bold medium">Maps and Plans</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>1. </span><a class="reference internal" href="#map-of-spain-and-portugal">Map of Spain and Portugal</a><span>, showing the positions -of the French, Spanish, and British forces at the -commencement of Moore's retreat from Sahagun</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span>2. </span><a class="reference internal" href="#plan-of-the-battle-of-corunna">Plan of the Battle of Corunna</a></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span>3. </span><a class="reference internal" href="#plan-of-the-city-of-saragossa">Plan of the City of Saragossa</a></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span>4. </span><a class="reference internal" href="#plan-of-the-plaza-alvarez-district">Plan of the Plaza Alvarez District</a></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>The plans of Corunna and Saragossa are copied, -by kind permission of Professor Oman and the -Delegates of the Clarendon Press, from the former's -"History of the Peninsular War", Vols. I and II.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="corporal-wilkes-wants-to-know"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER I</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Corporal Wilkes wants to know</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">An International Question—Discipline—An Onlooker—Lumsden -of the 95th—Dogged—A Six Days' Ride—Puzzlement</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"What I want to know," said Corporal Wilkes, banging -his fist on the table in front of him—"what I want to -know is, what you Dons are doing for all the coin we've -spent on you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was seated with a few other stalwarts of the 95th -under the eastern colonnade of the Plaza Mayor, in -Salamanca; a nondescript group of Spaniards, stolidly curious, -blocked up the footway, and stood lounging against the -balustrade. Getting no answer to his question, and -probably expecting none, the corporal jerked his chin-strap -under his nose, glared comprehensively around, and -continued:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I asked before, and I ask again, what has become -of the ship-loads of honest British guineas you Dons have -been pocketing for I don't know how long? Tell me that! -What have you got to show for 'em, eh?—that's what I -want to know. Here are we, without a stiver to our -name, no pay for weeks, and no chance of seeing any. -And look at this: here's a boot for you; that's what your -Spanish mud makes o' good Bermondsey leather; and -rain—well, of all the rain I ever see, blest if it ain't the -wettest!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He paused; the knot of Riflemen grunted approval. -The Spaniards, who had by this time become aware that -his remarks were aimed directly at them, turned -enquiringly to one of their number, who shrugged, and gave -them in Spanish the heads of the speaker's argument. -Perceiving that he had made some impression, the corporal -proceeded to follow up his advantage.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What I want to know is, what 'ave we come here for? -They did say as we were sent for to help you Dons fight -the French. That's what they said. Well, the French -are all right; but what are you doing? We showed -you the way at Vimeiro; that's a long time ago now—what -have you done since? Where are all the armies -and the generals you talked so much about? What's -become of them? Tell me that! Here we've been in -Salamanky a matter of fourteen days, but we ain't seen -none of them. There's plenty of you Dons about, sure -enough, but you don't look to me like fighting-men. Where -are you hiding 'em?—that's what I want to know."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was no mistaking the glance of withering -contempt with which the speaker pointed his questions; a -movement of resentment was already visible among his -mixed audience. The interpreter, whose dress proclaimed -him a seaman from one of the Biscayan ports, was now -volubly rendering the gist of the Englishman's taunts, to -an accompaniment of strange oaths and ominous murmurs -from the crowd. Warming with their sympathy, he -became more and more excited, passed from explanation to -denunciation, and then, turning suddenly from his -compatriots, clenched his fist and poured out a torrent of -abuse in a lurid mixture of Basque and Billingsgate. The -corporal, recognizing phrases that could only have been -picked up at Deptford or Wapping, smiled appreciatively, -and, with a wink at his companions, said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ain't it like home? He ought to be a drill-sergeant—eh, -boys?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A shout of laughter greeted this sally. The Spaniard, -his complexion changing from olive to purple, strode -forward and shook his fist within an inch of the corporal's -nose. Wilkes, greatly tolerant of foreign eccentricity, -preserved an unwinking front; but his bland smile was -too much for the Spaniard's fast-ebbing self-control. -With a snarl of rage he plucked a knife from his sash -and aimed a blow at the Rifleman, which, had it taken -effect, would assuredly have put an end to his interrogative -career. But the corporal's left-hand neighbour, who -had been lolling against a post, flung out his arm and -arrested the stroke; almost at the same instant Wilkes -himself got home a deft right-hander beneath his assailant's -chin that hurled him senseless across the table. In -a moment a score of Spaniards with drawn knives were -surging around the little group. Being without arms -the Riflemen had slipped off their belts and closed up to -meet the attack. The colonnade now rang with fierce -shouts, and from all quarters of the large square there -was a hurry-scurry of idlers attracted by the noise of the -fray. Cheerfully confident, the half-dozen British soldiers, -their backs against the wall, kept the throng at arm's-length -with the practised swing of their long belts. But -the odds against them were heavy. It could only be a -few moments before the Spaniards must get in with their -knives, and then the 95th would be six men short on -parade. One or two of the Spaniards had been hard hit; -but the rest were drawing together for a rush, when -suddenly, above the din of the mêlée, rang out the clear -authoritative word of command:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Attention!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The habit of discipline was so strong that the British -soldiers on the instant dropped their belts and stood rigid -as statues. On the Spaniards the effect of the interruption -was equally remarkable. Surprised at the sudden change -of attitude, they looked round with a startled air to seek -the cause of the Englishmen's strange quiescence. A -horseman had reined up opposite the scene of the scuffle—a -tall youthful figure, wearing the headgear of the 95th -and a heavy cavalry cloak.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stand easy!" he cried to the Riflemen, over the heads -of the crowd, "and don't move an eyelash."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With a dozen Spanish knives flashing before their eyes, -the command was a severe test of discipline; but in the -British army a hundred years ago rigid training had made -instant unquestioning obedience an instinct. While the -Spaniards were still fingering their weapons, and hesitating -whether to finish off their work, the officer began to -address them in pure Castilian.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pardon me, Señores," he said, "for interrupting what -I am sure was a pastime. I am an English officer, as -you see, and I fear that my men, ignorant of your customs -and traditions, might have taken seriously what was no -doubt begun in sport. There is no need for me to say -a word, Señores about your valour; is not that known -to all the world? and I am sure you would be the last -to do anything to endanger the friendly alliance between -your country and mine. The French are your enemies, -Señores; they are ours too. We are fighting shoulder to -shoulder in a noble cause. Confusion to the invader, say -I! Hurrah for the independence of Spain! Cry Viva -la España with me!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then turning suddenly to the Riflemen, he cried:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, men, give three rousing cheers."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Wilkes and his friends cheered half-heartedly and with -an air of endurance; but the Spaniards were not -discriminating, and responded with shrill vivas.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank you, my friends!" said the officer, when the -tumult had subsided. "And now, as I have a few words -to say to my men before I ride off, I will bid you good-day."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a few moments the pacified crowd dispersed in small -knots, discussing with interested curiosity the young -officer whose courteous firmness and fluent Spanish had -produced so remarkable an effect. When, last of all, -the interpreter, having recovered from the blow, had -made his way across the square, the horseman called up -Corporal Wilkes, who advanced with a somewhat guilty -air and saluted.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Corporal Wilkes, what do you mean by this? -Have you forgotten the general's orders about brawling -with the Spaniards?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The corporal shifted his feet uneasily, and began to -mumble an explanation in his slow ponderous way.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That'll do," said the officer, cutting him short. -"You're always in hot water. Get off to your quarters, -and report yourself to me in the morning."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very good, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With a look of injured innocence he saluted and slouched -off with his companions, while the officer, touching his -horse's flanks with the spur, cantered away. At the -angle of the colonnade the crestfallen Riflemen were -confronted by a tall stately figure in cocked hat and long -military cloak, who had for some time been quietly watching -the scene from an inconspicuous post of observation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who's your officer, my man?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Riflemen halted in a line, struck their heels together, -and brought their hands to the salute like automata.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Mr. Lumsden, your honour," replied Wilkes, looking -as though he would have liked to be elsewhere.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh indeed! Thank you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The commander-in-chief acknowledged their salute and -turned on his heel. The men stared after him for a few -moments in silence; then Wilkes turned to his comrades, -and said with a rueful look:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By gum! How much of that 'ere rumpus did Johnny -see?—that's what I'd like to know."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile Lumsden of the 95th had trotted off, across -the great square, past the church of San Martin, towards -the University and the Tormes bridge. He was bound for -a farmhouse some five miles south-east of the city, where -it had been reported that a considerable quantity of flour -could be purchased for the troops. Since the arrival of -his regiment in Salamanca a fortnight before, he had been -employed continuously on commissariat business, and was -the object of envy to his fellow-subalterns, who would -gladly have found some special work of the kind to vary -the monotony of life.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was the 28th November in the year 1808. Salamanca -was full of British soldiers, who had marched in on -the 13th amid a drenching rain-storm and the cheers of -the inhabitants. They comprised six infantry brigades -and one battery of artillery, among the former being the -famous 95th Rifles under Colonel Beckwith, in which Jack -Lumsden was a second lieutenant. The main artillery -force, with its escort, was near the Escurial, a few miles -from Madrid, under Sir John Hope, who was intending to -march northwards to join his chief; while Sir David Baird -lay at Astorga, with three batteries, four infantry brigades, -and a force of cavalry under Lord Paget. The infantry -had marched from Lisbon under Sir John Moore, who -had succeeded to the chief command of the British forces -in the Peninsula recently vacated by Sir Hew Dalrymple. -At Salamanca Sir John expected to receive news of the -approach of a Spanish force under the Marquis of La -Romana, to co-operate with him in offensive movements -against the French. The march had been particularly -arduous and uncomfortable; rain had fallen in torrents -for the greater part of the way, and owing to lack of -supplies the men were in a sorry state as regards clothes -and equipment. But they nourished high hopes of soon -inflicting a heavy blow on the French invaders; and -though the delay, due to want of definite information -about the movements of the Spaniards and the position -of the French, was telling somewhat on the spirits of the -force, Sir John Moore was so popular with all ranks, and -enjoyed their confidence so thoroughly, that discontent -had only shown itself in half-humorous protests like that -of Corporal Wilkes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack Lumsden rode easily through the darkening streets, -passed the sentry at the bridge head, and cantered along -the sodden road leading to Alba de Tormes. Three miles -out of Salamanca he struck off to the left, and, carefully -picking his way among the ruts and depressions, reached -his destination just as the black darkness of a November -evening fell. His errand with the farmer occupied some -little time. He then accepted the refreshments pressed -upon him with true Castilian hospitality; and at length, -towards seven o'clock, set off on the return journey.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The moon was rising behind him, throwing a dim misty -radiance over the bare fields to right and left. As he -reached the cross-roads, and wheeled round into the -highway towards Salamanca, he saw, some hundred yards -ahead, several dark forms on both sides of the road, -creeping along with stealthy movements in the same direction. -Carrying his gaze beyond them, he descried a man leading -a horse, who, he instantly concluded, was being followed -by a gang of foot-pads, or of the brigands who notoriously -infested every part of Spain. Almost involuntarily Jack -pricked his horse forward; he saw that the furtive band -were rapidly lessening the distance between them and the -walking horseman, who every now and then half-turned -to look at them, and then resumed his slow progress.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The road was so soft, and the men were so intent upon -their expected prey, that they did not hear the sound of -Jack's approach until he was within a few yards of them. -Then a sudden splash in a large puddle caused them -to stop and look round; Jack galloped up, and as he -passed them, ostentatiously held his pistol so that a glint -of moonlight fell on the barrel. At the same moment the -dismounted rider heard the pad of his horse's hoofs; he -paused, still holding the bridle, and turned towards Jack, -who pulled his horse across the road and glanced back -at the brigands. They had now formed a group, and -stood in the middle of the road. Jack clicked the lock of -his pistol. After an instant's hesitation the men turned in -a body and vanished into the darkness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Many thanks!" said the pedestrian. "I was never -more glad to see a British officer. Those bandits have -been following me up for some minutes. My horse is -lame, as you see, and though I've a couple of pistols -handy I'm afraid I'd be no match for eight big fellows -with their knives. And I've a particular reason for -avoiding risks."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They've had the discretion to sheer off," said Jack, -turning again towards Salamanca. "It's unlucky your -horse is lamed. Have you been riding far, sir?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"About five hundred miles," was the reply.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack stared.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No wonder your horse is lame—though you didn't -ride the whole distance on the same beast, I suppose."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No indeed; but I've scarcely been out of the saddle -for six days—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Six days! Hard riding that, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"True. The fact is, I've most important despatches -for Sir John Moore, and haven't wasted a minute more -than I could help."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was off his horse in a moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In that case, sir, pray take my horse and finish your -ride with equal speed. If you bring news for the general, -no one will be more delighted to see you. It's only about -three miles, and the road's straight ahead; I'll follow with -your horse."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's very good of you. I didn't like the idea of -trudging in in this lame fashion. You're sure you don't -mind? Those brigands, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not a bit. They won't show their noses again."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>By this time the stranger had mounted Jack's horse, -and was preparing to ride off.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By the way," he said, "to what address shall I return -the horse?—a pretty animal, begad!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm quartered at a worthy alderman's in the Calle -de Moros—El Regidor Don Perez Gerrion; my name's -Lumsden."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lumsden!" repeated the stranger with a start, letting -the reins fall on the horse's neck.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," said Jack, looking up in surprise. "Why?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh! Excuse me now. I have my despatches to -deliver, and then I will call on you at the regidor's. I -have a communication, probably, to make to you. Au -revoir!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With a wave of the hand he galloped off, leaving Jack -to tramp along behind him, in some wonderment as to -what communication a despatch-rider could have to make -to a subaltern of the 95th.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="some-introductions"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER II</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Some Introductions</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">The Grampus—A Turn with the Foils—An Interruption—Enter -a Regidor—Flour and Water—A Soft -Answer—Pepito—Biographical—Captain O'Hare—Mr. Vaughan -is announced</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>It began to rain when Jack was still two miles out of -Salamanca, and he was wet and chilled when, having -put up the stranger's horse, he entered the regidor's -house and sought the general room, where, as he knew -from the sounds of laughter proceeding from it, his friends -and comrades were assembled. There was a universal -shout as Jack pushed open the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here's the commissary-general!" cried a tall, -fair-headed subaltern of seventeen years. "Look here, Jack, -if this corn-chandler business of yours gets you promotion -before me, I'll—I'll punch your head."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thanks! Pommy, my dear, unless you're careful, -respectful, you know, you'll find your next billet will be -a stable or a pig-stye; you can take your choice. A -pig-stye would be the easier got, perhaps—this country teems -with porkers; but there are plenty of mules too, and one -more won't matter."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"All the same, Lumsden," said Harry Smith, a lieutenant -of twenty-one, "I don't wonder Pomeroy's jealous. -We didn't all have the luck to be babies in Spain! But -let me introduce a friend of mine—an old school-chum. -Lumsden—Dugdale, Percy Dugdale, otherwise the Grampus."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack found his right hand engulfed in a huge fist, and -shaken almost to a jelly. It belonged to a tall young -man in civilian dress, stout, massive, broad-shouldered, -with a rubicund, open, ingenuous face, and a smile that -bespoke friendliness at once.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Heard of you," said Dugdale cordially. "Heard of -your little bet. Reminds me of my wager with Blinks of -Merton when I was a freshman. Bet me a pound to a -polony I wouldn't screw up a proctor; loser to eat the -polony. I won—and bought a champion polony in St. Aldate's. -Blinks stood us a supper to be let off. Ha! ha!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Honourable Percy Dugdale's chuckle had a quality -of its own. While it seldom resulted from what others -would have regarded as wit or humour, it never failed to -breed sympathetic laughter, and the room rang with -appreciative merriment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's this bet of yours, Lumsden?" asked Bob -Shirley, lieutenant in Jack's company.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, a little affair with Pomeroy! He's so desperately -cocksure of everything, and what is worse, he will talk, -you know. Said he'd hold me at boxing, at wrestling, -at swimming, at every mortal thing, including fencing, so -I bet him before we left Alcantara that I'd give him points -at them all, and we're going to begin with the foils."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What are the stakes?" asked Shirley. "Why didn't I -hear of this?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's a guinea to a Bath bun. Pomeroy's amazing fond -of Bath buns; and as at present I haven't a guinea, at -least to spare, and he hasn't a bun, we're going to settle -up when we get back to London, and you fellows can come -to Gunter's and see Pommy shell out twopence, if you -like."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No time like the present," said Smith. "We've half -an hour before supper, and nothing to do. If you fellows -are game we'll make a ring now."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm ready," said Pomeroy, pulling off his jacket, "if -the corn-dealer is."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By all means," retorted Jack, laughing; "but I hope, -for the sake of the company, your riposte is better than -your repartee."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No more cackle!" cried Smith. "Let's get to business. -Where are the foils?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At a word from Jack, a tall, strapping Rifleman, who had -followed him into the room, disappeared for half a minute, -and returned with a couple of foils in his hands. He -handed one to his master, who had meanwhile peeled, -and the other to Reginald Pomeroy. The two faced one -another; they were of equal height, but otherwise -presented a strong contrast. Both were tall, but Jack was -slight and lissom, with dark hair, brown eyes, and clear-cut -features, while Reginald Pomeroy was heavier in build, -fresh-complexioned, with blue eyes and light curly hair. -In brief, if Jack was Norman, Pomeroy was as clearly -Saxon, and as they stood there, they were worthy -representatives of the two fine strains of our present English -race. They were always sparring, always girding at each -other, but at bottom they were the best of friends, and had -indeed been inseparable chums ever since they entered the -Charterhouse together.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gad, reminds me of the mill between Jones of Jesus -and De Crespigny of the House, in Merton meadow," said -Dugdale with his capacious chuckle.</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"'His eyebrow dark, and eye of fire,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Shows spirit proud, and prompt to ire,'"</span></div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>quoted Shirley, amid a chorus of groans.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Shut up, Shirley!" cried Jack; "if you begin spouting -poetry you'll shatter my nerve."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, by George," said Smith, "we had enough of -</span><em class="italics">Marmion</em><span> on the way out. Shirley's a long way too fond -of poetry. Now, you two, are you ready? Buttons on the -foils? That's right. Now then!"</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"Charge, Chester, charge; on, Stanley, on!'"</span></div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>shouted Shirley, who was irrepressible, and who, indeed, -was said to have got </span><em class="italics">Marmion</em><span> by heart a week after it -was issued, in February of this year.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The duel began. The combatants were pretty evenly -matched, and as the spectators watched thrust and parry, -lunge and riposte, now cheering one, now the other, the air -became charged with electric excitement. Right foot well -forward, left arm well behind his head, Jack watched his -opponent with the keenness of a hawk, and for a time -seemed to content himself with standing on the defensive. -He knew his man, and held himself in with the confident -expectation that Pomeroy would by and by become reckless.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Two to one on Pomeroy!" shouted Dugdale, who was -growing excited.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Done!" said Smith. "Name your stakes."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Anything you like; I'm not particular. I want a new -pair of breeches. Yours won't fit me, but mine'll fit you -with a little trimming'. Gad, Lumsden was nearly pinked -that time. Make it two pairs!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"D'you mind moving aside?" said Shirley, who, being -head and shoulders shorter than Dugdale, found his view -obstructed by six feet two and a back broad in proportion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sorry; get on my back if you like," said Dugdale. -"Won a bet by running a race with young Jukes of -Pembroke on my back. I don't mind."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But Shirley contented himself with edging in to a place -beside the big sportsman.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The foils clashed; Pomeroy made a rapid lunge at Jack, -who instantly straightened himself, and before his -opponent could recover his guard, Jack's foil was out, and -slid along the other, and with a dexterous turn of the -wrist he sent the weapon flying out of Pomeroy's hand, -over the ring of onlookers, to the other end of the room, -where it clattered against the wall and fell with a clash -to the floor.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, come now! I never lose my wagers. I make a -point of it," said Dugdale with a rueful look.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"End of the first round; that's Lumsden's," said Smith -quietly. "Five minutes' rest, then to it again. Give you -six to one next round."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, thanks! I'll wait a bit. Can't afford to part with -all my pants. What's that?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Above the voices of the officers discussing the details -of the match rose the clamour of a repeated battering on -the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, I say!" cried Dugdale, "we can't have this -interrupted. Is the door locked?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Fast," replied Shirley, adding:</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"'And neither bolt nor bar shall keep</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>My own true—love—from—'"</span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The quotation remained unfinished, for Jack laid Shirley -on his back and sat on him. The knock was repeated -again and again, with increasing loudness; the door was -rattled with ever-growing vehemence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Set your back against the door, Giles," said Jack. -"It'll take some force to move your fourteen stone of -muscle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The big Rifleman set his straight back against the door, -planted his feet firmly on the floor so that his body formed -an obtuse angle, and crossed his arms on his breast. The -knocking continued.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can't come in," shouted a shrill-voiced ensign. -"We're busy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>From outside an angry voice bawled in reply.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Be quiet, you fellows," cried Smith. "Let us hear -who it is."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The noise inside the room was hushed, and through the -door came muffled tones of angry and excited -remonstrance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's very bad language, but I can't understand it," -said Smith, who now had his ear against the oak. "Here, -Jack, you're the only fellow who knows the lingo; leave -that drain-pipe and see if you can make anything of it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack rose from his wriggling seat, and, going to the -door, shouted "Who are you?" in Spanish. A moment -later he turned to the company and said: "By George! it's -the regidor himself. We'd better let him in."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not till I've licked you," said Pomeroy. "Let the -old boy wait."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's Pommy all over," said Smith; "I'm Reginald -Pomeroy, and hang civility! The regidor's our host, and -we owe him a little consideration."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Exactly," put in Jack. "Heave over, Giles, and let -me open the door."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He turned the key, threw the door open, and gave -admittance to the oddest figure imaginable.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pommy's Bath bun—underbaked!" said Shirley under -his breath. The rest of the company were too much -surprised for speech or laughter. The intruder was -presumably a man, but he was so completely covered with -an envelope of paste that form and feature were -undiscoverable. Two unmistakable arms, however, were -wildly gesticulating; an equally obvious fist was being -shaken towards the group; and a human voice was -certainly pouring out a stream of violent language, of which -no one there, not even Jack, could make out a word.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, Señor Regidor," said Jack in Spanish, "what -is the matter? Really, you talk so fast that I cannot -understand you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He laid his hand on the regidor's arm, but drew it back -hastily; it was covered with wet flour.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Shut the door, Giles," he said, wiping his hand; "this -needs an explanation. In fact" (he gave a quizzical glance -from the floor to the company) "it needs clearing up!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Taking the fuming regidor gingerly by the hand, he -led him to the middle of the room, where, with Pomeroy's -assistance, he set to work to scrape away the clinging -paste that swathed the poor man from head to foot. The -first shock of surprise being over, the rest of the officers -were now fairly bubbling with merriment, for the regidor -was too angry to keep still, and never ceased from -objurgating some person unknown. Dugdale had stuffed a -handkerchief into his mouth to stifle his laughter, and -Smith was thumping Shirley vigorously on the back. -After some minutes' scraping with the foils, the new-comer -was revealed standing in a circle of clammy flour—a little, -round, pompous individual, with a very red and wrathful -face, made ludicrous by the stiff moustache, to which a -coating of flour obstinately adhered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Señor Regidor," said Jack soothingly, "tell us -all about it. I hope the mischief has gone no deeper than -your clothes."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And then the little alderman unfolded his pitiful story. -It appeared that he had gone round his premises in the -rain, to see that all was safely locked up for the night, -when he found that his barn at the back of the house had -been left open—not only the lower door, but also the -upper door, through which sacks of flour entered the loft. -It was very dark, and he had been unable in the rain and -wind to obtain a light. Feeling his way into the barn, he -had crept up the ladder leading to the loft, stumbling as -he did so over an empty sack that covered the last two or -three steps. Then, arrived at the top, he had lifted the -trap-door, and raised head and shoulders above the -opening, when without warning he was smothered by an -avalanche of flour, which took him so entirely by surprise -that he had fallen backward, and only saved himself from -a headlong descent to the foot of the ladder by clutching -at a rope that dangled a few inches in front of him. It -was no accident, he declared, for he had heard the scurry -of some living creature moving in the loft. On recovering -from his shock he had mounted again and searched the -place as thoroughly as he could in the darkness, but -without success. He had then locked up the barn securely, -and being convinced that he was the victim of a practical -joke on the part of one of the subalterns billeted upon -him, he had come to demand satisfaction for the insult, -and compensation for the irreparable damage done to his -clothes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Such was his story, told at much greater length, and -punctuated with many violent gestures and still more -violent expletives. Jack listened to him patiently, while -the rest of the company stood in a ring about them, -striving with ill success to hide their merriment. When lack -of breath at length brought the little man to a stop, Jack -spoke to him consolingly, assuring him that he was -mistaken, and that no British officer would so far have -forgotten the courtesy due to their obliging host. The regidor -was not appeased; he was on the point of recommencing -his denunciation of the culprit, when Jack stopped him, -and said that he would question his brother officers and -convince the regidor that he was mistaken. He then -briefly told his companions the outlines of the story he -had heard. Just as he came to the point where the -shower of flour had descended on the unfortunate regidor, -he was annoyed at hearing a loud chuckle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pomeroy, that's too bad," he exclaimed. "How can -I persuade our host that we have had nothing to do with -his plight if you disgrace yourself like that?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look here, Lumsden," said Pomeroy, "I'm not going -to be lectured. As a matter of fact, I didn't make a -cheep."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sorry, Pommy," said Jack, with a glance at Dugdale. -"Well now, I can assure the regidor, on your honour, -that none of you had a hand in this?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Every officer present gave his word. Then Jack put on -his coat, and, slipping his arm within the regidor's, led -him off with a promise to investigate the matter, and see -whether any of the officers' servants had been in fault. -The moment their backs were turned, the same loud -chuckle was heard, followed by an unmistakable guffaw. -Giles Ogbourne, Jack's big servant, while maintaining a -rigid position against the wall, was putting his broad face -through the oddest contortions of amusement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What are you grinning at?" cried Pomeroy angrily. -"Was it you who gave that oily chuckle just now?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Beg pardon, sir," said Ogbourne, endeavouring to -look grave. "I really couldn't help it. 'Tis a trick of -that young varmint Pepito; I be sure 'tis."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That imp of a gipsy! I told Lumsden he'd be sorry -he ever set eyes on the creature. Why do you think he -is at the bottom of it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, sir, I seed the boy bummelled out of the kitchen, -and prowling around by the barn, and, sakes alive, 'tis he -and no one else."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who's Pepito?" asked Dugdale.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A young sprat of a gipsy Jack picked up outside -Queluz soon after we left Lisbon. Here, Ogbourne, you -know more about him than I do. Speak up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis just as you say, sir. Mr. Lumsden found the -critter on the roadside, a'most dead, and took'm up and -fed him, sir. A thoroughbred gipsy, sir. His band had -been cut up by the French after the fight by Vimeiro; -every man of 'em was killed dead except this mortal boy, -and a' got a cut in th' arm from a sabre. Mr. Lumsden -gave him a good square meal, sir, and next day a' hitched -hisself on to us, followed us all along, went a-fetching and -a-carrying for Mr. Lumsden, for all the world like a little -dog. Mr. Lumsden says to me: 'Giles,' says he, 'there's -enough women and childer along of us without this young -shaver; what'll we do with him?' I couldn't think of -anything, so Mr. Lumsden he takes him to a Portuguese -barber and hands him over some money for the boy's -keep, and tells him to make a barber of him. Bless you, -next day the varmint turns up again, and we can't shake -him off nohow. If a' goes away for a day, back a' comes -the next, as perky as a Jack-in-the-box."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A sort of millstone round Lumsden's neck," said -Shirley.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not but what he's useful," added Ogbourne. "He's -first-rate at shining buttons and cleaning swords, and all -sorts of little odd jobs. Only he's so full of monkey tricks, -you can't believe. One night a' put two live toads in my -bed, a' did; another night a' mixed some dubbin wi' my -soup. I tanned him, I did, but though a' blubbered hard -enough, next minute his wicked little black eyes were as -mischievous as ever. Mr. Lumsden's got a handful, sir, -and that's gospel truth."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If that's his character, depend upon it he's responsible -for the regidor's whitening," said Smith. "We'll have to -abolish the boy; don't you think so?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, I say!" struck in Dugdale, "never mind about a -scrubby gipsy. I wish Lumsden would hurry up. I want -to see Pomeroy lick him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You'll lose this time," said Smith.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dugdale made a wry face. "Didn't know he was such -a paragon. Speaks Spanish as well as the Don. Learnt -it for a bet, I suppose."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No," said Pomeroy, laughing. "He lived at Barcelona -till he was eleven."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where on earth's Barcelona? Is it where the nuts -grow?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes—in the big square!" said Smith with a smile.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dugdale grunted. "But what was Lumsden doing -there?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Eating, and growing, and learning the lingo, of -course," said Pomeroy. "His father's a partner in some -Spanish firm whose head-quarters are at Barcelona, and -lived there, as I say, until Jack was eleven. Then, as -the kid was more or less running wild, I suppose, -Mr. Lumsden returned to London as head of the branch there, -and sent Jack to the Charterhouse, and that's where I -licked him first—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Pommy, at it again!" said Jack's voice.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dugdale chuckled, and Pomeroy looked aggressive; but -immediately behind Jack, as he re-entered the room, came -a figure at the sight of which the whole group broke out -in exclamations of welcome.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Peter!" said Smith to Dugdale in a stage whisper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The new-comer was a tall man of some thirty-six years, -wearing a big greatcoat and a peaked cap drawn over his -brow. His face was particularly ugly, but redeemed by -a pair of bright good-tempered-looking eyes. He stood -for a moment quizzing the company, while the water -streamed from his coat and made a pool on the floor.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bedad," he said, observing the pasty mixture there, -"sure if it's roast beef that it is, it's myself that's -thankful; but the flure's a queer place to mix the Yorkshire."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No such luck," said Pomeroy. "No chance of that -this side of Portsmouth; it's only a toad-in-the-hole this -time."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Captain Peter O'Hare laughed when they told him of -the regidor's plight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And who was the blackguard that did it?" he asked, -suddenly looking serious. "Such conduct is terribly -unbecoming an officer and a gentleman."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was Pepito," exclaimed Jack; "that little scamp of -a gipsy who's been shadowing me since we left Lisbon. -I found him crouching in the regidor's stable, smothered -in flour from head to foot. It appears he had made for the -loft as the only dry place, and emptied a bag of flour on -the regidor in sheer self-defence, being afraid of a -walloping if he was caught. He jumped out of the upper door -and slid down a gutter-pipe. I'm afraid that young man -will prove a thorn in my side."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Captain O'Hare having by this time removed his dripping -garments, Smith took the opportunity to introduce -his friend Dugdale.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's just escaped from Oxford, O'Hare; heard the -bugles sounding and couldn't sit still."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What regiment, sir?" said the captain, shaking hands. -"I knew a Dugdale in the 85th."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dugdale chuckled.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My brother Tom, no doubt. Laid him a poodle to a -pork-pie that I'd be at the front first, and here I am."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! an amachure, I preshume," said Captain O'Hare, -glancing at his civilian costume. "Sure, an' I hope you'll -like it, for 'tis not all beer and skittles. And that reminds -me; 'tis time we cleared the decks for supper. You'll stay -and take pot-luck, Mr. Dugdale?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank you, sir! but, you see—well, we had a little -wager—in short, thank you, sir!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>O'Hare looked puzzled, and still more as he noticed a -smile on the faces of the rest of the company.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Never mind, Grampus," said Smith with a nudge, -"they can fight it out another time, and meanwhile you've -saved your breeches."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment Rifleman Giles Ogbourne entered the -room.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Please, sir," he said to Jack, "there's a Mr. Vaughan -at the door as would like to see you. I was to say 'twas -he that borrowed your horse a while ago."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Show him in," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Beg pardon, sir, but he says as he would like to see -you alone."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, very well!" said Jack, rising, and he followed -Giles from the room.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="palafox-the-man-palafox-the-name"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER III</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Palafox the Man, Palafox the Name</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">A Letter from Saragossa—An Invitation—Bad News—Spanish -Apathy—Bonaparte—Jockeying a Nation—A Message from -Head-quarters—More Puzzlement</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The visitor was awaiting Jack beneath a dim lamp in the -vestibule.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You won't mind coming into my bedroom?" said Jack, -after an interchange of greetings. "It's the only place -where we can be alone."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He led the way, struck a light, and noticed that the -stranger was bespattered with mud from head to foot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm scarcely fit to come into a house at all," said the -latter apologetically; "but as things are, no doubt you'll -excuse me. I had better introduce myself. My name is -Vaughan, and I am acting as private secretary to -Mr. Stuart, our minister at Madrid. As I told you, I have -ridden in with important despatches for Sir John Moore; -I happened to be with Castaños' army, and as I came -through Saragossa on my way to Madrid I was entrusted -by General Palafox with a letter to you, which I promised -to deliver to you in person if I should come across your -regiment. Here is the letter."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He handed the paper to Jack, who looked at it in -surprise.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"General Palafox!" he said. "I don't know him. He -is the Spanish general who defended Saragossa recently, -isn't he?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. I assure you it was he who gave me the letter."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Will you sit down while I look at it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack hastily broke the seal.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I should add," said Vaughan, who had thrown himself -wearily into a chair, "that if I failed to find you, I was -to carry the letter to your father in London, whither I -am proceeding at once."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile, Jack had opened the letter, which was -written in a crabbed and shaky handwriting. "My dear -friend Jack," it began; and then Jack turned to the -signature, and read "Fernan Alvarez". A light dawned upon -him; his look of bewilderment vanished, and he turned -back to the beginning with eager curiosity. The letter -ran as follows:—</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>MY DEAR FRIEND JACK,</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>My brave friend Captain-General -Palafox tells me that Mr. Carlos Vawn, who has of late arrived -at this city, is on the point of leaving for Madrid, and will then, -it is possible, return to England by way of Portugal, in which -case he will, without doubt, visit the camp of the great general, -Sir Moore. By his courtesy I trust that this letter may come to -your hands all safe, and then I beg you will advise my agents in -Madrid, Señores Caldos and Gonzalez, inasmuch as I may be -quite altogether beyond the touch of your reply. The last letter -I received from my dear friend your father tells me that you sail -instantly with Sir Moore's army, and I already hear that your -general landed soon after the blessed victory at Vimeiro.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>You will have heard of our glorious defence against the -usurper. We shall not grudge our sufferings if the example -of Saragossa do give heart to the other great cities of my poor -country so distracted. For she will need indeed all her strength, -all her courage, all her heroism, in the storm which is now to -burst upon her. Alas! I can no longer hope to be of any -service; my strength fails fast; I am old; I die. For myself, -I do not repine, but I am full of fear and trouble for the safety -of my poor Juanita, the little playmate whom I am sure you -will not have forgotten quite. I have done my all to provide -for her, but who can see through the clouds of war? We know -not what may come in a day. And the danger is not to be -feared only from the outside. In a letter to your father I have -told him of what I have done. One thing is needed to finish -the things I tell him, and that is in the six words—mark -you—Palafox the Man, Palafox the Name. I beg you commit these -words to memory, and burn this letter the moment after you -have read it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I hope I may yet see you again before I die, but if it is not so -be, I say God bless you, and write myself for the last time</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>Your old friend,</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><span>FERNAN ALVAREZ.</span></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><em class="italics">P.S.</em><span>—Remember always: Palafox the Man, Palafox the Name.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Palafox the man, Palafox the name!" said Jack half -aloud. "What does he mean? Did General Palafox -send a message with this, sir?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No. I understood that the writer was a friend of -his and yours."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He is a friend of mine. He is my father's partner. -But I don't understand the letter. It appears to hint at -something which he does not care to express clearly. -And he speaks of a letter to my father. Have you that -too?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No; I know nothing about that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then it is probably with Don Fernan's agents in -Madrid. But I am forgetting to thank you. Really, sir, -it was very good of you to undertake this private errand -when you must have been engrossed in public affairs. -We were just going to have supper; will you honour -us by joining our mess?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am very tired, and not at all in company trim; in -fact, I had just declined a similar invitation from Sir John; -but—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You will, then? I am very glad. We will not keep -you late."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I must first go and give a coin to the boy who showed -me the way here—a little gipsy fellow who said he knew -you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pepito! Let me deal with him, Mr. Vaughan; he has -an extraordinary knack of turning up just when he can -make himself useful. You'll find a towel there; I'll go -and settle with Pepito, and you will follow me, won't you? -Our fellows will be delighted to meet you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And Jack left his visitor to his ablutions.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was much curiosity among the subalterns as to -the identity of Jack's visitor and the subject of their private -interview; but Jack volunteered no information, merely -telling them, as he passed through the room on his way -to find Pepito, that Mr. Vaughan would join them at -supper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So you boys will have to mind your p's and q's," -said Captain O'Hare. "No antics now. Some of these -politicals are very starchy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Consequently it was a quiet group to whom, in a few -minutes, Mr. Vaughan was introduced. They were all -hungry, and Jack apologized for the plainness of the fare.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You see, sir," he said, "Sataro, our Portuguese contractor, -has failed, and we all have to get what food we can."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You won't find me fastidious," replied Vaughan. "I -could almost eat my boots, I think."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Mr. Vaughan has just ridden five hundred miles on -end," explained Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George!" exclaimed Dugdale.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Five hundred, bedad!" said Captain O'Hare. "If -they were like the miles round Salamanca, sure you must -have come through a power of mud!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How long did it take you, sir?" asked Shirley.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Six days."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a cry of astonishment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gad, that beats Bagster of Trinity!" said Dugdale. -"Backed himself to ride sixty miles and eat sixty oysters -in a hundred and sixty minutes; lost by six oysters, and -always vowed he could ha' done that if the vinegar hadn't -run short!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a general laugh.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I could have done with the oysters—even the six," -said Vaughan, who was tickled by Dugdale's whole-hearted -enjoyment of his recollection.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And why did you pelt along so terrible hard, may I -ask, Mr. Vaughan?" said the captain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It'll be common property to-morrow, so I may as -well tell you. I have been for some time with the staff -of General Palafox in Aragon. Six days ago General -Castaños was totally defeated at Tudela."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good heavens!" cried Pomeroy; "another defeat! -It was quite time we turned up to help the Dons."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What a cowardly crew!" added Smith. "They run -at the sound of their own guns. Bang! whizz! and Vamos, -they cry, which Lumsden will tell you means: 'Let us -skedaddle'."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We mustn't be too hard on them," said Mr. Vaughan -quietly. "They used to fight well, by all accounts. There -were good men in Alva's time—not to go back any further. -All they want is proper leading. Their generals happen to -be no match for the French marshals, and unlucky to boot. -A little British discipline would work wonders. Well, as -I happened to be with the Spanish army, I rode off to -Madrid at once with the news, and our minister there sent -me off with despatches to Sir John."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lucky you were on the spot, sir," said Smith, "or -we might have waited till doomsday. The villainous -way we are served with intelligence is the common talk -of the army."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I judged as much. The fact is, the Spaniards think -they can do the whole thing unaided; you gentlemen are -mere interlopers. They'd like to have the French all to -themselves."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, they've had a lesson at Tudela," said Pomeroy. -"Who had the presumption to beat them there? Was it -Marshal Ney?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, a Marshal Lannes. It's rather curious how he -managed to take the command, seeing that as he rode -across the mountains a fortnight ago his horse fell with -him over a precipice, and every bone in his body -appeared to be broken. But a clever surgeon named Larrey -mended him in some ten days—how do you think? He -stitched him up in the skin of a newly-flayed sheep!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A wolf," said Shirley, "a wolf in sheep's clothing; -and the British dogs of war'll soon be at him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How does this defeat affect us, sir?" asked Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That depends on how the French follow it up. Bonaparte -may—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, I say, sir," cried Dugdale excitedly, "is old Boney -himself in Spain?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Didn't you know? He crossed the border three -weeks ago. He may swoop down on Madrid, for, except -Heredia and San Juan, there seems to be nobody to bar -his way."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bedad, sir, but there's a certain General Sir John Moore, -to say nothing of the 95th," said Captain O'Hare with a -laugh; "though, to be sure, 'twas Soult we were to tackle -first."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Won't this defeat bring the French on our flank?" -asked Smith, already showing the strategical perception -that distinguished the victor of Aliwal.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It certainly seems likely. I found Sir John terribly -distressed at his imperfect knowledge of the French -position, and at the sluggishness of the Spaniards. The proud -Dons seem to have no plans, and to be perfectly content -to drift along. But that won't do against soldiers like -Bonaparte and his marshals."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you know how many the French number, all told?" -asked Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't, and I'm sure no Spaniard does. I heard -80,000 given as one estimate, but I shall be much -surprised if the total is not much larger than that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Whew!" exclaimed Dugdale. "And we've only a -few thousand here at any rate. What's the odds! an -Englishman was always worth ten Frenchmen, and I -don't care if Boney comes with a million."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I admire your confidence and spirit, Mr. Dugdale," -said Vaughan dryly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Though I'm hanged if I know what we're fighting -Boney in Spain for," added Dugdale. "Not that that -matters."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed, but it matters a terrible deal," said Captain -O'Hare earnestly. "We've crossed the mighty ocean—and -mighty unpleasant it was, bedad!—to help a disthressed -and downtrodden people; and sure 'tis we Irishmen -can feel for the like o' them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dugdale, feeling out of his depth, was silent for a time -while the conversation took a more serious tone, and turned -on the chain of events which had led to the presence of the -British army in Spain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was fifteen years since a little Corsican officer of -artillery, named Napoleon Bonaparte, had first drawn -attention to himself by his clever work at the siege of -Toulon. In that time he had made himself Emperor of -the French and dictator of Europe, and become one of the -greatest figures in universal history. His ambition was -insatiable and hitherto his success had been stupendous. -Within a few years he had subdued Austria, humbled -Prussia, hoaxed Russia, and plundered Italy. Alone of -the nations, England had checked his series of triumphs -by her victories at the Nile and Trafalgar; but even in -England his name was held by the more timorous in awe, -and caricatures represented him as a voracious ogre who -made his meals of little children. He longed to have -England also at his feet—a longing only intensified by -the success with which she had hitherto defied his efforts -cripple her trade.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Before he could subdue England, however, Bonaparte -saw the necessity of adding Spain and Portugal to his tale -of victims. Portugal was our ally, and he gave her the -choice between breaking with us and fighting France. She -held to her alliance, and was promptly overrun with French -troops. Having crippled Portugal, he turned his attention -to Spain. In that country the old King Charles had -allowed the government to fall into the hands of his -unscrupulous minister Godoy, who was universally detested. -The greater part of the nation wished the king to abdicate -in favour of his son Ferdinand, with whom he was -constantly quarrelling. Taking advantage of these -dissensions, Napoleon sent a French force to Madrid, with -the intention, as the Spaniards believed, of supporting -Ferdinand. But both Charles and Ferdinand were -summoned to meet Napoleon at Bayonne; there they were -in turn tricked into resigning the sovereignty, which the -emperor at once bestowed on his brother Joseph. This -was the signal for a great national rising, the first which -Napoleon had yet encountered. The Spaniards were -proud, high-spirited, and independent, and refused tamely -to submit to this arbitrary interference with their affairs. -In all parts of the country they proclaimed Ferdinand king, -and when Napoleon poured his troops in an endless stream -across the Pyrenees, their eyes turned to England as their -only stand-by, and to England they sent for help. A -British army under Sir Arthur Wellesley landed in -Portugal, and defeated Marshal Junot at the battle of -Vimeiro; but, ere the victory could be completed and -followed up, the chief command was assumed in -succession by Sir Harry Burrard and Sir Hew Dalrymple, who -came out within a few days of one another. To Wellesley's -disgust, they allowed the French, by the Convention of -Cintra, to withdraw from Portugal with the honours of -war. But their action aroused intense indignation at -home; they were recalled, with Wellesley, to appear -before a court of enquiry, and Sir John Moore was -unexpectedly placed in command.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile the French forces in the Peninsula had been -continually increasing; the regular armies of Spain had -been beaten on all sides; and instead of meeting, as he -had expected, large forces, well equipped at English -expense, ready to co-operate with him, Sir John found that -he had to defend the Portuguese frontier and undertake -offensive operations almost single-handed against a -victorious enemy many times outnumbering his own army. -Immense sums of money and stores of all kinds had been -given to Spain by the British Government, but owing to -the corruption of the Spanish officials, and the want of -any real governing authority, the gift was virtually wasted. -The Juntas, or committees, which had undertaken the -government of the various provinces, were all acting, or -rather talking of acting, independently, and were strangely -blind to their deadly peril. They appeared to regard -England as an unfailing source of money and arms, and -in some cases actually resented the arrival of British -troops, in a sort of blind confidence that they were able -unaided to withstand the invader.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Mr. Vaughan had seen something of this during his stay -with General Castaños, and his account of what had come -under his own eyes kept his hosts interested to a late hour. -At length he rose.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am very tired," he said, "and as I expect to have to -ride again to-morrow, I know you gentlemen will excuse -me for leaving you. Many thanks for your hospitality, and -may we meet again!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I will see you to your quarters," said Jack. "Where -are you staying?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"At an inn in the Plaza Santo Tomé. I shall be glad of -your company, if the hour is not too late."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When Jack returned, half an hour afterwards, his man -Giles handed him a note which had been left at the house -by an orderly during his absence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The commander-in-chief", it ran, "presents his compliments -to Mr. Lumsden, and will be glad to see him at his quarters at -nine o'clock to-morrow morning."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Another letter," said Jack to himself; "and almost -as mysterious as the first. I wonder what it can mean!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He read the note again, but finding himself unable to -make any inference from the few simple words, he wisely -resolved to allow the morning to bring its own solution. -In the few moments that elapsed between his laying his -head on the pillow and falling asleep, his mind see-sawed -between the two letters. Now it was Sir John Moore's -that was uppermost, now Don Fernan's; breaking the -darkness of his room he seemed to see the phrases, one -above the other, in letters of fire: "At nine o'clock -to-morrow morning"—"Palafox the Man, Palafox the Name".</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-delicate-mission"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER IV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">A Delicate Mission</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Sir John Moore—In the Dark—A Roving Commission—Maps -and Plans—Camp Critics—An -Hidalgo—Mystification—Exasperation—Pepito again—A -Bargain—Force majeure</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>At nine o'clock next day Jack made his way through a -crowd of officers congregated about the door of the -archbishop's palace, where Sir John Moore was quartered. -It seemed to be nobody's business to show him up, so he -discovered for himself the room in which the commander-in-chief -was, as he supposed, awaiting him. Entering at -the door, and lifting a heavy velvet curtain that hung -within, he found himself in a large chamber, at the other -end of which stood a group of officers engaged in what was -evidently a very animated discussion. He noticed the tall, -handsome figure of General Sir Edward Paget, the -commander of the reserve; near him was General Anstruther, -a rugged, untiring Scot; in the centre of the group was -Sydney Beckwith, Jack's own colonel, rough of tongue -and unsparing in his demands on his men, but withal -kind of heart and true as steel. He was at this moment -eagerly pointing to a map which lay outspread on a table, -over which bent several other officers, among them the -commander-in-chief himself. Fine men as were all the -soldiers gathered there, Sir John Moore was easily first -among them. At this time forty-seven years of age, his -tall graceful figure, crowned by a head nobly fashioned, -with classic features, large lustrous eyes, and bright -close-clustering hair, would have marked him out in any crowd -as one above the generality of men. He was listening -intently to what Colonel Beckwith said. His lips were -firmly compressed; every now and then the fingers of -his right hand restlessly tattooed upon the table. -Suddenly he straightened himself and moved backward a pace; -the hubbub of conversation ceased, and in the silence Jack -heard, in Moore's clear and measured tones, the following -words:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Excuse me, gentlemen, I take the whole responsibility -of my decision; and I only expect my officers to prepare to -carry it into effect."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was sternness, even a touch of irritation, in his -accent. "There's something wrong," thought Jack; "I've -no business here; I'd better make myself scarce."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He withdrew into the corridor, and began to walk up -and down, with that curious feeling of excitement which -takes hold of a boy when waiting for an interview on some -unknown matter with his head-master. In a few minutes -the officers left the room in a body, still talking with -animation, and passed down the corridor, away from Jack, -towards the street. Judging that Sir John was now alone, -Jack returned to the room. The general was pacing the -floor with long steps, his hands clasped behind him, his -head bent forward in anxious thought. Jack hesitated a -moment; then stepped forward. Sir John looked up, and -stood with legs apart, evidently not for the moment -recognizing his visitor. Then his brow cleared; his features -softened in the kindly smile for which he was celebrated.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! Mr. Lumsden, I think," he said; "I am glad to -see you. I fear I have kept you waiting. Yes, I see it -is twenty minutes past the hour. Let me waste no time, -then. Sit down at the table there."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Sir John seated himself at the opposite side of the table, -gave the lad one quick glance, and said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Without beating about the bush, are you willing, -Mr. Lumsden, to undertake an important and possibly -dangerous mission?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The answer came without a moment's hesitation, and -the general seemed pleased. Then, observing a look of -surprise on Jack's face, he went on:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You wonder at my selecting you? I happened to -overhear yesterday an eloquent address in Spanish by an -officer of the 95th, and when I came to enquire of Colonel -Beckwith, he told me that Mr. Lumsden's knowledge of -Spanish had already proved useful. That is how it -happened, Mr. Lumsden."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He gave the young officer a friendly smile, and Jack's -cheeks flushed with pleasure as the general continued:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are the man I've been looking for. What I want -you to do is out of your regular duty, but then a knowledge -of Spanish is out of the usual officer's acquirements, -more's the pity. Do you know French also?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A little, sir; just well enough to understand what is -said and to make a shift to reply."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's well. Now I suppose you have some sort of -notion of what my intentions were in marching from Lisbon, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We've talked it over at mess, sir," said Jack with -a smile.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Naturally. Well, if you're to be of use to me, and -I think you will be, I must take you into my confidence. -What I want, Mr. Lumsden, is information—information -that I can rely on." At this point he rose from his chair -and resumed his restless pacing to and fro. "I started -to join forces with the Spaniards, but they haven't put -themselves into communication with me. I don't know -their plans; I don't know what their Government is aiming -at. I am in entire ignorance of the numbers or the -situation of the enemy. The Spaniards seem to be living in -a fools' paradise; talk very big about their own armies, -and very small about the enemy; keep us short of -supplies, and shorter still of news. I do know that a -fortnight ago General Blake's Spanish army in the north was -beaten, and now a Mr. Vaughan has brought me news -that General Castaños has been routed at Tudela; which -means that his co-operation with me is out of the -question. Do you see what I am driving at?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You mean, I think, sir, that as the Spaniards are -beaten, the French are free to attack you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Precisely. Now follow the positions on the map here -and you will see more clearly what I want of you. Here -am I at Salamanca; Sir John Hope, with the cavalry and -guns, is marching to join me by Talavera and the Escurial—a -roundabout route, you see, and a long march that -might have been avoided if I could have been sure the -mountain roads were passable for wheeled transport. All -the guns might have come by Guarda and saved a hundred -miles; but the Portuguese engineers assured me the road -was too difficult. Farther north there is another division -under Sir David Baird, who landed recently at Corunna, -and is now at Astorga. You see the positions?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir; of course your idea was to join."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Exactly. But now you see that I dare not attempt -a junction with Sir David. As long as General Castaños' -army remained, there was a hope, but now that all the -Spanish armies are beaten, the French are free to march -against us. Their numbers, I believe, very much exceed -my own, so that if they get between me and Sir David -we shall be in an awkward hole. And therefore I have -determined to retreat."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack opened his eyes. A retreat had never entered into -his imagination. He understood now what had been the -subject of discussion at nine o'clock, and suspected from -the general attitude of the officers, and from the few words -he had heard, that the decision to withdraw without firing -a shot did not meet with the approval of the staff.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have already sent orders to Sir John Hope," Moore -went on, "to retire by way of Peñaranda and Ciudad -Rodrigo, and Mr. Vaughan has been good enough to offer -to carry a letter to Sir David Baird ordering him to -re-embark at Corunna, and land his division at Lisbon. God -knows I would have run great risks to help the Spanish -cause, but the Spaniards have shown so little ability to do -anything for themselves that I should only sacrifice my -army, and do no good to Spain, if I attempted the -impossible."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The look of anxiety and worry had returned to Sir -John's face. It cleared, however, in a moment, and he -continued brightly: "Now, Mr. Lumsden, you see the -position. The questions are: Where is the enemy? and -What is he going to do? The French were, a fortnight -ago, at Valladolid; if they go north-west in force they will -come across Sir David's division; if they come south, and -are reinforced by the French from Tudela, they will threaten -Sir John Hope's flank, and I must then do something to -relieve the pressure. But any movement on my part would -disclose my position and strength to the enemy, who, I -hope and believe, at present know nothing about me. -What I want then, Mr. Lumsden, is exact information -of the enemy's whereabouts and numbers, and I think -that you, with your mastery of Spanish, are the most -likely officer to obtain it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am ready to start at once, sir," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's right. If you're the fellow I take you for, you -won't want any further instructions from me. What means -you use I must leave to your own discretion. I'll supply -you with anything you require; money in moderation. I -am terribly hard up; our Government showers gold on the -Spaniards, but can't afford to pay my army. Now, before -we settle the matter, it is only fair to warn you of the -danger you run. If you are caught by the French within -what they claim to be their lines, you'll be shot, as sure -as eggs is eggs. Think of it then; you have free choice. -Will you go?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'll take the risk, sir," replied Jack instantly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is confidential, of course," added the general. -"You will report direct to me what information you -obtain, or, in my absence, to one of my aides-de-camp -or to General Paget."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am at liberty to employ messengers?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly, but you will satisfy yourself that they are -trustworthy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And may I have a map?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of course. We haven't too many, and they are not -particularly good, but send your man, and I will have one -looked out within an hour. How long will it take you to -make your preparations?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not a minute longer than is necessary to get a -Spanish dress and requisition a mule," answered Jack -with a smile.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You'll make a presentable Spaniard," said Moore, -smiling back. "But wouldn't a horse serve you better -than a mule? You were riding a good mount yesterday."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A horse would attract too much attention, I think, -sir. And I was used to riding mules when I was young."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Sir John laughed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're not a very ancient Pistol even now, Mr. Lumsden," -he said. "But that's the right spirit; regard -yourself as a man and you'll do a man's work. Well, that -is settled, then. I'll send you some money, and I hope -you will do me valuable service and come back with a -whole skin. Stay; you want a Spanish outfit. I know -the very man who can be useful to you—a Spanish -gentleman, one of the old school. I will write you a line of -introduction. Let me see." Sir John hastily rummaged -among a heap of papers. "I mustn't forget one of the -names; that would be an unpardonable slight. Here it is."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He scribbled a note, copying the address with some -care. Jack read: "El Señor Don Pedro Benito Aguilar -Quadrato Garrapinillos de Sarrion de Gracioso," and -caught a twinkle in Sir John's eye.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am sure he will do all he can for you," added the -commander-in-chief. "He is a good patriot, not a painted -one. Now good-bye, and good luck to you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He shook hands with Jack, who, feeling as though he -trod on air, so much elated was he at the confidence placed -in him, went back to his quarters. At the door he found -a small group of his fellow-officers, evidently in a high -state of excitement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hi, Jack," cried Smith, as he came up to them, -"what do you think of this? The army's going to -retreat."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You don't say so?" said Jack with well-feigned surprise.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I do, though. Did you ever hear of such an order -from a British commander-in-chief! We haven't even -had a glimpse of the enemy, and by all we can hear their -cavalry vedettes are at least four marches away. I can't -for the life of me make out what Johnny Moore can be -thinking of. How did he get his reputation, I wonder?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Depend upon it, he's good reason if he has ordered -a retreat."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'He that fights and runs away,'" began Shirley; but -Jack had already gone into the house, where he found -his man Giles Ogbourne in the kitchen, polishing his boots -and hissing like a kettle with the exertion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Giles," said Jack, "cut off and find me a strong, -steady mule somewhere. Then go to Sir John Moore's -quarters; say you have come from me; you'll get some -money and a paper packet; take them, with the mule, out -of the town as quickly as you can, and wait for me some -two miles along the Valladolid road. Don't say a word -to anyone about me, mind."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very good, sir!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Giles dropped the boots and departed on his errand. -Then Jack found his way to the palace of the much-baptized -hidalgo. After the usual salutations, made on both -sides with more than ordinary regard to punctilio, Jack -presented his note. Don Pedro, an old and stately -cavalier, with thin pointed features and wearing a crimson -skull-cap, looked up after reading it, and said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"General Sir Moore's wishes are to a good Spaniard -commands. If you will acquaint me, Señor, with the -manner in which I may serve you, I shall feel myself -indeed honoured."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack, bowing his acknowledgments of the hidalgo's -courtesy, went straight to the point.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My general, Señor, has entrusted me with a -somewhat delicate mission towards Olmedo. As you may -imagine, it would not be politic for me to make such a -journey as a British officer. Relying on a certain familiarity -with your noble language"—here the courtly hidalgo -waved his hand in graceful acknowledgment—"I propose -to pass for the time as one of your countrymen. I shall -need in the first place a dress, and secondly one or two -willing helpers."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! as to the dress," said the hidalgo musingly. -"Let me see. You will do best to wear a quiet costume, -such as might become a well-to-do tradesman—say a -snuff-coloured cloak, a pointed hat, velvet breeches, and -high gaiters. Well, give me half an hour, and I will have -the costume ready for you. As to the helpers, that is a -little more difficult. I have no intimate acquaintance in -the neighbourhood of Olmedo. If you had asked me but -a few short months ago, I should have said that any of -my countrymen might have been trusted, but, alas! too -many now have betrayed their country to the usurper. -But now I bethink me, an old servant of mine keeps a -small inn, the Posada de Oriente, at Medina del Campo, -some twelve miles on this side of Olmedo. He is an -excellent worthy fellow, and staunch, and if you so please, -Señor, I will write a note to him, asking him to serve you -as he would serve me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack eagerly accepted the hidalgo's offer. Don Pedro -opened a heavily-chased escritoire, selected a sheet of -paper, then cut a new quill, and proceeded with as much -formal deliberation as though he were penning a document -of state. The letter finished, he carefully sprinkled it with -sand from a silver pounce-box, delicately shook the paper -clean when the ink was dry, and after folding it, impressed -upon it a seal some two inches in diameter. The whole -operation had occupied nearly half an hour, which Jack -had utilized in thinking out his plans.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I much regret to hear, Señor," said the hidalgo, as -he handed him the note, "that my dear friend General -Castaños has suffered a check, and that this may cause -some change in General Sir Moore's plans. But I hope -your excellent countrymen will not be discouraged by this -temporary mischance. 'Tis but the fortune of war, or -perhaps a warning, a summons to us to cast off our -lethargy; and Spain will hear, and when she awakes, let -her foes beware."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack took his leave, thanking the hidalgo in flowing -Castilian, and requesting him to send the promised -costume to his quarters. Half an hour afterwards the clothes -arrived. Meanwhile Jack had procured a little saffron, -by whose aid he had given his complexion a sallow tinge, -and this, with the large-brimmed pointed hat, the cloak, -and other details of the costume, effected a complete -transformation in his appearance. Armed with the note -to Don Pedro's old servant, he walked boldly out by the -front door into the street. As luck would have it, the -first person he met was Captain O'Hare himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Vaya usted con Dios!" said Jack, with a slight bow, -giving the usual Spanish salutation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Buenos dias, Señor!" returned the captain, with so -vile a pronunciation that Jack could scarcely repress a -smile. He passed on unrecognized, and chuckled at -having so completely deceived the worthy captain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Rather more than half an hour later he came to a -spot on the road to Medina del Campo where Giles was -patiently waiting with the mule. The big private was -sitting on a heap of stones, holding the reins with one -hand while with the other he flung pebbles across the -road in idle preoccupation. Jack went up to him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You Inglese soldier?" he said, in a foreign accent.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, mister."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Inglaterra a fine region," said Jack. "You go a viaje?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"See then, what's a viaje?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A voyage, a march, on the mule back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, I'm not goin' a march on the mule back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The mule is to you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The mule bean't nowt to me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where you go then?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's that to you, mister?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What for you—?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now look here, mister, doan't ye be too inquisitive. -Axing me forty questions indeed. See then, I'll punch -your head, iss a wull, if ye—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack burst out laughing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, Giles," he said, "that's a compliment to my -disguise at any rate. Have you got the packet for me?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir," said Ogbourne, springing to his feet with -a sheepish grin. "Beg pardon, sir, but I took you for a -Don."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I know you did. Well now, get back to quarters, -and don't say a word to anybody about where I have -gone. If you are asked about me—and no doubt you -will be—just say that I have been sent on an errand by -the general."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very good, sir. Mumchanced as a scarecrow, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's right. Good-day!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He sprang on to the mule, took a switch and the packet -containing the map from his man's hands, and rode off in -the direction of Medina del Campo. It was fortunate that -he had previous experience of such steeds when a young -boy in Barcelona, for the animal began at once to play -pranks. It got up first of all on its hind-legs, and then -gave a lurch forward, a movement for which Jack was -prepared, and which he defeated by a sudden violent strain -upon the reins that brought the animal to reason. The -mule requires wholly different treatment from a horse. -Prick him with the spur, he stops dead; strike him with -a whip, he lies down; draw rein, and he begins to gallop. -Sometimes he will halt in the middle of the road, lift his -head, stretch his neck, draw back his chops till he shows -his gums and long teeth, and then give vent to sobs, -sighs, gurgles, squeals like a pig's; and thrash him as -you please, he will not budge a step until his vocal -exercises are finished. Jack knew all this of old, and after -trying a few experiments the mule appeared to recognize -that he had no raw hand to deal with, and settled down -into a steady trot, making the bells upon his neck tinkle -merrily.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had not ridden more than a quarter of a mile -when, as he was passing by a small clump of trees, the -mule stopped short, and not all his rider's coaxing sufficed -to make him move. Springing off his back, Jack went -to his head, to see if leading would prove more effectual -than driving. As he stood there a pebble fell at his feet, -then another, and another, coming, apparently, from the -sky. He looked up, and there, ensconced in a fork of -one of the trees, crouched a small human figure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well I'm hanged!" exclaimed Jack. "Come down, Pepito."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The figure swung itself over the bough, clambered down -the trunk with the nimbleness of a squirrel, dropped lightly -from the lowest branch, and stood before Jack, looking -up into his face with a broad smile. It was a curious -figure indeed: a boy about four feet six in height, with -tanned skin some shades darker than the Spaniard's olive -hue, thick red lips now open and showing strong white -teeth, narrow brow, arched nose, and long raven-black -hair that hung in a tangled mass over his eyes. He was -not pretty, but there was something strangely attractive -in his smile, and his brilliant black eyes, with their -indescribable touch of mystery, were dancing with fun as -they met the surprised gaze of the young Englishman.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what does this mean, Pepito?" said Jack in Spanish.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go with Señor," replied the boy briefly. He shivered; -it was a cold day, and the raw air cut through the tatters -which left his flesh here and there exposed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, that's impossible," said Jack decisively. "I -couldn't be bothered with you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Want to go with Señor," persisted the boy. "Know -the roads—Medina, Valladolid, Segovia, all the places; -the Gitanos know everything."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's all very well, but I don't want you. You'd be -in the way. Besides, I'm riding. You couldn't keep up -with me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can run fast. No mule can beat me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nonsense! I shall be riding all day, and you'd be -dead before night."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can get a mule, then."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where, may I ask?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"From the Busne."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack knew that Busne was the gipsies' name for the -Spaniards.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That means that you would steal it, eh? Didn't I tell -you that if you were caught stealing you'd be hanged, or -at any rate soundly flogged?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. Hanged!" He shrugged his shoulders. -"Flogged!" He pulled aside his rags and showed the -marks left by old thrashings on his skin.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Incorrigible little imp!" muttered Jack in English. -"Look here," he went on in Spanish, "you can't go with -me; that's settled. You must go back to Salamanca. -I'll give you a note to Ogbourne—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He'll flog me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No. I'll tell him to get you some clothes and see that -you are fed, and to keep his eye on you till I get back. -Now, will you promise me to keep out of mischief?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Impudent little beggar! I suppose you know no -better. You know at any rate that my man will lay on -pretty heavily if you plague him. Look, here's a silver -peseta. I'll give you this if you promise to go back to -Salamanca."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He held up the coin between finger and thumb.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Give it me," said Pepito.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Promise."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'll go with you, Señor," said the boy obstinately.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't you understand? It's impossible. I can't be -clogged with you. Come now, here's the money. Cut -away, and when I see you next take care that you've -decent clothes on your back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack rapidly scribbled a note, and gave it with the coin -into the brown lean little paw, eagerly outstretched to -receive it. Pepito stowed them both into a pocket he -discovered somewhere among his rags, then grinned, and -said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now I run with Señor's mule."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Confound you!" cried Jack, losing patience at last. -"I won't have you with me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He raised the switch which he had laid across the -saddle and made to strike at the gipsy. Pepito looked -in his face with an inscrutable expression in his dark eyes, -shrank back from the expected blow, then slowly turned -on his heel and slunk away in the direction of Salamanca.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The obstinate little mule!" said Jack to himself as he -watched him go. "I don't wonder that Giles has given -him many a tanning. I'd sooner be haunted by a ghost."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As soon as Pepito was out of sight Jack remounted, -and set the mule at a canter to make up for lost time.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-roadside-adventure"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER V</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">A Roadside Adventure</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">A Spanish By-Road—Negotiations—A Rupture—A Village -Inn—Family History—Antonio the Brave—A Near Thing—The -Other Cheek—Explanations—Recruits—Quits</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>For a few miles Jack followed the highroad, meeting no -one but an old wizened woman staggering along under -a basket-load of onions. Then, thinking it well, as he -approached the district in which there was a possibility -of encountering the enemy's vedettes, to avoid the main -thoroughfare, he struck off to the right along what was -little better than a cart track, discovering from his map -that this would lead him to his destination by way of -Pedroso, Cantalapiedra, and Carpio, villages which were -scarcely likely to be selected as billeting-places by any -considerable force. It was a dreary ride. The road was -heavy with the recent rains. It passed through a country -consisting partly of bare heath, partly of grain-fields, now -black and desolate. He had started from Salamanca -shortly after eleven o'clock, and, owing to interruptions -and the state of the roads, it was nearly three in the -afternoon before he arrived at Cantalapiedra, little more than -half-way to Medina. By that time he was hungry, and -his steed was both hungry and tired. Dismounting before -a posada at the entrance to the town, he sent the mule -to be fed and rubbed down, and went into the house to -seek refreshment himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was no other guest in the place, and the landlord, -slow and stolid like a genuine Spaniard, showed neither -pleasure nor displeasure at the appearance of a traveller. -In reply to Jack's request for food, he brought, after some -delay, a basin of very greasy soup of a reddish tinge, due -to the saffron with which it had been liberally sprinkled, -and a dirty carafe of violet-coloured wine, which Jack -found, when he poured it out, almost thick enough to cut -with a knife. The bread, however, was eatable, if a trifle -salt, and Jack munched away with an appetite that evoked -a gleam of interest in the landlord's solemn eyes. He -began to ask questions, and indeed to show himself -inquisitive, remarking on the strange fact of a young man -travelling alone through disturbed country at such a time. -Jack good-humouredly parried enquiries that seemed too -direct, merely explaining that he had been on a visit to -Salamanca, and was riding across country because, having -heard rumours that the French were in possession of -Valladolid, he had no wish to fall into their hands. The -landlord dryly told him that travelling anywhere in Spain -was rather dangerous for a man with good clothes on -his back and money in his pocket, for if he escaped the -French he might fall in with bandits, and there was little -to choose between them when plunder was in question. -In answer to this Jack opened his coat and showed the -man the butt of a big Spanish pistol.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Even a peaceful merchant," he said with a laugh, -"may prove an awkward customer to tackle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The landlord shrugged.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"One against a troop of French cavalry, or a gang of -bandits, would fare rather badly," he said. "I suppose -you will want a bed to-night, Señor?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not I. I'm going to push on to Medina."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The saints help you to find your way in the dark, then!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh! I shall find it. The road is direct, you know, and -my mule will not wander."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He set off after an hour's rest and rode on in increasing -darkness. What the landlord had said about brigands -gave him little concern. For one thing, the mule trod -almost silently on the sodden road, and he had removed -the bell from its neck; for another, he had avoided the -highway, and did not suppose that much booty was ever -to be obtained on the by-roads; and lastly, he trusted to -his wits, his mule, and his pistol. As he rode on, the air -grew colder and the sky darker; there was no moon, and -a thickening haze lay over the fields to right and left of -the road. It was impossible to proceed at more than a -walking pace, except at risk of breaking the mule's knees -in a rut or ditch. To divert his thoughts from the cold -and the unpleasantness of his journey, he ran over in his -mind the events of the last few days. He dwelt particularly -on the strange message he had received from Don -Fernan Alvarez. "Palafox the man, Palafox the name!"—what -could it mean? How did it concern his old playmate -Juanita, whom he remembered, a little black-eyed -child, clambering on his father's knee, and listening with -her finger in her mouth to the stories told her by -Mr. Lumsden, so merry and frank compared with her stiff, -stately, solemn father. Palafox!—he was a young general, -with a brilliant reputation; Jack had heard Colonel Beckwith -give high praise to his strenuous defence of Saragossa -against Verdier; but what likelihood was there that the -chances of the campaign would give Jack an opportunity -of meeting him! Suppose he did meet him, what—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Buenas noches, caballero!" said a thick guttural voice -at his mule's head, breaking into his meditation, and -giving him a momentary shock.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Buenas noches, hombre!" he replied.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The mule had stopped short. Jack saw dimly, right in -front of him, a thick-set figure clad in a heavy cloak, his -head covered with a pointed large-brimmed hat, reminding -the rider of pictures he had seen of Italian brigands.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"O Señor caballero," said the man, "will you have the -charity to tell a poor wayfarer the time?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was on the point of pulling out his big hunting-watch, -but it struck him suddenly that it was advisable to -be on his guard until he was sure of his man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Somewhere about seven o'clock, I fancy," he said -courteously. "You are right in my way, my friend."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, caballero, but it is my way as well as yours."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is wide enough for both of us," rejoined Jack with -a smile; "and as I have some miles to ride, I shall be -obliged to you if you'll stand away and let me get on."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man did not budge, but brought his left hand from -beneath his cloak and seized the off rein.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, my friend, don't delay me. 'Tis a cold night, -and the sooner I reach my journey's end the better I shall -be pleased."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack spoke quietly and politely as before, but he was -watching the fellow with the wariness of a hawk.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis cold for me also, caballero; a fire and warm drink -await me yonder. I am going to fight the accursed -French, and it strikes me a mule like yours will serve me -well. I will trouble you, therefore, to dismount, caballero. -I perceive you are a tradesman from the town, and you -will admit the fighter is more useful to Spain than the -shopkeeper. If you will do me the honour to descend, I -will mount in your place."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not so fast, my man," said Jack. "I don't want to -hurt you, but if you continue to stand there you may come -to grief when I whip up my mule."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Realizing from Jack's firm tone that his object was not -to be gained without a struggle, the man suddenly threw -off the fold of the cloak enveloping his right arm, and with -a guttural oath lifted a huge mallet he carried in his hand, -springing slightly aside to give his arm free play. The -movement was fatal to him. With a sharp dig in the -groin Jack swung the mule round in the same direction, -and launched him full at his assailant. Before the -ponderous mallet had time to complete its swing, the mule -had struck the man square in the chest, and as he reeled -and fell under the blow Jack brought down his switch -smartly across his brow.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's well saved, anyhow," said Jack grimly to -himself as he cantered on, and smiled as he heard the man's -curses pursuing him. The mule seemed to share in his -rider's feelings, for as he trotted steadily on he lifted his -head high in the air, curled up his lip, and showed his -long yellow teeth, as though laughing at the man's -ignominious overthrow. Jack let him have his way, and the -animal kept up the same pace unfalteringly, with never a -slip or stumble, until he reached the squalid streets of -Medina del Campo. The curfew had just ceased ringing, -and the great market-square was quite deserted; but Jack -knocked at a house in which he saw a light, enquired -the way to the Posada de Oriente, and in a few minutes -was standing within the doorway of that hostelry. To -judge by the various voices issuing from its interior, it -was entertaining a numerous company.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He presented to the landlord the letter he had brought -from the man's former master, Don Pedro, and was led -with some hesitation into the inn, while his mule was -handed over to an ostler. The inn consisted of one large -apartment with a fireplace at each end, a timber roof -blackened and varnished by smoke, stalls at each side for -horses and mules, and for travellers a few small lateral -chambers each containing a bed made of planks laid -across trestles, and covered with sheets of coarse sacking. -"Rough lying," thought Jack, as he looked in at the open -door of one of these. The floor was of brick, strewn with -rushes. A large fire burnt in one of the grates, strings of -onions hung from nails on the walls, and the place was -pervaded by an odour of scalded oil and grilled tomatos. -Jack gave a comprehensive greeting to the company as -he entered. A deep silence had fallen upon the room, and -he was conscious of the curious scrutiny of several pairs -of eyes; but knowing that the Spaniard is always reserved -with a stranger until assured that he is not, let us say, a -pedlar, or a rope-dancer, or a dealer in hair-oil, he paid -the company for the moment no further attention, but sat -down on a back seat pointed out by the patron, and ordered -food. The landlord regretted that at short notice he could -supply him with nothing but a simple gaspacho. Jack -laughed inwardly at the thought of how his friend -Pomeroy would turn up his fastidious nose at such fare, but -assured his host that in his present state of hunger he -could eat anything, and the gaspacho was accordingly -prepared. Some water was poured into a soup-tureen, to -this was added a little vinegar, a few pods of garlic, some -onions cut into four, a slice or two of cucumber, a little -spice, a pinch of salt, and a few slices of bread; with this -the detestable mixture was complete. As Jack began his -meagre meal the landlord opened the hidalgo's note, and -Jack threw a glance round the company.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nearest the fire sat a lean, cadaverous old gentleman -closely wrapped in a chestnut-coloured cloak, and sipping -at a glass of dry Malaga. Next him reclined the village -priest, a rotund figure clad in a black cassock, with cloak -of the same colour; he nursed on his knee an immense -hat, at least three feet long, with a turned-in brim, which -when upon his head must have formed a sort of horizontal -roof. Then came a couple of arrieros, or carriers, in rough -fustian, with big leather gaiters and broad sashes of red -silk; and a loutish Maragato with shaven head, clad in a -long tight jacket secured at the waist by a broad girdle, -loose trousers terminating at the knees, and long boots -and gaiters. A few young villagers completed the circle. -By this time the landlord had spread out his old master's -note, and was scrutinizing it with a puzzled expression, -his head screwed aside and his lips pursed up. After a -few moments he appeared to come to the conclusion that -he would never decipher the crabbed handwriting unaided, -and handed it to the priest, a broad grease mark showing -where his thumb had pressed it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here, Señor cura," he said, "be so good as to read it -to me; Don Pedro's hand is growing paralysed, surely."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The priest took it, giving Jack a humorous smile.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don Pedro merely introduces the caballero as a friend -of his," he said, "and asks you, for his sake and the sake -of Spain, to serve him in every possible way."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To be sure," returned the landlord; "I have done it -without asking. I have given the caballero a gaspacho, -and if he will wait till Antonio arrives he shall have a -puchero in addition, and a grilled tomato."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thanks, landlord! I shall do very well," said Jack. -"But I fear I am a kill-joy, Señores. Pray don't let me -interrupt your conversation."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The caballero, being a friend of Don Pedro, may be -trusted," said the lean gentleman by the fire, taking a sip. -"He is welcome, particularly if he joins us in giving -God-speed to Antonio as he goes on his way to join the brave -guerrilleros."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I shall be happy," said Jack. "Antonio, I presume, -is a soldier of this neighbourhood?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nay, Señor, all our soldiers are already with General -Castaños or the Marquis of La Romana or brave San -Juan, doing deeds of valour against the accursed French, -every man of them worth three of the enemy. Were I -not old and worn, I myself would have led them, and -drawn the sword of my ancestors in defence of my -country. I am a hidalgo of noble line, Señor, tracing -my descent back to a paladin who slew ten Englishmen -with his own sword, when, in the days of Great Philip, -we landed in England and held London to ransom." (Jack -opened his eyes at this new light on English -history!) "His blood still flows in my withered veins, -and my neighbours here know well that only my great -age keeps me from driving the French back across the -mountains at the head of my troop."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Most of the company applauded this patriotic speech, -but Jack observed a whimsical look on the priest's face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I rejoice to know," continued the hidalgo, "that the -old valour is still alive in the breasts of my countrymen; -they are flocking in their thousands to join the bands of -guerrilleros who dog the French at every step, and our -friend Antonio, whom we expect to-night, and who leaves -to-morrow for Saragossa, is one in whom the Spanish -valour most brightly shines."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Antonio is a journeyman cooper, Señor," said the -priest confidentially, "a dare-devil by report, a -contrabandista too at times, and a great favourite in these -parts. He is expected from Cantalapiedra to-night."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And here he is," cried one of the younger men, who -had gone to the door. "Late, but welcome. Viva -Antonio!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All the company but Jack rose to their feet to greet -the hero. He came hastily into the room, flung the door -to behind him, bolted it, and heaved a sigh. Jack saw -at a glance that he was no other than the man who -had sought to borrow his mule, and had found the -apparently inoffensive rider tougher than he expected.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señores, Señores," cried the man, "only by a miracle -and by my own courage have I escaped this night! -Blessed be the saints that I have a stout heart and a strong -arm, or I should have been but a dead man to-night!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He spread himself with an air of bravado upon a low -bench, and as he removed his hat, disclosed a deep-red -wale across his brow. His friends gathered about him -in consternation, and the old hidalgo rose painfully from -his chair, and, tottering across the room, handed a -bumper of Malaga to the panting new-comer, who quaffed it -gratefully.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, Señores," he continued, "but for the merciful -protection of Santiago and Santa Maria, and the fact that -I know no fear, I should have been lost to Spain, a cold -corpse even now. Four miles back, as I trudged wearily -along the miry road, thinking of the kind friends and the -warm food awaiting me here—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Manuel," cried the landlord to a strapping youth who -stood with sleeves tucked up near the fireplace, "grill -a tomato for our brave Antonio."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"As I trudged along," Antonio resumed, "all at once -I heard a great splashing and clanking behind me, and -before I could stand aside, three horsemen were upon me. -They reined up when they saw me, and one of them called -me dog, and asked the way to Valladolid. I knew by -his tongue that he was one of the thrice-cursed French, -and, commending myself to Santiago in a breath, I raised -my mallet and struck him upon the head, and he fell. -His comrades drew their swords and made at me over -their horses' necks. I defended myself as best I could -with my good mallet, but it was an unequal fight, Señores, -and I was at my wits' end, when I bethought me that all -the French are craven curs, and I shouted aloud, as -though summoning a hidden band to the rescue. The -Frenchmen started back, looked fearfully around, and -then, unmindful of their dead comrade on the ground, set -spurs to their horses and galloped away, one of them, as -he passed, striking me—with the flat of his sword, praised -be Santiago!—across the brow, and—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What was he like, hombre?" asked Jack quietly, -bending forward on his chair and looking the man full -in the face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Antonio's jaw dropped. He gave a scared look at the -speaker, and spilt the remainder of his wine upon his -boots.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The brave fellow is overcome," said the hidalgo. -"Fill his glass, Manuel."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Antonio gulped down a second glass, and looked with -apprehension at Jack, who was now sitting back again -in his chair, keeping his eyes fixed on the abashed -Spaniard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A lucky escape, Antonio," said the cura with a -twinkling eye. "In the morning, no doubt, some -passing arriero will see the dead Frenchman on the road, -and bring him here for dog's burial."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No doubt, no doubt, Padre," said Antonio hurriedly. -"But I am faint, Señores, and as my nose tells me the -tomato is now well grilled, I would fain stay the pangs -of hunger."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As he devoted himself to the succulent fruit, the hidalgo -entered upon a long oration on the iniquities of the French -and the heroism of the Spaniards, with particular reference -to the guerrilla band in the Virgen mountains, whom -Antonio was on his way to join. He concluded by calling -upon the company to drink the health of the brave -Antonio, and confusion to the French. When the ringing -vivas had ceased, Jack rose from his chair. Approaching -the hero, who looked far from comfortable, he held out -his right hand, and, laying his left on Antonio's shoulder, -said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am glad that, as a chance traveller, I am here in -time to add my good wishes to so staunch a patriot. -With a spirit like yours, we shall soon succeed in driving -the enemy headlong through the passes of the Pyrenees. -I myself hope to do something in my small way for Spain, -but nothing I can do will match the valiant deeds of the -brave guerrilleros, who face the rigours of winter cold on -the barren mountains, and leave all the comforts of home -in their noble enthusiasm. I call upon the sons of Spain -here present to drink once more a health to Antonio the -guerrillero, and confusion to the French! Viva Antonio! -Viva la España!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He grasped the hand of the astonished Antonio, and -shook it heartily, amid the applause of the company. -Antonio's look of amazement gave way gradually to one -of smug content, and when, after another flowery speech -from the hidalgo, the guests rose to take leave, the cooper -had quite recovered his wonted air of assurance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After the departure of his guests, the landlord was -proceeding to bolt the door for the night, when Jack -stopped him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't fasten up yet, landlord," he said. "I am going -farther presently."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To-night, Señor?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes; the moon is rising, and I shall ride as far as -Olmedo."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, Señor, you may be set upon by French horsemen, -like Antonio here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't think so," replied Jack with a smile. "Remember, -Don Pedro sent me here to claim your assistance. -He assured me you are a good patriot, and I don't suppose -you love the French any better than the Señor hidalgo, -or than Antonio, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The French, Señor! I hate them. Every good -Spaniard hates them. We are all caballeros, Señor, and -we're not going to have any masters over us but our -own hidalgos and the king—our own king."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Have you seen anything of the French yourself?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The saints forbid! They spare neither man nor beast. -If they came this way I'd have never a pig in my stye nor -a copa of wine in my cellar. Antonio has seen some of -them to-night, and my son Manuel told me that a -squadron of dragoons passed through Olmedo and went south -yesterday, and all last week parties of French horse were -scouring the district north of Olmedo, playing the very -devil with the people."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They came from Valladolid, I suppose?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No doubt, Señor; Valladolid has been occupied by -them for at least a fortnight past. We're hoping every -day that the Marquis of La Romana or General Palafox -will swoop down on them and slit their weasands. Or -maybe the English general Sir Moore, now at Salamanca, -will come and trounce them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You know the English are at Salamanca, then? Do -the French know it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not from us, Señor. Not a man of us will give them -any information."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, landlord, I'm an Englishman—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man threw up his hands in amazement, and Antonio -gasped. Jack watched the effect of his announcement; -he had come rapidly to the conclusion that as Antonio was -clearly regarded by his friends as a staunch patriot, there -would be no danger in disclosing his own nationality.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And I've come this way to find out all I can about the -French. I want two active young fellows to help me, and -I've been looking at these two fine lads—sons of yours, -I take it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, Señor, they are my sons. Manuel is nineteen, -and his brother Juan a year younger, and 'tis ten years -yesterday since their poor mother went to heaven."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The two young men, with square-set faces and ragged -shocks of black hair, stood listening with interest. Jack -had watched them narrowly during the evening. They -had something less than the usual stolidity of expression, -looked fairly intelligent, and appeared likely to serve him -well as special messengers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They would have to be prepared for hard work," he -said, "at any hour of the day or night. They would be -well paid, of course—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor," interrupted the landlord, "a good patriot -doesn't require pay for working against the French."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack thought he had heard a different account about -some of his host's countrymen, but he went on:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well then, you will not object to your sons entering -my service as messengers between me and my general?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, Señor, I shall then be single-handed. Who will -there be then to attend to my guests—to mix the puchero, -and stir the gaspacho, and rub down the mules? The lads -could not leave their poor old father alone."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Caramba!" struck in Antonio, who was now devoting -himself to a fried onion, "what is that? Here am I -leaving my wife and three children, to fight the French."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You've left them before," said the landlord dryly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And there's Don Pedro's letter, you know," suggested Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The landlord glanced at the letter, which lay on the -table, and shrugged his shoulders.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well," he said, "I would do much for Don Pedro. -He was a good master to me; he gave me the money to -buy this inn; and since he asks me to serve you and my -country at the same time, I can't refuse, Señor—if the lads -are willing to go."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They at once professed their readiness to serve the Señor -in any way, and assured him that they were well acquainted -with the country for miles around.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's settled, then," said Jack. "Now, Manuel, you -won't mind being employed at once? Have you any mules -on the premises?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Two, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Just the number required. You will saddle up and -ride off at once to Salamanca. I will give you a note to -take to Sir John Moore, the English general there. If -you can't find him, ask for General Paget. You can say -Paget?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After two or three attempts, Manuel succeeded in -pronouncing a passable imitation of the sound.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"When you have delivered the note, you will return to -Carpio, and wait there for further orders. Both in going -and coming you will take care to attract as little attention -as possible, and of course you will not say a word to -anyone, not even to your dearest friend, about your business. -You understand?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, Señor. And I have a friend near Carpio, a farmer, -who lives about a league out of the town, so that I can -stay with him if need be."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well. Go and get your mule saddled, and return -here for the note."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack wrote a few lines to Sir John, giving him the news -of the passing squadron of French horse he had just learnt -from the landlord, and ten minutes later Manuel left the -inn with the note and a little money to serve for his -immediate needs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Juan," said Jack, when the elder brother had -gone, "go to bed and get what sleep you can till three -o'clock. At that hour I shall want you to start with me -for Olmedo. I'm pretty tired, so I shall turn in myself, -landlord, for a brief rest, and I shall take care that your -assistance is brought to the notice of my general and also -of your own juntas. Good-night!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At three o'clock, beneath a pale half-moon, Jack stood -at the door of the inn, waiting as Juan brought up his -mule. He was about to mount, when he was surprised to -see Antonio issue from the door and approach him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm a rough common man, Señor," he said; "you're -a caballero. My big tongue will not say what I have in -my heart, but I know what I owe you for your kindness -to-night. Yes, Señor, it was like a true caballero not to -remember what had happened on the road; and I say, -Señor, that if ever there comes a chance to do you a -good turn, por Dios! Antonio will not forget."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thanks, Antonio!" replied Jack, holding out his hand. -"We'll cry quits and part friends."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Vaya usted con Dios!" returned the man; and then -Jack, followed by Juan, cantered up the quiet street.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="monsieur-taberne"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER VI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Monsieur Taberne</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Westphalian Light Horse—Mine Host—Two Menus—Feeding -a Commissary—Practice in French—Another Bottle—A -Sum in Arithmetic—Inferences—A Cold Prospect</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Daylight was just breaking as the riders came to the -dreary outskirts of Olmedo, passing by one or two -desolate-looking vineyards, untidy brick-fields, gloomy -convents, and neglected kitchen-gardens, the walled town -itself rising before them on an eminence in the midst of -a wide sandy plain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had already learnt from Juan on the way that, -nearly a mile from the town, a small clump of pine-trees -grew, the only trees to be seen on all the barren heath. -This, Jack thought, would be a convenient spot at which -to leave the youth with the mules while he himself went -into the town and reconnoitred. Accordingly, he sent Juan -into the wood with the animals and sufficient food to last -them the day, telling him to wrap his cloak well about him -to keep off the cold, and on no account to allow himself to -be seen from the road. Then he proceeded alone into the -town, the narrow dirty streets of which he found in a great -bustle. There appeared to be a horse at the door of every -one of the six hundred houses of which the place consisted, -and at the side of every horse there was a French trooper, -who was either brushing his mount, or fastening its -saddle-straps, or feeding it, or watching his comrades engaged -in one or other of those operations. In short, three -squadrons of French dragoons, which had been quartered -on the town, were saddling up in preparation for -marching, and the streets resounded with the clank of metal, -the pawing of horses' hoofs, and the cries of the soldiers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack made his way to the first inn, where he found the -landlord endeavouring to reconcile his Castilian dignity -with the obsequiousness demanded by the troopers he was -serving. Ordering some chocolate, Jack sat down quietly -on a bench, prepared to pick up any scraps of information -he could gather from the half-dozen troopers who were -loudly conversing over their drink. But a few moments -later a sergeant entered, in a rage at finding the men away -from their horses. They left in a body, and Jack seized -the occasion to make a few discreet enquiries of the -aggrieved and perspiring innkeeper. The troopers, he learnt, -were the Westphalian light horse, belonging to General -Maupetit's brigade, which formed the cavalry division of -the fourth army corps under Marshal Lefebvre, Duke of -Dantzig. They had arrived in the town on the previous -afternoon, and the landlord, like all the inhabitants, was -anxious to see the last of them; for the town had been -visited by numerous smaller parties of horse during the -previous week, and the French always took what they -wanted, and were not very scrupulous about paying -for it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While Jack was condoling with the landlord, he heard -the bugle ring out the "boot and saddle". A few minutes -later the whole force moved out along the main road to -the south, leading to Villacastin and Madrid. Jack stood -just within the door, watching them defile past, and he -could not but admire the excellent condition of the horses -and the soldierly smartness of the men.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wonder where they are bound for?" he said to -himself. He knew, from a careful examination he had -already made of his map, that if the cavalry kept to the -main road it would bring them, within about thirty miles, -in contact with Hope's outposts, with the result that their -general, Lefebvre, would not remain much longer in -ignorance of the proximity of the British forces.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I must see what they are after," thought Jack. -Hastening to the plantation outside the town, where he -had left Juan and the mules, he mounted and rode alone -after the dragoons, being careful to maintain a discreet -distance between himself and their rear. After riding for -some three miles, he observed that they were leaving the -main road and bearing to the left. Taking out his map, -he found that they were evidently making for Segovia by -the shortest cut, and the obvious inference was that they -were as yet quite unsuspicious of the proximity of the -British army, and had no intention of marching towards -the Portuguese frontier. Riding another mile, to make -sure that this supposition was correct, Jack then returned -to the plantation, scribbled a note to Moore giving this -important news, and ordered Juan to set off with it, going -round Medina to Carpio, where he would meet his brother, -whom he was to instruct to carry the message to Salamanca.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Having thus despatched his second messenger, Jack -made his way back to Olmedo, with the intention of -obtaining a more substantial meal than he had yet had -time for. He sought, this time, the principal inn of the -place, and found that with the departure of the dragoons -the inhabitants of the town, previously invisible, had now -formed little knots at the street corners, and were -condoling with one another on the indignities they had suffered -at the hands of the enemy. The landlord was at first too -much occupied with the gossips at the door of his posada -to attend to a stranger, but Jack at last boldly took him -by the arm and declared that he must have food of some sort.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Food! All very well for a stranger to ask for food," -he replied bitterly, "but these cursed Frenchmen have -stripped us bare, and are verily capable of eating our -children."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, landlord," said Jack, "I heard an old cock -crowing lustily as I came up the street. At least you -have an egg or two. I don't love the French any more -than you; and I'll pay, which is more than they do, by -all accounts."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, Señor, perhaps I can find you an egg, but you -must wait till I can send for it and borrow a frying-pan, -for a Frenchman knocked a hole in mine last night."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack sat down on a bench within the bar-room, and -listened to the conversation, or rather the declamation, -of the men at the door. While he sat there waiting with -scant patience, for he was very hungry, the sound of -horses' hoofs was heard approaching, mingled with the -clank of steel. The knot at the door melted away as by -magic, and a few moments later a small party of horsemen -clattered into the courtyard, and loud voices were heard -calling to the inn servants. In a minute or two a portly -French officer clanked into the room, now empty save for -Jack. He was clad in a uniform of some brilliance, with -a heavy shako and an embroidered white cloak, and the -stone floor resounded to the tread of his heavy spurred -riding-boots. Giving a casual glance at Jack, who was -staying his hunger with a crust of dry bread until the egg -should appear, the officer strode up to the low counter, -smote it heavily with his riding-whip, and bellowed for -the landlord, in execrable Spanish, freely interlarded with -French expletives.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ohé, landlord!" he shouted. "Palsambleu! Where -has the hog hidden himself? Ohé! Come out of your -pig-stye, canaille that you are, and bring me some food."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He continued shouting and belabouring the counter, -setting the crockery rattling on the big dresser behind.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nice manners!" said Jack to himself, closely watching -the new-comer. "I wonder who he is!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment the landlord entered with a fried egg, -which he brought to Jack without giving more than one -sullen glance to the boisterous officer. This neglect -wounded the gentleman's dignity; he strode across the -room and, lifting his whip, spluttered:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Insolent dog! Don't you hear? I order you to bring -me food, and, palsambleu! you had better hurry. What -do you mean by keeping an officer of the emperor waiting -while you serve a beggarly tradesman?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In a moment, Señor," said the landlord, setting the -dish before Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Would the noble marquis like my egg?" said Jack -meekly in bad French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Egg!" The officer snorted his contempt for such frugal -fare. "Look you, landlord, I want soup to begin with, -and then a mayonnaise—sweet olive-oil, mind you—and -a capon well basted to follow, and—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor, Señor," interrupted the landlord, "I've not -any such things on the premises. Your dragoons have -eaten me up already. I can give you an omelet—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"An omelet! Morbleu, landlord! If you don't hurry -with something more substantial than an omelet I'll slice -your fat cheeks into collops."</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 61%" id="figure-120"> -<span id="a-question-of-supply"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="A Question of Supply" src="images/img-068.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">A Question of Supply</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>He glared at the Spaniard and laid his hand on his -sword; and the landlord, giving up all attempt to preserve -his dignity further, scuttled through the door leading -to his kitchen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Holà!" cried the officer, calling him back; "before -you go give me a stoup of wine; none of your tarred -vinegar of Toro, pardi, but good wine of Valdepenas, -something with a tang. Ventrebleu! it's a poor thing -if an officer of the emperor, who has to feed an army, -can't get good food for himself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>("Ah!" thought Jack, "we have a commissary here. -He ought to be worth something.")</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The trembling landlord set a goat-skin and a cup before -the blusterous commissary, and hurried off to ransack his -larder for something wherewith to appease his -Gargantuan appetite.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After two or three draughts of wine the big man -appeared to be somewhat mollified. He threw more than -one glance at Jack, as he strode up and down the room, -objurgating the landlord's sluggishness. To Jack's -amusement and surprise, the Spaniard returned in a very few -minutes, bearing a steaming tureen of soup.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Would the Señor like his meal served in a private -room?" he asked. "There is only my own sitting-room, -with no fire at present, but if his excellency pleases a fire -shall be lit, and—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tenez, tenez!" said the officer; "let me fill my -stomach, in the public room here by the fire. I may -want the private room by and by," he added pompously; -"but meanwhile I have no objection to your guest being -present."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He glanced at Jack, who at once said, in his politest -tones:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I shall be happy to retire if I am in the noble -marquis's way. Personal convenience must, of course, give -way to the public service, and anyone can see that the -noble marquis is a very high functionary."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The deferential tone and the barefaced flattery -conciliated the big man. Puffing himself out he said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not marquis yet, young man, not yet, though it may -come—yes, it may come in time. Lefebvre is Duke of -Dantzig: he rose from the ranks, and there's no reason -in the world why I, Gustave Taberne, shouldn't be a -marquis before long. Personal business, you say? Well, -my business is wholly personal at present, since it consists -in lining my not inconsiderable person, hein! But I don't -regard your company as an intrusion, monsieur; far from -it; I welcome you heartily."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack bowed his acknowledgments. Meanwhile the -officer had begun to gulp his soup with no little noise, -gobbling like a turkey-cock, as Jack described him -afterwards. As his meal progressed he unbent still further.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are almost the first of your cursed countrymen -I've met who can speak tolerable French," he said. -"Where did you learn it, young man?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I picked up a little in Barcelona, your excellency," -replied Jack, "but not till now have I had the opportunity -of improving myself by conversation with an officer used -to high society."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! you know a galant homme when you see him. -You have some sense, young man. Yes, I'm commissary-general -to the Duke of Dantzig's forces, and, parbleu! in -the emperor's service I spare no one, neither myself nor -others. Ohé, landlord, bring the next course."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The landlord brought in a number of dishes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor likes the puchero?" he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Puchero, you call it? Well, if this is puchero, I do -like it. Now, par le sambleu, you wanted to put me off -with an omelet! He! he!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He lay back in his chair and roared. Jack himself was -not a little amused, for he saw on the table a quarter -of veal, a neck of mutton, a chicken, the end of a sausage -called </span><em class="italics">chorizo</em><span>, slices of bacon and ham, a jug of sauce -made of tomatos and saffron and strong spices, a dish -of cabbage soaking in oil, and a platter filled with a -vegetable rather like haricot beans, called </span><em class="italics">garbanzo</em><span>. All these -the landlord mixed in one big vessel so as to make a -mayonnaise, which Jack hoped did not taste as strong as -it smelt. The commissary fell to with avidity, but he -was evidently fond of hearing his own voice, and his -tongue being loosened by the unexpected good cheer, and -by Jack's respectful admiration, he condescended to -converse between the mouthfuls.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pity your countrymen are not all as civil and sensible -as yourself," he said. "If they'd only put a good face -on it, and pay willing obedience to King Joseph—though, -to tell the truth, he's only a proxy for the emperor,—they'd -live a quieter life and make the duties of the commissary -less of a torture. I tell you, young man—moi qui vous -parle—there isn't a more harassed man in the army than -the commissary-general. Hang me if he is not every way -as important as the commander-in-chief!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack looked at him sympathetically.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A general gets all the credit of a victory, but, parbleu! 'tis -the commissary that deserves it. Who won the battle -of Austerlitz three years ago? Folks say it was the -emperor, but between you and me, mon ami, it was I -myself, Gustave Taberne. Soult, Masséna, Lannes, the -emperor himself—all very well, but could the men fight -if they weren't well fed?—tell me that. And I feed the -army. Skill, that is good; courage, that is better; -devotion, that is excellent; but a good meal has won more -victories than the cleverest tactics."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The world knows nothing of its greatest men," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The commissary gleamed approval, but at this point -the conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a -corporal.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, Antoine," said the officer, "where is the alcalde?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He cannot be found, mon colonel," replied the man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Cannot be found! Cannot! Who dares use such -words to the emperor's commissary-general? The alcalde -must be found, or, parbleu! I'll burn every house and -pig-stye in the place. Let him be here in half an hour—not -a moment sooner, for I must finish my dejeuner; not a -moment later, for he will fare ill if he keeps me waiting. -Away with you, Antoine."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The corporal vanished.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ohé, landlord!" shouted the commissary. "Another -bottle of wine. No, don't take out the stopper. Set it on -the table there in front of me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The commissary gloated at the rotund wine-skin, but -made no sign of opening it. Catching an enquiring glance -from Jack, he said loftily:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I drink no more till my work is done, young man. -If I drank more now, I should get drunk; and if I got -drunk the emperor would call me a pig, and I should -deserve it. Duty first, young man, always remember that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It astonishes me," said Jack, "—forgive my ignorance, -Colonel,—how you officers can make the calculations -necessary for feeding an immense army. In our -little villages, for instance, if we keep the festival of a -saint or a guild, when there are only some hundreds of -mouths to feed, we either run short or have so much left -that bushels of good stuff have to be thrown to the pigs."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack spoke from recollections of the autumn bean-feast -in his little Surrey village at home. The commissary rose -to the bait, and spoke, always with a thirsty eye fixed -on the wine-skin.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh! as to that," he said, "we do everything by -system. Nothing is easier when you have a system. -We allow a pound of biscuit a day to each man, and -half a pound of meat, and as much wine as is good for -him and can be got. For myself, as you see, I can drink -a gallon without staggering, and hold a fresh bottle -always at arm's-length without touching it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Matchless strength of will!" exclaimed Jack. "But -even so, the responsibility of obtaining just the right -quantity for so many thousands of men would make a -weaker man quaver. The biscuit, for instance—what a -huge quantity you must consume!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Huge indeed!" said the commissary. "Why, in Valladolid, -where I have come from, we use nine tons a day." (Jack -made a rapid mental calculation: one pound of -biscuit to each man; nine tons a day. "So there are -about twenty thousand men in Valladolid!" he concluded.) "And -in the present temper of your confounded countrymen," -continued the commissary, "such a man as I is -not to be envied. I have had great difficulty in procuring -supplies in some places. Like your landlord here, they -offer an egg, and we have to curse them before they bring -out the chicken. But we stand no nonsense, I can tell -you. Your alcaldes have bad memories, but 'tis amazing -how refreshing is a yard or two of hempen rope or the -touch of a cold pistol-barrel. We had trouble in Valladolid, -and 'tis rumoured we are to have trouble in Segovia; -but let 'em beware, let 'em beware."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! I'm afraid our poor people have small chance -against the hosts of your emperor—the finest soldier the -world has seen since Alexander the Great."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You say true, monsieur; you are a sensible fellow—for -a Spaniard. The Little Corporal is indeed a new -Alexander, destined to conquer the whole world, and, -parbleu! those upstart meddling shopkeepers of English into the -bargain. Why, the emperor is at this moment marching -south, and my bag here is stuffed with bulletins of his -victories."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He pulled out a handful of papers, and spread them on -the table. At this moment the corporal re-entered, -followed by the trembling alcalde of the village, whose -bemired dress showed that he had been hiding in no very -sanitary spot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ohé, Don Long-chops," said the commissary, "you -thought to escape me, did you? Now you and I will -have a reckoning."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the alcalde was brought round the table until he -faced the commissary, Jack rose.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I will bid you good-day, monsieur," he said politely. -"I have a long way to go, and be sure that in whatever -village I pass through I shall warn them that so capable -an officer is not to be trifled with."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is sound sense, pardi," said the commissary. -"You will do well to prepare them for my coming, and, -look you, if we meet again, you and I will drink as much -Valdepenas as our skins will hold—provided my duty is -done. Au revoir!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack bowed and took his leave. The information he -had obtained from the self-sufficient commissary was -clearly of the highest importance. There were twenty -thousand men in Valladolid: they were about to march -for Segovia; and the emperor himself was coming -southward at the head of an army. It was evident that the -French were as yet in ignorance of the proximity of -Moore's army. They were probably intending a blow at -Madrid; and Jack saw in a flash that this might have a -direct bearing on the movements contemplated by Sir John.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why shouldn't we march eastward and cut their -communications?" he thought.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The question was, how was this information to be -conveyed to head-quarters? At the earliest Juan could not -be back before dark, even if he met his brother the -instant he arrived at Carpio.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There's nothing for it but to go myself," said Jack -to himself, "and that's a pity. I should have liked to -get a little more out of my budding marquis when he -is in one of his expansive moods. Well, I've a cold -ride before me."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="pepito-intervenes"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER VII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Pepito intervenes</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Precautions—Gone to Earth—Foundered—In the Nick of -Time—The Allied Army—At the Marchesa's Palace—Social -Salamanca—Light Refreshments—Messengers—A Recognition</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The stable-yard lay to the rear of the inn. Snow had -been falling lightly during Jack's conversation with the -commissary, and one of the servants was busily sweeping -the slush into a corner. The stable doors were open, and -several lads and men were attending to the horses of the -commissary's escort, the universal hiss of men employed -in that occupation being mingled with curses which it was -lucky the Frenchmen could not hear or understand. Jack -went up to one of the men and asked him to bring out -his mule. The ostler turned from the horse he was -grooming and looked at Jack with an air of incivility, -if not downright insolence. He made no movement to -carry out the order, and, glancing round, Jack became -aware that all the other stable-helps had left their work -and were gazing at him with the same distrustful, -lowering scowl.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's the matter?" he thought.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The men had been all civility when he gave his mule -into their hands on his arrival. What could be the cause -of this unpleasant change of attitude? Jack was puzzled. -Meanwhile he wanted his mule unhaltered and saddled, -and though he was tempted to do it himself, and not -trouble the reluctant servants, he saw that such a course -would not improve his position with them. He knew the -Spanish character too well to bluster or dictate. After -a pause of only a few moments he addressed the same -man quietly and politely, but with a firmness that admitted -no refusal; and the servant, dropping his eyes, turned -sullenly to do his bidding.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A few minutes later, as he rode out of the courtyard, -he met the alcalde, looking very angry and much -perturbed. He was coming, evidently, from his interview -with the commissary. He looked up at Jack as he passed, -and half-stopped, as though hesitating whether to address -him. Jack was surprised to note the same quick glance -of suspicion in the alcalde's eyes as he had seen in those -of the stablemen. The official seemed to be on the point -of speaking, but he gave a hurried and anxious glance -towards the window of the commissary's room, flushed -hotly, and with a final dark look at Jack turned away. -Jack rode on, feeling that the eyes of the whole inn were -upon him, and possessed by an unaccountable sense of -insecurity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The meaning of it all flashed upon him quite suddenly. -The alcalde had seen him in close and apparently friendly -conversation with the commissary. Their interview had -lasted for a considerable time, and must have been talked -about among the people of the inn. Every Spaniard must -feel that no true patriot would hold amicable intercourse -with a Frenchman, an enemy of his country, except under -compulsion, and it was now evident to Jack that he was -regarded as a traitor, perhaps a spy, selling the interests -of his compatriots to the invader. The thought made -him smile.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Shall I go back and tell them?" he said to himself. -"They'd be surprised to find how the boot is on the other -leg."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But a moment's reflection convinced him that to reveal -his secret would not be politic, even if he were believed. -There were too many Frenchmen about the inn to make -it safe for him to enter into long explanations. Then -another thought came which promised a spice of adventure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I shouldn't wonder if they follow me, and perhaps -try to do for me. They will if they think I'm a French -spy. I'll take the Valladolid road first, and cut off to the -left when I'm well out of sight from the town."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Careful not to look behind, he rode slowly on until a -bend in the road concealed him from the inn; then he -jogged the sides of his mule and quickened its pace from -a walk to a trot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The snow had ceased to fall, and the afternoon sun -promised to thaw the light glistening mantle that covered -the bare country. There was enough snow yet on the -ground to show clear tracks of his course to any pursuers. -Being anxious to get a good start, he soon urged his mule -to a gallop, hoping that, if he was indeed followed, the -hoof-marks might have been thawed away from the -high-road before he turned off to Medina del Campo.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After riding hard for some three miles he came to a -river. On either side of the bridge the bank sloped down -to the water's edge, and Jack, feeling that his mule needed -a rest, saw here an excellent opportunity of learning, -without risk to himself, whether a pursuit had been commenced. -Dismounting, he led the animal carefully down the -shelving miry bank, and found that underneath the first arch -of the bridge there was ample room to conceal both -himself and the mule from the eyes of any but careful searchers. -The snow had by this time been converted to a washy -sludge, and the ground having been trampled by many -animals before his own, he had no fear of his tracks being -sufficiently marked to attract special attention.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had remained in his place of concealment but a few -minutes when he heard in the distance, in the direction -from which he had come, the dull thud of hoofs. As -they approached, the sounds were mingled with the -subdued hum of voices. Jack waited with no little curiosity, -keeping a hand on his mule's reins to prevent the animal -from emerging into view. The sounds grew louder. -Several riders galloped their steeds up to the end of the -bridge, and halted them for a moment as though in -indecision. Then they resumed their progress and rode on -to the bridge, the clatter of hoofs awaking an echo from -the arches below. When they had gained the other side -Jack crept carefully up the bank until he could safely peep -over the parapet, and saw four riders pelting rapidly -towards Valladolid. He gave a chuckle as he recognized -the men who had behaved so churlishly in the stable-yard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A lucky miss!" he thought. "They're after me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were riding horses, and it was clear that but for -his little stratagem he must soon have been overtaken. -What should be his course now? He could not reckon -on their riding much farther along the main road, for they -would naturally enquire of anyone they might meet if a -tradesman had been seen riding a mule that way, and in -the course of a few miles, allowing for their greater speed, -they must suspect that their quarry had turned to one side -or the other. Obviously he must lose no time. Retracing -his steps, he led the mule from the muddy river-bed, -remounted, and rode along the tow-path in the hope of soon -discovering a road that would lead in the direction of -Medina. In a few minutes he came to a rough and narrow -cart-track between two fields on his left hand. It must -lead somewhere, and, being anxious at any rate to put as -much ground as possible between himself and his pursuers, -Jack wheeled his mule to the left and rode along the -rough track at a canter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He found that it led into a somewhat wider road, -crossing it at an obtuse angle. The ground was much cut up -by cart-wheels, and the mule laboured heavily on the soft -swampy ground. Jack eased the pace, hoping that the -start he had obtained would enable him to keep well ahead -of his pursuers, even if they soon discovered their mistake -and had the luck to track him. By and by he came to a -considerable ascent, up which he was fain to allow the -animal to walk, and on reaching the summit he found the -poor beast so breathless that he dismounted and walked -slowly on, leading the mule. Turning after a while in the -direction from which he had come, he caught a glimpse, in -the far distance, of a group of riders coming towards him. -It was impossible to distinguish their figures, much less -their features. Delay was dangerous; so without hesitation -Jack sprang again on the mule's back and set off once -more towards Medina. For a time he was hidden from -the riders by rows of stunted trees that lined the road. -Then the road took a sharp curve to the right, and before -him he saw a long hill, sloping gradually down for nearly -a mile towards what appeared to be a plantation. He -urged the mule now to its top speed, noting with some -anxiety that the animal was breathing with difficulty, and -showing other only too manifest signs of fatigue. Before -he had reached the foot of the hill it was patently flagging, -and when, having passed that point, another upward ascent -began, the mule staggered once or twice, recovered itself, -staggered again, and, finally, just as Jack came abreast -of a low farmhouse that lay back some sixty yards from -the road, it dropped on its knees, its rider barely escaping -being thrown on his head upon the road.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Whew! This is awkward," he said to himself. He -looked up the hill he had just descended. "By George! there -they are," he exclaimed under his breath. Four -riders had just topped the crest, and were coming -towards him, at no great speed, for their horses were -evidently tired; but clearly they must overtake him in -less than five minutes. Jack looked around for some -means of escape. He might stand his ground and fight -them, but the odds were against him, and a single crack -in the head would prevent him from reaching Salamanca, -and render useless the information he had obtained for -his general. "I must run for it, but how and where?" -he thought.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment he heard a sound behind him. Turning -hastily, he was amazed to see a little dark figure clad in -a zamarra of sheepskin, a high-peaked, narrow-brimmed -hat, a red plush waistcoat with many buttons and clasps, -and a brilliant crimson-silk girdle about the waist. In -one hand the dwarfish creature carried a large pair of -shears, in the other the reins of a half-clipped mule, which -walked meekly behind him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pepito!" Jack gasped in amazement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito grinned.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No time to waste, Señor," he said. "I saw you come -down the hill, and the Busne behind you. Your mule has -foundered. Here is a fresh mule I was clipping; mount -him and ride on."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Clearly there was no time for explanations. In a -moment Jack was on the mule's back.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thanks, Pepito!" he said. "But what will you do? -Those fellows will kill you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito smiled.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Never fear, Señor. The Gitano is more than a match -for the Busne. Ride, Señor, ride. They have not seen -you yet. Quick!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He led the mule a few yards beyond the spot at which -Jack had halted, and pointed to a road that went off the -main-road to right and left.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The left road leads to Medina," he said. Then he -struck the mule sharply on the flank, and waved his hand -gaily to Jack, who set off at full speed, rounded a curve, -and was soon lost to sight. As he disappeared, he heard -behind him the shrill notes of a song that was ever and -anon on Pepito's lips:</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"The Romany chal to his horse did cry,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>As he placed the bit in his horse's jaw,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Kosko gry! Romany gry!</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Muk man kistur tuté knaw."</span></div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>He smiled as he heard the uncouth words, and rode on, -wondering by what cunning device the little gipsy would -throw the pursuers off the scent, as he evidently intended -to do.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had intended to make his way back to the Posada -de Oriente at Medina, and there obtain a rest and a change -of mules. But having got a fresh steed by Pepito's -fortunate intervention, he changed his plan, and decided to -make straight for Salamanca by Carpio and Cantalapiedra. -He had still fifty miles to ride, and after his experience with -the foundered mule he doubted whether one animal would -carry him the whole way. But there was an off chance -that another mount might be procurable in case of need, -and his mission was urgent. He therefore pushed on, -avoiding Medina, and taking a short cut for Carpio. It -was four o'clock when he reached that town. He halted -for half an hour to bait his mule and snatch a meal, then he -resumed his journey, and an hour and a half after dark he -entered the wretched streets of Pedroso. He had ridden -but a few yards into the town when a figure on horseback -moved silently out from the shadow of a church and stood -full across his path. He pulled up, and then a guttural -and husky voice addressed him roughly:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who go zere? Qui va la? Quien vive?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack laughed quietly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is the caballero himself the allied army?" he said in -his best Castilian.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Donnerwetter noch einmal!" growled the horseman, -adding in bad Spanish: "Give the word, and quickly."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You have the advantage of me, my good friend," -responded Jack in English, "so you had better take me -to your captain."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had now recognized the man by his uniform as a -trooper in the 3rd Light Dragoons of the King's German -Legion. The dragoon grunted in surprise on hearing -English, and, wheeling his horse beside Jack's mule, -he laid one hand on his rein, and with the other held -his carbine close to the new-comer's head, and so -escorted him to the inn where the cavalry patrol was -quartered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The officer there seated at ease, a burly moustachioed -Hessian, looked up as the trooper clanked into the room, -holding Jack by the sleeve.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A stranger, Herr Rittmeister," he said in German, -"who cannot or will not give the countersign."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not such a terrible stranger, Captain Werder," said -Jack in English, recognizing the German as the officer -through whom he had obtained his horse in Salamanca. -A few words sufficed to explain his presence in such guise, -and half an hour afterwards, mounted on a spare horse -luckily at hand, he set off on the last eighteen miles that -lay between him and his destination.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was seven o'clock when he reached Salamanca, and, -tired as he was, bespattered with mud from head to foot, -he proceeded at once to the general's quarters. There he -learnt that Sir John was attending a reception given by the -Marchesa de Almaran, one of the grandes dames of the -city. Leaving the horse at a neighbouring inn, Jack made -his way to the Marchesa's palace, hoping that the -commander-in-chief's explicit instructions would excuse any -want of ceremony there might be in his action. He -pulled the broad brim of his hat well over his eyes, and -turned up the high collar of his coat, passed the English -guard of honour outside the palace, and, entering at the -open door, asked for the major-domo.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"General Sir Moore is within?" he said to that -functionary when he appeared.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He is."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Will you tell him that a señor waits below with -important news, and begs an instant audience?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The major-domo looked somewhat suspiciously at the -dirty, travel-stained Spaniard before him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The general is in the sala, and there is dancing. I do -not know that I can interrupt him now."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If you will kindly give my message, the general will -see me," persisted Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What name shall I tell him?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I do not give my name. Merely say that it is a señor -whom he knows."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The functionary shrugged, and led Jack within the -vestibule—a vaulted apartment not unlike the porch of a -church, illumined by a single small lamp. Two or three -servants were gathered about a fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wait here," said the major-domo, and left the visitor. -The servants eyed him for a moment, then resumed their -conversation, of which Jack caught a few words here and -there. A messenger from General Castaños—a long ride -from Saragossa—brave fellow—yes, a true caballero, no -other would have faced the perils of so long a ride through -country infested by the French—yes, such courage was -worthy of a true son of Spain, and far exceeded -anything of which the English were capable. Such were -some of the remarks Jack overheard, and he smiled as -he remembered that Mr. Vaughan had ridden double the -distance, and come through equal perils, arriving earlier -after all.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Some minutes passed, and every now and then, as the -sound of guitars floated down the broad staircase, Jack -envied the good fortune of the officers who, he did not -doubt, were footing it gaily above. Then the major-domo -returned and silently beckoned the visitor to follow -him. He led him upstairs, through a narrow corridor -where, on benches of carved wood or plaited straw, lay -a variety of cloaks, hats, and silken scarves. Pushing -open a door, the major-domo preceded him into a wide -dimly-lighted room. "Remain here; I will fetch the -general," he said, and was gone.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack saw that the room was connected by folding-doors, -which were now thrown open, with a large salon lighted -by numerous candles. It was crowded with a brilliant -assembly. Along the walls sat many ladies in elegant -mantillas, each gracefully wielding the indispensable fan. -Among them was a sprinkling of priests and sad-eyed -students of the university. The centre of the room was -occupied by the younger society of the city—Spanish -officers and lawyers, with young ladies in festal array, -engaged in dancing the javaneja to the music of a band -of guitarists stationed at the farther end of the room. It -was the first time that Jack had seen this characteristically -Spanish dance since he had left Barcelona six years before, -and his feet itched to join in it. He watched the couples -as they made their graceful rhythmic movements, each -holding a coloured kerchief in one hand, the other curved -over the head. It formed an interesting spectacle against -the bright background formed by the red coats of British -officers of all ranks, who stood silent spectators, each no -doubt privately wishing that the unfamiliar dance would -come to an end, and that an opportunity might be given -them of teaching the señoritas the quadrilles which were -then all the rage in England, or country-dances, in which -they were still more at home. Nearly all the men, except -those who were dancing, were smoking cigarettes. Every -lady, young or old, had a flower in her hair.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The javaneja at length ceased, and the Spaniards gave -place with evident reluctance to the British officers, who -immediately set partners for a quadrille, and began their -task of tuition, to the great hilarity of the ladies. Jack -was becoming impatient. He had not caught sight of -Sir John Moore, and wondered how long he was to be -kept waiting in this dim ante-chamber. He looked -around. There were two or three tables set with refreshments; -but there was no tea, no ices, no punch; nothing -but urns of chocolate, small glasses of sugared water, -and a plate of azucarillos.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack wondered how the English section of the company, -among whom he had now recognized his friends Pomeroy -and Smith and several other of his acquaintance, would -be satisfied with this plain and simple fare, so different -from that provided at the luxurious entertainments at -home. Two or three solemn servants moved quickly -about between the rooms, carrying glasses of sugared -water to the ladies. As they passed Jack they eyed him -curiously, but with Spanish stolidity made no remarks. -Keeping in the shadow, he looked on at the animated -throng with ever-increasing impatience, wondering whether -the major-domo had forgotten him altogether. By and by -he saw Pomeroy lead his partner to a seat, and come -towards the ante-room with the manifest intention of -seeking refreshment for her himself. Jack stepped back -as Pomeroy crossed from room to room, and the subaltern, -throwing a curious glance at the strange cloaked figure -that stood there in the shadow, looked for a moment as -though he would like to question his right to be there. -But the moment passed, and almost immediately -afterwards Sir John Moore emerged from a curtained doorway -behind the band, and crossed rapidly to where Jack stood -awaiting him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Señor," he said -in Spanish, with his unvarying courtesy, "but I have had -to listen for half an hour to a countryman of yours who -brought me news which, after all, happened to be a trifle -stale. You have an important message for me, I understand?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am Lumsden of the 95th," said Jack in English, -in a low tone which none but the general's ear could -catch. Sir John started, and glanced keenly at Jack; -then a smile passed over his face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Capital! capital!" he said. "I shouldn't have known -you from Adam. Come into the farther corner, away -from these noisy dancers, and tell me your news. You'd -rather be kicking your heels among them, eh?" he added -with a twinkle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not till you have done with me, sir," replied Jack as -he accompanied the general out of earshot. There, in a -dim corner of the room, he gave Sir John a succinct -account of his movements, assuring him that the French -were beyond doubt making for Madrid, ignorant of, and -not even suspecting, the proximity of the British column -at Salamanca.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You have come very pat to the occasion," said Moore, -who had listened to Jack's story without interrupting it. -"You confirm what I already suspected from a previous -messenger. No, not the messenger who came just now -from General Castaños, and whom the good people here -have already elevated into a hero; his news was three days -behind time. But to-day the Spanish generals Bueno and -Escalente reached me from the Junta at Madrid, and made -a strong, and, I must say, insolent, protest against my -intended retreat, assuring me that General San Juan, with -20,000 men, has fortified the pass of Somosierra and -effectually blocked the way to Madrid, and urging me to march -towards him. They would have talked a cow's hind-leg -off, Mr. Lumsden, but I effectually shut the mouths of -my informants by confronting them with Colonel Graham, -who has just come in from Talavera, where San Juan is -the prisoner of the villainous runagates from Castaños' -beaten army. If the Spaniards depend on him to defend -the Somosierra pass their hope is a poor one. However, -what you tell me proves that the French are not coming -towards me, and for the present at any rate I am perfectly -safe here. Now, you have been so successful that I am -going to tax you still further. You are very tired, no -doubt?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A good supper and a night's rest will cure that, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then you'll be prepared to set off again to-morrow?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly. I am very glad to be of use."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You have been of the greatest use; I shall act upon -your information, and at once. And, by the bye, I must -congratulate you on your messengers. Your two Spanish -lads brought me your messages, and gave me great hopes -that I had not misjudged you—hopes amply justified. I -have despatches to write, so I will take leave of my hostess -and accompany you to the door."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a few minutes Sir John Moore, cloaked and hatted, -was striding down the corridor with Jack by his side. -They came to the outer door, where by the light of a huge -torch a tall Spanish officer in brilliant uniform was taking -leave of two ladies with what struck Jack as somewhat -affected gallantry. He glanced up as the Englishmen -passed, saluted Sir John Moore with much condescension, -and then, as his eye fell on Jack, started with an air of -bewilderment. He looked again with still keener scrutiny -at the shorter of the two figures, whom he followed slowly. -At the porch Sir John bade Jack a cordial good-bye. The -latter turned to the left, towards Don Pedro's house, but -had only walked a few yards when he felt a touch on his -arm. Glancing over his shoulder without checking his -pace, he saw that he had been followed by the tall -Spaniard whom he had passed at the door. The next -moment a voice that was oddly familiar addressed him in -smooth suave tones that struck him with a curious sense -of discomfort.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Surely the Señor will spare a minute to an old friend."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="don-miguel-priego"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER VIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Don Miguel Priego</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Memories—A Self-confessed Patriot—Confidences—Plain -Speaking—Reflections—A Public Departure</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack stopped now, and faced round at the speaker, who -still had a hand on his arm.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I recognized you at once," the man continued, -"though your disguise is good, very good. I have not -seen you for a good many years, Jackino, but I never -forget any face I have once seen, still less one that I have -lived with in the days of childhood. Don't you remember -your old friend—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, you're Miguel Priego," interrupted Jack, with -no great cordiality of tone. "How you've grown! Who -would have thought you would have topped me by a couple -of inches! And what a swell, too!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, I have changed more than you, amigo," said -Don Miguel with a complacency that irritated Jack, -already annoyed that his disguise had been penetrated. -"Ah! and there have been other changes, great changes, -since I last saw you, Jackino. You are an English officer, -and I might perhaps not have recognized you so easily -if you had been dressed in your uniform like your friends; -but the hat and cloak—oh! Miguel Priego would have -been a fool indeed if he had not known the dear companion -of his boyhood."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're rather more affectionate than you were when -we parted, Miguel," said Jack bluntly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't say that. We were always good friends, -Jackino; is it not true? You and I and Juanita—ah! what -fun we had in the old house at Barcelona. Do you -remember the times when Don Fernan came from -Saragossa and brought Juanita on a visit to your father and -mine, and how we shared the presents he gave us?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Your share usually happened to be the biggest, if my -memory doesn't play me false."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I was the eldest of the three; I am three -years older than you, amigo mio, and four years older -than Juanita."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How is Juanita?" asked Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In fair health, but paler than I should like to see -her. But her grief will wear away in time, and when -she becomes my—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Her grief! What do you mean, Miguel?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You do not know, then? I am forgetting; of course -you do not get news very well here. I myself rode in -only to-day from Saragossa, at the risk of my neck, -Jackino, with tidings of the unfortunate misadventure at -Tudela, and—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, Miguel," said Jack, "we can't stand here. -Where are you staying? While I'm in this rig-out it will -be better for me to go with you than for you to come with -me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is true. Come, then; I am staying at the Fonda -de Suizo in the Calle de Zamora. We can talk there at -ease, and I shall be glad on my part to hear again of my -old friends your father and mother, and to tell you of the -sad changes that have taken place, and the bright changes -also, dear friend."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was very tired, and in no mood to make himself -amiable to a man for whom he had an intense aversion. -But he was so anxious to learn the meaning of Miguel's -hints and half-statements that he put his feelings in his -pocket and trudged along. Ever since he could remember, -he had disliked Miguel, the only son of his father's second -partner, Don Esteban Priego. They had grown up together -in Barcelona, and almost his earliest recollections -were connected with the petty meannesses and cruelties of -Miguel. Three years older than Jack, Miguel had played -the bully with the younger boy until he grew strong enough -to defend himself; and then, not daring to molest him -openly, he had shown great ingenuity in devising petty -annoyances which were even harder to bear than his -former brutalities. He was cruel to children and animals -smaller than himself. Jack remembered how Miguel had -once lamed a spaniel of his in wanton mischief, and how, -whenever Juanita, the only daughter of Don Fernan the -senior partner, had been brought to Barcelona on a visit, -she had often run to Jack's house in tears to seek -protection from the boy's bullying and domineering. The tone -in which Miguel had referred to Don Fernan and Juanita -gave Jack vague uneasiness, and he paid scant heed to -Miguel's talk by the way, and scarcely answered him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Don Miguel, however, was quite content to do all the -talking. He was a patriot, he said, and high in favour -with General Palafox. He had early volunteered in -defence of his country, and had won rapid promotion, being -now indeed, though but twenty years of age, a major in -Palafox's Hussars. When the news of Castaños' defeat -arrived in Saragossa, Palafox had sent him off with the -news to General Moore, and he boasted largely of his -readiness to undertake, with only one servant, so perilous -a ride. Not, he thought, that his servant would have -been of much use had they come across the French; he -would have had to trust to his own skill and courage, for -the poor man had unfortunately lost an eye; still, he was -a faithful fellow and a good forager.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack caught himself wondering what service the man -could have rendered the master. It was scarcely in -Miguel's character to allow a mere question of sentiment -to outweigh the loss of an eye. Jack recalled his passion -for display; he could not imagine him willingly accepting -a one-eyed follower. This thought passed like a flash -through Jack's mind while Miguel was proceeding to -dilate complacently on the scenes of butchery and -torture he had witnessed as he came through the country -of the guerrilleros, who had no mercy on the stray -Frenchmen they succeeded in ambushing. Jack at last gave -utterance to an exclamation of disgust.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah!" sneered Miguel, "that is your English squeamishness. -You English have no nerves. What is the good -of your coming out here? We will show you how to -deal with these accursed Frenchmen, and if your stomach -turns against it, well, go home to your nurses in little -England, and play with your tin soldiers and toy guns, -for you are no good in Spain."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Their arrival at the inn checked the reply that rose to -Jack's lips. Don Miguel, in the same oily, languid tone -that was causing Jack more and more irritation, ordered -the landlord to make himself scarce, as he had important -business to discuss with his friend, and in a few moments -the two were left alone in the room. The Spaniard flung -off his cloak, revealing the resplendent uniform of -Palafox's Hussars, and as he removed his hat Jack noticed -a long, livid scar running from his brow to his left eye, -disfiguring what was otherwise a well-looking countenance -so far as features were concerned.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And how is your excellent father?" asked Miguel as -he lolled in the only easy-chair in the room. "He is -lucky, truly, for the stock in London is a good one, and he -will do a good business, whereas with us these troubles -have brought trade to a stand-still, and we are obliged to -suspend all operations. But things will improve. Don -Fernan, with his shrewd head for business, foresaw what -would happen, and took steps to realize what he could -on the stock before the outbreak of war, which was a -very lucky thing for my father and myself and Juanita. -And he could not have chosen a more convenient moment -for dying, for—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"For dying! Is Don Fernan dead?" cried Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Dead as a door-post, poor man! I thought you would -be surprised to hear it. He had been ailing ever since his -exertions in the siege of Saragossa last summer—there -was something wrong with his heart, I think,—and when -the news came that General Castaños had met with a -mishap at Tudela, he held up his hands and cried: 'Oh -my country! my poor country!' then fell forward and died. -He was an old man, of course, and must have died soon, -and I have only come a little sooner into the inheritance -that was bound to come to me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Did Don Fernan appoint you his heir, then?" asked -Jack with a keen look. "What about Juanita?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Does it not come to the same thing, my friend? -Juanita, of course, is Don Fernan's heiress, but since in -a little while, when the mourning is over, she will marry -me—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Marry you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was contempt as well as surprise in Jack's tone, -and Miguel evidently felt this, for he replied with flashing -eyes, though with no change in his bland manner:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, marry me—that was what I think I said. Of -course if my good friend Jackino has any objection—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good heavens! Juanita is a thousand times too good -for you!" Jack blurted out.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Quite so; she is a thousand times too good for any -man. But since she does me the honour to become my -wife, you will surely not have the impudence to question -her choice, dear friend."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He hissed out the last sentence, and bent a little -forward. Jack shrugged.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"She wasn't always so fond of you," he said bluntly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is not the point, is it?" returned Miguel with -an exasperating smile. "The match has long been talked -of; Don Fernan and my father were agreed that it was an -excellent arrangement for uniting the business interests of -the two families. And now that Don Fernan is dead I shall -marry Juanita as soon as possible, my father will retire, -and I shall be the sole partner of your excellent father, for -you, of course, have a soul much above business, and will -no doubt ere long be a field-marshal. Perhaps, however, -you have no ambition to earn fame in the open and heroic -way? Your costume would suggest, my friend, that you -are satisfied with a more modest and retiring part—but -still, no doubt, profitable—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It seems to me, Miguel," said Jack, interrupting him -very quietly, "that you have forgotten the last thrashing I -gave you. Remember, I am always at your service. But -I should not advise you to risk another scar like the one -you have already. How," he added quickly, "did you -come by that?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Miguel's sullen face assumed a dusky hue, and the scar -showed all the more livid. He flinched, as bullies will, -before Jack's menacing attitude.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hot-tempered as ever," he said with an attempt to -smile. "Why will you take offence so easily? What -have I said? Here I find you, an Englishman, in Spanish -dress, and I conclude, naturally enough, that you are -fulfilling an office of very great importance and -usefulness, and when I—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now look here, Miguel, I don't want to quarrel with -you, but you'd better understand at once that I'm not -a child, and that your oily tongue won't do you any good -with me. I don't suppose we shall see much more of each -other; when—if—you marry Juanita you will settle down, -I suppose, in Saragossa, and our paths won't cross. I -tell you frankly I'm astonished that Juanita will have you; -but she's old enough to know her own mind—though our -girls in England don't marry so early—and I hope with -all my heart she'll be happy. And now I think I'd better -say good-night!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And good-bye!" said Miguel sweetly. "I will carry -your good wishes to Juanita, be sure of that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where is she, by the way?" asked Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In Saragossa, with her aunt the Doña Teresa."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And you are returning immediately?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh no! I go on to-morrow towards Leon, with -despatches for the Marquis of La Romana. The Spanish -generals will have to strike a blow without the assistance -of your General Moore, it appears."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack ignored the sneer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, good-bye!" he said. "There's no need to -suggest that you should take care the French don't catch -you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"True, true, Jackino. Give my respects, when you see -him, to your excellent father, to whom I hope to have -before long the honour of sending the documents relative -to the changes in the business. Adios, amigo mio!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He accompanied Jack to the door, and looked after him -with a mocking smile. Jack, pulling his cloak more -closely around him, and his sombrero lower over his eyes, -walked rapidly to his quarters, where, proceeding directly -to his room, he threw himself upon his bed with a sigh -of weariness and contentment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But it was long before the much-needed sleep came to -him. He lay awake, unable to keep his thoughts from -running round the circle of his adventures and dwelling -on his unexpected meeting with Miguel. The more he -thought of his conversation with that gentleman the more -puzzled he felt. As a child, Juanita had shrunk from the -boy and had never willingly gone into his presence. It -was very odd that she should have overcome her dislike -and now be ready to marry him. Perhaps she still -disliked him, and had agreed to the match merely because -it was desired by Don Fernan and Miguel's father, Don -Esteban. But even then it was extraordinary, for Don -Fernan himself had never shown any liking for Miguel, -and had indeed on many occasions taken him severely to -task and punished him for acts of deceit and dishonesty. -Miguel did not appear to Jack to have changed: what had -altered Don Fernan's opinion of him? Then, too, there -was Don Fernan's letter, in which he had spoken of his -anxiety on behalf of his daughter. Why, if he were -satisfied with the proposed match, should he be anxious -about her future? And what had General Palafox to do -with all this? Miguel was the general's trusted messenger; -could Palafox have influenced Don Fernan's judgment? -Jack wished he could go to Saragossa, and enquire for -himself into all the circumstances—see Juanita, and -discover whether she were in truth a willing bride. And -then he thought of the phrase Don Fernan had so -carefully impressed upon his memory: "Palafox the man, -Palafox the name," and with this repeating itself to the -hundredth time in his weary brain he at length fell asleep, -and slept on until he was awakened about ten o'clock next -morning by loud cries in the street.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Springing from bed, he ran to the window. Men were -waving their hats, women their fans and handkerchiefs. -At every window there was a fluttering scarf. Loud vivas -rose into the air as an officer in full uniform, followed by a -gorgeously-dressed orderly, clattered by.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The officer smiled with gratification at the warmth of -the cheers, and kissed his hand gallantly to the ladies -who peeped at him out of their mantillas. Jack smiled -satirically.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pooh! It's only Don Miguel Priego! Confound the sneak!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was about to withdraw, when the orderly turned -his head to the left, as though seeking a share of the -admiration so lavishly bestowed on his superior. Jack -noticed that one eye-socket was closed; the man's -remaining eye had a curiously malign glitter that gave the -beholder a strange sense of uneasiness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is this how people feel when they talk of the evil -eye?" he said to himself with an unmirthful laugh. Then -he donned his own clothes and went gloomily downstairs -to find his brother officers.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="some-surprises"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER IX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Some Surprises</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">At the Cross-Roads—A Mêlée—Bagged—Franceschi's -Chasseurs—Under Guard—A Hard Case—Moore's -Plans—Reconnoitring—Within the Gates—Caged—Blind -Man's Buff—A Strategic Move—A Dash on Rueda—An -Alarm—A Chase in the Dark—A Tragedy</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>About two o'clock on a frosty December afternoon, some -ten days after Jack Lumsden's return to Salamanca, four -riders were walking their horses up a slight incline about -three miles out of Alaejos towards Valladolid. Three -of them were troopers in the 18th Light Dragoons, the -fourth, riding slightly in advance of the rest, was Jack -himself, now wearing his own uniform, and mounted on a -fine black charger borrowed from the regiment to which -his companions belonged. A few yards from the crest of -the hill, lying back from the road, was a mean-looking -hovel at the door of which stood a little black-eyed girl, -who watched the advancing riders with her finger in her -mouth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hullo, little girl," said Jack in Spanish, pulling up as -he came abreast of her, "are we on the right road for -Tordesillas?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The child gave a scared look at the troopers and fled -into the hut without replying.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You've sent the timid little beggar into her burrow," -said Jack with a smile. At the same moment a heavy-browed -man appeared at the door, in the rough coat and -thick gaiters of a muleteer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ha, my friend," said Jack in a genial tone, "your -little daughter needn't have been afraid of us! Are we -going right for Tordesillas?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Straight on, Señor," replied the man, with stolid -countenance. "Over the river; you can't miss your way."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thanks! Any sign of the French hereabout?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Never a man—the saints forbid!" said the man with -a scowl. "They carried off my last pig six months ago. -Gr-r-r! I hate them!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, they won't trouble you much longer if we can -help it. Buenas tardes!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Vaya usted con Dios, Señor!" replied the muleteer, -doffing his hat; and as the Englishman rode off, his little -daughter came to his side and watched with him their -retreating figures.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A mile farther on they had just crossed the stream of -which the man had spoken, when Jack suddenly reined up -his horse and in a low tone ordered his men to halt.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you hear anything, Kelly?" he asked of one of the -troopers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man turned his head aside, and his companions sat -motionless, an expectant look upon their faces.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Riders, sir!" said Kelly in a moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I thought so," returned Jack. "To our right, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a moment's silence. Behind them came a -slight murmur from the full river, but more distinctly, -from some distant point beyond a wall-enclosed orchard -on their right, sounded the unmistakable clatter of horses' -hoofs on the hard road.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wait here," said Jack, springing from his horse. -"Don't make a sound. I'm going forward to reconnoitre. -Hold my horse's rein, Kelly, and don't let him -champ his bit."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He ran forward, round a slight bend in the road. In -two minutes he was back.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Men," he said in a low voice, "there's a road to the -right, and half a dozen Frenchmen riding down towards -us. I think they're French—by their helmets. We four -are a match for the six, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The men grinned.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack rapidly took stock of the situation. The wind was -almost due east; he and his men were riding north-east, -and as they were the smaller party, and had been travelling -only at walking pace, it was not likely that the enemy had -heard them coming. The idea of dismounting his men -and forming an ambuscade at first suggested itself. Jack -glanced round for a convenient tree or post to which they -might tether the horses; but though there were plenty of -trees beyond the orchard wall, the only way in was a -quarter of a mile to their rear. This meant that even if -the ambuscade were successful two at least of the enemy -would be almost certain to escape, for Jack and his men, -with three carbines and a pistol, could at the best only -account for four at the first volley, and the remaining two -would have a start of half a mile before they could be -pursued. On the other hand, if Jack told off a man to hold the -horses, his striking force would be reduced to three, and -there was always the risk that two of the horses—young -Spanish chargers purchased at Salamanca and only -half-trained—would break away at the sound of the firing. -For these reasons Jack preferred to trust to cold steel.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Giving his commands almost in a whisper, he drew up -his men in line under cover of the wall, about thirty yards -from the cross-road, ordering them to be in readiness to -charge at the word. Each man silently drew his sabre -and Jack uncovered his sword, still fresh as when he -received it from the makers in Pall Mall. It was not -perhaps quite so suitable for the purpose in hand as the -weapons carried by the troopers, but Jack knew that it -was of the highest temper, and felt confident that it would -not fail him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In little more than a minute the increasing clatter -showed that the unsuspecting Frenchmen were approaching -the cross-roads. There was no slackening of pace -as they neared the junction, and Jack inferred from this -that their route lay straight across the main road towards -Castroduno or Toro. Every second seemed like a minute -to him as he waited for the horsemen to arrive, but after -what seemed an interminable delay two helmets at last -appeared beyond the angle of the wall. Jack drove his -spurs into his horse, giving the word "Charge!" and, -with their leader a pace or two in advance, the three -troopers dashed forward. In a few seconds the two -bodies met with a terrific shock. The French dragoons, -unable to check their progress, had just had time to draw -their sabres; the leading files had half-wheeled their -horses to meet the storm, but the two succeeding troopers -were taken square on the flank, and all the advantage of -momentum being on the side of the attacking force, the -whole four went down like a ship struck by a squall. -Almost before Jack could realize what had happened he -was reining in his horse on the far side of the cross-road; -three of the Frenchmen were lying motionless on the road, -a fourth, dismounted, was defending himself with spirit -against one of Jack's troopers, and three horses were -scampering wildly towards Toro. He was wheeling his -horse round, when, almost at the same moment, two -bullets whizzed past his head. The two remaining -Frenchmen had halted before reaching the cross-road, -rapidly fired their carbines, and, turning round in the -direction from which they had come, were now galloping -wildly away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"After them, Kelly!" shouted Jack to the corporal, -who was just beside him; and, leaving the other two -troopers to secure the dismounted Frenchmen, the two -dashed off at a mad gallop. They were a hundred yards -behind at the start; the Frenchmen were down upon their -horses' necks, shouting to the beasts in a fever of haste. -But as luck would have it, they were heavy men; Jack -was a light-weight, and before the chase had proceeded -for two hundred yards he began to gain, and the interval -between himself and Kelly was increasing. Foot by foot -he made up on his quarry; in little more than a mile he -was at the heels of the rearmost Frenchman. The man, -feeling that he was at a disadvantage, suddenly swerved -towards the near side of the road, bending low as he did -so to avoid Jack's blow, and then, as Jack darted past, -pulled his horse on his haunches and wheeled round to -meet Kelly. Thinking he could safely leave this man -to the heavy trooper, Jack rode on after the Frenchman -in front, and within a couple of minutes had him at his -mercy. The dragoon had no time to turn and meet his -pursuer; with a horse of superior speed, Jack, coming up -behind him, had a terrible advantage over the fugitive, -who was painfully twisting himself round in the saddle -to meet the expected blow. Choosing his opportunity, -Jack, dropping his own sword, wrested the Frenchman's -sabre from his grasp, and next moment drove him into -the hedge.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Je me rends! je me rends!" cried the Frenchman, -panting.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Comme de juste!" gasped Jack, who then turned to -see how Kelly was faring. He had ridden down and over -the luckless dragoon, who, rising painfully to his feet, -called for quarter. Being a strapping fellow, the trooper -had been unable to do more than maintain his distance -from the second Frenchman, who, however, seeing Jack -now standing full in his path, recognized that the game -was up, checked his horse, and quietly surrendered his -sword just as Kelly came bustling to his side.</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 62%" id="figure-121"> -<span id="jack-captures-a-dragoon"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Jack Captures a Dragoon" src="images/img-096.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Jack Captures a Dragoon</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jolly good chase, sir!" said Kelly, as Jack and his -prisoner came up. "The froggies showed the cleanest -pair of heels I ever did see."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You stuck to it like a Briton," said Jack. "Now -we'll get back to the others and see what damage is -done."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With the two Frenchmen disarmed between them, they -retraced their steps, the Frenchmen sitting limp and -careless, with a resigned expression of countenance that tickled -Kelly's sense of humour.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where do you come from, mon brave?" asked Jack -of the man next to him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"From Rueda, monsieur le capitaine," answered the -trooper with a smile. Jack chuckled inwardly at his -sudden promotion, and went on:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what is your regiment?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Mais, monsieur, the 22nd Chasseurs of General Franceschi's -cavalry. And little did we think, monsieur, that -we should meet Englishmen to-day. Eh bien! it is all the -fortune of war, and monsieur le capitaine rides a good -horse."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No better than your own, mon brave," said Jack, not -to be outdone in politeness. "Well now, how many of -your regiment may happen to be in Rueda, if I may ask?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The trooper looked at him with twinkling eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Non, non, monsieur le capitaine," he said. "You -have captured our patrol: c'est égal! but you want to -know too much. I tell you how many? Non, non; but -we are enough to capture all Sir Moore's army before -it ends its retreat to Lisbon. Monsieur wants to spoil -the joke."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well," said Jack with a laugh. "I won't press -you; but there are more ways than one of killing a cat, -as we say in English."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He kept up an amicable conversation with the Frenchman -until they arrived at the cross-roads. There he found -his two troopers mounting guard over the four wounded -chasseurs, and Jack was sufficiently new to warfare to feel -relieved and glad that no life had been lost. The dragoons -had made clumsy attempts to bind up their prisoners' -wounds, and had allowed the least injured of them to -fetch water in his helmet from the stream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's right," said Jack as he came up. "We've -had an unexpected piece of luck, my men, and our capture -may be important. But we have no time to lose. We -made noise enough along the road to bring up the whole -French army if it's hereabouts. Lucky the regiment isn't -far behind us. Now help these fellows on to their horses; -we'll take them back to the hut we left a while ago, and -I'll leave them in your charge while I go on alone and pick -up a little information."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"May I come, sir?" asked Kelly. "'Tisn't safe to go alone."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Safer for one than two. But come along; there's no -time to waste, and it's getting dark."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a few minutes the cavalcade had reached the hut -on the hillside. The muleteer glowered viciously at the -prisoners as they were led up to his door, and handled -his knife as though he would have liked there and then -to take vengeance upon them for the loss of his favourite -pig. But Jack allowed no mistake about his intentions; -he told the man that the prisoners would remain with him, -in charge of the dragoons, until the British advance-guard -under General Stewart arrived.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm going on to Rueda," he added. "How far is -it from here?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A league and a half, Señor," said the man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's about seven miles as your Spanish league goes. -Kelly, if General Stewart arrives before I get back, tell him -that there are some of General Franceschi's chasseurs at -Rueda on our right flank, and I've gone to find out how -many. If all goes well I'll be back within two hours."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very good, sir!" said Kelly, and then looked as -though he would have said more.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, what is it?" asked Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Beg pardon, sir, but you'll be nabbed as sure as a -gun. Your uniform—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't worry, Kelly. I'm going to borrow an outfit -from one of our French friends here. Come, mon ami," -he said, turning to the sergeant whom he had captured, -"I must trouble you to take off some of your things—your -helmet, say, and your cloak, your breeches, and your -boots; I think they'll be enough."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pardon, monsieur le capitaine, but I'm a soldier of the -emperor, and the emperor would shoot me as a traitor if I -parted with my uniform to an Englishman."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That would be unfortunate. But we can't stand on -ceremony now; make haste, if you please."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, monsieur," said the man, "the breeches won't -fit you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They will be a trifle baggy, but no one will be critical -in the dark. Come now, hurry up!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, monsieur, I shall be cold, I shall freeze. If -monsieur will lend me his things in exchange, perhaps—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, thanks! If you're cold you'd better ask the -muleteer to lend you some things, or, better still, go to -bed. Kelly, come and help the sergeant off with his -things."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But as Kelly approached him with a grin, the Frenchman -unclasped his cloak and proceeded to divest himself -of the garments Jack required. Soon Jack was cantering -off on his reconnoitring expedition to Rueda.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>By this time it was almost dark, and Jack rode gently, -partly in order to avoid mishap, and partly to spare his -horse in case hard work were required of him later. His -blood tingled with the excitement of his recent adventure -and with anticipation of the unknown adventures before -him. Like his brother officers, and indeed every member -of the army, from the chief of staff to the smallest -drummer-boy, he rejoiced in the sudden change of plan which Sir -John Moore had announced about a week before. The -news he himself had brought to the general, reinforced by -further news obtained through Manuel and Juan, and by -information that the Spanish armies were concentrating, -had determined Sir John, on December 5th, to countermand -his order to retreat. The French, he had learnt, -were not marching in his direction, but towards Madrid, -which, he was assured, was defended by large forces at the -difficult Somosierra Pass, and would resist to the utmost. -He put little faith in the Spaniards' power of resistance, but -he saw a possibility of creating a diversion in their favour, -and of cutting in between Soult and Napoleon and striking -a blow at the former. If Madrid had not yet fallen, his -movement might draw off Napoleon and save the capital, -or at any rate he might make matters so unpleasant, by -seizing Valladolid and Burgos, that time would be gained -for the re-equipment of the Spanish armies. If, on the -other hand, Madrid fell, he could still make a run for it. -He therefore ordered Baird on his left and Hope on his -right to move forward towards Valladolid, while he himself -prepared to advance on the same town by way of Alaejos -and Tordesillas, acquainting the Marquis of La Romana, -who was at Leon, some 120 miles due north of Salamanca, -with his intentions.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A few days after Moore had arrived at this decision he -received the news that Madrid had capitulated to Napoleon. -It was a severe blow. He had hoped against hope that -the Spanish promises would at last be fulfilled, that their -boasts would at last justify themselves. Once more the -Spaniards had shown their instability. But Moore was -not disposed to alter his plans; there seemed every -probability of his striking a successful blow at the French -communications. On December 11th, then, the infantry moved -out from Salamanca, General Paget marching with the -reserve for Toro, where his brother, Lord Paget, had -already arrived with Baird's cavalry, while Hope left Alba -de Tormes next day to join the main body on the Valladolid -road. The advance along this road was led by General -Charles Stewart's cavalry brigade, consisting of Hussars -and Light Dragoons. It happened that during the -previous week Jack had more than once been sent backwards -and forwards between Salamanca and Alba de Tormes -with despatches and reports, and he had come under the -notice of General Stewart. When the advance was -ordered, Stewart, thinking that Jack would be useful in -gathering news from the Spaniards, and acting as -interpreter in matters connected with commissariat and -billeting, asked that he might be temporarily attached to him -as extra aide-de-camp, and it was while riding ahead to -enquire about billets in Tordesillas that Jack met with -the adventure just related.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As he rode along towards Rueda he could not help -feeling a glow of satisfaction at his continued good luck. -But he did not indulge in idle dreams. It was now too -dark to see, but his ears were keenly alert to catch any -sound that betokened danger, and he told Pomeroy afterwards -that he felt as sensitive as a cat's whiskers. His -enterprise was obviously full of peril, for he had no -knowledge of the number of troops in Rueda, or of that -town itself, and it behoved him to go warily. If the -French force was large, there would certainly be outposts -at some distance from the town, and every now and then -he pulled up his horse and waited, straining eyes and ears -for a sound or a light.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At length, when he had been riding for about three-quarters -of an hour, he saw, at the bottom of a slight -hollow more than half a mile in his front, a twinkle of -light which he inferred came from a house by the -roadside. Dismounting at once he led his horse off the road -to the left, and found that he was in a vineyard where -many of the poles used for supporting the vines were still -standing in the soil. He led his horse well out of sight -from the road, tied him to one of these poles, patted -his neck, and then set off to walk through the field, -keeping a distance of about fifty yards from the highway. -The light shone more clearly now, and as he approached -it he went ever more and more cautiously, stopping at one -point to remove the spurs that, in spite of his careful -tread, made a slight clanking on the frozen ground. At -thirty yards distance from the light he saw that it -proceeded from the window of a small cabin not unlike the -muleteer's behind him. Now every step he took was -as stealthy as a cat's. His pulse beat a little faster as -he came within a few feet of the cabin, though he was -barely conscious of this, so intent was he on the task in -hand.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He crept at first behind the hut and waited for a -moment. Voices reached him from within. Pressing his -ear against the wooden wall, he distinguished a few -exclamations in French, and then a burst of laughter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They're having a high old time!" he said to himself -with a chuckle. "Evidently well occupied. I'll chance it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Stealing round the hut he fell down on hands and knees -and crawled till he came beneath the window; he then -removed his helmet, took a breath, and raised himself inch -by inch until he could just peer over the lower sill. For -a moment his eyes were dazzled by the light. As they -became more accustomed to it he saw four French -troopers, in the same uniform as the one he now wore, -seated at a round table playing cards. An empty bottle -stood in the centre, and some glasses were half-full of red -wine. Jack inferred at once that the cabin was a sort of -impromptu guard-room, from which sentries were posted -at the entrance to the village.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pretty sentries!" he said to himself. "I wouldn't -give much for their skins if Boney caught them! They're -making enough row to drown the sound of an army. So -much for that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Lowering himself with equal care, he crept away, rose -to his feet, and set off at a sharp walk towards Rueda. -Before long he descried a number of scattered lights -ahead. Then he found himself in a lane that appeared -to lead towards the town. "Here goes," he thought, and -without hesitation struck up the lane in the direction of -the lights.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It led straight into the principal street. Jack walked -boldly on, thinking that boldness would attract less -attention than stealth. He noticed that nearly all the houses -at this end of the place were lit up. Sounds of merriment -floated upon the air—a laugh, a cheer, an exclamation of -anger, the clink of glasses, the rattle of dice. There was -a small inn; twenty yards away Jack smelt fried onions, -and longed for his supper. The street was empty, and -as he went forward he observed that the houses were -almost all dark, and guessed that the French were -billeted at the end he had passed. By and by he came -to the Plaza, a narrow open space in the centre of the -town, and saw what was evidently the town-house -looming before him, a large building in the middle of the -square. He halted in the shadow of a church porch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There'll be a sentry posted here," he thought. "I -wonder which side of the building he is on!" He hesitated -for a moment whether to proceed or to return at once, -seeing no prospect of obtaining definite information of -the number of the French. "In for a penny in for a -pound," he said to himself; "I'll try another few yards."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He chose the street passing by the left-hand face of the -town-house, and stole along on tiptoe. A narrow beam -of light fell obliquely across the street from an upper -window on his left, throwing a luminous circle on the -townhouse wall just above the level of his head. He skirted -the wall, and had reached the mid-point of that face of the -square, when a voice suddenly arrested his steps.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor, charity for a poor prisoner. A copper, Señor, -for the love of God!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The voice appeared to come from just above his head. -There was something in the tone that seemed familiar, -and with a quickening pulse he resolved to test the -surmise which had flashed upon him. Retracing his steps -for a couple of yards, he looked up, and there, full in the -shaft of light from the house opposite, he saw the barred -grating of a dungeon, and, pressed against the bars—yes, -it was the small elfin face of the gipsy boy Pepito. -"Here's luck again!" he thought. Being below the level -of the beam of light, Jack himself was out of sight, and -he knew that Pepito could only have caught the sound of -his footsteps, and must have addressed him without -knowing who he was. Putting his hand into the pocket of his -breeches—forgetting they were not his own—he took out -a few copper coins, and stretched his arm up towards the -grating.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here you are, poor prisoner!" he said softly in Spanish.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A low exclamation answered him. The coins were -taken, and a small lean hand pressed his gently.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Muchas gracias," said Pepito; then turning to speak -to someone behind him in the cell: "A Christian gives -alms to the poor, and four noble Spaniards and a gipsy -boy will not go supperless to bed."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Four noble Spaniards!" echoed Jack. "Let me -speak with one of them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito disappeared instantly, and his place was taken -by a large, heavy-jawed Spaniard, whom Jack recognized -at once as the stableman who had led the pursuit of him -from Olmedo. The man looked suspiciously at the French -uniform.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hist! I may help you," began Jack, but at this -moment he heard the clamp-clamp of ammunition boots -approaching from round the corner behind him. "The -sentry!" he thought. "Silence! I will come back," he -whispered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He crept along the wall on tiptoe, in the direction away -from the approaching footsteps. At the same time he -heard from within the cell Pepito's shrill voice in song:</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"Kosko gry! Romany gry!</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Muk man kistur tuté knaw!"</span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Clever little imp!" he thought. "He didn't give me -away to his companions there, and now he's trying to -smother the sound of my footsteps."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He turned the corner and waited. The sentry was still -approaching with measured tread, and when he arrived -beneath the grating he cried angrily:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tais-toi, maraud! Il faut te taire, ou je vais te brûler -la cervelle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The singing ceased, and the sentry with a grunt resumed -his march.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's going to make the round of the building," -thought Jack. "So will I; but I hope to goodness no -one will be passing on the other side."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He tiptoed along and turned the other corner. Not a -soul was to be seen. He waited. On this face of the -building was the door, over which a feeble light flickered, -and Jack wondered whether it was open, and if he would -be seen from within. But there was no time for hesitation. -The tramping sentry was coming behind him. Taking his -courage in both hands, Jack slipped along, passed the -door safely, turned the farther corner, and in another -half-minute was back under the grating, breathless with -excitement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For a moment he stood listening. The sentry had halted -in front of the building.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hist! Are you there?" he whispered towards the -grating.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor," said the man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, answer quickly. How many French are in the town?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"About a hundred, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Foot or horse?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Half one, half the other."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And they come from—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"From Segovia, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That'll do. Where's that gipsy boy?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, Señor—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hush! Where's the gipsy?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here, Señor," said Pepito, pulling the Spaniard away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here's a few pesetas. Buy them all a supper from -the jailer. All being well, I'll have you out to-night."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then he thought for an instant. He must make sure -his escape from the town. What if the sentry were again -moving round the square? Stepping softly into the road, -he picked up a large loose cobble and flung it with all his -force towards the corner farthest away from the road he -meant to take. The stone struck the road several yards -beyond the building, and made a clatter as it ricochetted -along. He heard an exclamation from the sentry, who -set off at a quick step in the direction of the sound. -Without more delay Jack hastened in the opposite direction, -hearing behind him, more and more faintly, the quaint -refrain of the gipsy's wild song:</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"Kosko gry! Romany gry!</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Muk man kistur tuté knaw!"</span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>He arrived safely at the end of the street. The mirth -of the French was even more uproarious, their fancied -security clearly still more confident. Out of the town, -into the lane, Jack hurried at full speed; past the -guard-house, along over the field, among the bare vine-poles -until he reached his horse again. A whinny greeted him. -He sprang on to the animal's back, and cantered back -rapidly in the direction of the Valladolid road.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We'll make a clean swoop of them or I'm a Dutchman," -he said to himself gleefully. "Was there ever -such luck—and such bad management! Won't Charley -Stewart be delighted!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On he rode, keeping his ears open for the slightest -sound. He had come, as he judged, within a mile of the -scene of his afternoon's adventure when he heard the -sound of horses trotting. Turning off the road, he walked -his horse for some distance across the field and waited. -The riders were approaching him. He tried to determine -from the sound of the hoofs how many they were. Then -he heard voices—they carried far in the silence of the -frosty night,—and as they came opposite him he heard -an English voice say with a growl:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Pon my soul, the madcap deserves to be nabbed!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Charley himself!" chuckled Jack. "Who goes there?" -he called.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The horses stopped, and a voice called sharply:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who are you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lumsden of the 95th."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gad, it's the fellow himself. Come and show yourself, -you daredevil! Where in the world have you been?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Into Rueda and back, sir," said Jack, saluting.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what the blazes have you been doing there?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Taking stock, sir. There are a hundred French in -the town, cavalry and infantry mixed, and they're all hard -at it with drink and cards."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The deuce they are! No sentries, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A few in a cabin this side of the town, sir, but they're -busy at the same game."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Are they, begad? Seymour, we'll collar this little -lot. We were coming to rescue your dead body, young -man, and you've disappointed us. Ride back, there, -and tell the squadron to hurry. We'll draw first blood -to-night."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Ten minutes later the whole squadron of 250 men of the -18th Light Dragoons, General Stewart himself in -command, were on their way to Rueda. Jack rode ahead by -the general's side—no longer in French uniform, for when -the squadron arrived on the scene Kelly came forward -and said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Brought these, sir; thought you might want 'em."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He handed Jack his head-dress and cloak, receiving the -Frenchman's cloak and helmet in exchange.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I didn't bring the breeches, sir," added Kelly, -"thinking it might be a cold change to-night."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Right, Kelly! and that reminds me that I've borrowed -some of the Frenchman's money; all fair in war, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>General Stewart enquired of Jack as they rode how he -had contrived to pick up his information.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Famous, famous!" he exclaimed when the tale had -been briefly told. "We mustn't let a man escape if we -can help it. If Franceschi doesn't hear of this we may -scoop up his whole division. How are we going to escape -the sentries? They can't fail to hear us on this hard road, -and we can't muffle the horses' hoofs."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If you like, sir," suggested Jack, "I'll go ahead with -a few men across the fields and collar them first."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You want to do it all, eh? Very well; we'll halt when -you tell us. If anything goes wrong, give us a hail and -we'll be on your tracks like the wind."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When he judged that the squadron had arrived at a safe -distance Jack gave the word, the general halted, and Jack -went forward across the fields with four men to make a -detour and come upon the sentries' cabin from the -direction of Rueda, thereby to deceive the Frenchmen into the -belief that the approaching riders were a party coming -out to relieve guard. Jack's men had ridden two hundred -yards beyond the cabin, and were just turning to the left -to regain the road, when one of the men declared that he -heard the sound of trotting horses from the town.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's a relief patrol," said Jack. "Ride back to the -general, Kelly; tell him we can hardly hope to surprise -the town now, and ask him to pick up the men in the -cabin as he passes. Now, dragoons, forward with me -into Rueda."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They set spurs to their horses, and made for the road. -Secrecy was no longer possible; the approaching chasseurs -heard them, stopped short, hesitated a moment, then -turned tail and made at full speed back towards the town, -with Jack and his men close at their heels.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who's in first, my boys!" cried Jack, rising in his -stirrups and urging his flying steed. On they went, -heedless of the road, sparks flying from the hoofs, the horses -snorting with the joy of the chase. Into the town with a -clash and a clatter!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sauve qui peut! Les Anglais! Les Anglais!" shouted -the sergeant of the flying patrol. Instantly the little town -was filled with noise, the inns belched forth their scared -revellers, from every house streamed soldiers, drunk and -sober, some in full uniform, some half-dressed, some -without swords, some without muskets, the chasseurs clamouring -for their horses, the officers of Lefebvre's infantry -shouting to their men to form up and stand firm in the -square. Jack dashed on. A pistol flashed at him; he -heeded nothing, keeping his eye on the form of the -sergeant who headed the patrol, and who had now -distanced his companions, and was clearly making in a panic -for safety. By this time about sixty of the infantry had -formed up in some sort of order in the square. Giving -rein to his horse, the sergeant of chasseurs, yelling -incoherent exclamations, dashed into their midst, cleft a -way through them, and pelted on towards the other end -of the town. At his heels flew Jack, whom in the -confusion and the semi-darkness the Frenchmen appeared to -take for one of themselves. Behind him he heard the -clatter of hoofs and the shouts of Stewart's dragoons as -they dashed into the town, the crack of pistols, the dull -thud of infantry muskets, then the clash of sabres and the -yells of wounded men. Still he rode on. "Not a man -must escape," the general had said, and not a man should, -if Jack could help it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was now out of the town, and the Frenchman was -apparently losing ground. Jack spurred his panting horse, -and knew by the louder clicks of the hoofs before him -that he was gaining on the enemy. But it was only for -a moment. The chasseur shouted to his horse, flung a -mocking cry behind, and tore on at increased speed. -On went Jack, his mouth set, determined to run his -quarry down if only his horse would hold out. Mile -after mile the chase continued; each horseman could hear -the pants of the other's steed, each rode headlong, -careless of ruts or stones, Jack hoping now against hope that -something would happen to check the Frenchman's career. -His own horse was almost done; he remembered that it -had had scarcely any rest for half a day, while the -chasseur's was probably fresh; and it occurred to him at length -that the Frenchman could easily have outstripped him if -he pleased, and must be holding him now for his own -malicious amusement, or perhaps to lure him on till he -reached a larger body of Franceschi's men. Just as he was -wondering whether it might not be the more discreet part -to relinquish the chase, he caught sight of lights ahead. -The Frenchman was quickening his pace; evidently then -he did not expect to find friends in the village or town to -which they were coming. Jack endeavoured to get still -more out of his own breathless steed. On went the -chasseur at full gallop into the town. At the door of an inn -a group of men was gathered, some of their number -holding flaring torches above their heads. The crowd parted -to make way for the flying horseman, and he dashed -pell-mell through their midst.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The game's up!" thought Jack with a sigh of -disappointment. "Poor old horse! You're done up." He -rode into the crowd. "After him!" he cried in Spanish, -pointing after the Frenchman. "After him, hombres! -The English are at Rueda. Don't let him escape. My -horse is foundered; somebody mount and catch the dog!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But not a man moved in response to his cry. Jack -dismounted, trembling in every limb, and furious with the -Spaniards for their apathy. As he led his quivering horse -towards the inn, and the throng gathered around him, he -stopped suddenly, for there, in front of the inn door, -stretched on his back, lay a soldier, his eyes closed, his -cheeks pale in the ghastly torchlight, a dark stain -marking the frosty road.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is it? Who is he?" asked Jack. He looked -round, and saw at the inn door a man with a reeking knife -in his hand. As Jack passed, the man came forward.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I did it! One of the accursed French. I killed him!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He went on to explain that he was the posting-master -of the place. The French horseman had ridden up half an -hour before and demanded refreshment; he had behaved -with such insolence and brutality that human nature could -not endure it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He was an enemy of my country, and I killed him!" -the man concluded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack shuddered involuntarily, and stepped round the -corpse to enter the inn.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-emperor-s-despatch"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER X</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">The Emperor's Despatch</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Spoils of War—Hard Cash—A Good Bargain—"To Command the -World"—A Wigging—"Missing"—Through the Night—Dead -Beat—Grumbling—A Late Breakfast—Mixed Metaphors—A -Change of Route</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack threw himself wearily into a chair. He was tired, -famished, disappointed—above all, disappointed,—for he -had set his heart on capturing the Frenchman as a crowning -achievement for this crowded day. For a few moments -he sat staring with downcast eyes at the floor; then he -pulled himself together.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It can't be helped," he thought. "I did my -best.—Landlord, give me some food."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The landlord put down on the table, between two -smoking candles, the knife which he had retained up -to this moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Some food for the caballero," he said to one of his -men. "And you, Perez, go outside and bury that carrion -Frenchman."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Some minutes passed. Jack found that he had no appetite -for the crude dishes set before him, and heard dully, -with inattentive ears, the slow monotone of the landlord, -who seemed to be anxious to justify to himself the act of -murder he had committed. Presently two of the inn -servants entered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We have buried him, master," said the first. "And -his clothes are rich; we thought maybe you would wish to -have them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His companion came forward, and laid before the -inn-keeper a heap of garments.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He was a handsome man," added the first.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Fine feathers, fine feathers!" muttered the landlord. -He took the garments up one by one, turning them over -and commenting on them. There was a black cloth -pelisse, a white dolman with gold braid and fur, and a -shako of scarlet cloth, surmounted by an aigrette of -white heron's plumes. The uniform was ornate with gold -braid, cord, and buttons; and a rich sash of black and gold -silk, a small cartridge-pouch, a sabretache, and a long -Damascene sabre completed the brilliant appointments. -As Jack watched the landlord fingering the articles, he -recognized vaguely that they could only have belonged -to a soldier of high rank or position, and for the first -time he wondered what had brought the Frenchman to -this out-of-the-way village of Valdestillos. The landlord -stroked the fur of the dolman caressingly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Worth some dollars, this," he said, shaking it out to -see its full extent. As he did so, a folded paper fell to the -floor. Jack was up in an instant.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I want that," he said, fatigue, hunger, disappointment -forgotten at once. He stepped forward, but the landlord -put his foot on the paper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, no, Señor," he said quickly. "He was my -prisoner; I killed him; all his things are mine."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But don't you see," said Jack, now hardly able to -control his excitement; "don't you see, the man was a -despatch-rider! That explains his rich uniform. Perhaps -he was one of Napoleon's own aides-de-camp, and the fate -of all Spain may lie in that simple paper. You must give -it to me, landlord; I must take it to my general."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was too much agitated at the moment to perceive -that his urgent manner was likely to defeat his ends. The -probability that the paper had value had aroused the -cupidity of the landlord, who stooped cautiously, picked -up the despatch, and thrust it into his pocket.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is mine—mine," he said gloatingly. The man's -attitude served to quiet Jack's nerves.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well," he said. "Keep it. I wouldn't be in -your shoes for something. Your servants have seen the -despatch. Look, there's a crowd of peasants gaping at -the door there. You can't keep it quiet, even if anything -happens to me; and when General Stewart finds out what -a patriot you are, he'll send you to the Marquis of La -Romana, and then—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack shrugged expressively. The servants cast uneasy -glances at their master, who at first frowned at them, then -himself looked uncomfortable.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What does the Señor offer for it?" he said at length -with a covetous leer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You sell your patriotism, eh? Well, I'll give you five -dollars."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The landlord shook his head.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have lost many dollars of late through the war. It -is worth more than five dollars."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I won't stick at a few dollars. Say ten."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, no. The Marquis of La Romana would give -more than ten."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I won't haggle with you," cried Jack. "I make you a -last offer. If you accept it, you are so much to the good; -if you refuse it, you not only won't get a maravedi, but -you'll come pretty badly off when the authorities hear of it. -I'll give you twenty dollars, and not a peseta more."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The landlord looked at him enquiringly, as though -questioning whether he might not squeeze a few more -dollars from the young officer. Jack eyed him firmly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's final," he said. "Twenty dollars, or nothing, -plus your country's curse."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A paltry sum!" said the innkeeper. "In cash?" he -asked cunningly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In cash. I have the money here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let me see it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Chafing at the man's suspicion, Jack unbuckled his -belt, and counted out from the pockets on the inside -twenty small golden dollars of the old coinage of Spain. -The landlord's eye gleamed. He took out the despatch -from his pocket, and held it doubtingly in his hand.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Give me ten dollars first," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Angrier than ever, but outwardly calm, Jack handed over -ten of the coins. The man bit each one between his teeth, -and dropped them into his pouch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take it, Señor," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was the most exciting moment Jack remembered in -his life when he took the folded paper in his hand, and -paid the balance of the price. He turned it over; there -was no writing on it; the flap was fastened with a great -red seal; what if it was no despatch after all? Instantly -he broke the seal, and, unfolding the stiff paper, read at -the top:</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"To the Marshal Duke of Dalmatia, commanding the Second -Army Corps at Saldana, the Vice-Constable Major-General".</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>His eyes swam, and he felt a rush of blood to his cheeks. -The landlord was droning on to his servants, and Jack -remembered afterwards, with infinite amusement, that, at -this tense moment, he had heard as in a dream the -land-lord directing his servant to put out one of the candles; -one was enough: "'Tis a waste of good pork fat, and we -have no pigs left in Spain—bar the French."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He read on by the light of one guttering dip, running -his eye rapidly down the closely-written page. Moment -by moment his joy increased. The despatch was written -from Chamartin by Marshal Berthier, Prince of Neufchatel, -and Jack saw that it contained Napoleon's plan of -campaign, and gave information of the position of his armies -which would be beyond price to Moore. Having read it -hastily, he went through it again with more care, fixing -the details in his mind in case by any mishap he should -lose it before reaching head-quarters. What he read was -as follows:—</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"I read to the Emperor your letter of the 4th of December, -which was brought by one of your officers. His Majesty -approves of all you have done. The brigades of Generals Debelle -and Franceschi are under your orders, and you can manoeuvre -them as you think proper. The Emperor is of opinion that with -the division of Merle and the division of Mouton, together with -the four regiments of cavalry, nothing can resist you.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What are you to do? Take possession of Leon, drive back -the enemy into Galicia, make yourself master of Benavente and -Zamora. You can have no English in your front, for some of -their regiments came to the Escurial and Salamanca, and -everything shows that they are in full retreat. Our -advance-guard is this day at Talavera de la Reyna, upon the road to -Badajos, which it will reach soon. It will be clear to you that -this movement must compel the English to hasten immediately -to Lisbon, if they have not gone there already. The moment you -are sure that the English have retreated (of which there is every -presumption), move forward with rapidity. There are no -Spaniards who can resist your two divisions. Order shoes and -greatcoats to be made at Leon, Santander, and Palencia. His -Majesty grants every demand for improving your equipment. -You may also require mules for your artillery, and horses to -remount your cavalry; but let it all be done according to the -regular forms of administration.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is possible that as soon as the dragoons of General Millet -arrive in Spain, the Emperor will send them on to you. But -his cannot happen for a fortnight. At the distance at which -you are you must be guided by what you think best, and look -upon all I write as only general instructions. His Majesty -conceives that you will take measures to reduce the country -between the Douro, Galicia, and the Asturias, always most -carefully guarding Santander. The 5th Corps, commanded by -the Marshal Duke of Treviso, has been ordered to advance on -Saragossa; the 8th Corps, under the Duke of Abrantes, whose -1st Division arrived at Vittoria on the 12th, will probably receive -orders to concentrate at Burgos. Gunboats and armoured vessels -of any kind have orders to sail for Santander. Load them with -confiscated English merchandise, cotton, wool, artillery, and -send all to France.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Five divisions of Castaños' best troops have been routed -with even less difficulty than you found in beating the -Estremaduran army at Burgos. The wreck of Castaños' army is -being pursued by Marshal Bessières, who has cut them off the -road to Estremadura, and is pursuing them towards Valencia, -several marches beyond the Tagus. The Emperor's headquarters -are at Chamartin, a little country seat a league and -a half from Madrid. His Majesty enjoys an excellent state of -health.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The city of Madrid is quite tranquil. The shops are all open, -the public amusements are resumed, and there is not the least -appearance of our first proposals having been emphasized by -4000 cannon balls.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<dl class="docutils"> -<dt class="noindent"><span>"THE PRINCE OF NEUFCHATEL,</span></dt> -<dd><p class="first last noindent pfirst"><span>"Major-General.</span></p> -</dd> -</dl> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"I will send you to-morrow a proclamation and some decrees -of the Emperor, in which you will recognize the style of him who -was born to command the world."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Every word was impressed on Jack's memory as though -burnt in with fire. He had been disappointed of catching -a Frenchman! He almost laughed aloud, for here, surely, -was a find worth a king's ransom.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Landlord, I ride back to Rueda." His voice had the -ring of authority. "My own horse is tired. I will ride -the Frenchman's horse. You will keep mine here until it -is sent for, and a fair price shall be paid you for the other -if mine is returned to me safe and sound. At once, if you -please!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was not the Spaniard's way to move with alacrity, -and it took fifteen minutes to saddle the horse and bring -it round from the stables. Then Jack mounted, his whole -body tingling with joy; and, the despatch carefully buttoned -up inside his tunic, he set off on the fine Arab gray for -Rueda.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The horse was not too fresh, and went all too slowly -for Jack's eager haste. It was near midnight when he -cantered into the open street of Rueda, and dismounted at -the door of the posada. There was a light in this as in -many other houses, and he guessed that here he would be -most likely to find General Stewart. The sound of his -horse's hoofs had drawn an orderly to the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, Benson, catch hold of this nag, there's a good -fellow! Is the general up?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, you'll find him in the first room, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack waited to hear no more. He almost ran into the -room, and found himself in the presence of General Stewart -and a few other officers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, it's you!" said Stewart, turning on his chair to -face the intruder. "Now, look here, Lumsden, this is all -very well, but things may go too far, you know. 'Twas -a mere fool's trick to bolt off after a runaway vedette -when, for all you knew, a whole army-corps was within a -mile of us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sorry, sir," said Jack, "but I understood that you -wished to secure the whole party, and I went after the -only one that had escaped.... There are no Frenchmen on -the road; in fact, to the best of my belief there's only one -Frenchman between here and Valladolid, and he's dead."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You got him after all, then?" said Stewart with a -gleam of interest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Unluckily no, sir; he got off. It was another fellow, -and he carried this despatch."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The general took the paper without a word. He opened -it, and began to read.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gad, what a find!" he exclaimed. "Look here, -Seymour. 'Born to command the world', begad!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The other officers got up and looked over his shoulder. -Jack watched their faces, and noticed how their expression -changed from an ordinary interest and amusement to an -excitement rivalling his own.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George, Lumsden," cried the general as he finished -the document, "you've found a treasure here!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It cost me twenty dollars, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Dirt cheap at twenty thousand! How did it happen?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack briefly told the story.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Boney was always too careless about his aides-de-camp," -said Seymour. "The idea of sending the poor -chap off without an escort!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Spare your pity!" laughed Stewart. "This must go -off to the commander-in-chief at once." He looked at -Jack, and added dryly: "I suppose you are too tired to -take it yourself?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If you'll give me a fresh horse I'll start at once, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well, though you look dog-tired. Have you got -a flask you can give him, Seymour? That's right. -There's a fellow half an hour ahead of you, with a -despatch reporting our capture here—and I've put you down -as missing, my boy. You're sure you can do it? It's a -ride of nearly twenty miles."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'll go, sir," said Jack simply. "May I mention two -things? I left my horse at the posting inn at Valdestillos, -and promised to send for it and buy the Frenchman's gray. -Will you look at it, sir, and offer a price? And there was -a little gipsy boy with a few Spaniards in the watch-house -here. The boy has been rather useful to me; will you -order him and the rest to be released and looked after a -bit?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Done to both. I'll buy the horse myself if he's fit; -and as for the boy and those Spanish louts, they were -released long ago, and the gipsy has kept the men in fits -with his monkey antics. Now wait just a moment while -I scribble a note to Sir John, and then be off, and think -yourself a lucky young dog."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When Jack, fortified with Captain Seymour's flask, went -to the door to mount his horse, he became for the first -time thoroughly aware how tired he was. He had been -in the saddle almost without intermission for more than -twelve hours, and as he lifted his foot to the stirrup, he -felt as though his thigh was weighted with lead, and on -the point of snapping. But he would never have confessed -his fatigue, much less have abnegated his right to carry -the important despatch to the commander-in-chief; so, -aching but cheerful, he cantered off into the night.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had a ride of eighteen or twenty miles before him, -and it was now past midnight. "Thank heaven!" he said -to himself, "in three hours or so I shall be between the -sheets." Soon after he started, snow began to fall in -scattered flakes, giving cold and gentle dabs to his face. -The horse answered to his spur, and trotted rapidly along -the solitary road, which grew whiter and whiter as he -proceeded, past the cabin where the French outpost had been -surprised, past the cross-road where the little tussle of the -afternoon had taken place, over the bridge, up the hill, -and thus on and on until he was within a couple of miles -of the town of Alaejos.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this point he overtook suddenly another horseman, -whom the snow, driving now thick and fast, had hidden -from his sight, while the carpeted road had deadened the -sound of his own horse's hoofs. Guessing at once that this -must be the courier bearing General's Stewart's earlier -despatch, the recollection that he had been reported missing -made him chuckle. Throwing a word of salutation to the -rider as he passed him, he urged his horse to a gallop, -soon came to the advanced pickets of the British force, -and in a few minutes arrived at the door of the house in -which Sir John Moore had fixed his quarters. The general -had not long arrived, and was still up, engaged in -arranging with a few of his staff the details of the next day's -march. Jack was ushered to his room at once. Staggering -in, white from head to heel, he drew Stewart's letter -and the intercepted despatch from his breast pocket, and, -holding them out towards the general, he said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A despatch, sir, from General Stewart."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, indeed!" said Sir John, rising in his chair. "I -hardly expected—why, Colborne, the boy's done up! See -to him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack's face had turned the colour of his snow-laden -cloak, and he would have fallen had not Major Colborne, -Moore's secretary, hastily caught him and placed him on a -seat, asking one of the aides-de-camp present to give him -some cordial. Meanwhile Sir John had hurriedly run his -eye over Stewart's covering note, and was now eagerly -perusing Berthier's despatch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gad, we have him at last!" he exclaimed, as he came -to the end. The assembled officers looked expectant of -an explanation, but at this moment the courier whom Jack -had passed on the road entered, bearing the despatch -announcing the capture of the French garrison at Rueda.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Another despatch!" exclaimed the general; "Stewart -appears to have been busy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Tearing it open, he said, with a jubilant note in his -voice:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"First blood, gentlemen! The campaign has opened -at last. General Stewart has captured fifty of Franceschi's -chasseurs and seventy of Lefebvre's infantry at Rueda, -and—why, what's this? Lieutenant Lumsden missing!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He looked across the room at Jack, who had now recovered, -and was sitting, half-asleep, with his back to the wall.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're Mr. Lumsden, surely?" he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I thought I could not be mistaken. How is it you are -reported missing in the second despatch?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I was missing when the courier left, sir. I overtook -him on the road."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I see. You're dead beat, I'm afraid, but I should be -glad to hear how you came by this despatch of yours, if -you can manage to keep awake for a few minutes."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack briefly gave an account of the circumstances.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You did very well, uncommonly well, Mr. Lumsden," -said Sir John when he had concluded. "Colborne, be -good enough to send someone to see Mr. Lumsden safely -to the quarters of the 95th. Mr. Lumsden, you will hear -from me to-morrow."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack rose stiffly and saluted; then, accompanied by one -of the aides-de-camp, he walked off to the quarters of his -battalion. The officers had all gone to bed. Learning -from Jack the name of his servant, the aide-de-camp -roused the servants' quarters, and, just as the church -clock was striking three, Jack was put to bed in a cosy -little room on the ground floor of the house by his man -Giles Ogbourne.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"What I want to know is, when are we agoing to have -a slap at the French? Here we've been tramping and -camping for two months or more, and nothing to show -for it—not a shot fired. And you call that sojering!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The words and the grunt that followed came on Jack's -ears as it were out of a mist, along with the pungent -fumes of strong tobacco. He had just awoke from a -heavy sleep; the window of his room was open, and he -could see the deep-blue sky of a fine December day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My friend Corporal Wilkes holding forth!" he said -to himself with a smile, and, turning on his back, he -listened for more.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What are we here for?" went on the grumbler. -"What's the good of cleaning your rifle day after day -when it's had no chance of getting fouled? It's nothing -but walking, walking, walking; 'ang me if we ain't out -on a bloomin' walking-match."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There's been a bit of a scrum somewhere for'ard, so I -heard," put in another voice. "P'raps things is waking -up, corp'ril."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Shut up, Bates! What's the good o' that to us? It -was those long-legged dragoons, by all accounts. Why -should they have it all? Where does the 95th come -in?—that's what I want to know. What's the good o' -pickin' out the Rifles from the whole army and then giving -them cavalry chaps the only job that's going? Besides, -nothing'll come of it. We shall only have a longer walk -than ever, you see. A flick in the ear to the French, so to -say, and then we skedaddles!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That ain't fair, corp'ril. Who says we're a-going to -sheer off?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nobody </span><em class="italics">says</em><span> we're going to sheer off, but anyone with -half an eye could see those blessed grub-carts over there -cutting up the roads this morning, and anyone with an -ounce of gumption would know what that means. That -ain't the road to Valladolid! What I want to know is, do -the general mean to fight, or don't he? If he do, let's step -off on shanks his mare and get to business; if he -don't—why, he's only spoiling good sojers, that's all I've got -to say."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not so much noise, corp'ril," said Giles Ogbourne; -"you'll wake Mr. Lumsden."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Spoil his beauty sleep, eh? Where's he been, getting -so dead tired that he ain't up to take his rations? I don't -hold with such late hours. Not but what he's a good -plucked 'un mostly, and I don't grudge him the—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this point Jack got out of bed, wincing as his aching -muscles reminded him of the previous day's hard work.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You there, Giles?" he said, putting his head out of the -window. "Get me some hot water, and then see about -my breakfast while I dress."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A guffaw broke from the soldiers below, and was -instantly suppressed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir," said Giles, adding: "Beg pardon, sir, but -it's not breakfast, it's dinner."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack laughed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What! Have I been asleep so long? What's the time?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gone four, sir, and mess is at a quarter past."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hurry up, then! There's just time."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Mr. Pomeroy's been twice to see if you was up, sir, -but he wouldn't let me disturb you. And he said I was on -no account to say a word about—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He caught himself up, with a blush that gave his honest -round face a very boyish air.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"About what?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wasn't to say, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh well, cut off and fetch the water! Been fighting -any Spaniards lately, Wilkes?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No such luck, sir. Spaniards or French, it's all one -to me, and what I want to know is—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack smiled and shut the window.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When he entered the mess-room he found the officers of -his regiment already seated, Colonel Beckwith being at -the head of the table.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hullo!" exclaimed Smith, who was opposite the door. -His exclamation drew all eyes towards Jack, and as he -passed down the table to take the place made for him -beside Pomeroy, the subalterns rapped knives and glasses -on the unstained deal, and gave a rousing welcome to the -wanderer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of all the lucky beggars!" said Pomeroy in Jack's -ear, when the general greetings had subsided. "And I -can't even punch your head!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're welcome to try," retorted Jack, "but allow me -to get some dinner first. I've had nothing but pucheros -and gaspachos for days past, and there are heavy arrears -to make up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I don't want to take advantage of you, though -you have played me rather a mean trick."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you mean?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wine with you, Mr. Lumsden," interjected Colonel -Beckwith from the far end of the table; "a good ride, -begad!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank you, sir! most happy," said Jack, with a look -of mingled pleasure and surprise. After the interchange -of compliments, Jack, turning again to Pomeroy, said -quietly: "What's Sidney driving at? I've never been -honoured in this way since I first joined."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, he's anxious!" returned Pomeroy carelessly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Anxious! About what?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"About his job."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How? What?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Fraid he'll be superseded, you know."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was so much puzzled by the apparent inconsequence -of the reply that he failed to remark the wide -grin of amusement which all the subalterns within hearing -were vainly endeavouring to dissemble.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's trying to carry it off," added Pomeroy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I say, Smith, what does this lunatic mean?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What! Haven't you heard the rumour?" answered Smith.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'What great ones do the less will prattle of,'" quoted -Shirley </span><em class="italics">sotto voce</em><span>.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What rumour?" asked Jack, more mystified than ever.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, there may be nothing in it, but for my own part -I think it's a shame to promote a raw sub like you over -the heads of men like Colonel Beckwith and Captain -O'Hare, to say nothing of Pomeroy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack, looking somewhat startled, appealed to Captain -O'Hare, who was bubbling with amusement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Are they all mad, sir?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'S mad's hatters!" replied O'Hare with a chuckle. -"'Tis a shame to keep ye in suspense. The fact is, my -boy, as you'd have learnt if you'd only kept dacent hours, -you've been growing in your sleep. You're like the -mushroom that blooms in the dark. You went to bed a second -lieutenant and woke up a full-blown one. 'Tis most -unusual, this promotion, and bedad, 'tis Peter O'Hare -himself that's glad, so he is, and so's all the rest of us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Except me," said Pomeroy in a tone of regret; "for -as my superior officer I can't punch his head."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a laugh, under which Jack was glad to hide -his pleasure and embarrassment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And the worst is," added Pomeroy, "that it's another -bet won for the Grampus."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By the way," asked Jack, "what's become of the -Grampus?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh!" said Smith, "he went off a week ago. Said he -came out to be at the front; bet me Baird would open -the ball with Soult, and went to lend a hand."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He'll be lucky if he isn't made mincemeat of by the -French, or else by Spanish bandits," said O'Hare. "These -amachures would be safer at home."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment an orderly entered and handed a note -to Colonel Beckwith, who, having read it, crumpled it up -and rapped on the table.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gentlemen, I may as well inform you, although of -course it must go no further to-night, that a change -has been made in our route. We march for Toro to-morrow."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a dead silence, broken only by a half-audible -growl from Captain O'Hare. The shadow of a -smile flickered across the colonel's face as he noticed -the glum looks of his officers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This change, I may add, is due to some news lately -received." Here he glanced quizzingly at Jack. "It's -not so bad as it looks, and you may take my word for -it that before the week's out we shall be in the thick -of it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thanks be!" said Captain O'Hare.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="napoleon-in-pursuit"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Napoleon in Pursuit</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">To the Douro—Pepito Turns Up—Four Noble Spaniards—At -Sahagun—In Suspense—News from La Romana—On the -Trail—War with the Elements—Word from O'Hare—A -Cavalry Skirmish—A Break-down</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Sir John Moore had instantly recognized the immense -importance of the despatch so opportunely discovered -by Jack at Valdestillos. It informed him of the exact -positions of the various components of the Imperial army; -it assured him also that up to the present Napoleon's -ignorance of his enemy's whereabouts was profound. -But Moore knew that after Stewart's brilliant little affair -at Rueda it was only a matter of days before this -ignorance would be dispelled, and then Napoleon would without -doubt launch every Frenchman within striking distance -upon his track. If, therefore, he pursued his original -intention of moving on Valladolid he would come into the -direct line of the emperor's advance, whereas, with his -new information about Soult's position, it was just -possible that he would have time to strike a blow at that -marshal before the huge masses converging on Madrid -could be wheeled round and hurried over the passes of -the Guadarrama in direct pursuit, or pushed forward from -Burgos upon his flank. That Napoleon would interrupt -all other operations to crush him he had no doubt, and -if he was to strike at all it must be at once.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His own force numbered some 25,000 men, and he was -assured from several sources that he might hope for the -co-operation of La Romana, who was said to be at the -head of a continually increasing army of Spaniards at -Leon. Thus reinforced, he would be more than a match -for Soult, if Soult, with some 16,000 men, were ill-advised -enough to risk an action. On the other hand, if Soult, -probably the ablest of Napoleon's marshals, resisted the -temptation to close with Moore before the other French -armies came up, the British general would have, as he -himself said, "to run for it", with one army on his flank -and three others at his heels. The risks were great; the -boldest general might well shrink from the ordeal with -which Sir John was now confronted. But Moore's courage -and promptitude increased with the magnitude of the -peril; he fully counted the cost, and, feeling bound in -honour to take this one chance of saving Spain, he quickly -formed his resolution and set to work with energy to carry -it out.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Within a few hours of receiving the intercepted -despatch, Moore countermanded the advance to Valladolid, -and ordered his infantry to cross the Douro at Zamora -and Toro, throwing out cavalry as a screen for both -columns. When the news spread through the ranks that -a rapid move was to be made against Soult, their -enthusiasm knew no bounds. The dissatisfaction which all -had felt, the murmurs which had not been confined to -the men, gave place to jubilation, and it was with laughter -and singing that the advance-guard marched out of Alaejos -northward to the Douro.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack's regiment was brigaded with others to form the -Reserve, and the men had to curb their impatience for -some hours before their turn to march arrived. It was -a bitterly cold day, that 15th of December, and, having -performed all their immediate duties, Jack and his fellow -subalterns were stamping up and down before their -quarters, wrapped in long cloaks, and doing their best to -warm their blood. They had been so busy since Jack's -arrival that there had been no time to get from him a -full account of his recent adventures, but now, in their -enforced idleness, they kept up a fire of questions as to -where he had been and what he had seen, and how it -was that he had had, as they put it, all the luck. Jack -found that the simplest means to escape the bombardment -was to give a consecutive account of the events at Rueda -and Valdestillos, to which his chums listened with interest, -scarcely remarking the modesty with which the narrator -minimized his own share in the bustling incidents.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That boy Pepito, you see," he said at one point in -his narrative, "is not quite the thorn in the flesh we all -supposed he was going to be. In fact, he has the -strangest knack of turning up at odd moments when he -can be of use—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A regular god in the machine!" said Shirley.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A familiar spirit, I'd call him," said Pomeroy. "I -never had much faith in witchcraft, but upon my word -I shall soon begin to believe that you're in league with -the powers of darkness, and no wonder you have such -confounded luck!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Talk of the—" cried Smith suddenly. "Look at that!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The subalterns, looking in the direction pointed out by -Smith's stretched forefinger, saw, at the other end of the -street, a strange cavalcade approaching. Between two -stalwart troopers of the 18th Light Dragoons rode a picturesque -little figure on a gaily-caparisoned mule, the rider -cocking his head aloft with a consequential air that was -irresistibly comic. Behind tramped a crowd of foot-soldiers, -and the rear was brought up by a troop of dragoons.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George!" cried Pomeroy, "it's Pepito himself, -riding in like a conqueror.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And the French prisoners of Rueda behind him," -added Jack. "I'm glad to see the boy. Giles, go and -see where they halt, and bring the little beggar to me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a few minutes Giles returned, bringing not only -Pepito but a group of four rather dilapidated-looking -Spaniards.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My friends of the Olmedo inn," thought Jack, recognizing -them with a chuckle. "Well, Pepito, so you've -turned up again, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor," answered the gipsy with his captivating -smile. "And with me the four noble Spaniards, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So I see. You seem in high feather. You'd better tell -me what has happened since I saw you last on the way to -Medina."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito stood in the centre of the group of officers, -while the four stablemen hung on the outskirts, Giles -keeping a watchful eye on them. The boy, speaking in -rapid Spanish, with an occasional Romany word when he -found his emotions too much for him, told how, after -being provided with clothes by Giles Ogbourne, he had -started to track the Señor, in spite of orders to the -contrary. Being hungry, and having no money, he had, -on arriving at the farmhouse where Jack had met him, -offered to clip the farmer's mules, such clipping being -the traditional occupation of the gipsies in Spain. There -he had seen Jack's plight, caught sight of the pursuers, -and instantly determined the course of action he adopted. -When overtaken by the panting stablemen, he had sent -them off on the wrong track; but they carried him along -with them and threatened him with a lingering death -if he proved to have played them false. He was cudgelling -his wits for a plan of escape when, as luck would -have it, they fell suddenly in with a troop of French -chasseurs, who captured the whole party, chose to assume -that they were spies, and bundled them into the -watch-house at Rueda to await punishment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ay, ay, that cell!" said Pepito. "It was dark and -damp and foul, and Señor knows how the Romany love -the fresh air and the open sky. But still, there were the -Busne, the four noble Busne, Señor, and when I felt sad -I would laugh at them, and tell them what fools they -were, who the Señor really was, and how it was all their -own fault if they were shot. Oh, it was good, Señor!" The -gipsy's black eyes twinkled at the recollection.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm afraid you're a mischievous young scamp," said -Jack. "You'd better come along with me—that is, if -you'll behave yourself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ta ra, ta ra! Viva!" cried Pepito, flinging his knife in -the air and catching it as it fell. "'The Romany chal to -his horse did cry'"—and singing his merry song he skipped -up to Giles, and dug the stolid Devonian in the ribs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile, Jack beckoned to the Spaniards, and they -slouched towards him with shamefaced sullenness. -Addressing the biggest of them, he said with a smile:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, hombre, you will be wiser next time. It might -have been awkward for you. You'd better go home by -way of Salamanca, or you might happen to meet some -more Frenchmen. Here, you may find this useful."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He gave the man a few pesetas, and the four dejected -fellows, muttering their thanks, shambled away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Half an hour later the order came for the regiment to -march, and soon the men were swinging along on the way -to Toro. It was a fine frosty day, and the cold, though -keen, was exhilarating. The road, which in wet weather -would have been a mere slough of mud, was now frozen -hard, and walking was easy and pleasant. Many women -walked with the regiment; others, with their children, were -perched on the baggage- and ammunition-wagons. There -was joking and laughter; the prospect of soon meeting -the enemy whom they had been so long hoping to fight -gave brightness to the men's eyes and elasticity to their -gait. Colonel Beckwith rode up and down the column, -throwing a word to this man and that, encouraging the -laggards and chaffing the boasters. A little snow fell at -times, causing the women to snuggle under their cloaks -and the men to growl about wet boots; but during this -day's march, and the four succeeding days', the high spirits -of the regiment were well maintained, and it was with -surprisingly little loss by sick or stragglers that the -infantry arrived, on December 20th, at Mayorga, where a -junction was effected with the column under Sir David -Baird. They moved forward again the following morning, -and their enthusiasm was raised to the highest pitch -by the news that Lord Paget, with the 10th and 15th -Hussars, had surprised a large body of French cavalry in -Sahagun, killing or capturing over 200 officers and men.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When they arrived at this place in the evening, the -main army found that it had outstripped its supplies. -Wagons were short, and neither food nor clothing was -to be had. It was therefore imperative that a breathing-space -should be allowed, that time should be given for -recruiting their strength and repairing their equipment. -Eager as they were to fight, they were not sorry when they -learnt that at least a day's rest was to be given them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But when the whole of December 22nd passed without -the expected order to advance, the men again began to -chafe at the delay. Corporal Wilkes and some of his -cronies were sitting round their camp-fire on the evening -of that day discussing the situation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What I want to know," said Wilkes in a tone suggesting -that he would rather have resented the information—"what -I want to know is, why we don't up and at them -Frenchmen at once. What are we waiting for? True, -we ain't had much grub, and our toggery ain't exactly -what the general would specially admire on parade, but -over yonder, where that Marshal Salt, or whatever they -call him, is, there's plenty of tommy and fine clothes too, -and if we could only make a move we'd very soon be able -to fill our insides and polish up our outsides. Here we -are, three days off Christmas, and where's the roast-beef -and plum-pudding to come from? We'll have to sing for -it, by what I can see."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sing for it!" interposed Bates with a grunt. "No, -thank'ee; we've had enough of the waits. Ha! ha!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a general guffaw at Bates's little witticism.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't see nothing to laugh at," growled Wilkes, -resenting the interruption. The others looked reproachfully -at Bates, who relapsed into abashed silence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was not until the morning of the 23rd that the general -of the Reserve, Sir Edward Paget, a younger brother of -Lord Paget, received marching orders. On the evening -of that day he was to move his division forward from -Grajal del Campo along the road to Carrion, join the main -body, and halt until head-quarters should arrive from -Sahagun. At this news the younger and less experienced -men found it almost impossible to keep still.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lie down and rest, you silly fellows," said Jack to -a group of men whom he saw fidgeting about in sheer -nervousness and anxiety. "Look at Wilkes yonder; he -knows what war is, and he's snoring away, getting a good -sleep before the march to-night. Here, Pepito, just come -and show these fellows some of your tricks, and keep them -amused, or they'll be dead-beat before they start."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito, who had followed Jack like a shadow ever since -he had left Alaejos, obediently went among the men, and -soon had them laughing merrily at his absurd antics and -extraordinary gibberish. The bleak winter day passed, -and at four o'clock, under a gray and leaden sky, the -Reserve at last set out towards what they hoped was to -be a brilliant victory. The whole country was covered -deep with snow. The men had been ordered to refrain -from talking or singing while on the march; and thus, -in cold and silence, the column trudged along in the -gathering night.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After some hours' tramping a halt was called, and the -men stood and shivered and wondered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What are we waiting for now?" growled Corporal -Wilkes, shaking the snow from his shako.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To let the guns come up, shouldn't wonder," returned -his friend Bates. "This blessed snow makes it slow -work to bring 'em along."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I expect it's old Romana not up to the scratch," -suggested Tom Plunket, the best shot in the regiment. -"Very likely he's lost his way, or forgotten the date, or -frizzing his moustache, or something, and that's keeping -our general waiting."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Humph!" growled Wilkes, "another case of to-morrer, -to-morrer. Tell you what, boys, these Dons will -say 'manaña' once too often. When the last roll-call -comes they'll say 'manaña' as sure as fate, and then -where'll they be?—that's what I want to know."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hush! what's that?" said Sergeant Jones, a little -man known familiarly as "The Weasel".</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A bugle-call was sounding. Every man started to his -feet. Surely the two hours' halt was over and the battle -was at hand. But no; there was no sound of movement -among the troops, no cheer from the men near the general's -quarters. While the men stood in a tense attitude of -expectancy, Jack came up out of the darkness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Men," he said quietly, "we are ordered back to -Grajal. Fall in!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Not a word broke from them. Back to Grajal? But -the French were not there. Was the battle postponed -again? No one appeared to know the meaning of this -new order. They collected their kits, strapped on their -heavy knapsacks, and trudged despondently back over the -frozen roads.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At six o'clock that evening a note had been brought to -Sir John Moore from the Marquis of La Romana. It read:</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>LEON, </span><em class="italics">Dec. 22</em><span>.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>SIR,</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The confidential person whom I had placed on the River -Douro has written to me on the 18th inst. that he is assured that -the enemy's troops posted at the Escurial are moving in this -direction.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He adds that if the person who gave him this intelligence -should not arrive the same day he would go himself to -Villacastin, twelve leagues from Madrid, to watch the two roads, the -one of which leads to Zamora, and the other to Segovia.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I hasten to give this information to your Excellency that you -may judge what measures are requisite to be taken.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>LA ROMANA.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>What Moore had expected and hoped for had come to -pass. It was clear that Napoleon had learnt the British -position at last, and was hastening from Madrid northward -across the mountains with his whole army to crush -the little force.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must cut and run for it," said Moore to his staff -with a hard smile. "And by Jove we'll give them a race!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When Moore suddenly, ten days before, altered his line -of march from the Valladolid to the Toro road, Napoleon -had not had time to learn of the affair at Rueda. He had -made up his mind that the British were retreating on -Lisbon, and had already despatched Lefebvre and Lasalle -in pursuit by way of Badajos, preparing himself to back -them up with an overwhelming army of 40,000 men and -150 guns. The news of Stewart's exploit at Rueda reached -him on the 19th. It had the effect of an electric shock. -Where before had been activity, there was now feverish -energy. Couriers were sent on the instant to all parts -of Spain, ordering all the scattered units of his immense -force to converge on Valladolid, which he persisted in -believing to be Moore's objective. Mere skeleton corps -were left to hold in check the shattered Spanish armies. -The rest followed Napoleon over the Guadarrama mountains, -or pushed along the Burgos road to join hands with Soult.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On the 21st, the same day on which Moore marched for -Sahagun, an immense French army, comprising the flower -of Napoleon's troops, left Madrid. Marshal Ney, "le -plus brave des braves", led the van, and he was lucky in -bringing his troops across the Guadarrama in comparatively -fine weather. But no sooner had he crossed than -a terrific snow-storm burst over the mountains. When -Napoleon himself arrived from Madrid he found the passes -blocked with snow, guns, wagons, all kinds of impedimenta; -and the advance, on which so much depended, to -all appearance indefinitely delayed.</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 100%" id="figure-122"> -<span id="map-of-spain-and-portugal"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Map of Spain and Portugal to illustrate Moore's Campaign" src="images/img-130.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Map of Spain and Portugal to illustrate Moore's Campaign</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>But opposition, even on the part of the elements, only -roused the emperor's indomitable energy. The gale was -raging its fiercest, men and horses were being hurled over -precipices by the force of the wind. The leading battalions -had actually turned back and were making confusion -worse confounded, when Napoleon appeared. Addressing -the soldiers, he announced that he meant to overtake the -British at all costs. He set thousands of men to clear the -drifts, others to beat down the snow into a hard road, -over which the artillery, harnessed with double teams, -crawled painfully northward. He ordered the members -of each infantry section to link arms and thus help each -other along the perilous mountain way. He dismounted -the cavalry, and used their horses to haul the guns. Then, -gathering his staff about him, he bade them lock their -arms, and himself led the way, walking arm in arm with -Lannes and Duroc. Thus, in the teeth of wind, snow, -and ice they pushed up the wild mountain steeps. Half-way -up, the marshals and generals, who wore jack-boots, -were too much exhausted to move another step. Nothing -daunted, Napoleon had himself hoisted on a gun, and sat -there astride. He called to his marshals to do the same; -and thus, after four hours battling with the elements, the -grotesque cavalcade reached the convent on the summit, -where, with food and wine, the rigours of the march were -forgotten.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was in this spirit of fierce determination that the -great emperor, sparing himself as little as his troops, -strained every nerve to accomplish the end he had in -view—the destruction of Moore's gallant little army. If La -Romana's confidential agents had been napping, Moore -might indeed have beaten Soult, but only to find himself -enveloped by a force triple his own in numbers, commanded -by the most brilliant soldier of the age. Fortunately, -information had reached La Romana, and through him -Moore, in time. At the moment when Napoleon arrived -at Villacastin, only some three marches distant, Moore -was countermanding the advance on Sahagun.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That moment marked the ebb of Napoleon's fortunes. -Hitherto he had pursued his wonderful career with scarcely -a check; but the decision of Moore on that December -evening was the signal for the break-up of Napoleon's -power; it was the step that saved Europe. It diverted -the emperor from his immediate purpose of conquest, and -engaged his huge armies in a fruitless and exhausting -chase; it gave Spain time to bethink herself and rise as -a nation. Her rising set an example to Europe, by which -Austria and Prussia slowly profited, and which led Russia, -three years later, to that spirited defiance which burnt -Moscow and brought destruction upon the finest army -in the world.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The British retreated in two columns, one, under General -Baird, by the northern road to Valencia, the other, under -General Hope, by Mayorga towards Benavente. General -Paget's reserve division, including the two light brigades -under Generals Anstruther and Disney, and five cavalry -regiments, remained for twenty-four hours behind the -main body. It was on Christmas-day that Jack's -regiment received orders to march. The men were formed -up in readiness for starting. Every face was gloomy, -every heart bitter with rage. It was only vaguely known -in the ranks why the advance had been so suddenly -countermanded, and the general opinion was that it was -due to the cowardice and incompetence of the Spaniards. -The officers remarked this spirit of sullen discontent, and -Captain O'Hare determined to make a personal appeal. -Calling his company to attention, he stood in pouring rain -and addressed them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, my boys," he said cheerily, "we must put a good -face on it. The froggies are too many for us now, and the -general don't want every mother's son of you to be clapped -into a French prison. We're off to Astorga, and bedad, if -Marshal Soult comes within reach of our heels, we'll give -him a good parting kick before Boney arrives. But -remember, we form part of the rear-guard; 'tis the post -of honour because 'tis the place of danger. If there is to -be any fighting, 'twill fall to us, and every man Jack of -you must keep himself as fit as a fiddle, or he won't be -able to do what's wanted. I trust to you, my boys; and -sure we'll show that every Englishman, whether Scotch -or Irish, is worth ten Frenchmen yet. Shoulder arms! -Left turn! Quick march!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"All very well," grumbled Charley Bates, as he swung -along beside Corporal Wilkes; "there's to be fighting at -Astorga, he says. The general means to march us to -death first, and expects us to fight after!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You shut up, Bates," said the corporal sullenly. He -was just as much irritated as his friends, but, being -disputatious by nature, he was ready to contradict anyone. -"I've fought under Johnny Moore before, and he ain't one -to run for nothing. And you and me, Charley Bates, has -got to show a good example to them young orficers—Mr. Lumsden -an' the rest,—didn't you hear Peter say so? -So step out, my boy, and don't argue."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hear that, Pommy?" said Jack, who was nearer the -corporal than that worthy believed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I heard it," growled Pomeroy, "and I hope you'll -profit by Wilkes's example."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They needed all their strength of will to preserve their -cheerfulness. A thaw had set in, and the road, running -between fields of soft rich loam, was knee-deep in slushy -clay. All that day they tramped heavily through the rain. -They halted at Mayorga for the night, and pushed on next -day to Valderas, their clothes like sponges, their limbs -racked with pain. At the halting-places they saw the -first signs of failing discipline. Some of the men in the -regiments which had preceded them had broken out and -vented their rage on the houses of the Spaniards. Food -was scarce; means of carriage were lacking; and the men -were so incensed against the inhabitants of the villages -through which they passed that they seized food for -themselves, and, the country being for the most part treeless, -tore down doors and sheds to provide wood for their -camp-fires. But this marauding spirit had been as yet confined -to a few regiments; the men of the light brigades were -held well in hand by their officers, and refrained from the -ill conduct of their less-disciplined comrades.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As they marched on the 26th and 27th it became known -that Lord Paget's cavalry were having a warm time -behind them. Soult had sent Lorge's dragoons in pursuit -of Baird's column, and the advance-guard of the -emperor's army at this time began to appear, until the five -British cavalry regiments were closely pressed by no fewer -than thirteen French. But Paget was a consummate -cavalry leader; spreading his 2400 men as a screen to the -whole army, he showed ceaseless activity in fending off -the assaults of the French dragoons, beating them time -after time, and capturing many prisoners. Every effort -of the French to break through and attack the infantry -was baffled and checked. So admirably, indeed, did he -handle his men, that Napoleon imagined they were twice -as numerous as they actually were.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On the afternoon of the 27th, Jack was marching with -his regiment, the first battalion of the 95th, along the -road from Valderas to Castro Gonzalo, where the river -Esla was to be crossed. Behind came the second battalion, -with other regiments, and the rear was brought up by -Lord Paget's cavalry. The pace had been forced for some -hours, for the French were continually pressing closer, -and Sir John Moore was anxious to get his whole army -across the river without delay. He had given orders that -when the passage had been completed the bridge was to -be destroyed, and Jack and his fellow-subalterns were -disappointed that this task, and the chance of a brush with -the enemy, would fall to the second battalion and not -the first.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>About half a mile before they reached the village of -Castro Gonzalo there was a momentary stoppage of the -column, caused, as was learnt in a few minutes, by the -breaking down of the last of the baggage-wagons. Jack's -company happened to be the nearest to the scene of the -accident, and as they halted, Captain O'Hare came up and -said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lumsden, I'll leave you with a squad of men to repair -this confounded cart. It's got our whole wardrobe in it, -and we can't afford to lose that. Choose your men, and -don't be longer about it than you can help. You'll -probably have the job done before the second battalion come -up, but if not, there'll be the hussars behind to see you -safe in."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="corporal-wilkes-on-guard"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Corporal Wilkes on Guard</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Amateur Wheel-wrights—Wilkes Disappears—Dodging -Dragoons—Night with a Picket—A Roman -Bridge—Benevente—Wilkes enters a Protest—One -MacWhirter</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack was glad to have the chance of doing something that -was not merely trudging through slush. He selected four -men to assist him with the wagon—Wilkes, Bates, Tom -Plunket, and his own man, Giles Ogbourne, who had some -experience of smith's work. An inspection of the vehicle -showed that the tyre of one of the wheels had broken, and -with it one of the spokes. It was evident that, unless the -tyre were repaired, the felloe would soon fall to pieces -if the wagon were hauled farther over the heavy road. -The first thing to be done was to take off the wheel. -Luckily the Portuguese driver had a spanner in the cart, -and with this the axle-cap was screwed off and the pin -knocked out.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Wilkes," said Jack, "you and Bates will look -after the cart while the others come with me to find a -smithy. The second battalion will be up in a minute or -two. If anyone asks, you can explain what has happened."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack started off with the other two men, who carried the -heavy wheel between them. Reaching the village of Castro -Gonzalo, they went along the streets in search of a smithy. -Every house was deserted; the inhabitants had fled in -terror at the news that the French were advancing. -Nowhere was a smith's shop to be seen, nowhere a person -of whom to make enquiry.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There must be a smithy somewhere," said Jack, "even -if the smith has taken to his heels."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Maybe 'tis along the road to the left, sir," said Giles. -"The smithy sometimes lies a bit out of the village at -home."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perhaps. Let us try it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The three proceeded down the road towards Villapando, -in the teeth of a blinding storm of sleet. At a distance of -nearly half a mile from the village they came to a small -stone house at the left of the road.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here we are!" said Jack, noticing a horse-shoe nailed -on the wall, and some broken bits of iron by the doorway. -"The door's open; the smith seems to have bolted."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He led the way in, and found himself in a dark smithy. -The forge was black and cold; evidently no fire had been -lighted there for some time.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Giles, kindle a fire. You'll find some wood and -charcoal about, no doubt. We must be quick about this, -for we don't want to be left in the lurch."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It took some time to get a good fire alight. The wood -was damp, and Giles's tinder-box had not altogether -escaped a wetting. But the fire was ablaze at last, and -then Jack set to work with the creaking bellows to blow -it to a heat sufficient to weld the broken ends of the -tyre. The third man, Plunket, held the iron in the -glowing charcoal with the smith's huge tongs, while -Giles stood ready with the hammer to beat it on the -anvil.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm afeard it won't be big enough to go round the -felly without a bit more iron," said Giles; "and there -don't seem to be a bit of the right kind here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Try it first. The whole tyre may expand enough with -the heat."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But when Giles had welded the broken ends, and tried -to fit the tyre on the wheel, he found that it was too short, -as he had feared.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We can't give it up," said Jack. "Look round the -place and see if you can find a scrap of thin iron that -will serve the purpose."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After searching in the smithy and the surrounding yard -for several minutes, a strip of iron was discovered which -Giles thought might weld with the rest. The tyre had -to be heated again and cut at the cleavage. The small -piece had to be beaten until it was of the same thickness -as the tyre, and only after a good deal of patient manipulation -did Giles succeed in forming a tyre of the required -circumference. It was finished, however, at last. It fitted -on the scorching felloe, and after cold water had been -thrown on it from the blacksmith's tank, filling the air -with vapour and the characteristic smell of the smithy, -Giles declared that the wheel was good enough for another -campaign.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's right, then," said Jack. "Now we must get -back to the cart. By George! it has taken us a long time. -It's past five o'clock, and getting dark. Raining as hard -as ever too!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They trudged up the road and through the village, -expecting to meet the rear-guard of the British infantry, -or at any rate the cavalry. But there was nobody to be -seen. They hurried along out of the village towards the -spot where, in the gathering darkness, they saw the wagon -still standing in the middle of the road.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But where are the bullocks?" cried Jack, noticing that -the shafts and rope traces were empty.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Hastening in advance of the men, burdened as they were -with the heavy wheel, he came to the cart.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wilkes, where are you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was no answer; nor was there any sign of the -men he had left on guard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This is awkward, my men," he said, as the two came -up. "The wheel's right, but those two fellows and the -driver have gone off, and the bullocks with them. We -can't move the thing without animals."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The corp'ril wouldn't budge without he were sent, sir," -said Plunket.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Maybe the French have come up in the dark and -captured 'em, sir," added Giles.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nonsense! the French were not so close as all that. I -don't fancy our cavalry have gone by yet. You two fellows -fix the wheel on. I am going back to the village to find a -team. I sha'n't be long."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack went back to the village in the darkness, going in -and out among the houses and the gardens, expecting every -moment to come upon some traces of the men and animals. -The night was silent, save for the steady downpour of rain -and the dull roar of the flooded river, he knew not how far -beyond. Presently he heard splashing footsteps, then two -men rushed towards him breathless—first Giles, then -Plunket.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The French dragoons!" panted Giles.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not our own men?" said Jack quickly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, sir. We heard hoofs, and ran up to the first -house and waited; and then two vedettes came up and -stopped at the wagon, and we heard the French lingo, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then we must make ourselves scarce. Have we time -to reach the bridge?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But even as he spoke, the sound of galloping horses -and rumbling wagons came from the other end of the -village.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must cut, my men. Follow me!" cried Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Running at full speed along the Villapando road, he did -not draw breath until he reached the smithy where the -tyre had been repaired.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must wait here till we know what is happening," -he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As they stood by the dark forge, they heard the clash of -steel and the shouts of officers from the village.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Soult's men for a certainty," said Jack. "I wonder if -our fellows are across the bridge."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Soon after came a clatter and rumble as of wagons -driven furiously, and then the thunder of horses' hoofs. -Crack! That was a musket-shot. Another, another, -then a rapid succession of reports, muffled by distance, -struck their ears.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They're trying to drive our pickets in," said Jack. -"Come, men, we must try to find our own lines, or we -shall stand a poor chance of escaping with whole skins in -the morning. All we can do is to cut across the country -over there; no one will hear us through this noise. Come -along!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Leaving the shelter of the smithy, he ran across the road -into the field opposite. Great clods of earth clave to his -boots, and it was heavy running; but, followed closely -by the two men, he pounded on, listening for shots on -his right, and moving obliquely to the left to avoid the -skirmishers who, he guessed, had been thrown out by the -French. As he ran he found the ground rising in a gradual -ascent. The firing still continued in a desultory way, and -Jack rejoiced that the night was so murky that he and his -men would not, as they ascended the slope, present a mark -to the enemy. They had run for nearly twenty minutes, -and were panting for breath, when they were suddenly -brought to a stop by hearing the click of a firelock directly -in front of them, and, as they ducked their heads, a shot -rang out, followed by the cry:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who goes there?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A friend—an officer of the 95th!" shouted Jack in -answer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a murmur of astonishment. In the darkness -several forms were heard rather than seen to advance, and -in a few moments Jack and his men were hauled over a -rough, semicircular embankment, where they found -themselves among a picket of the 43rd.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where the deuce do you come from?" asked the -sergeant in charge, letting go his hold of Jack's collar.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look here, my man, I'm Lieutenant Lumsden of the -95th, and—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Beg pardon, sir," said the sergeant hastily. "No -offence. 'Twould need cat's eyes to tell a dook from a -dustman in a night like this."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's going on, sergeant? I want to get to the -bridge with my men. Can you put us in the road?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Heavens above, sir, you'd be shot in a winking. The -bridge is half a mile up-stream, and we're holding these -heights while t'other half of the brigade knocks a hole -in it. We're the last picket this way, and as, judging -by the sound of it, the Frenchmen are dismounted and -a-trying to pass us, and we expect 'em here direckly -minute, I'm afeard you'll have to stay here till morning -light, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, all right! I'll take a hand if there's any fighting. -What has been going on this afternoon, then?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Troops all crossed, sir, except our half-brigade."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Are the cavalry over?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir. They came up rather late; and directly they -and the guns was got over, the general had a hole knocked -in one of the arches—cut completely through, sir—so that -the rest of us will have to swim across, I expect, if we get -through the night. And we'll all be drownded, sure as -fate. Hark to the water a-rushing and raving behind us!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His voice, indeed, was almost smothered by the roar of -the swollen river. Getting what shelter was possible, Jack -and his men passed a miserable night with the picket of the -43rd, and were glad when the darkness cleared, and they -saw once more the grim dawn of another wintry day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It brought little comfort. The wind had risen to a -furious gale, beating sheets of snow and sleet in their -faces. Jack and his men were shivering with cold and -ravenous with hunger, though the men of the 43rd shared -with them the scanty rations they had. During the whole -of that day, and far into the night, they had to hold their -position, ever on the alert to repel a flanking attack of -the French cavalry, who several times galloped close up -to the bridge, always retiring more quickly than they came -before the volleys of the British infantry who lined the -heights. More than once Jack thought of making his -way along the embankment and rejoining his regiment, -but the picket of the 43rd was always outnumbered; it -had lost several men, and he decided, every time the -opportunity of leaving occurred, that he would stay, -thinking that, after all, he could probably do more good -in the fighting line than in security on the other side of -the bridge.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the bridge General Craufurd kept his men unremittingly -at the task of mining the arches. There had -been no time to send an engineer forward to make the -necessary preparations; the men lacked the proper tools; -and the material of the bridge was so strong, and the -construction of the Roman engineers centuries before so -solid, that the task of penetrating the massive masonry -was of unusual difficulty.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Towards night the spasmodic attacks of the French -ceased altogether, and they withdrew out of range. After -several more hours of cheerless waiting, word was passed -quietly along the entrenchments that the work at the -bridge was finished and that the troops were now to -retire. The wet and weary men needed no urging; in -dead silence they crept along and down the heights -towards the end of the bridge, where General Craufurd, -commanding the rear-guard, was in person superintending -the crossing. The middle arch had been cut completely -through, but the men had not to swim for it, -as the sergeant of the 43rd had anticipated, for planks -had been laid across the gap. Jack was among the last -to cross, and as he passed over the narrow, shaking strip -of boarding, the impetuous and roaring torrent dashed -over it, threatening at every moment to carry away planks -and men together. But the last man safely reached the -other side, and Jack, as General Craufurd passed him, -heard that fine soldier mutter with a grim chuckle:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There! We've dished the fools!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A few minutes afterwards there was a terrific roar, that -for the moment drowned the fury of the torrent; then a -blinding glare that flashed along the gray masonry and -shot through the falling rain; and then, with a great -crash, two arches and their supporting buttresses fell to -the bottom of the river, where they lie to this day. The -mine so laboriously excavated had exploded with complete -success, and between the French and the English raged -the boiling torrent, which effectually forbade present -pursuit. Mocking cheers broke from the throats of the -tired, drenched soldiers; then they turned their backs -on the river and marched on, half-asleep, towards -Benavente. Jack looked at his watch; it was just midnight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When he awoke, at daylight next morning, some -minutes passed before he realized where he was. He -had no recollection of going to bed; in fact, on arriving -in the town he had been so fatigued that he could have -slept in his wet clothes on the road. But his man had -been anxiously on the look-out, and it was to him that -Jack owed his bed in the convent where his fellow-officers -had found lodgment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His dazed senses were fully recalled to him by the -sound of Pepito's voice humming one of his gipsy songs -outside the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pepito!" he called.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boy bounded lightly into the room with an eagerness -that bespoke, as clearly as words could have done, -the affection he now bore towards the young Englishman.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Find Giles for me, my boy," said Jack, "and tell him -to get me something to eat—something substantial—for -I'm ravenous."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When the boy returned, Jack had dressed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Find him? That's right. So you got here safely -yesterday! You've not been up to any mischief, I hope?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, Señor," replied Pepito gravely. "But I can, now -that you are here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack smiled, and then sprang up as Giles entered with -a dish that filled the room with a very savoury odour.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's this?" said Jack, sniffing. "Roast hare, by -all that's glorious! Giles, you're a wonder."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Twas Pepito, sir," said Giles. "The young varmint -went out before 'twas light this morning and snared the -beast for your breakfast, sir. I allow he makes himself -useful sometimes."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito was grinning with pleasure, and Jack without -ado devoted himself to his meal.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By the way," he said presently, "have you seen -anything of those two fellows I left with the wagon?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A broad smile broke over Giles's ruddy face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They was brought in yesterday, sir, under guard, and -locked up in the guard-room. They was mad, sir, both -on 'em, but Corporal Wilkes the worst. He made a few -remarks, sir—" and here Giles gave vent to his loud -guffaw, and instantly straightened his face to its usual -stolid impassivity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Are they still locked up?" asked Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, sir. Captain Stovin ordered 'em to be released -when they'd had about two hours of it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go and fetch them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In ten minutes Corporal Wilkes entered, followed by -Bates, each man wearing a look of sullen discontent.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Wilkes, what have you got to say for yourself?" -said Jack sternly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Say, sir? I ain't got nothing to say, nor I didn't get -a chance o' saying nothing. It ain't common fairness, let -alone justice, that it ain't, begging your pardon, sir. It -ain't for the likes o' me to question what an orficer says, -sir, to say nothing of an orficer like Bobby—beg pardon, -like General Craufurd. But," continued the corporal, his -eloquence increasing with his indignation, "but, Mr. Lumsden, -sir, what I want to know is, what call the general -'ad to miscall me a straggler, to say nothing o' Bates, and -send us in under guard of a bloomin' corp'ril of the second -battalion—why, we're the laughing-stock o' the regiment."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There now," said Jack with due gravity, suspecting -what must have occurred, "I suppose there was some -little mistake. Tell me all about it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Wilkes proceeded to explain that a few minutes after -Jack left with the broken wheel a heavy shower of sleet -had come on, and he and Bates had taken shelter beneath -the wagon. From this point of vantage they had seen -the passage of the greater part of the second battalion, -which was whipping in all stragglers from the various -other regiments that had gone by earlier in the day. In -the rear of the battalion rode General Craufurd with -Colonel Wade and other officers, and Craufurd's eagle eye -had at once remarked the abandoned wagon. Riding up -to it, he descried the two figures crouching underneath, -and sternly demanded what they were doing there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I was beginning to explain, sir," said Wilkes, "but -before I could crawl out into the open, 'Enough of that', -says he. 'Come out of that, you skulkers!' Me a -skulker! And without sayin' another word he marches -us off to the bridge, where he hands us over to Corp'ril -MacWhirter, a feller I've the greatest dislike of. 'Here,' -says the general, 'see these two stragglers safe into -Benawenty, and hand 'em over to Colonel Beckwith with my -compliments'. MacWhirter he sniffed, and it was hard -work to keep my hands off him, sir, for blest if he didn't -pass foolish and opperobious remarks all the way to -Benawenty, just a grunt here and there, like as if we was pigs, -and his two Riflemen like to bust 'emselves with laughing. -Now, sir, what I—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this point Captain O'Hare came into the room. -Jack, who had had some difficulty in keeping his -countenance, said hurriedly:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, well, it was very unfortunate, but I'll see that it -is put right."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As Wilkes turned away, Jack heard him mutter under -his breath:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, and I'll put it right with MacWhirter."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="don-miguel-s-man"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Don Miguel's Man</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Fine Feathers—A Fight by the River—Lax Discipline—Scenes -at Astorga—A Cry for Help—The One-eyed Man—At Bay—A -Warm Corner—Wilkes to the Rescue—Miguel -Explains—Righteous Indignation—Wilkes's Supper</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Captain O'Hare's eyes were twinkling as he watched the -aggrieved exit of the two soldiers, and when they had -gone he joined in Jack's shout of laughter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! 'tis all very well for you to laugh at Corporal -Wilkes; but faith, my boy, we'll have to court-martial you -for deserting his Majesty's stores, to say nothing of my -best pair of galligaskins. Begorra, let's hope they won't -fit the spalpeen of a Frenchman who gets them. The -whole mess is rejuced to one suit."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, changing his tone, the captain proceeded to -inform Jack of what had happened since his arrival at -Benavente. The inhabitants of the town had received the -British army with an attitude of sullen dislike and even -animosity. Relying for their rations on what could be -obtained during the march, the troops had come into the -place tired and hungry, to find the doors barred and food -withheld. The shops were all closed, the magistrates had -taken flight, and although the British were prepared to -pay for supplies, neither bread nor wine was to be had. -The men were already embittered by the hardships of their -long march, and disappointed of their hopes of meeting -the French in fair fight, and it was small wonder that -coldness where they might well have looked for warmth, -and aversion where they might have claimed active -friendship, provoked resentment and reprisal. They were -received as enemies; they could scarcely be expected to act -as friends.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indade, the whole army's going to the dogs," said -Captain O'Hare dejectedly; "all except the Gyards and -the Reserve. Things are as bad as they can be, and -there's worse to come. The main body's looting, and -behaving worse than Pagans and Turks. They should be -at Astorga by now, and we're to follow them in an hour -or so. The company's falling in, and you'd better hurry -up, or you run a risk of finding an escort like our friend -Wilkes. And bedad," he added, as the dull sound of -firing was heard in the direction of the river, "there's the -music again."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had by this time finished his breakfast, and, hurrying -out with the captain, he found the 95th preparing to -move off.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hullo!" cried Smith, "you've turned up, then! What -have you done with the wagon?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where are my boots?" asked Pomeroy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And my best frilled shirt, the one with the ruffles?" -continued Smith.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And my new highlows, the ones with the silver -buckles?" added Pomeroy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They are coming after us," returned Jack. "If you -care to wait they'll probably be here in half an hour—and -Colbert's dragoons inside them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the regiment moved off, the firing behind them -became more and more distinct and continuous. Bodies -of mounted troops could be seen on the horizon; a smart -cavalry action was apparently being fought, and the men -of the 95th were again jealous of what they considered the -better luck of the cavalry. But Jack's company, marching -away at the quick step, was soon beyond sight of the -combatants, though for an hour afterwards the boom of -guns could be plainly heard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Lord Paget was fighting one of those brilliant little -rear-guard actions that stamped him in an age of great soldiers -as one of the finest cavalry leaders of his time. At -Benavente he had to deal, not with the ruck of Napoleon's -cavalry, who, be it said to their credit, were never wanting -in dash, but with the flower of the emperor's troops, the -famous Cavalry of the Guard, led in person by -Lefebvre-Desnouettes, his favourite general, who had been until -now the spoiled child of fortune. When Lefebvre-Desnouettes -discovered that the bridge across the Esla was -broken beyond possibility of immediate repair, he rode -fuming up and down the river, vainly seeking a practicable -ford for the large body of infantry that had now -gathered on the banks. On the farther side was a thin -chain of British vedettes; beyond these, as far as the eye -could reach across the great plain, there was no sign of -Sir John Moore's army except a few belated camp-followers -hurrying into Benavente. The French general, -chafing with impatience, at last flung prudence to the -winds and decided to follow up the pursuit with his -cavalry alone, leaving the infantry to follow as soon as -the bridge could be patched up. Fording the swollen -river with 600 chasseurs of the Guard at a spot some -distance above the ruined arches, he drove back the -vedettes in his front and pushed rapidly across the plain -in the direction of Benavente. Meanwhile the news of the -crossing had brought the British vedettes at full gallop -from their posts opposite the fords below and above the -bridge; and when a few score had collected they made a -plucky charge at the head of the French column, and in -spite of their small numbers threw it into disorder. The -discomfited chasseurs, supported by the succeeding -squadrons, rallied and pursued the audacious little band; -but they were again broken by a second charge, led in -person by General Stewart, who had come up with a few -reinforcements. The British troopers broke clean through -the first line, and although they narrowly escaped being -cut off by the main body, they hewed their way out again -and retired in good order towards Benavente. They were -only two hundred, the French were three times their -number, and Lefebvre-Desnouettes, irritated by these checks, -incautiously pressed them into the outskirts of the town. -There Lord Paget, with the 10th Hussars, lay grimly -in waiting. Forming up his men under cover of some -buildings, he held them, straining at the leash, until the -chasseurs were well within striking distance, then he let -them loose, and the hussars, instantly joined by Stewart's -pickets, rode at the enemy at a headlong, irresistible -gallop. The leading squadrons of chasseurs went down -like ninepins; the rest wheeled about, galloped back to the -Esla, and did not draw rein until they were safe on the -French side of the stream. Lefebvre-Desnouettes himself -rode his horse at the river, but the animal had received a -wound and refused to face the water. While still floundering -at the brink, it was seized by an enterprising British -trooper; the general was captured with seventy of his -men, and Napoleon was left chafing at the first decisive -check he had personally met with in Spain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile there was growing dissatisfaction in the -ranks of the British infantry, and even among the officers. -It had been stated, with some show of authority, that -Moore intended to make a stand at Astorga, but no one -believed it; a similar statement had been made so many -times before, always to be falsified. Some of the more -clear-headed among the rank and file endeavoured to -prove to their discontented comrades that the retreat was -inevitable; Moore was no coward, and only the knowledge -that he was overwhelmingly outmatched would have -induced him to retire without giving battle. He had nothing -personally to gain by running away; his military reputation -was at stake, and he had further the duty of showing -that Britain honourably stood by her pledges to Spain. It -was a bitter disappointment to him, and nothing but a -strong sense of responsibility had actuated his decision -to march to the sea.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Unhappily a retreating army is always prone to get out -of hand. Already marauding had taken place at various -stages of the march, and the sullen incivility of the -Spaniards provoked ill-tempered words and deeds on the -part of the British. The road was encumbered with -stragglers, as well as with numbers of women and children, -who suffered from the inevitable hardships of a march -through wild country in mid-winter. The confusion and -disorder were only increased when the troops reached -Astorga. There they met the ragged Spanish regiments -of the Marquis of La Romana, who, in spite of Moore's -repeated requests that he would retreat northwards into -the Asturias, had marched westward into Galicia, giving -as his reason that the only available pass into the former -province was blocked with snow. In retreating before -Soult his rear-guard had been cut to pieces by Franceschi's -dragoons at the bridge of Mansilla, where there had been -every opportunity of making a stubborn resistance. They -arrived at Astorga in a state of panic, more like a crowd -of peasants driven from their homes than a regular army. -They were half-naked, and half-starved; many were -suffering from a malignant fever, and they were maddened by -cold, disease, and want. Learning that large supplies of -food lay at Astorga, as well as stores of shoes, blankets, -and muskets, they prowled through the town, seizing -whatever they could lay hands on, setting an example -which too many of the British soldiers showed themselves -ready to follow.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When, on the evening of December 30th, Jack's company -marched into Astorga, they found disorder reigning -everywhere within its ancient turreted walls. Several houses -were on fire, men were plundering on every side, all kinds -of objects were littering the streets. Three divisions of -Moore's army had already left the town on the way to -Villafranca, and the only British troops now quartered -there were the Reserve under General Paget and the two -light brigades. These had kept better discipline than -most of the regiments which had preceded them, and the -signs of havoc provoked a great burst of indignation from -the rear companies of the 95th as they swung round into -the great square. Corporal Wilkes was especially voluble -in denunciation of the bad discipline among the Spaniards. -He was expressing himself warmly to Bates as they kept -step together, when the sight of a tall Spanish soldier in -somewhat better trim than the tatterdemalion rank and -file of La Romana's forces added fuel to his wrath. The -men were standing near the lighted door of the Town -Hall, where Jack's company was to be quartered, and the -Spaniard looked with a cynical smile at the Riflemen -defiling past. He had a villainous countenance, its -forbidding aspect enhanced by the fact that he had only one -eye, which was gazing at the men with a fixed, stony, -unwinking stare.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's that one-eyed villain of a Don doing there?" -growled Wilkes, staring into the solitary eye as he passed. -"Why ain't he keeping his men in order, instead of loafing -about like a London whitewasher out o' work?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack heard the remark, and turned to look at the -one-eyed man; but a scuffle between a man of the 28th and -a squalid Spaniard drew off his attention for a moment, -and when the quarrel was ended by the Englishman's fist, -the man had disappeared.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After the men had been safely got to quarters Jack was -sitting in the room he was to share with Pomeroy and -Shirley when he was summoned to the Casa Morena. -He there found Colonel Beckwith vigorously haranguing -a Spanish officer, and was called on to act as interpreter. -Beckwith was insisting in no measured terms that the -officer should make some attempt to check the disorder -among his men, and Jack did his best to soften the -colonel's language without depriving it of its authority. -At the close of the interview, about eight o'clock at night, -he was returning to his quarters when he fancied he heard -a cry proceeding from a large house that stood alone, and -by its size seemed to belong to a person of some importance. -He stopped and listened; the cry was not repeated; he was -passing on, when out of the darkness a little boy ran up, -seized his hand, and began to pull him towards the house.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor! Señor!" he cried in a terrified wail, "my -father—he is being murdered. He is an old man; he -cannot fight. Come, Señor, and save him!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had broken from the boy's clutch and was already -making with long strides to the front door. It was firmly -barred and unyielding to his pressure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not that way, not that way, Señor!" cried the boy, -and seizing Jack's hand again, he led him to the back, -through a narrow enclosure, to a flight of stone steps, at -the head of which was a French window with one of its -halves open inwards, and a dim light shining through. -Running with the boy up the steps, Jack found himself -in what was evidently the sala of the house. It was in -darkness, but a door at the far end giving on to a corridor -was open, and a dim light filtered into the room from a -lamp, consisting of a shallow bowl in which a wick was -floating on oil. Treading very warily, the two crossed -the room to the corridor beyond; at the end of the passage -a brighter light was streaming from a half-open door, and -Jack, alert to catch the slightest sound, heard a rasping -voice say in Spanish:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, you old dotard, I will give you one minute by -yonder clock. After that the knife, and I will search for -myself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pushing the boy behind him, and signing to him to be -quiet, Jack crept cautiously to the door and peeped into -the room. Tied to a chair, with a rope cut from the bell-pull, -was an old gentleman, very frail and thin, with sparse -gray hair and beard. On the table before him a long -knife, driven into the wood, rocked to and fro with -diminishing oscillation; an angular man in Spanish uniform, his -back half-turned to the door, occupied a chair within a -couple of feet of the victim, and, leaning forward, elbows -upon his knees, gazed with a vengeful smile into the old -man's face. At the side of the room a large escritoire lay -open, its contents thrown pell-mell upon the floor.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old Spaniard, bound and helpless as he was, -looked steadily with unflinching gaze into the face of -his enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you think for a moment, wretch that you are," -he said with quiet scorn, his tone strangely contrasting -with the fury of the other, "do you think for a moment -that you will cajole me with empty promises, or scare me -with insolent threats? I expect no mercy from you—you -were always a villain,—but I can at least baulk your greed. -I am an old man, do your worst; your knife has no terrors -for me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man, springing to his feet, snatched the knife from -the table, and lifted his hand to strike; but Jack had -already sprung into the room. The sound of Jack's step -arrested the villain's movement; he half-turned to meet -the intruder, disclosing as he did so the distorted features -of a man with one eye. Even at that tense moment Jack -connected him vaguely in thought with some previous -experience, but there was no pause in his action. Before -the man had time to wheel completely round, Jack struck -him a blow on the chin that felled him to the floor, -where he lay stunned and motionless. The boy threw -himself on the fallen man with a cry of triumph, snatched -up the knife that had dropped from his grasp, and with -two quick strokes severed the cords that bound the old -man. Then in a paroxysm of fury he turned to drive the -weapon into the would-be assassin's heart. Jack stayed -his hand, and at the same moment heard the sound of -trampling feet, and a familiar voice exclaiming:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This way, my men; we shall find the English bandit -here."</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 61%" id="figure-123"> -<span id="jack-makes-an-opportune-appearance"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Jack makes an Opportune Appearance" src="images/img-150.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Jack makes an Opportune Appearance</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Miguel!" said Jack under his breath, remembering in -a flash the one-eyed servant he had seen following him -in Salamanca. Turning quickly to the old gentleman, -who now stood in seeming uncertainty what the new -interruption might portend, he pointed to the prostrate -man and said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is this man's master."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, as there was obviously no time to parley, he -rushed to the door and slammed it, intending to turn the -key. The key was not in the lock. Pressing his knee -against the door, Jack looked round and saw the missing -key on the table. He called to the boy to bring it, but -he was too late. The door was pressed inwards in spite -of Jack's exertions; there was greater force on the other -side. Feeling it opening inch by inch Jack turned on his -shoulder, set his back against the oak, and drew his -sword, preparing to give way suddenly and attack the -enemy before they could recover from their sudden inrush. -But the boy, with a quick wit that did him credit, had -rushed into the corner of the room, where there was a -space of some two feet between the jamb and the wall, -and there, crouching on the floor, he jabbed with the -knife through the slowly widening aperture at the legs of -the nearest figure. There was a yell of pain; the pressure -on the door instantly relaxed; and Jack, putting forth all -his strength, had almost succeeded in closing it when -a musket was thrust into the gap. Jack's muscles were -strained to the utmost. From the clamour in the corridor -he knew that the enemy were preparing for a concerted -rush. He called to the old Spaniard to push the table -against the door, but before that could be done he felt -overpowering pressure on the other side. Hastily -forming his resolution, he sprang back suddenly; the door -flew open, and three of La Romana's ragged ruffians fell -sprawling upon the floor. Others came behind, and one -of them, with his heavy flintlock, struck out of Jack's hand -the sword he had drawn, dropping his weapon immediately -with a yell as he felt the boy's knife in his leg. Jack saw -that the old Spaniard had taken down one of two rapiers -that hung on the wall beneath the portrait of an ancient -caballero. Exerting all his strength, he dragged the table -round so that it stood obliquely across the room, cutting -off a triangular corner. Then he seized the second rapier, -and stood side by side with the Spaniard, behind the table, -facing their foes just as several of them were preparing -to leap across it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Among them Jack now recognized Miguel Priego, his -face lit up with savage excitement, flourishing his sword -and goading on his desperadoes. The boy had crawled -beneath the table, prepared to use his terrible knife on all -who came within reach. The one-eyed man had recovered -from the blow dealt him by Jack, and had snatched a -musket from one of his fellows. Fortunately none of the -firearms were loaded, and the Spaniards, mad with rage, -grudged the delay necessary to charge their cumbrous -weapons.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I think, Miguel, you had better call off your -followers," said Jack, in a momentary lull that preceded -the rush.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was no reply; in point of fact Jack scarcely -expected one. Miguel was at the moment out of sight -behind a burly mountaineer, and Jack felt rather by -instinct than by any reasoned process of thought that -the Spaniard would scarcely let slip this opportunity of -taking him at a disadvantage. Behind the table Jack -measured the forces opposed to him. Six men were -gathering themselves for the onslaught—lean, half-starved -wretches for the most part, but ugly customers in the bulk. -A raw-boned mountaineer, armed with a long musket and -a rusty bayonet, was the most formidable among the -gang, and Jack marked him out for special attention when -the critical moment came. It was not long in coming. -At the cry from Miguel: "Down with the English dog!" -the six made a simultaneous rush, and if they had not -impeded one another's movements they must have made -short work of the little garrison. The lanky Asturian -lunged viciously at Jack, who dodged the point by a -hair's-breadth, narrowly escaping, as he did so, the clubbed -musket of another Spaniard on the right. Before the -mountaineer could recover, Jack's long rapier, stretching -far across the table, had ploughed a gash in his arm from -wrist to elbow, and at the same moment the second -assailant, howling with pain, had dropped his musket and fallen -to the ground a victim to the terrible knife of the little -Spaniard, who had been forgotten by the enemy in the -excitement of the fight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old man, however, had been less successful; one -of his opponents had felt the point of his rapier, but, -attacked simultaneously by another, his weapon had been -dashed from his grasp, and he now stood defenceless -against the foe, who were beginning to push the table -into the corner of the room. Miguel, having left the -brunt of the action to his allies, now advanced -resolutely to the attack; and Jack's rapier had crossed with -the long sword carried by his opponent, when through the -open door sounded the heavy tramp of feet; and a loud -voice was heard shouting: "What I want to know—" The -sentence was never completed, for Corporal Wilkes -sprang into the room, cleaving a way through the -maddened Spaniards with his fist. Before they realized the -meaning of this unlooked-for interruption, the corporal -flung himself on Miguel, caught him by the collar, and -hurled him upon two of his men, who fell under him with a -resounding thud. Immediately behind Wilkes, Bates and -two other men of the 95th had dashed in, and the rear of -the unexpected reinforcement was brought up by Pepito, -who at once engaged in a tussle with the Spanish boy, -now upon his feet, for the possession of the knife.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Wilkes stood with clenched fists over Miguel, while his -companions of the 95th threw themselves on the other -Spaniards and speedily disarmed them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You hound of a Don!" cried Wilkes, preparing to -knock Miguel down if he should attempt to rise; "what -I want to—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wilkes, let him get up," said Jack quietly, coming -round the table, the rapier still in his hand.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Miguel rose stiffly, his face expressing the purest -amazement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Verdaderamente!" he exclaimed. "If it is not my -dear friend Jack! There is some strange mistake. And -I did not recognize you in your uniform, Jackino! Last -time I saw you, you remember, you were dressed as one -of ourselves. Truly, dress makes a world of difference, -amigo mio."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His tone had all the oily suavity that Jack knew so well, -and so cordially detested. Wilkes was looking from one -to the other with concentrated interrogation in his eye, -ready at a word from Jack to lay the Spaniard low -again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Shut the door, Bates," said Jack, as he saw the -one-eyed man slinking in that direction. "That's your man, I -think?" he added, addressing Miguel.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My servant, who accompanied me from Saragossa," -replied Miguel. "And I am at a loss to understand—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So am I," interrupted Jack. "I am at a loss to -understand why a man in your position should -countenance violence, robbery, almost actual murder."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Robbery! Murder! Really, my dear friend, these -are strange words to me. I was in the street, and one -of these men—soldiers in the army of the Marquis of -La Romana—told me that an English ruffian—it was a -mistake, yes, but he said an English ruffian—had forced -himself into this house: for what purpose? It could only -be, as you say, to rob or murder. You know what sad -excesses your troops, usually so excellently disciplined, -have been guilty of; and having but a short time ago -heard that your colonel—Beckwith, is that his name?—had -sternly ordered his men to refrain from acts of pillage, -why, my dear friend, was it not natural for me to come in -and do what little I could to prevent such admirable orders -from being disobeyed? That explains—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh!" said Jack. "And your man—was that his -errand too?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perez? Oh no! He obtained my permission to visit -his old master, the faithful fellow. It was inconvenient, for -we should now be on the road; but could I—would -you?—hesitate in such a case? I was touched by the poor -fellow's devotion."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Perez' solitary eye gleamed with a baleful light singularly -out of keeping with the sentimental character thrust -upon him by his master. He wriggled venomously in -Bates's grasp. The burly Rifleman checked his contortions -by impressing his knuckles into the nape of his neck.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack turned to the old man, who had watched the scene -in dignified silence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I think, Señor, you can throw some light on this -man's devotion."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Spaniard, in a few quiet words, told Jack that the -man had, in fact, been his servant, but had been dismissed -two years before for attempted robbery. He had suddenly -made his appearance that evening, taken his old master -unawares, and when he had bound him had broken open -the bureau containing, as he supposed, the valuables he -coveted, and, failing to find them, had demanded the secret -of their hiding-place under threat of assassination.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I owe my life," he concluded, "the little that remains -of it, to my son here, who providentially overheard from -his bedroom above the threats of this wretch, and to you, -Señor, whose chivalrous intervention came at a moment -when I regarded my case as hopeless. I thank you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This, Señor," said Miguel, turning to the old man, -"is to me a most extraordinary, a most painful, discovery. -The man was recommended to me by Señor Alvarez, my -father's partner"—Miguel's fluency in his present -predicament recalled to Jack's memory many of his youthful -essays in mendacity. "It only shows, Señor, how sadly -one may be deceived by a specious exterior."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As he spoke he regarded his one-eyed follower with a -look of mournful disappointment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>If Perez' exterior at this moment was any index to his -quality, he was scarcely a man in whom the most credulous -would have placed confidence. In Bates's iron grip -his body was quiescent; but the malignant glitter of his -single eye told of raging fires within.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It will be my duty," continued Miguel with increasing -sternness, "to bring this wretch to justice. Men, seize -him, and see that he does not escape. He shall be dealt -with by the marquis himself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Spanish soldiers advanced to carry out Miguel's -order, but Bates merely tightened his grip and looked -enquiringly at Jack for instructions. Jack could not but -admire Miguel's astuteness. He was perfectly well aware -that the man would be released as soon as he was out -of reach; but while loth to let him escape scot-free, he saw -how powerless he was in the face of Miguel's declaration. -It was a matter for the Spanish authorities, in which, -except as a witness, he himself had no concern; and it -was nothing to the point that the Spanish authorities were -hiding in cellars, lofts, and even, as he had heard, in -pig-styes. He turned to the old man, and said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I fear, Señor, that, as things are, we have no choice -but to return this man to the care of his present—master. -Bates," he added in English, "let him go."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In apparent abstraction, Bates gave a farewell twist to -the Spaniard's neck-band, shot him among the knot of -tattered soldiery in the doorway, drew himself up, and -saluted. With a ceremonious bow Miguel followed his -men from the room, several of them carrying with them -painful mementoes of the affray. Wilkes shadowed them -to the end of the corridor. Meanwhile the venerable -Spaniard had taken a decanter and several glasses from -a press in the corner of the room.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You will permit me, Señor," he said to Jack, "my -servant having deserted me, to offer you and your worthy -soldiers a little refreshment. It is a poor expression of -my gratitude to you and them, but it comes, believe me, -from a full heart."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The men willingly tossed off their bumpers, and soon -afterwards escorted Jack to his quarters. He there learnt -from them that while at supper they had been summoned -by Pepito, who announced in broken English, eked out -by gestures, that el Señor Lumsden was in urgent need -of help. He had apparently been shadowing Jack as -usual, had seen him enter the house, and a moment after -heard Miguel hounding on his willing dupes to kill the -English bandit.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The little rascal is always putting me in his debt," -said Jack to himself as the squad saluted and marched -off. "He is quite a guardian angel."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>No one but Jack had cause to regard Pepito in this -gracious light.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What I want to know," asked Corporal Wilkes wrathfully, -when he returned to his billet "—what I want to -know is, what's become of my supper?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Only Pepito knew.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="an-incident-at-cacabellos"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XIV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">An Incident at Cacabellos</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Stragglers—Oblique Oration—The Massacre at Bembibre—Moore's -Appeal—A Shot in the Dark—A Souvenir</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>There was no rest for Jack or his friends that night. On -returning to his quarters he found that Colonel Beckwith -had called the officers of the regiment together, and was -already addressing them with more than usual seriousness. -He told them that their hope of making a stand at Astorga -was fated to be disappointed. Sir John Moore had -decided to continue the retreat with all speed, either -towards Vigo or towards Corunna.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is useless to pretend I am pleased," said the colonel. -"None of us are that. Some of the youngsters among -us may think that things would be ordered differently if -they were in command. That's not our business. The -general is satisfied that his reasons are good, and all we -have to do is to obey orders. And that brings me to the -point. A retreating army is always apt to get out of hand, -and a British army perhaps more than any other. Take -any man in the regiment and he'll ask you why he should -retreat, and what the dickens is the good of running away -from a Frenchman. We've seen already what disorder -and ruffianliness have disgraced some of the regiments. -And I tell you, gentlemen, I won't have that in the 95th. -We shall from this time form a part of the actual -rear-guard. The second battalion leaves, with other regiments, -direct for Vigo to cover our left flank. The safety of -the whole army will therefore depend much on us. The -French won't let us off lightly. We shall often be in -touch with them, and if there's any want of steadiness -they'll get through us, and then it's all up. I ask you -then, gentlemen, every one of you, to keep a tight hand -on the men. There must be no slackness, no relaxation -of discipline. The honour of the regiment is in your -keeping, and, by heaven! I'll never lift my head again -if the 95th fails me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The colonel's vehement words sent a thrill through the -group, and Jack Lumsden was not the only officer among -them who vowed inwardly not to disappoint "old Sidney". -Beckwith went on to prescribe their immediate duties. -He alluded to the confusion and disorder in which they -had found the town, in great part due to the unexpected -presence of La Romana's ragged regiments. The place -had been crammed with stores, consisting of shoes, -blankets, tools, muskets, ammunition, from which many -of the preceding regiments had been partially re-equipped. -But in the haste and muddle the distribution had been -mismanaged. Many of the stores had been left behind, -and the town was full of British and Spanish stragglers -eager to plunder where they could. The colonel instructed -his officers to see that pillaging was checked as much as -possible. What stores could not be removed were to -be destroyed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>During the night, therefore, Jack and his chums were -busy in carrying out the colonel's orders. It was found -next day that there were not sufficient draught animals -to serve for the transport of all the remaining stores, and -the 95th were employed for many hours in burning and -blowing up valuable stuff to prevent it from falling into -the hands of the French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The regiments of the Reserve were to march in the -evening for Cambarros, a village some nine miles in the -direction of Villafranca. Before they started, Captain -O'Hare paraded his company and repeated to them the -substance of what Colonel Beckwith had said to the -officers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I've heard a deal of grumbling at times," he said. -"You don't want to retreat. No more do I, but our -chance'll come, please the pigs; and then I know who'll -be at the front—not the grumblers and skulkers, but the -men who know how to obey. Now, my boys, I trust ye. -I don't want the general to send for me by and by and -say: 'O'Hare, ye've the most blackguardly company in -the whole army.' We'll do better than the best, and sure -I'll be proud of ye. And if there should be a man among -ye with a deal o' power over the company—a good soldier -let us say, but with a long tongue and a way of speaking -that—well, a way of speaking"—the captain studiously -kept his eyes from Corporal Wilkes: "if there's such -a man, to him I'd say, with all my solemn seriousness: -Ye've a deal of persuasion; then use it for the glory -o' the regiment; and bedad, I believe he'd know what I meant."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Corporal Wilkes, looking straight in front of him, had -turned a brick-red, and was unusually silent as the -company marched off. To Sergeant Jones, the little -Welshman, toddling along by his side, he remarked presently:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I hope you'll mind what Peter said, Sergeant. As for -me, 'tis a good thing for the glory o' the regiment that -the second battalion's off another way, for all my good -resolutions would be turned into sour milk by the long -fiddle-face of Corp'ril MacWhirter."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After their sleepless night, and hard work during the -day, both officers and men were glad to fling themselves -down on rough beds of hay and straw when they reached -Cambarros at dusk. But they had hardly settled to rest -when some dragoons came riding in with news that the -enemy were advancing in force. The order was -immediately given to get under arms, and the march was -continued through the night.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Reserve reached Bembibre, a dirty village of mud -and slate, at daybreak on January 1st, expecting now at -least to enjoy the rest so much desired. But again they -were disappointed. On entering the village they were -at once ordered to pile arms and clear the place. It -presented the appearance of a town that had recently been -stormed and put to the sack. It happened to be a depôt -for the wine produced in the neighbouring vineyards, and -large quantities were stored in the vaults and cellars of -the houses. The inhabitants had shown themselves -unfriendly to the regiments of the main body of Moore's -army, and had provided food and drink for them only -with the greatest reluctance. The result was that the -men of the least-disciplined regiments broke all bounds, -and set furiously to work to get for themselves what the -Spaniards had denied them. Doors were wrenched off, -windows smashed, property of all kinds destroyed; and -the unfortunate discovery of so large a stock of wine had -the worst consequences. Those were the days when hard -drinking was the rule in all classes of society. It was -little to be expected, then, that rough soldiers, suffering -the hardships of exhausting marches on short rations, and -feeling bitter shame and humiliation at having to retreat -continually before a despised enemy, should prove able to -withstand the temptation to excess. Ready to fight like -bull-dogs if the call came, they lost all sense of responsibility -at the sight of means to enjoyment, and set their -officers at defiance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Reserve spent that day and part of the next in -chasing the stragglers from the houses and driving them -along the streets towards the mountains; but the task -had been only partly accomplished when cavalry pickets -came in and reported that French dragoons were pushing -rapidly down the Manzanal pass in their rear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must leave the ruffians to their fate," cried General -Paget furiously, ordering the Reserve to march out -towards Cacabellos. Not until late in the day did the 95th -learn from the last of the hussar pickets what had happened -when they left Bembibre. Lahoussaye's dragoons had come -galloping into the village, riding through the groups of -stragglers who flocked staggeringly along the road when -they heard the noise of the pursuing horse, and slashing -at them as a schoolboy does at thistles. The French -made no distinction of age or sex. They hewed their -way indiscriminately through drunken redcoats, women, -and children. Even mothers who held up their babies, -pleading for mercy on them, were struck down as -ruthlessly as soldiers with arms in their hands. Few escaped. -Those who did bore terrible signs, in sabre-cuts on head -and shoulders, of the revenge the French horse had wreaked -for their defeat at Benavente.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The road from Bembibre led over the crests of the -Galician hills, with ravines and gorges and precipitous -crags on both sides. Then it made a rapid and crooked -descent, ending in a valley through which dashed a -thundering river, white with foam, bearing huge stones -and logs along with it in its tempestuous rush from the -Asturian mountains to the ocean. Here the hill-slopes -were covered with gaunt trees, which, though now bare -of foliage, threw a mysterious gloom over the narrow -road. Marching rapidly down this road against a -beating storm of sleet, and whipping up innumerable -stragglers on the way, the 95th at length arrived at -Cacabellos.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Here, just as they halted, Sir John Moore met them, -having ridden back with his staff the five or six miles -from Villafranca, where the main body had bivouacked. -The regiments of the Reserve were at once formed up in -columns in the fields by the roadside. Sir John, his -fine face lined with care and sorrow, took up a position -in their midst, and then, in his clear penetrating voice, -amid a silence broken only by the distant thunder of the -torrent, he spoke in stern biting phrases of the disorder -and want of discipline he had lately witnessed. With a -pungent irony that made many ears tingle, the -commander-in-chief concluded his address thus:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And if the enemy are now in possession of Bembibre, -as I believe they are, they have got a rare prize! They -have taken or cut to pieces many hundreds of drunken -British cowards—for none but unprincipled cowards would -get drunk in presence, nay in the very sight, of the enemies -of their country; and sooner than survive the disgrace of -such infamous misconduct, I hope that the first cannon-ball -fired by the enemy may take me in the head."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After a few words, addressed specially to the 28th, -which had done glorious service with him in Egypt, Sir -John turned rein and rode back to Villafranca. His words -made a deep impression on both officers and men. -Previous appeals had not been in vain. The reserve regiments -had kept much better discipline and committed fewer -excesses than the main body, and the general's stern -speech deepened the resolve of all good soldiers to abstain -from disorder, and merit Sir John's approbation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Alas! all were not animated by the same spirit. General -Paget bade the men encamp some distance away from the -town, and gave orders that no one was to enter the streets -unless accompanied by a non-commissioned officer, who -was to be held responsible for the orderly return of those -committed to his charge. But no sooner had darkness -fallen over the camp than many of the soldiers, forgetting -the reproof of Sir John Moore, forgetting the subsequent -appeals of the company officers, escaped from their lines, -and, entering the town, resumed the old work of plundering. -During the night many were arrested by the patrols, -and two men were seized in the act of committing a serious -crime, of which few had yet been guilty. They were -maltreating and robbing a poor old Spaniard, who, paralysed -with fright, was piteously beseeching them to take all that -he had, but to do him no harm.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This means a drumhead court-martial!" said Captain -O'Hare when the matter was reported. "Keep the men -in irons; Lumsden, take a note to the general from me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had delivered his note, and was returning to his -quarters, when, as he passed along a broad road shadowed -by trees on one side and a high wall on the other, he -felt that someone was dogging him. He had heard no -pursuing footsteps; he was at a loss to account for his -strange uneasiness; but, obeying an impulse of which he -was only half-conscious, he turned suddenly round, moving -as he did so a little towards the wall on his right. At the -same moment there was a report and a flash. A bullet -whizzed past him; he could feel the rush of air on his -cheek, there was a dull thud as the missile flattened itself -on the stone wall. Springing forward in the direction -of the report, he could just discern in the murk a tall -figure scuttling for cover among the trees.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man had a dozen yards' start, but Jack, always -a good sprinter, had reduced the gap by half when his -quarry disappeared into the trees. It was a narrow belt -of chestnuts about three or four deep, and, following the -sound of the footsteps in front, Jack dashed through, -heedless of obstacles. A moment's scramble among roots -and brambles brought him to the far side; his assailant -had turned sharp to the right and was scampering towards -a high wall running parallel with the belt on the opposite -side of the road. With a fine spurt Jack reduced the -gap to an arm's-length; his outstretched hand was within -a few inches of the man's collar, when, to his utter -amazement, the pursued disappeared into the wall. Jack shot -past an open door, and before he could check his progress -there was a violent bang and the sound of falling bolts. -Jack pushed against the door, then threw himself upon -it with all his force; it did not even creak. The wall -was too high to clamber over; it was too long to go -round; he had perforce to relinquish the thought of further -pursuit.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Some poor demented Spaniard who has lost his all, -perhaps," he thought, and was about to resume his walk -when he noticed a small triangle of cloth projecting -between the door and the jamb. The would-be assassin's -cloak had caught, and, but that the door was rather -clumsily fitted, would have prevented its being closed. -Without any definite motive, Jack drew his sword and -cut off the strip, which he put into his pocket, where it -lay for many days forgotten. He said nothing about the -adventure to his fellow-officers, and it did not keep him -awake for an instant when, at a late hour that night, he -threw himself, worn out, upon his uncomfortable bed.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-great-retreat"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">The Great Retreat</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Reprieve—A Fight in prospect—Trapped—Napoleon leaves -Spain—Salvage—The Tragedy of War—In Motley—A -Breathing Space—The Slough of -Despond—Motherless—Thalatta!—A Batman's Battle</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The growing spirit of indiscipline and lawlessness among -the Reserve determined General Paget to make a signal -example of the culprits. Early on the following morning -he marched all the five regiments under his command -towards the crown of a low hill overhanging Cacabellos, -in the direction of Bembibre. After sending pickets to -the summit, to keep the enemy under observation, he -ordered the whole division to form a hollow square, the -men facing inwards. Some distance to the rear of each -regiment, the officers sat in drumhead court-martial. The -men caught in the act of plundering were brought before -them, tried, and sentenced, and then taken into the square, -where, lashed to the triangles, they received the -punishment awarded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>During this scene the general sat stern and impassive -on his horse. At one moment a cavalry vedette galloped -up with news that the French were in sight. "Very well," -replied the general, and the punishment went on. Soon -another trooper appeared, to report that the enemy were -rapidly advancing. "Very well," said the general, without -movement or further word.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So many were the offenders that the work of flogging -continued for several hours. At length came the turn of -the two soldiers taken in the act of assaulting and robbing -the Spaniard. They were summarily tried, and condemned -to be hanged. At one corner of the square stood a tree -with accessible branches. The unhappy men were conveyed -thither, with halters round their necks. They were -hoisted on the shoulders of two strong Riflemen, and the -ropes were fastened to the lower boughs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was just twelve o'clock. One movement of the -supporting men would leave the criminals dangling in -the air. The whole division awaited in breathless stillness -the dread signal for execution. General Paget looked -grimly down from his horse upon the wretched men, and -in his set face they saw no hope of mercy. At this tense -moment a captain of dragoons galloped through a gap -opened for him in one side of the square. Halting before -the general, he excitedly reported that the pickets on the -hill were being driven in.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am sorry for it, sir," said the general coldly; "and I -should rather have expected the information from a trooper -than from you. Go back to your fighting pickets, sir," he -added sternly, "and animate your men to a full discharge -of their duties."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The officer retired. General Paget was again silent. His -lips twitched, his eyes flamed. Then suddenly he burst out: -"My God! is it not lamentable to think, that when I -might be preparing my troops to receive the enemies of -their country, I am preparing to hang two robbers! But -if at this moment the French horse should penetrate that -angle of the square, I will still execute these villains at -this angle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Again he was silent, and now shots were heard from the -direction of the hill. The awed soldiers looked with -consternation at their general's face. How long was this -suspense to continue? A brief pause; then, swinging -round in the saddle, Paget cried:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If I spare the lives of these two men, will you promise -to reform?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A quiver passed along the ranks; the men held their -breath; there came not a murmur from their parted lips.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If I spare the lives of these men," again said the -general, "will you give me your word of honour as -soldiers that you will reform?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Still the same awful silence reigned—and the ominous -sound of firing came nearer and nearer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Say 'yes' for God's sake!" whispered an officer to the -man next him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," murmured the man. His neighbours repeated -the word in firmer tones, and then, as though a match -had been laid to a train of powder, shouts of "Yes! yes!" -rang along the faces of the square.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Cut the ropes!" cried the general. The prisoners -were instantly released, the triangles removed. The men -cheered, and as the square was reduced, and formed into -columns, the British pickets came slowly over the brow -of the hill, steadily retreating before the advance-guard of -the enemy. Paget's orders were rapidly given. The men -started at the double towards the River Cua behind them. -Three battalions crossed the bridge and took up their -position behind a line of vineyards and stone walls -parallel to the stream. A battery of horse-artillery, -escorted by the 28th, was placed so as to command the -road in its ascent towards Cacabellos from the bridge, -and a squadron of the 15th Hussars, together with half -the 95th Rifles, was left on the Bembibre side of the -river to keep observation on the French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"At last, my boys!" said Captain O'Hare. The men of -his company were flushed with excitement. At last! The -weary waiting of two months was at an end; the enemy -were upon them; and now every man tingled with the joy -of the fight to come, and greedily watched for the foe. -The officers, looking along their ranks, could not but be -struck with the wonderful change. Gone the blank despair, -gone the sullen discontent, gone the hang-dog look; every -man's face was lit up, every man's eyes flashed, every man -stood erect with an air of high-hearted staunchness that -had not been seen for many a day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There they are!" cried Pomeroy, whose keen eyes had -descried Colbert's hussars advancing cautiously over the -hill-top.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment the bugle sounded for the last companies -of the 95th to retire across the bridge and occupy the -defensive positions allotted to them. The men marched -with alacrity; it was certain there must be a fight now. -Jack's was the rearmost company but one. It had only -reached the middle of the bridge when the 15th Hussars -came riding behind in hot haste, and the infantry were in -imminent danger of being trampled down. The French -were pressing on in such force that the hussars, wholly -outnumbered, had been hurriedly withdrawn. Unsupported, -the 95th were too weak to withstand a charge of -cavalry; they must retire, and there was no time to lose.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hurry your stumps!" shouted a trooper as he passed Wilkes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No hurry!" said the corporal coolly, looking over his -shoulder.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But behind them Colbert's hussars and chasseurs had -swept down on to the bridge and ridden into the -rear-most company. Some of the latter were cut down, half -were captured, the rest succeeded in gaining the farther -bank, and joined their comrades behind the vineyard -walls.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A close shave, mates!" said Wilkes. "But let 'em -come on; we're ready."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>General Colbert, a young and gallant officer, and reputed -the handsomest man in the French army, had reached the -bridge, and saw that the slopes on the other side were held -by artillery and what appeared to be a small infantry -escort. All the regiments but the 28th were by this time -concealed from view. Burning to distinguish himself, and -anxious to emulate the successful charge of Franceschi's -dragoons at Mansilla a few days before, Colbert did not -wait to reconnoitre the position and discover the actual -strength of his enemy, but ranged his leading regiment -four abreast, and led them straight for the bridge. Paget's -guns played briskly on the French horse until, with the dip -in the road, they sank below the line of fire; then the -hidden infantry followed up with steady volleys from the -walls and hedges. But the French were barely within -range. The majority of the troopers escaped injury, -cleared the bridge, and dashed up the hill, to carry, as -they thought, all before them. Then the men of Paget's -Reserve showed their mettle. The 28th were drawn across -the road; the 52nd and the 95th were out of sight behind -the vineyard walls; and the French horsemen fell into the -fatal trap. They suddenly found themselves in the midst -of a hail of bullets from left, and right, and front. For -a brief moment they struggled on; then Tom Plunket, -leaping the wall and flinging himself flat on the slope, fired -two marvellous shots which killed Colbert and his aide-de-camp -in succession, whereupon the whole brigade wheeled -about and fled madly back to the bridge, leaving the road -strewed with their killed and wounded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Cheer after cheer broke from the ranks of the exultant -British infantry. Many of the men wished to leap the -walls and pursue the baffled enemy, and had to be pulled -back like hounds straining at the leash. Not a man had -been lost since they left the bridge, and Paget's "Well -done, Riflemen!" was like wine to their hearts.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But the fray was not yet over. Lahoussaye's dragoons -swept down to the river, avoided the fatal bridge, forded -the stream at several points, and tried to make their -way over the rocky ground and through the vineyards. -Finding this impossible, they dismounted and advanced -on foot in skirmishing order, meeting with a spirited -response from the 52nd and 95th, whom they first -encountered. Then, as the afternoon wore on, Merle's light -regiments of the line came into sight, and in column -formation marched forward with loud cries to cross the -bridge. For a few moments the 52nd were in danger of -being swept upon and overwhelmed, but the six guns from -the battery above opened a raking fire on the massed -columns of French, and drove them back pell-mell to -the other side. For an hour longer the French -sharpshooters kept up a skirmish with the 95th and 52nd; -then, as darkness fell, they recognized the hopelessness -of their attack, gave up the contest, and hastened down -the slopes to the eastern bank of the Cua.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George, this is a change of scene!" said Smith, -standing with his fellow-subalterns around a hastily lit fire. -"Won't the Grampus be green when he hears what he has -missed? I wonder what the fellow is doing?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Offering Napoleon long odds on something or other," -said Jack with a laugh.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had hardly spoken when the command came to form -up in marching order. Sir John Moore had ridden back -from Villafranca on hearing Paget's cannon, and was -delighted to hear of his old friend's success. The French -having suffered so decisive a check, he saw that the -Reserve could be safely withdrawn under cover of night. -The troops set out in better spirits than they had known -for many a day, tramping cheerily over the snow-covered -road with the comfortable assurance that at last they had -won the general's approbation and proved themselves men. -Their gaiety was doubled when they learnt from a wounded -prisoner on the way that Napoleon was no longer behind -them. He had withdrawn part of his army, leaving Soult -and Ney to continue the pursuit. The thought that they -had baffled the great emperor was delightful to the British -troops: they never doubted that Napoleon had seen he -was beaten by Johnny Moore, and had run away in sheer -petulance and chagrin.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Four miles after leaving the scene of their brilliant -rear-guard action, the Reserve arrived at the outskirts of -Villafranca. Long before, they had noticed a red glow -in the sky, which as they approached threw a rosy light -upon the banks of dazzling driven snow. As they drew -still nearer, the whole town seemed to be on fire. In -every street great heaps of stores and provisions were -burning, and so thoroughly was the work of destruction -being carried out that guards had been placed even round -the doomed boxes of biscuit and salt meat. But the -temptation was irresistible to hungry soldiers; many men, -as they passed, stuck their bayonets or pikes into junks -of salt pork that were actually on fire, and bore them off -in great glee. The men had been marching so steadily -that the officers for the most part winked at this rescue -from the flames, Jack remarking to Pomeroy that they'd -all be precious glad to get a slice or two of the meat -by the time the march was ended.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After leaving Villafranca they passed through the defile -of Piedrafita into still wilder country. Climbing Monte -Cebrero and emerging on to the barren plain of Lugo, -the troops reached Herrerias shortly before daybreak. -They were suffering intensely from fatigue and cold, but -their halt for food and rest was of the shortest; as soon -as day dawned they had to set off again. Now that -daylight illumined the scene, they saw terrible signs of -the misery and disorder into which the constant forced -marching had thrown the main body. The road was -strewn with wreckage of all kinds—horses were lying -dead, wagons lay shattered and abandoned; here was a -rusty musket, there a broken sword; worn-out boots, -horse-shoes, pots, articles of apparel, dotted the white -and rugged causeway for miles. Worse than that, human -bodies were mingled with these evidences of woe. At one -spot Jack saw a group of redcoats stretched on the snow. -Thinking they were stragglers asleep, he went to rouse -them. They made no response to voice or touch; in their -sleep they had been frozen to death.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the day wore on, other incidents added to the general -misery. The horses of Lord Paget's cavalry were -constantly foundering through losing their shoes on the stony -road. When this happened, the dragoons dismounted, -and led their chargers till the poor beasts could go no -farther. Then, by Lord Paget's orders, they were shot, -so that they might not fall into the hands of the French. -Many a rough trooper shed tears as he raised his pistol -to the head of the faithful animal whose friend he was, -and as the cracking of the pistols reverberated from the -rocks, the sounds sent a painful shudder through the ranks -of the trudging infantry.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Hundreds of stragglers from the leading divisions -loitered along the road, causing an exasperating delay to -the march of the disciplined Reserve. Among the laggards -were not merely the marauders and ne'er-do-wells who had -cast off all obedience, but veterans who were overcome by -the rigours of the winter cold and the heavy marching on -diminished rations. Every mile brought new horrors. -Many sick and wounded were being conveyed in baggage-wagons, -which, as the beasts failed, were abandoned, -leaving their human occupants to perish in the snow. -Women and children panted along beside their husbands -and fathers, or rode in the few wagons that were left; but -many dropped on the road and died of cold and fatigue. -Looking back from a spur of the mountain chain, Jack -saw the white road behind covered with dead and dying, -a black spot here, a red spot there, showing where a -woman or a soldier lay sleeping the last sleep. The -groans of women, the wails of little children, were torture -to the ears of the more sympathetic. Sometimes a soldier -whose wife had given up the struggle, would fling himself -down beside her, and, cursing the general whose object he -so grievously misunderstood, remain to die.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Long after dark the Reserve reached Nogales, where -they remained for the rest of the night. Before dawn, -however, news came that the enemy were pursuing close -upon them, and as they marched out, the rear companies -became hotly engaged with French cavalry. The force -hurried on, across a many-spanned bridge, up a zigzag -road, skirmishing all the way, and halting at -favourable points to tempt the enemy to attack. At one spot -the mountain rose up a sheer wall on the right of the -road, and on the left a deep precipice fell steeply to -a valley. Here General Paget ordered the men to face -round. The position could not be gained by a frontal -assault, and the enemy, waiting for their heavy columns to -come up, sent voltigeurs and some squadrons of cavalry -into the valley to attempt a flank attack. But deep drifts -of snow having hidden the inequalities in the ground, men -and horses tumbled head over heels as they advanced, -and, amid grim cheers from the British troops above, -the French withdrew discomfited.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Fighting almost every yard of ground, the Reserve -continued their rigorous march towards Lugo. Near -Constantino they were amazed to meet a train of fifty -bullock-carts crammed with stores and clothing for La -Romana's army. Someone had blundered. The Spaniards -were dispersed far and wide, and, but for its being -intercepted by the British, the convoy must inevitably have -fallen into the hands of the French. Astounded at this -piece of Spanish folly, but rejoiced at the luck which had -brought clothes at such an opportune moment, the soldiers -soon stripped the wagons, many a man carrying off several -pairs of trousers, and enough shoes to last a lifetime. -Thus, when they were halted for action at the bridge of -Constantino, they presented a remarkable appearance. -Some wore gray trousers, some blue, some white; they -were new shod, but with no regard for pairs. Corporal -Wilkes, in his haste to replace his own worn-out boots, -had put a black shoe on his right foot and a white one -on his left. But there was no time to attend to niceties -of costume, for the enemy kept up an incessant fire all -the afternoon, and it was only at nightfall that the tired -regiments could withdraw from the eastern end of the -bridge and resume their march.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At dawn on January 6th they reached the main body, -drawn up in battle order three miles in front of Lugo. -The brigade of Guards were in their shirts and trousers, -cooking their breakfast, having hung their tunics and belts -to the branches of trees. As Captain O'Hare's company -passed through them, one of the officers asked him if he -had seen anything of the French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bedad, now," exclaimed O'Hare, "you'd better take -down your pipe-clayed belts from those trees, my dear, -and put them on, and eat your murphies, if you've got -any, as quick as you can, or by the powers those -same French will finish 'em before they're cold."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Guards laughed mockingly; they themselves had -not fired a shot during the whole retreat. But as the 95th -marched on they heard Paget's guns open on the advancing -enemy behind, and, turning, they gave the incredulous -Guards a derisive cheer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>No sooner had the Reserve reached Lugo than General -Paget ordered the men to clean their weapons and polish -their accoutrements as thoroughly as if they were going -on parade in the barrack-ground at Colchester. Corporal -Wilkes had scarcely uttered a murmur for three days, but -this command was too much for him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Discipline be hanged!" he growled. "We ain't out -for a picnic, nor goin' for a walk in the park, and what's -polishin' paste to do with lickin' the French?—that's what -I want to know."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But when he had recovered from the first feeling of -hardship he recognized that the general's motive was to -maintain the excellent discipline which had hitherto -prevailed in his division; and Wilkes was too good a -soldier not to do his best, even with the polishing -leather.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For three days the army lay at Lugo—three days of -incessant rain, which turned to slush the snow on the -hills, and proved more trying to the spirits and tempers -of the men than the frost had been. There were large -stores at Lugo, and Sir John Moore judged it wise, after -the exhausting forced marches of the past weeks, to allow -the men a good spell of rest and plentiful supplies of fresh -food. His position was very strong, and he hoped to -tempt Soult to a fight, being assured that the troops -would pull themselves together and give a good account -of the enemy. But Soult was too wary to attack until he -had overwhelming numbers at his disposal. His own -force had suffered almost as severely as Moore's, and -some of his divisions were still toiling on far in his rear. -After a few attempts to feel the British position he made -no further movement, and Moore waited and fretted in -vain. He would not risk an offensive movement himself. -He had no hospitals, few wagons, no reserve of food or -ammunition; delay would weaken him and strengthen -Soult. There was no alternative but to continue the -retreat. The route to Vigo was definitively abandoned; -orders were issued for the whole army to slip out of its -lines on the night of the 8th, leaving the camp-fires -burning so as to deceive the enemy, and to make for the direct -road to Corunna, to which harbour the transports had -already been commanded to sail round the coast. As -soon as darkness fell all the foundered horses were shot, -and such provisions, stores, and ammunition as were not -required were destroyed. At half-past nine the first -companies moved off, and by midnight the whole position was -evacuated.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was the beginning of the last stage of the army's -demoralization. The frost of the previous week had quite -broken up; a pelting storm of sleet and rain assailed the -troops as they marched. In the inky darkness many of -the guides missed their way amid the labyrinth of -vineyards, orchards, and intersecting paths. Regiment after -regiment went hopelessly astray, and when General -Paget's reserve division reached the appointed spot on -the Corunna road, it proved to be not in the rear but -actually in advance of the main body. In these -circumstances Paget moved his troops slowly, knowing that if -the enemy overtook the less trustworthy regiments behind -him the whole force would run the risk of being annihilated.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Through the black and rainy night, then, the men -marched, halting at intervals. No man was allowed to -leave the ranks; all were filled with apprehension of what -might befall. On the morning of next day the belated -divisions of the main body began to appear, and the -Reserve thankfully resumed its proper position of -rear-guard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A terrible lack of discipline prevailed in all but a few -of the regiments of the main body. Drenched by the -incessant rain, the men sought shelter in cottages and -outlying hovels whenever they were halted, with the result -that when the order for marching was given vast numbers -could not be found and had to be left behind. All day -and all night the Reserve was harassed by the necessity -of beating up these loiterers, until officers and men alike -were almost overwhelmed with despair.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The experiences of that fearful 9th of January haunted -the memories of Jack and his friends for years afterwards. -From cheerless dawn to cheerless eve their eyes were -shocked, their hearts were riven, by misery almost passing -belief. For mile after mile of that bleak desolate country, -a land of bluff and spur, torrent and ravine, men fell down -upon the road, groaning, weeping, dying of weariness and -disease aggravated by the bitterness of shame and despair. -Mules and oxen lay as they fell, and in the wagons they -had drawn, husbandless women and fatherless children -wailed and moaned, a prey to hunger and exhaustion. -Many a time Jack stuffed his fingers into his ears to -keep out the intolerable sounds, until the very frequency -of them made him almost callous, and he tramped along -with haggard face and the same sense of dreary hopelessness. -Smith was bent almost double with illness, Pomeroy -and Shirley were so utterly weary and dispirited that -they dragged their feet like old peasants racked with the -ague of the fields. Even Pepito's vivacity had vanished; -for the greater part of every day he rode on a -gun-carriage, a silent image of depression.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the 95th halted for a brief spell at a hamlet, -Corporal Wilkes, his tanned, weather-beaten cheeks drawn -and pinched, came up to his captain and said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sir, Sergeant Jones's wife is dead."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"God help the poor fellow!" said Captain O'Hare; -"what'll he do now with those two little children? How -are they?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, sir, and cosy; that good woman gave her life -for them. The sergeant's crazy, sir, and the wagon's -come to grief that they were riding in. I thought, sir—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wouldn't like to leave 'em behind, sir, and the -sergeant's as weak as a rat and can hardly trail his pike. -Couldn't I carry one, sir?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sure an' you can. Take turns with another man. -And the other one—the poor little colleen—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pomeroy and I will look after her," said Jack. "It'll -give us something to think about. We'll either carry -her by turns or get some of our best men to do it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And so it happened that for the rest of the retreat two -little children, a boy and a girl, rode along in the rain -on the shoulders of tender-hearted Riflemen, who talked -to them and cheered them, so that the small things, -all unconscious of their irreparable loss, prattled and -laughed and felt exceedingly proud of their unusual -altitude.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It is the morning of January 10th; the regiments are -climbing the face of a range of hills, the last, they have -been told, that intervene between them and the harbour -of Corunna. The rain has ceased, the sky clears, and as -the drenched and footsore warriors top the crest the sun -bursts through a lingering cloud and throws its low -beams from behind them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The sea! the sea!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A great shout reverberates over the rugged hills. Below -lies the little town of Betanzos, and beyond it the blue -white-crested waters of the Atlantic. Corunna is only a -few miles distant; the end of the long agony is in sight; -and the sudden coming of weather springlike in its mildness -after the severity of winter, fills all hearts with -unutterable gladness. Colonel Beckwith roars at his men -with a gruffness which nobody mistakes, and the fierce -tension of General Paget's face is relaxed for the first -time for many days.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The finest retreat that was ever retreated," cries -Captain O'Hare, who, though he looks only the shadow of -his former self, has suddenly recovered his usual -cheerfulness. "But what's afoot down yonder, begorra?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All eyes follow his gaze downhill. They light on a -curious spectacle. In the distance the road is dark -with French cavalry, their helmets and accoutrements -flashing in the unwonted sunlight. Between them and the -heights there marches a nondescript horde of stragglers, -in all uniforms, from all regiments. But they are no -longer straggling. Formed in a solid mass across the -road, they are retiring by alternate companies, one -company remaining to face the French, another marching -along the road until they reach a position whence they -can cover the first's subsequent retreat. Time after time -Franceschi's horsemen charge; but every charge is beaten -back by the rolling fire of the British, who fight and retire, -retire and fight, with equal steadiness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bedad, now, that's fine!" cries Captain O'Hare -enthusiastically. "That's the greatness of the British Arrmy! -Three cheers for the fighting stragglers, my boys!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Cheer upon cheer roll down towards the baulked and -angry French. Stage by stage the army of stragglers -retire up the slope until they are safe within the -protecting lines of the Reserve. There the curious incident -is explained. Dr. Dacres of the 28th had entrusted -his instruments and baggage to the care of a batman, -who had loaded his mule's panniers so heavily that the -animal had fallen far behind the regiment. During the -night the man slept in a cottage by the roadside, and, -rising before dawn, was astounded to find that the French -were almost within arm's-length. Shouting to the numerous -stragglers in the vicinity, the batman, relishing a little -brief authority, got them into some sort of order and -began to fight a rear-guard action on his own account. A -sergeant of the 43rd, seeing what was in the wind, hurried -up and assumed command of the growing companies. -It was by the skilful handling of this man, William -Newman by name, that the impromptu rear-guard had -held their own against the enemy's cavalry and been -brought safely out of danger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The army remained for a whole day at Betanzos. On -the 11th they marched out towards Corunna, the Reserve -being hotly engaged with the enemy's cavalry, and -disputing the last ten miles yard by yard, under the approving -eye of Sir John Moore himself. Two bridges were blown -up. On the 13th Franceschi's dragoons discovered a -ford, and Sir John, seeing that his main body was now -secure, ordered the Reserve to fall back on Corunna. The -regiments had hardly left their bivouac when shots from -the French artillery came with a crash on to the roofs of -the houses they had occupied near the bridge.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was with this thundering adieu reverberating in their -ears that the gallant 95th, along with their equally gallant -comrades in arms, marched into their new quarters at -Eiris, above Corunna, and attained, after much travail, -their long-desired haven.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-battle-of-corunna"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XVI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">The Battle of Corunna</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">The Eve of Battle—Moore's Position—Wilkes is Himself -Again—The First Shot—Advance 95th!—Hand to Hand—Wilkes -in Action—A Message to Moore—The Commander-in-Chief—A -Hero's Death—"Alone with his Glory"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The great retreat was ended. Sir John Moore's army, after -its terrible forced marches over 250 miles of wild country in -the worst of weather, had reached the sea. Five thousand -men were left behind in sick, dead, wounded, stragglers, -and prisoners—a small proportion considering the awful -experiences they had come through. The honours of the -retreat belonged to Sir Edward Paget and his regiments -of the Reserve, who had fought dogged and successful -rear-guard actions wherever opportunity offered, and had -come through the whole campaign with little loss.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But the crowning achievement of the retreat was yet -to be accomplished. Sir John's purpose had been to -embark his army at Corunna on the transports he expected -to find awaiting him there, and to sail at once for home. -If this had been effected the history of the British army -would have lacked one of its most glorious pages. When -Moore arrived at Corunna, the expected vessels were still -beating about under stress of weather in the Atlantic. -The embarkation was perforce delayed. Meanwhile the -French were straining every nerve to catch their enemy; -it was more than likely that Soult would arrive in sufficient -force to compel Moore to fight, and the long-wished-for -opportunity of a great battle with the French would -come at last.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Corunna was packed with military stores. In readiness -for anything that might befall, Moore gave his men new -muskets and rifles to replace the rusty weapons they had -brought with them across the hills. He blew up a large -amount of superfluous ammunition, and then sat down in -security to await the arrival of the belated transports.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When, on the evening of the 13th, the Reserve fell back -upon the main army at Corunna, there was still no sign -of the ships. The British army was in position on a range -of heights a short distance to the south of the city, and -Paget's hard-wrought troops were ordered to occupy the -little village of Oza, in the rear of the British line. There -they formed, for the first time since the retreat began, the -real Reserve of the army.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>During the next two days Jack had more than one -opportunity of visiting Corunna, where the Spaniards were -making vigorous preparations for defence. For he was -selected as usual by the general to arrange with the native -contractors for the supply of provisions to the division. -In his journeys to and fro he supplemented the company -mess with small luxuries to which it had long been a -stranger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I could almost forgive you your good luck, Jack," -said Pomeroy at breakfast on the 15th. "But you should -have been in the commissariat; you are wasted as a -fighting-man. Eggs, butter, cream, and coffee—why, the 52nd -across the way are as green as our coats with envy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If we stay here much longer we shall be back again -on the old rations," replied Jack. "We shall soon eat -up the native produce; only our own regulation hard-tack -will be left."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How are they getting on down at the harbour?" -enquired Shirley.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Slowly, as far as I could see. They don't seem to -have done much since the transports arrived yesterday. -It is ticklish work embarking the guns. But they expect -to be ready to-morrow; and I hear that the Reserve are -to be the first to embark."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't like that," remarked Smith indignantly; "after -we have borne the brunt of the retreat, they might at least -have let us see it through to the end."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh! as for that, we may take it as a compliment," -said Jack with a smile. "It's a reward of good conduct. -Our baggage is to be sent down to-night, we are to follow -to-morrow at mid-day, and by the time the other divisions -are ready we shall be snug and comfortable."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It seems to me," said Pomeroy, pointing out of the -window of the cura's house in which they were quartered, -"that by this time to-morrow some of us will be a little -too snug."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and the rest, after a hasty glance at the heights -to which Pomeroy was pointing, could not help feeling -that the prospect of an unmolested embarkation was -indeed becoming remote. They were now black with -the masses of Soult's infantry.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Soult's progress during the previous two days had been -very slow. He found the British strongly posted; and -his experiences during the pursuit were calculated to -inspire him with a wholesome caution when tackling, not -as during the past fortnight an isolated rear-guard, but -the whole of Moore's army in battle array. There were -three ranges of hills, on any of which an army defending -Corunna might be assured of a strong position. But two -of these ranges were of too great an extent to be held by -Moore's little force of 15,000 men, and the British general -had been obliged to content himself with occupying the -innermost of the three, extending over about a mile and -a half of country to the south of the city. It would have -been an entirely admirable position had it not been -commanded at the right extremity by a hill of considerably -greater height, and within easy cannon-shot, while beyond -this exposed flank was a stretch of open country extending -to the gates of Corunna, and offering the enemy a good -opportunity of turning the whole position. But Moore -had no choice; he knew the risk he ran, and relied on -the valour and steadiness of his men, who, now that their -troubles were over, had become cheerful, confident, and -well-behaved British soldiers. And with the instinct of -a great general he ultimately turned his very weakness -into a source of strength.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Throughout the day French troops continued to stream -westward along the hills, and when night fell Soult had -driven in the British outposts and was in full occupation -of the whole line of heights. There were sounds of -incessant activity during the night, and at dawn on the -following morning the British found that the enemy had -dragged guns up the steep rocky eminence dominating -their right wing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For several hours after daybreak, on that 16th of -January, the two armies stood fronting one another. Moore -had sent all his cavalry, and most of his guns, on board -the transports, retaining only the infantry to fight Soult -if he attempted to interfere with the embarkation. Hope's -division, consisting of Hill's and Leith's brigades, -occupied the extreme left of the British line, its flank resting -on the river. Next came Baird's division, comprising -Manningham's and Bentinck's brigades, the latter facing -the little village of Elvina that lay at the bottom of the -slope held by the British, but almost under the frowning -heights occupied by the French batteries. On the Corunna -side of the British position, and protected by the crest -of the hills, Catlin Crawford's brigade lay in support of -Hope's division, while Warde's two fine battalions of -Guards were posted a little farther to the right, ready -to reinforce Baird.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Almost out of sight of the French, in front of the -village of Oza, lay Paget's Reserve, ready to be hurled upon -any force attempting a turning movement against Baird. -It was so well concealed by the formation of the ground -that the French were not likely to discover its presence -until their movement was well developed. Some distance -in Paget's rear General Fraser's division occupied a low -eminence outside Corunna, ready either to support Paget -or to hold in check the large body of French horse that -was found to be threatening the right rear of the British -position.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dinner-time came, and there was still no forward -movement among the enemy. Moore concluded that Soult had -made up his mind not to risk an attack, and consequently -made preparations for completing his embarkation. The -reserve division, with orders to embark as soon as the -mid-day meal was over, grumbled while they ate their -plentiful rations, even those from whom no murmur of -complaint had been heard during the lean days of the -retreat. Corporal Wilkes, whose courage and cheerfulness -during the black fortnight had more than once -earned him a word of praise from his officers, now made -no attempt to disguise his feelings.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I call it a shame," he remarked, gazing moodily up -the valley to the dark masses on the heights, "that we -should scuttle away without even the chance of a slap -at 'em. Of course they'll come on as soon as they see -our backs, and of course there'll be another fight. Of -course there will. But where shall we be?—shut up with -rats and cockroaches and shellbacks, and wishing we was -at the bottom o' the sea. We've been doin' the worst of -the work—there ain't no arguin' as to that—why couldn't -they let us see it out?—that's what I want to know."</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 63%" id="figure-124"> -<span id="plan-of-the-battle-of-corunna"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="The Battle of Corunna" src="images/img-180.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">The Battle of Corunna</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment the order is given to march; the men -shoulder their rifles and sullenly tramp down the valley -in the direction of the harbour. For weeks they have -been straining all their energies to reach the coast; -now, when a few minutes' march will place them beyond -the reach of their enemies, and ensure complete immunity -from the insufferable horrors that have dogged their -footsteps during the retreat, their bearing is that of savage -resentment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly the dull boom of artillery is heard far up -the valley; the division, as if at the word of command, -comes to an instant halt, and the men's faces clear as -if by magic. Surely this must mean a fight after all; -they are to have their long-wished-for chance of coming -to grips with the enemy. While they are thus waiting, -anxious expectancy on every face, an aide-de-camp from -the commander-in-chief dashes up at full speed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is a general movement, sir," he says, addressing -General Paget, "all along the enemy's line. An -engagement appears to be imminent. The commander-in-chief -desires that you will return to the position you have -just left."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Never a general's voice rang out more thrillingly than -when Paget gave the order to countermarch. Never -was an order received with more joy by officers and men. -In a few minutes the Reserve had regained its old position -around the little village of Oza. There the eager troops -awaited, with what patience they might, the lurid moment -that was to compensate them for all their past sufferings -and humiliations. This moment was some time in coming, -but it came at last.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The brunt of the attack fell, as Moore had expected, -upon Baird's division. The guns from the opposite -heights, completely outranging the British artillery, played -upon Baird's front, and from the vantage-ground of the -rocky eminence on his flank raked it from right to left. -Under cover of this artillery fire a great French column, -preceded by a swarm of skirmishers, swept down the -hill, drove in the British pickets, cleared the village of -Elvina of a company of the 50th, and advanced up the -slope held by Bentinck's brigade. A portion of the -column at the same time detached itself from the main -body and moved round the right of the British position -with the object of taking it in flank. Moore instantly -seized the opportunity. Hurling the 42nd and 50th -regiments of Bentinck's brigade at the French front -attack, and driving home the charge with the help of -Warde's two battalions of Guards, he swung round the -4th Regiment on Bentinck's right to meet the flanking -column, and ordered up Paget from behind the hill to -take this force in its turn in flank.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The hour has struck at last! With a cheer the 95th, -who are in the van of the Reserve, dash forward in -extended order across the valley, where they come into -immediate contact with Lahoussaye's dragoons, who have -been pushed forward on the French left to assist the -turning movement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The country, however, was far better suited for infantry -than cavalry tactics; low walls and ditches broke up the -formation of the horsemen and prevented them from -charging with effect, while giving excellent cover to the -Riflemen. The Frenchmen made a good fight, and there -were several fierce combats between knots of Riflemen -and small isolated bodies of horse; but the 95th pressed -steadily forward, sweeping the enemy before them until -the dragoons were driven back upon the slopes of San -Cristobal, a low hill on the extreme left of Soult's -position. There Lahoussaye dismounted his men and made -a desperate effort to hold the Riflemen at bay, while the -infantry that had hoped to turn Bentinck's flank were -fighting a losing battle with the other regiments of the Reserve. -It was here that many who had come unscathed through -the perils of the retreat fell under the withering fire of the -troopers. A dismantled farmhouse, with some ruined -out-buildings, stood facing Corunna some distance up the -slope. Encircling it was a low stone wall; other stone -walls, taking the place of the hedges in an English -landscape, radiated from it, dividing the surrounding fields, -and the ground on all sides was cut up by ditches and -ravines. It was an ideal position for defensive tactics, -and Lahoussaye's men, sheltered behind the walls, made -an obstinate stand against the advancing Rifles.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The task of clearing the farm fell to O'Hare's company. -A rough cart-track led to a gap in the wall that had once -been the gateway, now blocked up by the French with -heavy wooden beams.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Riflemen," cried Captain O'Hare, "you have -your chance at last. Remember Bembibre!" and with a -cheer he led the company straight at the gap. When -the Rifles were within twenty yards of the walls they -were met with a murderous volley from the defenders, and -there were many gaps in the line before the wall was -reached. Then began a fierce hand-to-hand fight, in which -every advantage was on the side of the defenders. Again -and again the Riflemen mounted the wall and swarmed -up the barricade, only to be thrust back by the sabres -and clubbed carbines of the troopers. Sergeant Jones, -whom the loss of his wife had made a dangerous foe -for a Frenchman to meet, succeeded in forcing his way -across, accounting for two of the troopers in his passage, -but the man behind fell to the pistol of a French officer, -and before the sergeant could be supported he was -surrounded by the enemy and sank under a dozen wounds. -Captain O'Hare, at the first assault, was stunned for a -few moments by a blow from a clubbed carbine, Pomeroy -received a cut over the brow from a sabre, and others -lay either dead or badly wounded within a few yards of -the gateway.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack, on the right extremity of the line, had attacked -the wall some fifty yards from the gateway, but the -ground falling away steeply at this point, the obstruction -was even more difficult to scale than in the centre. -Three times he and Wilkes, although gallantly supported -by their men, were thrust back after laboriously climbing -the steep bank that carried the wall. He was about to -make a fourth attempt when he observed that a few yards -to the right, near an angle in the wall, the stones showed -signs of approaching collapse. The bank had given way -at this point, several huge stones had already fallen -out of the wall, others were loose, and the mortar was -crumbling.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Corporal Wilkes, order six men to load and fire at any -head that appears above the wall. The rest go at them -again. Bates, and you, Plunket, follow me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack led the way to the weak spot in the wall, and -directing the men to work as quietly as possible, began to -remove the loose stones. As he did so the surrounding -blocks came away without difficulty, and in the course of a -couple of minutes a hole some two yards wide and about -a yard and a half high, extending half-way through the -wall, was made just above the bank. In the meanwhile -Wilkes had led another assault up the bank, and sounds -of fierce fighting still farther to the left proved that a -renewed effort was being made to carry the barricade. A -glance to his left showed Jack that the other companies -were busily engaged with a large body of Lahoussaye's -horse, who had taken advantage of some open ground to -remount and threaten the regiment's flank.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Seizing a rifle dropped by one of his men, Jack ordered -Bates and Plunket to make a simultaneous attack with -him on the spot where they had broken half through -the wall. Running up the bank, they put their shoulders -to the tottering masonry. The wall shook, then cracked, -and falling, fortunately for Jack and his men, inwards, -left a gap a couple of yards wide. There was a cloud -of dust, through which Jack, followed by Bates and -Plunket, dashed with a rousing cheer. The three men -were at once surrounded by twice their number of -dragoons; but with their rifles they kept the Frenchmen at -bay, while Wilkes and the others, profiting by the -temporary diversion, scaled the wall. "Come on, my boys!" -shouted Wilkes. "What I"—crack on a Frenchman's -head—"want to know"—a second crack, and the big -fellow burst through the French troopers, followed by -several men of Jack's company. Thus reinforced, Jack -led a vigorous charge; nothing could withstand it. The -French troopers broke, and made a dash for their horses, -tethered in the rear of the ruined farm, but in their flight -they impeded one another's movements, and only a few -got away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile Smith, who in O'Hare's temporary absence -was in command of the company, formed up his men on -the far side of the farm, and continued the forward -movement that had been for the moment arrested. Within a -few yards of the farm they were overtaken by General -Paget, who galloped up and said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well done, Number One Company!" Then, after a -careful examination of the ground in front, and of the -retreating enemy, he turned to Captain O'Hare, who had -recovered from his blow and came up eagerly. "I think, -sir, we hold them safe in this quarter. I shall be glad if -you can spare me one of your officers. I have a message -for the commander-in-chief."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>O'Hare, who, chafing at being knocked over, had remarked -Jack's share in carrying the farm wall, beckoned -him forward.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take one of the Frenchmen's horses yonder," -continued General Paget, when Jack came up and saluted, -"and tell the commander-in-chief that the enemy on this -side are in full retreat. We shall continue to push them -through the valley, and ought shortly to threaten their -great battery."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He pointed, as he spoke, to the rugged slopes, now -covered with a thick pall of smoke, on which Soult had -massed his heaviest guns. A continuous dull roar came -from the battery, from which the French gunners were -pouring shot after shot at the British infantry.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With a parting hint to Jack that the commander-in-chief -would probably be found with Baird's division, General -Paget wheeled his horse round and returned down the -slope. In a few seconds Jack was in the saddle, jumping -walls and ditches, and floundering through ravines towards -the village of Elvina. The retreating French infantry, -broken but not yet dispersed, barred his direct progress. -He ploughed across the valley, finding terrible evidence -of the bitterness of the struggle in the scores of dead and -wounded dotting the fields from which the tide of battle -had now ebbed, and spurred his horse to a hand-gallop up -the gentle acclivity beyond. When he reached the crest, -the whole battle was spread like a panorama before him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Far to the left General Hope's division was slowly -pushing the French back through the village of Palavea, -from which they had driven the British outposts at the -beginning of the battle. In the centre a severe struggle -was being waged for the possession of Elvina, where -Bentinck's brigade, after hurling back the frontal attack -and driving the enemy up the opposite slopes, was now -with difficulty holding its own doggedly against superior -numbers. On the right the French flanking columns -were being driven steadily through the valley by Paget's -division, and Franceschi's dragoons were already retiring -behind the great battery, where eleven guns at almost -point-blank range were now tearing huge gaps in Bentinck's -slender columns.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had halted for a moment to get his bearings; he -was beginning to make his way down the slope towards -Elvina when he caught sight of three officers on his left, -galloping towards him on the crest of the hill. In the -leading horseman, mounted on a cream-coloured charger -with black tail and mane, he instantly recognized Sir John -Moore; the others were officers of the staff. Jack had eyes -only for the general as the well-known figure swept up at -headlong speed to within a few yards of the spot where -he had halted, then suddenly drew rein, throwing the -gallant charger upon its haunches, with quivering nostrils -and heaving flanks. Jack never forgot the picture of horse -and rider at this moment: the charger snorting with -excitement, its eyes dilated, its ears cocked forward, its -hoofs ploughing deep furrows in the soft earth; the rider, -with eyes fixed searchingly upon the enemy, seeming to -keep his seat without conscious effort, his whole being -concentrated in the lightning glance with which he took -in every detail of the fight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was about to move away when Jack trotted up, -saluted, and delivered his message. Sir John seemed too -much preoccupied to notice who his informant was. After -an instant's reflection he said: "Follow me, sir; I shall -probably have a message for General Paget in the course -of a few minutes." Then, setting spurs to his horse, he -galloped down the hill towards Elvina.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As they approached the village the 50th Regiment, -commanded by Major Charles Napier, was making a desperate -effort to retake the place. They drove the enemy at the -point of the bayonet through the village street and beyond -some stone walls on the outskirts; but there the French -rallied, and, being reinforced from the slopes above, again -advanced, capturing Major Napier, who was desperately -wounded, and pressing hard upon the 50th regiment and -the Black Watch, both of which were running short of -ammunition. The 42nd, mistaking an order, began to -retire. Then the commander-in-chief rode up, and -addressing them said: "Men of the 42nd, you have still your -bayonets. Remember Egypt! Remember Scotland! Come -on, my gallant countrymen!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With a cheer the Black Watch returned to the attack. -Moore followed the brilliant charge with kindling eyes. -"Splendid fellows!" he exclaimed. He was just turning -to give Jack the promised message when a cannon-shot -from the battery above struck him to the ground. For -one brief moment it might almost have been thought -that the hurt was a trivial one, for the general, raising -himself upon his right arm, continued to gaze eagerly -and with a look of noble pride upon the struggle beneath. -It was not until the success of his troops was assured -that he sank back and allowed himself to be removed -from the field. Four soldiers carried him tenderly in a -blanket to the rear. No doctor was needed to tell the -grief-stricken bearers that the wound was mortal. The -injured man knew that there was no hope. They would -have removed his sword; its hilt was pressing against -the wound. "It is as well as it is," he said. "I had -rather it should go out of the field with me." As they -carried him towards Corunna he more than once bade -them turn to learn how the fight was going. They bore -him to a house in the town; as he lay dying his mind -was filled with his country and the commanders who had -served him and England so well during the bitter days -of the retreat. "I hope the people of England will be -satisfied. I hope my country will do me justice." He -spoke of Paget, asking to be remembered to him. -"General Paget, I mean; he is a fine fellow." He left -messages for all his friends, and in the midst of his agony -mentioned for promotion several officers whose gallantry -in the field he had noticed. He bore his dreadful -sufferings without a murmur. Only when he dictated a last -message to his aged mother did he show signs of breaking -down. And thus, nobly as he had lived, when night had -stilled the sounds of war and the stars blinked over the -awful field, the great soldier passed away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had accompanied the bearers to the little room -whither the general was carried, and remained for some -time doing such small services as Moore's aides-de-camp -required of him. When it was seen beyond all doubt that -death was very near, he was sent back to the battle-field -with the sad news. During his absence the fight had -been raging with undiminished fury. The enemy were -retiring; the British were pressing forward on all sides; -and but for the lamentable event that had just occurred -it is possible that Soult's army would have been utterly -destroyed, for his ammunition was failing, and behind -him his retreat was barred by an impetuous torrent, -spanned by only one narrow bridge. It was not to be. -Sir David Baird, who would naturally have succeeded -to Moore's command, had himself been wounded. Sir -John Hope, to whom the command now fell, ordered the -advance to be checked as the shades of evening were -falling. His decision was doubtless wise. He was not -in a position to follow up a successful action, for the -cavalry and guns were all on board ship. The advantage -already gained secured the immediate object for which -the battle had been fought—the safe embarkation of the -army.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When Jack, sad at heart, regained his regiment, below -the great French battery, he brought no message from -the commander-in-chief. What the message would have -been he could only guess. But he felt that had Moore -lived, the 95th would have had stern work to do upon -the rugged hills above. Sadly the army retired into its -lines at Corunna; and as the last shot from the French -guns boomed across the valley, and the watch-fires of the -British pickets broke into flame on the heights, the body -of the noble Moore was laid to rest in the citadel, simply, -peacefully, without pomp, amid a reverent silence.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="in-the-guadalquivir"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XVII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">In the Guadalquivir</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">In the Dumps—Messages—A Fellow Passenger—A -Match—Marcamiento—The Despatch Disappears—A Quick -Recovery—Pepito Expostulates—Perez Plunges—Returned -with Thanks—Mr. Frere—An Opportunity—A Volunteer—Pepito's -Present—Before the Gale</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The sadness which overshadowed the whole army was -partly alleviated by the bustle of embarkation. The battle -had been won; the object of the great retreat had been -achieved. There was nothing to be gained by postponing -the return of the victorious but battered army to England. -Delay would have enabled reinforcements to reach Soult, -which might place him in a position to renew his attack -with better hope of success; while the state of the British -army was such that it was impossible to follow up their -success by a pursuit of the French. Sir John Hope, -therefore, upon whom the command had fallen through Moore's -death, gave orders that the embarkation of the troops -should be hastened, and within twenty-four hours the men -were aboard the transports, ready to set sail for home.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was resting in the afternoon with the officers of -his company. Illness and fatigue had worn them all to -shadows. Pomeroy was wounded, Smith was so haggard -as to be hardly recognizable, while Shirley's spirits had -forsaken him, and his chums were too much depressed -even to object to the melancholy dirges which he quoted, -on the homoeopathic principle, for his own solace. Jack -alone retained something of his old cheerfulness, and he -was doing his best to hearten his companions, before their -turn came to embark, when a messenger entered, saying -that Sir John Hope desired to see Mr. Lumsden at once. -He hurried off, and returned half an hour later with even -greater cheerfulness in his eyes and gait.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you think, you fellows?" he cried. "I am -not going to sail with you after all!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank heaven!" said Pomeroy, with his head bandaged.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack smiled at his old chum's petulance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm not so thankful, Pommy," he said. "But for -one thing I'd much rather go home with you. As it is—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, what's your one thing?" said Smith, as he paused.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'll tell you some day. I don't want to leave Spain -just now, that's all."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What are you going to do, then?" asked Pomeroy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hope is sending me with a despatch to Seville, to Mr. Frere, -our minister there. I'm to put myself at his orders. -The general thinks that people at home will be so mad -at this retreat that they'll howl for leaving Spain to its -fate; so it's very probable that I shall not be long -behind you. And you'll be as fit as fiddles when I see you -again."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My own mother wouldn't know me now," said Smith. -"You always have had all the luck. Ten chances to one -you'll be promoted again, while we, what with our wretched -condition and that awful Bay of Biscay, shall either be -thrown to the fishes on the way home or drop into our -graves as soon as we get there."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Call for the robin redbreast and the wren,'" quoted -Shirley dolefully.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Shirley, cheer up!" said Jack. "Don't give all -the fellows the blues."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Faith, no," said the voice of Captain O'Hare, who had -heard the last words as he entered. "I'm so weak myself -I could hardly kill a fly, but I'm captain o' this company, -and I won't have my men driven into the dumps. There's -that Wilkes, now. I left him outside, smoking some -unmentionable stuff with his mates, singing 'Down among -the dead men', in a voice that would scare an undertaker. -'Faith,' says I, 'it's delighted ye ought to be, seeing ye're -a sergeant before your time.' 'Sir,' says he, 'I'm only -promoted cos poor Sergeant Jones is down among the -dead men, and what I want to know is, whether it ain't -my dooty to have the nat'ral feelings of a man and a -brother.' But what's this I hear, Lumsden?—we leave -you behind, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, though I hope you'll soon be out again. Surely -our government won't throw up the sponge!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bedad, not if they ask my advice. No Englishman, -let alone an Irishman, ever turned his back for good on a -Frenchman yet; and as the war secretary's an Irishman, -why, I prophesy we'll be wid ye in six months, my boy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh! but I'll be home long before then. There's one -thing I'd like to stay in Spain for, but I see little chance of -doing anything in it till the war's over, and then it'll be too -late, so no doubt Mr. Frere will send me home at once."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! And your one thing?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A precious secret," interposed Pomeroy. "Lumsden's -a mystery-man ever since he picked up that brat -Pepito, who's the owner of the evil eye if ever gipsy was. -Some cock-and-bull story of a hidden treasure, or a beautiful -heiress, or something of that kind, if the truth was -known; but Jack's as mum as a mile-stone."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A bugle sounded outside the house.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's our call, my boys," said the captain. "Come -now, out and get the men into order, and march 'em off -with as much decency as their rags admit. God bless ye, -my boy! please the powers we'll have you back in the mess -yet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Fare thee well, but not for ever!'" said Shirley, giving -Jack a hearty grip.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good luck, old chap!" added Smith. "Give my love to -the heiress Pepito finds for you, and if you should happen -to come across the Grampus, take my advice—don't -gamble."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pomeroy shook hands silently.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You'll give my love to the old people, Pommy?" said -Jack. "I haven't had time to write to them since we left -Salamanca. You can give them all the news."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then they went among the men. Sergeant Wilkes -looked astonished as he filed past and saw that Jack was -not among his company, and Jack felt sure that he -"wanted to know" more emphatically than ever, -especially when, on turning suddenly, he found that Pepito -was making farewell grimaces at all his friends in the -regiment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Pepito," said Jack sternly, "if you're to come -with me, you must learn to behave yourself. Cut away -and get my things ready; our ship leaves at nine to-night."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack's departure, however, had to be deferred until the -following morning, the wind being unfavourable. Early on -the 18th of January, then, he went on board a bergantin of -some 300 tons, carrying his despatch for Mr. Frere in a -waterproof bag, and followed by Pepito bearing the few -articles he had been able to save out of his well-stocked -kit of a few months before. Sir John Hope, when -taking leave of him, had asked him to put in, if possible, -at Vigo, and report to General Craufurd, if he were still -there, the recent happenings at Corunna.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His errand fortunately fitted in with the instructions of -the master of the brig. Jack had to spend the night at -Vigo, where he learned that Craufurd had embarked his -brigade some days before, and had already sailed for home. -Next morning he was standing on deck, watching the -last bales of a miscellaneous cargo as they were lowered -into the hold, when, looking along the quay, he saw hurrying -towards him two figures which he recognized with no -little astonishment. The one was a tall Spaniard in military -uniform; the other, still taller, was covered with a ragged -brown cloak, and staggered along under the weight of -a large valise. Perceiving Jack's eyes fixed on him, the -foremost figure waved his hand with easy condescension, -and smiled, and when he was still several yards away, -began to speak:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, amigo mio, you look surprised! As for me, I am -both surprised and delighted. I had not hoped for the -pleasure of an old comrade's company on this voyage. -We will talk over old times, Jackino, and help each -other to face the perils of the sea."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You anticipate a storm, then?" said Jack, with a -meaning look.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not anticipate, my friend; but one must be prepared. -And there is one peril that, storm or no storm, every -traveller has to endure."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Mareamiento, amigo mio! The motion of a ship produces -an unpleasant perturbation of the internal organs, -resulting in—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack laughed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's your peril! Well, it's one that everyone has -to face for himself. If I were you, when you feel the -perturbation beginning, I should lie on my back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But then I should have to turn over," said Miguel -seriously. "However, you do not ask why I am prepared -to endure this disagreeable accident of travel; you -show no curiosity, my dear friend."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"About other people's business—no. But I see that -your man appears none the worse for the punishment -which, no doubt, the Marquis of La Romana awarded him -for his outrage at Astorga—you remember?—the occasion -when you were so much shocked at the man's heartless -treachery."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I remember well, dear friend. Perez was the victim of -a sudden temptation, poor fellow. You see, he has only -one eye. He is not all there. Oh, he was punished! He -was made to take off his uniform—it had gold lace, you -remember?—and to dress as a servant, and that, to a man -of Perez' illustrious connections and personal pride, was a -great, an overpowering humiliation. He felt the disgrace -so keenly that he assured me he could not live unless I took -him back into my service. What could I do? I could not -be responsible for the miserable wretch's self-destruction. I -did what every man of heart would have done, and— But -we are moving, my friend; the ship is oscillating like a -child's cradle; the wind catches the sails. Yes, the voyage -has begun. I think I will—ah!—descend."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As Miguel, leaning on the arm of his follower, disappeared -down the companion-way, Jack noticed a large rent -in the man's cloak, into which another material, by no -means a good match, had been clumsily darned. He -started, and drew out of his pocket a jagged remnant -of cloth, the sole memento of his narrow escape at -Cacabellos. In general appearance it closely resembled -the material worn by the Spaniard; but as both were -brown, and Spanish cloaks were usually of this colour, -it would not be easy, without close examination, to -establish their identity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It may be merely a coincidence," thought Jack, "but -it's queer, anyway. I have no doubt he owes me a grudge; -I hit him rather hard. And Miguel, who doesn't love me -either, would not be above reminding him of it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With a careless resolve to be on his guard, Jack -dismissed the matter for the moment. For two days he saw -nothing more of Miguel. The wind was fresh, and while -Jack revelled in the rapid progress, and felt himself braced -by the keen salt air, Miguel, his man, and Pepito all passed -through various stages of misery and despair. Pepito was -the first to recover, and from him Jack learnt that Miguel -had intended to attempt the journey southwards overland, -but that, having accidentally caught sight of Jack in Vigo, -he had made enquiries, and determined to risk the -sea-passage in his company. This information Pepito had -picked up from one of the seamen, who had been accosted -and questioned by Perez before they left the harbour.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Two villains, Señor!" said Pepito, as he concluded his -story. "They do not love the Señor," he added, significantly -fingering the small knife that protruded from his -sash. The action, like the weapon itself, was two-edged. -It was a warning to Jack and a menace to the two -Spaniards, who had just crawled for the first time from -below, and, unwashed and unshorn, presented anything -but a formidable appearance. Nevertheless, whenever he -moved, Jack felt that Perez was watching him. He never -succeeded in catching him in the act; he felt rather than -saw the glare of the man's forlorn eye.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Miguel volunteered the information that he was carrying -despatches from La Romana to the Supreme Junta at -Seville, and asked Jack what errand had brought him -southwards. Jack, however, evaded the question, enquiring -into the present circumstances of La Romana's rabble, -and its prospects of escaping destruction. The Spaniard -was evidently annoyed at Jack's want of communicativeness. -He gave the shortest answers to his questions, and -then, with a malicious gleam in his eyes, turned the -conversation into another channel.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And when my errand at Seville is accomplished," he -said in his blandest tones, "I shall make my best speed -to Saragossa, where I shall find my pearl, my rose, querida -mia, the lovely Juanita. Pity, Jackino, I cannot invite -you to my wedding. It would give you so much pleasure -to see the two friends of your childhood united in the holy -bonds of wedlock; and when—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But Jack had moved away; he walked forward and -watched the prow cutting its white furrow, thinking of -the old days when Juanita and he had both detested -Miguel Priego, and wondering how the girl could have -been persuaded to plight her troth to such a man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The skipper told him that he hoped to make the mouth -of the Guadalquivir on the evening of the fourth day after -leaving Vigo. He proposed to anchor there for the night, -and sail up to Seville next day. Jack was so eager to -reach his destination and deliver his despatch that he -half-resolved to have himself put ashore at San Lucar, and -finish the journey overland. With this intention, when -one evening the lights of San Lucar were sighted, he went -to his cabin for his despatch-bag, telling Pepito to carry -his few belongings on deck. Lifting the bag, he was -struck by the appearance of fine scratches on the hasp -of the lock. He held it close to the flame of his lamp -to examine it more thoroughly, and found in a moment -that the lock had been forced and the despatch abstracted.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pepito," he said quickly to the boy, "do you know -anything about this?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nothing, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The truth?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Fear makes lies, Señor; I know no fear."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We shall not go ashore to-night. Have you seen -anyone in my cabin?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well. Say nothing about this."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack sat down to reflect. Neither captain nor crew could -have any interest in stealing a despatch. The bag had -contained nothing else. Miguel and his man were the -only other passengers beside himself and Pepito. What -would it profit either of them to tamper with the bag? -The possession of the despatch would be of real advantage -to neither of them; its loss would be merely an annoyance -to himself. Anyhow, the despatch was gone; it remained -to be discovered whether it had been taken by Miguel or -Perez.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito had been watching Jack's face. He seemed to -divine what his master was thinking, for he came up to -him and said quickly:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor, I know the Busne. The paper is gone, and I -will find out where."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack looked back at him for a moment without speaking, -then he nodded, and Pepito hastened away with the light -footstep of a cat.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Two hours afterwards he returned, with a grin of glee -upon his elfin face, and a paper in his right hand.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor's paper," he said. Then, bringing his left hand -from behind his back, he produced a second paper, saying:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Busno's paper too. Both were together in the -Busno's bag, beneath the Busno's pillow."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack frowned. He looked at the address on the second -paper; it ran: "The Marquis of La Romana to their -excellencies the Supreme Junta at Seville."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You must take this back, Pepito," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, no," said the boy, his eyes gleaming. "The -Busno and the one-eyed man are asleep; I should wake -them if I took the paper back. The Busno took Señor's -paper. Very well, I, Pepito, take the Busno's; and I will -tear it in pieces, and throw it into the sea."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No," replied Jack. "You are a clever boy, but you -must learn to do things in my way, not your own. I will -give back the paper myself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito shrugged, as though expressing his inability to -understand an Englishman's mad way of doing things. -An idea had come to Jack; he would not restore the -despatch at present, but would wait until the morning. -Placing them both inside his tunic, and buttoning it up, -he lay down and settled himself to sleep.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Soon after daylight Jack heard angry, excited voices -in Miguel's cabin. It was evident that the master had -discovered his loss, and that the man was bearing the -first brunt of his vexation. Gradually the voices dropped -to a whisper, then there was silence, and Jack detected -a soft footfall in the passage. The catch of the little -cabin-door was slowly raised; Jack coughed gently, the -catch dropped noiselessly, and the visitor disappeared -without a sound.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At breakfast Miguel, evidently preoccupied and ill at -ease, made no reference to the subject. As Jack had -anticipated, he was not sure enough of his ground to -report his loss to the captain. But his look became more -and more anxious, even agitated, as the vessel worked its -way in long reaches up the river. Perez, lounging against -the bulwarks, was keenly watching Pepito, in whose -somewhat provocative bearing he seemed to find cause for -suspicion. The gipsy was even more monkey-like than -usual, swarming up and down the yards, flitting around -and above his scowling enemy with a disconcerting -assumption that Perez was non-existent.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly, while Jack was watching the play of sunlight -on the mountain ranges in the east, he heard a cry, -followed instantly by a splash on the port side. He sprang -across the deck, noticing as he did so the half-recumbent -form of Perez lolling unconcernedly at the spot he had -occupied for the past hour. There was nothing to be -seen in the sluggish river below, and for a moment Jack -was inclined to think that his ears had deceived him; but -even as the thought passed through his mind he caught -sight of a small dark object rising above the surface some -yards in the wake of the vessel. With a loud cry "Man -overboard!" he threw off his cloak, sprang on the bulwark, -and dived into the river. The water was icy cold, but -fortunately in these lower reaches the current ran slowly, -and when he came to the surface, with the rapidity of a -practised swimmer, he saw the small black head much -nearer than he had expected. In another second the -reason was clear; the owner of the head was swimming -towards him with slow leisurely strokes, and Jack began -to regret his precipitancy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Señor will get wet," cried Pepito as he approached. -His tone was that of aggrieved expostulation. "He will -spoil his fine clothes. Ay de mí! Why will the Señor -be so rash? And he has only one uniform. Now he will -have to travel as a Busno. Ay de mí!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had now turned, and was swimming hard against -the current. He heard Pepito remonstrating in his wake, -but although he treasured the remembrance afterwards, he -was in no mood at the time to be amused with his -follower's untimely zeal. His heavy boots and water-logged -clothes, to say nothing of the numbing cold of the water, -made swimming anything but an agreeable exercise, and -he was heartily glad when he clambered into a boat that -had been promptly lowered from the ship. Pepito -followed him a few seconds later, looking not unlike a water -rat as he emerged dripping from the river, in which he -seemed perfectly at home. In the boat the boy showed -him, with an expressive grin, a piece of rope about five -feet long. He had dragged it with him out of the river. -"What are you doing with that?" enquired Jack sharply.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It belongs to the ship," was the reply. "Pepito is -not a thief; he must give it back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How came you to fall in?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I was swinging on the rope."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And it got untied?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No; it was cut."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack started and looked closely at the end of the rope, -which Pepito handed to him with a chuckle of enjoyment. -It had evidently been severed with a knife.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perez?" enquired Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, Señor," said Pepito.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They had by this time come under the ship's quarter, -and a rope-ladder was let down for their benefit.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay where you are for a moment," said Jack to the -bos'un; "I am sending another passenger."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As he clambered over the bulwarks Miguel met him with -assumed solicitude.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You English are such sea-dogs, there is no keeping -you out of the water. I trust, my friend, you will not -suffer a chill. At this time of the year—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was warming to his theme when Jack stepped quietly -through the little knot of seamen gathered on the deck, -and went straight towards Perez, who was still lolling -against the bulwarks, with a gleam of malicious -enjoyment in his solitary eye. Before the man was aware of -what was coming, Jack had seized him by the waistband, -and, using the bulwark as a fulcrum, had tilted him over -into the river.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then Jack went below and changed his dripping garments -for the Spanish dress which he carried with him -in case of emergency. He noticed as he did so that in -his absence his effects had been thoroughly ransacked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When he came on deck he found that Perez, by no -means a favourite with the sailors, had been hauled out -with extreme deliberation, after swallowing some quarts -of the turbid waters of the Guadalquivir. He glared at -Jack with concentrated malignity, but was physically -incapable of reprisal, even if his morale had not been -impaired by the knowledge that he had only got his -deserts.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The captain listened gravely to Jack's explanation, and -examined the severed rope with a judicial air. Jack did -not consider it necessary to make any reference to the -incident of the despatches.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I suppose," said the captain, "that the Señor will -wish to lodge an information? A friend of mine is well -acquainted with a man of law in the Calle del Amor de -Dios, a very able man—he has one case of assault that has -lasted thirteen years."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank you!" said Jack with a smile; "but as I only -propose to stay in Seville for a few days, I fear I shall -have to forgo your friend's friend's assistance."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The captain looked disappointed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At length the vessel passed the Torre del Oro, a crenelated -octagonal tower near the landing-stage. The brig -was moored, Miguel and his man, who had been below -since the incident, came on deck at the last moment, and -ostentatiously ignoring Jack's presence, stepped across the -gangway on to the quay. As Miguel passed him, -however, Jack quietly touched him on the shoulder.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Allow me, Don Miguel," he said, "to hand you this -packet. It was found—you can perhaps guess where—with -some property of mine. I have no occasion for the -one; you will perhaps permit me to retain the other?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A dull flush mounted to Miguel's cheeks. He took the -despatch without a word, gave Jack a glance in which -humiliation, chagrin, and undisguised hatred were strangely -mingled, and prepared to move off.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A word," continued Jack, "before we part. Your -Polyphemus is doubtless a very devoted servant, but if we -meet again, and I find him still at your elbow, you will -pardon me if I betray a little suspicion."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack turned abruptly away, leaving Miguel for once at -a loss for an adequate answer. By the time he had -recovered himself, Jack, followed by Pepito, was half-way -across the quay.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack had never been in Seville before. He was struck -by the forest of masts from ships lining the river bank, by -the whitewashed houses built in Moorish fashion, with -barricaded windows, and the narrow, busy, cobbled streets. -It was a fine clear day, and for almost the first time since -he landed, four months before, at Mondego Bay, he felt the -dry warmth of a southern climate. He found his way -with Pepito along the river bank, past the bull ring, to -a comfortable inn in the Plaza Nueva, and having there -made himself as presentable as his worn and faded -garments allowed, he set off for the Alcazar, where he had -learnt that the British minister was then in conference -with the Junta.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had some curiosity to meet Mr. Hookham Frere. -It had been common talk in the army that Sir John Moore -had received a number of almost insolent epistles from the -minister, who had gone quite beyond his province in -dictating the course of action which he thought the -commander-in-chief should follow. Mr. Frere, indeed, was -not cut out for the delicate work of an ambassador, and -he was perhaps as little surprised as anybody when, two -months later, he was recalled by the dissatisfied -Government at home. He was no doubt worried by the mingled -vacillation, braggadocio, and incompetence of the Spanish -authorities with whom he had to deal, and in truth their -behaviour was such as would have tried the temper of -a more patient and self-assured man than Mr. Frere.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He received Jack in a private room, and read the -despatch in silence, save when the news of Sir John Moore's -death provoked an exclamation. He folded the paper and -laid it down on the table before him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Poor fellow!" he said. "He always said he hoped to -die after a great victory. You knew him, sir?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir," said Jack. "I had the honour to serve -under him through the campaign, and he was very kind -to me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! I am afraid our relations were a little clouded of -late. I acted for the best. I did some things I now -regret; they were due partly to my lack of trustworthy -information. And now, though we have won a victory, -we have had to leave the country. The army might -perhaps have sailed to Lisbon instead of returning home."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I beg pardon, sir, but if you saw the horrible state -of our men you would be the last to say that. They're -worn out with illness and hard work, eaten with vermin, -and have nothing but rags to cover themselves with. -I came off better than most, and you see what a -condition my uniform is in."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Terrible!—I had hoped so much from this expedition. -The Spaniards have indeed been given a breathing-space, -but they will make little of it. And they are so -untrustworthy, so untrustworthy, Mr. Lumsden. At this time, -of course, it is of the utmost importance that the real -state of things should be known to all the Spanish -generals in all parts of the country; but I cannot depend -on the Junta here telling the truth. There is General -Palafox, for instance, in Saragossa, a young man for -whose talents I have the highest admiration; he is, as -you may perhaps know, besieged by the French, and the -Junta has encouraged him with the news that great battles -are being won for Spain, and that armies will shortly -march to his relief. All humbug, humbug! Buoyed up -by false hopes, he will resist to the bitter end, and the -poor people of Saragossa may endure all the nameless -horrors of a protracted siege only to find themselves -disappointed and deceived. And then they will blame us, -accuse us of deserting them in their extremity. It would -be difficult now for any messenger to reach him; but in -any case I cannot depend on the Junta's telling him the -truth. I am weary of it all."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had listened to this speech with growing eagerness. -It suggested a means by which he might fulfil what had -been his dearest wish ever since he met Miguel in -Salamanca—to see Juanita Alvarez, and learn for himself that -she had really of her own free-will consented to trust her -life and happiness to Miguel Priego. Until now it had -seemed idle to hope for such an opportunity, but why -should he not offer his services to Mr. Frere and volunteer -to convey to Palafox a true account of the progress of -events elsewhere? And Palafox!—he had a private reason -for seeing him. "Palafox the man, Palafox the name!"—the -phrase in Don Fernan's letter had never left his -memory. At odd moments, when free from his duties, he -had found himself conning the words over and over again; -and lately he had begun to wonder whether the mysterious -message were not connected in some way with Juanita—whether -there were not some strange link binding Palafox -and Juanita and himself together. His regiment had gone -home; he was now under the orders of the British minister; -he had been in dangerous places and circumstances of -peril before; why not combine the public service with his -private ends, and start for Saragossa? His mind was -made up.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let me convey a message to General Palafox," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You! It is preposterous. You would go to your -death. How could you, an Englishman, and an English -officer, hope to penetrate the French lines? You would -be caught and shot."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And then Jack gave the minister a brief account of -himself, his early years in Spain, his recent work for Sir -John Moore done in the guise of a Spaniard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And so you see, sir," he concluded, "you could hardly -find anyone, not actually a Spaniard, with better chances -of success than I have. I have been in Saragossa before, -and I have some command of Spanish—and I am not -afraid, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Mr. Frere was evidently taken with the suggestion. -He had listened with growing interest to Jack's modest -story, and smiled at his account of his conversation with -the boastful commissary and his subsequent adventure -with the Spanish stablemen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And this gipsy boy of yours—would you propose to -take him with you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir; my chums regard him as my familiar spirit, -and I myself have begun to cherish a sort of belief that -I sha'n't come to much harm if he is near at hand."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, Mr. Lumsden, I am much interested in your -story; I think, if I may say so, that you have shown great -capacity and resourcefulness, and fully justified poor Sir -John's confidence, and I confess, after seeing and hearing -you, that I have every hope of your succeeding in this, -perhaps the most difficult, certainly the most hazardous, -of all your enterprises. And now, as that is settled, we -must lose no time. When will you be ready to start?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"When the first ship sails, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You will go by ship, then?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It will perhaps be quicker, and safer on the whole."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What about French frigates?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I must take my chance of them. Luckily I kept the -Spanish dress given me by Don Pedro de Gracioso; Pepito -has it in my bundle. I shall, of course, go as a Spaniard."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wish I had your youthful confidence!" Mr. Frere -sighed. "Very well; find out when the boat sails -northward, and I will have my despatch for General Palafox -ready at any time."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You will answer for me to the military authorities, sir?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly. You may assume that you have six months' -leave; and for my part, I do not suppose that your -regiment will require your services any more in Spain."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the conclusion of the interview Jack stepped into -the street with a light-heartedness he had not known for -many a day. The winter, with all its fatigues and -disappointments, was passing away; he felt a strange -assurance that with the coming spring the tide of his -affairs would turn towards achievement and happiness; -and he returned to his inn with a buoyancy and eagerness -in his gait that caused many a head to turn and many a -face to smile.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With Pepito he hastened at once to the quay by the Torre -del Oro, only to learn that no vessel would sail for the -northern ports for some days. "We can't wait for that," -he said to himself, and immediately sought out the owner -of a large fishing-smack he saw in the offing. After some -bargaining he arranged to hire the craft with its crew, to -sail, wind and weather being favourable, next morning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On the way back to their inn he set a seal to the hold -he had unwittingly obtained on the gipsy's affections. -Coming to a clockmaker's, he stopped, looked in at the -window, then entered, and soon returned carrying a huge -silver watch, which he handed with its chain to Pepito.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There, youngster," he said, "that's a little reward for -the services you have done me. Take care you don't lose it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boy beamed his delight, and pranced along the -street in unfeigned ecstasy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sun shone brightly next morning, and the wind -blew fresh. Accompanied by Pepito, Jack, in his Spanish -dress, went down to the quay, where, however, he found -that the master of the smack was not disposed to sail. -He foretold a strong gale from the south-west, and wished -to postpone his departure till the next day; but Jack was -so eager to arrive at Saragossa that he would brook no -delay. After an hour's arguing and coaxing, and the -promise of double pay, he induced the mariner to attempt -the voyage, and at nine o'clock the smack cast off and -sailed slowly down the river. The wind increased in force -as she approached the mouth. On reaching the open sea -she encountered the full force of the blast, and, swinging -round, scudded before the wind at a speed that promised -a fast passage.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-squire-of-dames"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XVIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">A Squire of Dames</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">In the Casa Ximenez—Cut Off—Ways and Means—A Race with -Time—The Bridge Perilous—Into the Abyss—A Deserted -House—Through the Streets—Adios—Señor</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Near the convent of San Agustin, at the south-eastern end -of Saragossa, there stood, in the year 1809, an old, large, -gloomy house known as the Casa Ximenez. It was not -in the best part of the city, but it had an air of high -respectability, and in truth had been for many years the -town residence of a prosperous burgher family, whose -name stood for all that was solid and dignified in civic -and commercial life.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On February 1st in the aforesaid year the spacious -rooms of the mansion were empty—all but one. In the -gilded sala on the first floor, a chamber large enough to -contain fifty or sixty persons as well as its massive antique -furniture, sat two ladies, one old, the other in the heyday -of youth. Though it was early morning, the room would -have been in pitch darkness but for two candles which, -set in the cups of a silver candelabra on the table, threw -a glimmering illumination upon the panelled walls. The -sulphurous fumes of gunpowder hung heavily in the air. -The deep, square windows were shuttered on the outside; -there was no crack or aperture through which the light -of day could enter save a hole in one of the shutters, -and that at this moment was blocked by a long Spanish -musket, behind which stood a middle-aged man in the -sober costume of an upper servant.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Within the house all was silent, but from without, -penetrating the thick walls and the iron-clamped shutters, -came dull, heavy, thunderous sounds that shook the air, -set the candle flames quivering, and caused the elder of -the two ladies to start and shudder and moan as if in pain. -At intervals the man at the window withdrew the musket, -letting in for a few moments a streak of daylight that lay -white across the yellow glimmer from the candles. With -silent deliberation he charged his weapon, passed it -through the aperture with a downward slant, and pulled -the trigger, going through the same series of movements -time after time with clock-work regularity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old lady watched him as if fascinated. She was -small and thin; the hair beneath her elaborate cap was -white. With the long bony fingers of one hand she clasped -her mantilla closely about her shrunken frame; the other -was held in the strong, warm hands of the younger lady, -who sat on the floor by the elder's chair and spoke to her -alternately in soothing and in urgent tones.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You really must come, Auntie," she was saying. "It -is not safe here. Hark! there is another gun! They will -break in before long, and then—oh! come, come now; -you can walk if you only try."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old lady, still with her eyes fixed on the servant, -shook her head and clutched her mantilla convulsively.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Does he kill—every time?" she said in a thin quavering -voice.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How can we tell? And if he does kill, it only makes -our position worse, for they will find out where the shots -come from, and they will burst in, and you—we—oh! -Auntie, it is our only chance. See, I will support you; -if you lean on my arm you will walk quite well, and I will -never leave you. Come!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I will not go," said her companion. "I will not, will -not. The French may kill me, I have not long to live; -but you, Juanita, you can escape. Francisco will shoot -and kill until the very end; he and I will remain in the old -house, in the old house—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They are coming nearer, Señorita," said Francisco, -his respectful tone as quiet and unperturbed as though -he were announcing a visitor.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You hear that? You must come, Auntie. I will not -leave you here!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Springing suddenly to her feet, she stooped, threw her -arms around her aunt's body, and lifted her from her -chair.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Francisco," she said, turning to the servant, "go on -firing. If I do not return, come after me in ten minutes."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, straightening her back, she went to the open door, -bearing easily the wasted form of her aunt, who did not -resist, but moaned and muttered in helpless impotence. -Out into the corridor, down the broad staircase, the strong -girl carried the feeble woman. She reached the patio; -then, instead of turning towards the great iron-studded -gate at the front of the house, she made her way to the -smaller but still strong gate at the back. In the open -patio the sounds of musket shots were tenfold louder than -they had been in the house above; they were mingled with -the shouts of men afar off, the sudden shocks of -explosions, and the crackle of flames. A pungent smell of -smoke filled the air. The girl hastened her steps towards -the rear of the house, where the noises came less distinctly -to the ear. Arriving at the gate, she set her burden down -gently upon a bench, quickly drew the bolts, and, promising -to return in a few moments, slipped out, closing the -gate behind her.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>She found herself in a narrow irregular street. On -the other side was a row of smaller houses, the upper -stories of which projected over the roadway. At each -end the street opened to wider thoroughfares, and the -Casa Ximenez was nearer the northern extremity. Juanita -gave a quick glance each way. The house at the end -of the street on her left was in flames. Nobody was to -be seen, but she heard fierce shouts, apparently in all -directions, growing ever louder. She paused but for an -instant, then ran across the street to a door opposite -and hammered with her fists upon the wood. She waited; -there was no answer, no sound of movement within. She -knocked again with greater force, bruising her knuckles -until they bled. Still no response. She stepped back a -pace and looked up at the windows; all were shuttered. -She struck the door with repeated blows, and cried to -any who might be within to open it. A shout to her -left caused her to start and look round with apprehension -in her eyes. A French soldier, armed with a pike, -had just turned the corner, and behind him were others, -some armed with muskets. At sight of them the girl -turned to run back to the gate of the Casa Ximenez. -Glancing in the other direction, she saw a figure hastening -from the nearer end of the street—a figure in the long -cloak and low hat of a Spaniard. He caught sight of -the French and stopped short.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor," she cried, "help us for the love of God! My -poor aunt!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is it, Señorita?" he said, running towards her. -"What can I do for you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>She pushed open the gate and sprang through the -narrow entrance. The stranger followed her, slammed -the gate behind him, and shot the two stout bolts into -their sockets.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My aunt," said the girl, "is an invalid; I was trying to -save her. The French are at the front; what are we to do?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>She spoke with decision, in rapid tones that conveyed -no impression of fear, but rather of courage and -determination. The young Señor looked at the huddled, -helpless figure of the old lady on the bench.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señora," he said quickly to her, "we leave you for -a little. Take me into the house, Señorita."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As she led the way the youth threw quick glances to -right and left, taking his bearings.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is anyone in the house?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Francisco; all the other servants have fled."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where is he?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In the sala."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take me to him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Afterwards he remembered the peremptoriness of his -speech; at the moment neither noticed it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Entering the room, he saw the servant loading and -firing as imperturbably as before his mistress departed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's right; go on firing," said the stranger. "Now -upstairs, Señorita."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>She led him to the top of the house. The windows at -the back overlooked the tiled roofs of the lower houses -opposite, slightly above the level of the parapet. The -street below was filling with French soldiers, who were -battering and firing at the doors, without for the moment -doing much damage. From the barricaded and loopholed -windows on the other side shots flashed at intervals; the -houses were evidently defended in some force, and the -throng below were taken aback by the deadly cross-fires -from above. The stranger measured with his eye the -distance across the street from house to house.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Have you any boards, tables, anything, about fifteen -feet long?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I do not know. Francisco will know."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They ran downstairs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can you bring the Señora up?" asked the youth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, I carried her down."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Please do."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita hastened to the patio below; Jack went into -the sala.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stop firing now, hombre," he said to the servant. -"There is one chance of escape, from window to roof. -Are there any planks?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Francisco put down his musket, and glanced keenly at -the speaker, with a touch of surprise at his urgent manner.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"None, Señor, but the boards of the floor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No time to tear those up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He glanced round the room. He saw that the heavy -curtains were enclosed at the top within an ornamental -wooden framework, square-cut, massive, and ugly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Steps? A ladder?" he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In the press at the head of the stairs, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Quick! bring them here; and a hammer."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a few moments Jack was standing on a short ladder, -hammering the planks of the framework apart. Extending -over both windows and the wall between, they were -about sixteen feet in length. A few hard blows wrenched -the fastenings, and two planks an inch thick lay on the -floor. Side by side they measured three feet across.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, ropes, cords!" cried Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A long, stout bell-pull hanging from the ceiling caught -his eye. Tearing it down, by the time Francisco returned -with a length of rope Jack had lashed the planks together -at one end. Soon the other ends were bound as firmly -together.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Help me upstairs with it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They reached the topmost room, whither the girl had -already carried her feeble, whimpering aunt. The -extemporized bridge was long enough to rest on the ledge of -the opposite parapet, with a foot each way to spare. But -it could not be thrown across without a support at the -other end; its weight would more than counterbalance -any pressure that could be exerted on the end in the room.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Another rope!" cried Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had noticed a strong staple in the attic roof above -the window. Francisco came back in two minutes with -a long rope. Jack lashed it round the end of the planks, -sprang on the window-sill, and pulled the rope through -the staple.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now let it out steadily as I push the bridge across."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita stood with shining eyes, watching the young -stranger as he pushed the planks across the street, while -Francisco stolidly paid out the rope. The bridge rested -on the parapet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hold this end firmly against the sill," said Jack to -Francisco.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita held her breath as the young fellow mounted a -chair, stepped out of the window, and walked cautiously -to the middle of the bending bridge. In a moment he -was back again in the room.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It will bear," he cried. "I go first with the Señora."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He lifted the old lady carefully; she was too much -dazed to have any consciousness of what was before her, -and lay inert in Jack's arms, moaning "Ay de mí! Ay de -mí!" incessantly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wait till I return," he said to Juanita, who stood, her -cheeks flushed with excitement and hope, within the room.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Step by step he slowly bore the old lady across the -creaking, swaying planks, till he reached the other side; -then he laid her gently down behind the parapet at the -foot of the gable. Then he sped back.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now it is your turn, Señorita," he said, preparing -to lift the girl.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can go alone," she said without hesitation. "I -can," she repeated resolutely as Jack sought to detain -her.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Springing lightly on to the planks, she paused for an -instant, caught her skirt in one hand, bit her lips, and -then ran across as lightly as a hare, Jack watching her -with a tense feeling of anxiety mingled with admiration. -He gave a gasp of relief.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, hombre," he said, turning to the old servant, -who had held the planks steady without uttering a word.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not so, Señor," he said; "I go last."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nonsense! I am responsible for this. Get on at once."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There were loud shouts from below.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am old, Señor. The Frenchmen in the street have -seen us now; they will shoot; it matters little if I die."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No more. You must go. The ladies require you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>From the parapet opposite Juanita was looking at them. -Her cheeks were very pale.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, Francisco," she said in a tone of authority that -brooked no denial.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man hesitated no longer. He mounted the bridge, -and walked with slow, firm step towards his mistress. -An upward shower of shots pelted all around him. One -struck him in the leg; he stumbled, nearly wrenching the -planks from Jack's grasp, and Juanita uttered a cry as -the poor man fell headlong into the street.</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 62%" id="figure-125"> -<span id="francisco-falls-from-the-plank"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Francisco Falls from the Plank" src="images/img-211.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Francisco Falls from the Plank</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack saw that there was no time to be lost. A few -dexterous shots from below might destroy the bridge. -He must run the gauntlet. He mounted at his end. At -the same moment Juanita, with great presence of mind, -seized the other end, and held it firmly against the -parapet. Three bounds, amid flying shots, and Jack reached -the parapet in safety. Then, catching up the planks, he -hurled them down upon the crowd.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are not hurt, Señorita?" he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Poor Francisco!" was her reply. There was a -tremor in her voice, not from fear, as her next words -showed. "I am ready, Señor; tell me what we are to -do now."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a trap-door a yard away, opening inwards. -Jack tried this with his foot; it was bolted, but the bolt -rattled, and could evidently be forced with little exertion. -Without hesitating he sprang heavily on to the wood; it -gave and fell in with a crash. Jack's body had almost -disappeared into the opening, when as he fell he caught the -ledge with both hands, and though the sudden stoppage -gave his muscles a severe wrench, he managed to maintain -his grip, and hung on with legs dangling.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señorita," he said, "come and look down and tell me -what the drop is. I cannot see, myself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita went down on hands and knees, and peered -into the darkness. For a moment her eyes could -discern nothing; then, as they became accustomed to the -obscurity, she said that the trap-door opened into an attic -room, and that the floor was not far below. Jack -instantly let go, and dropped. The distance was but ten -feet. Regaining an erect posture, he found, after a little -groping, a short ladder in a corner of the attic. He placed -this in the opening, and went up into the light again. It -was the work of only a few minutes to carry the old lady -down the ladder. Juanita followed, and instantly busied -herself with her half-fainting aunt.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wait here, Señorita," said Jack, "while I go down -into the house and see if the way is open for escape."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The attic door was not locked. Jack went out, down -the stairs, through the house from top to bottom, and -found every room empty, every window barricaded, and -the outer doors locked. Unlike the occupants of the -other houses on this side of the street, the inhabitants -of this had clearly not stayed to defend it. The front -door was bolted on the inside; at the door of a yard at the -back the bolts were drawn, showing that escape had been -made that way. Jack pulled at the door; the lock held -firmly; it was impossible to force it; the only means of -exit was over the wall. Hastening upstairs again, he -explained the position to Juanita, who looked at him with -the same quiet self-possession.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you know any house in the centre of the city, -Señorita," asked Jack, "where you can take refuge? -Your own house is now, without doubt, in the hands of -the French."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, Señor, we have friends in the Calle del Coso -with whom we can stay."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then, if you will allow me I will escort you thither. -I do not know the town very well, but I know the Calle -del Coso."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, we will go. But how can we take my aunt, -Señor?" asked the girl. "Helpless as she was half an -hour ago, she is prostrate now. You could not carry her -all the way."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I think I know of a plan. The first thing is to take -her downstairs, and I am strong enough for that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a few minutes all three were at the yard door. -Jack returned to the attic for the ladder, and having -placed that against the wall, he carefully carried the old -lady to the top, where he sat with her until Juanita had -also mounted, drawn up the ladder, and let it down on -the other side. They were now in a narrow lane, in which -nobody was to be seen, though they knew by the shouts -and the gunshots that fighting was going on at no great -distance. Leaving the old lady in Juanita's charge, Jack -went back into the house, and soon returned with a large -chair and two short props he had found in the patio. -Placing the old lady in the chair, he passed the props -through the legs on each side.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If you will hold them at the back, Señorita," he said, -"I will take them in front, and then we shall be able -to carry the Señora between us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus burdened, they walked slowly down the lane, -turned to the right, and found themselves in a street filled -with soldiers and citizens, among whom were many women -and priests. Almost all, even the priests, were armed, -and many were hastening in the direction of the Augustine -convent, where the French, after a desperate struggle, -had just succeeded in forcing an entrance to the town. -Barricades had been erected at various parts of the street. -No one showed any surprise at the sight of an old lady -carried on a chair. Strange incidents of the siege were -happening every day. Every hour some new family was -obliged to quit its dwelling and seek safety in flight. -Unnoticed and unmolested, Jack and his companions in a -few minutes reached the house in the Calle del Coso to -which Juanita had referred. They were admitted immediately -to the patio. There Juanita found her friends eating -a meal the frugality of which spoke only too plainly of -the straits to which the city was now reduced. The -exhausted condition of the old lady demanded instant -attention, and while the group of friends gathered about her -solicitously, Jack took a hurried farewell of her niece.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now that you are in safety, Señorita, I can leave you -and go to fulfil an errand I have. I trust the Señora will -soon recover from her weakness and terror, and that you -will not suffer from the strain of this frightful morning."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor, you have the heart-felt thanks of my aunt and -myself. But for your timely help—I dare not think of -it. And poor Francisco! To think of him dead, killed -by those horrible French! ... We can never thank you -enough."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was conscious of some constraint in the young -lady's manner, which he ascribed to the reaction from her -excitement and the peril recently gone through.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am only too glad that I happened to be passing -at that moment, Señorita," he said. "And now, farewell!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He bowed. The young lady looked at him with a -curiously scrutinizing expression in her eyes; then, -returning his bow with somewhat more formality, Jack thought, -than the occasion required, she said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Adios—Señor!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="palafox-the-man"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XIX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Palafox the Man</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Night on the Ebro—Across the Boom—Heroines of the -Siege—The Captain-General—An Interview—A Missing -Letter—War to the Knife—An Interruption—Santiago -Sass—First Impressions</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>So exciting an incident immediately on his entrance into -Saragossa had engrossed Jack's attention so thoroughly -as to drive from his mind the matter which, until he turned -the corner of the Casa Ximenez, had been giving him -much concern. Where was Pepito? That mischievous -but useful elf had been the life and soul of the sailors -during their rapid voyage from Seville to the mouth of -the Ebro. When they disembarked at Tortosa he had -managed with great cleverness the hiring of horses on -which to continue the journey overland, and had ridden -with Jack across country until they reached the village -of Mediana, some fifteen miles from Saragossa. There -Jack learnt that Saragossa was closely invested on all -sides by the French, and in particular that the Monte -Torrero, an eminence on the south-west of the city, was -in the hands of the enemy, who had made it the base of -most vigorous and sustained operations.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was clearly impossible to penetrate the French lines -and enter the city on foot or horseback; the only other -means was the river. Jack made anxious enquiry as to -the chances of finding the waterway open. He learnt -that in the early days of the siege several boats had -eluded the vigilance of the French and come down the -river, and that, only a fortnight before, Francisco -Palafox, the brother of the captain-general in command, -had escaped under cover of night and was now at large, -endeavouring to raise a relief force. But the peasants -of Mediana knew of no case of a boat going up-stream -and passing the French batteries since Colonel Doyle had -sent a number of new muskets into the city the day before -the strict investment began. Further, in addition to a -bridge of boats near the confluence of the tributary -Huerba with the main stream, a boom had been thrown -across the river a few hundred yards below this point, -and it seemed most unlikely that now, in the seventh -week of the siege, the French sentries would have so -far relaxed their watchfulness as to allow the boom to -be crossed or broken.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was bad news, and Jack, for the moment, felt -baffled. He discovered, however, that at this time of -year Saragossa and the neighbouring district were covered -at early morning with a thick mist from the river and the -low-lying banks, and he felt that if he could take -advantage of this fact he might slip into the city despite -all the enemy's vigilance. At any rate he determined to -make the attempt. A bargain was soon struck at a -riverside village for the loan of a boat. The oars were -carefully muffled, and after dark, on the night of January 31st, -Jack started with high hope on the last stage of his long -journey.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All went well. It was a pitch-dark night, and the strain -of rowing a heavy craft against the stream necessitated -frequent pulls-in to the bank for rest. But steady progress -was made mile by mile, until, about five o'clock in the -morning, sounds ahead indicated that the boat was -drawing very near to the French encampments.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Every stroke of the oars was now made with infinite -precaution, and the boat crawled along at a snail's pace. -Pepito, in the bow, leant over to watch for the boom which -blocked the waterway, and many times dipped his hands -into the icy-cold water so that touch might not fail where -sight was impossible. The air was raw and chilly, and -Jack was delighted to learn, from his sensations in throat -and eyes, that the mist of which his informant had spoken -was an actuality.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was drawing towards dawn. The darkness was -yielding to a faint luminance that was not yet light, when -suddenly, a few moments after Pepito had withdrawn his -numbed hand from the water, the boat was pulled up with -a jolt, and a harsh prolonged creak testified that its nose -had come at last into contact with the boom—a heavy -chain drawn across the river from bank to bank. Instantly -there was a cry from the bank on their right: "Qui va -la?" At that same moment, without the least hesitation, -Pepito slipped noiselessly over the side of the boat into -the water, caught the chain with one hand, and -endeavoured to pull it down, whispering to his master to -row over. But his puny strength was, of course, -unavailing, and he crept back shivering into the bows. -Jack, however, had at once divined the only possible -solution of the problem. So heavy a chain must -undoubtedly sag towards the middle of the stream. Was -the middle to his right hand or his left? He pulled the -boat sideways against the obstruction, and told Pepito to -slip overboard and walk along the chain while he himself -gently paddled. At a guess he moved to the right, and -was soon gratified by Pepito's whispered announcement -that the chain seemed to be sinking. When the water -reached the boy's middle, Jack gently brought the boat's -head to the stream, and with two vigorous strokes drove -the unwieldy vessel across the boom. The boat's bottom -scraped the massive links as it crossed; Pepito clambered -in rather too hastily and slipped; the sounds caught the -ears of the sentry on the bank, and another cry of "Qui -va la?" penetrated the mist, followed by a shot. More -voices were heard; more shots; and then from a point -behind came the sound of a boat being run down the -bank. Jack now plied his oars with might and main; -cries, followed by shots, rang out from the other bank, -and then, ahead and approaching him, he heard the -straining of oars against rowlocks. There was no time for -hesitation. Pulling hard on the left oar he headed for the -bank, taking his chance, and in a few seconds grounded -with a shock. In an instant he was out of the boat, and, -followed closely by Pepito, started at a quick walk through -the clinging fog in what he guessed must be the direction -of the city.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They had not walked fifty yards when a terrific explosion -rent the air, deafening their ears and almost knocking -them backward. Immediately afterwards the thunder of -heavy artillery broke out to their right, and the mist -beyond them was fitfully illuminated by lurid flashes. -Brought to a momentary stop, Jack again went forward, -with eyes and ears painfully strained, every fantastic eddy -of the mist presenting itself as a possible enemy. -Suddenly he looked round to see that Pepito was with him. -The boy was gone! Retracing his steps, he peered through -the gloom, calling the gipsy's name softly. There was no -answer, no sign of him. Five minutes were spent in -fruitless search; then, within a few yards of him, Jack heard -the tramp of men marching rapidly in file. With a mixed -feeling of annoyance and anxiety he turned and made off in -the opposite direction, crossed the district known as the -Tanneries, and after wandering about for nearly an hour, -dodging footsteps, and seeing with concern the mist -clearing, arrived at the turning of the Casa Ximenez just in -time to assist the young lady then so urgently needing -assistance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Still anxious about the safety of the gipsy boy, Jack -felt, after leaving the house in the Coso, that he could do -nothing at the moment, and his first duty was to present -his despatch to General Palafox. The sounds of combat -hurtled in the air; behind him clouds of smoke and flame -bore witness to the success of the French bombardment. -The street was full of men, women, citizens, soldiers, -priests, hastening from point to point, all armed, all with -fury and grim determination printed on their worn features. -Stopping a boy who was hauling along a barrow filled -with powder, Jack asked him where General Palafox could -be found.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In the Palace of the Inquisition, by the Portillo Gate," -replied the boy in surprise, scarcely stopping to answer -the question, and hurrying on again with his fatal load. -Before he had gone fifty yards a bomb fell into the barrow, -and, unknown to Jack, this little defender of Saragossa -was blown into eternity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack hastened along the street, climbing the barricades, -shuddering as he saw the unburied corpses of the slain -lying before every church door, wincing in spite of himself -as the thunders of the cannonade resounded in his rear, -and admiring the courage of the black-robed noble ladies, -who went about the streets swiftly but quietly, some -carrying aid to the wounded, others almost staggering beneath -the weight of great bags of powder and ammunition tied -to their waists. He hurried along the Coso, crossed the -Calle del Hospital, pursued his way to the Portillo Gate, -and at length, passing through a long covered approach, -reached the Palace of the Inquisition—the Castle of -Aljafferia, at the extreme north of the city, outside the -walls. At the gate of the castle many people were going -in and coming out. Jack joined the ingoing stream, and -found himself within the stately halls of the old palace of -the kings of Aragon, crowded with soldiers and people of -all classes. Learning with some difficulty that the -captain-general was in one of the smaller salons, he at length -reached the room, and stood in presence of the man -whom for months past he had been more than eager to see.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>José Palafox was barely thirty years of age, a tall man -with dark complexion, heavy brown moustache and -whiskers, and kindling eyes—kindling now, alas! with the -flame of disease as well as of patriotic ardour. He was -seated at a table on which papers were outspread. Every -now and then his frame was racked with coughing. At -his right hand stood a grim-visaged priest, Don Basilio -Bogiero, his chaplain, whose fiery zeal in the defence of -the city was equal to his own. Around were others of the -notable men of the place, whom Jack came to know before -many days had passed—the parish priest Santiago Sass, -the burly peasants known to the whole populace as Uncle -George and Uncle Marin, who had already proved their -valour at the first siege of Saragossa, six months before. -Making his way through the throng, he came to the -table, and, bowing to the general, presented him with the -despatch he had run such risks to deliver.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"From the British minister, Señor?" said Palafox in -surprise, looking keenly at Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He broke the seal, and showed the handwriting to Don -Basilio, who nodded in answer to his mute enquiry. The -general then rapidly cast his eyes over the despatch; Jack, -watching him, saw his features twitch as he read. Collecting -himself, he folded it up and placed it in his pocket.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My brothers," he said aloud, "this is good news."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A shout interrupted him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good news! good news!" rang from lip to lip. Santiago -Sass crossed himself and cried: "Praise to our Lady -of the Pillar!" Don Basilio watched everything with his -fierce eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, my brothers, good news!" continued Palafox. -"The great English general, Sir Moore, has smitten the -hosts of the accursed French; an army three times his -own he has smitten and scattered to the winds of heaven. -The traitor, the regicide, Bonaparte, has fled to France, -and our brethren in all parts of Spain are massing to -march to our assistance. Praise to the noble English! -Praise to our noble allies! Praise to the great and noble -Moore!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Praise to Our Lady of the Pillar!" shouted Santiago Sass.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The room rang with exultant cries, some in praise of -Moore and the English, others in adoring gratitude towards -the patron saint of the city. The fervour of religious -enthusiasm was all the intenser because of the general -belief that the extraordinary failure of the first siege, six -months before, had been due to the miraculous interposition -of Our Lady.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While the exultation was at its height, Palafox whispered -a few words in the ear of Don Basilio, rose from -his chair, and beckoned Jack to follow him into a small -inner room. There, having shut the door, he asked:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you know the contents of the British minister's -despatch, Señor?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not in precise terms, Señor Capitan, but I know -the facts. I was myself with Sir John Moore's army. I—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pardon me, Señor. You see what I am compelled to -do? The patriotic ardour of the Saragossans is so furious -that I dare not as yet let them know all the truth. And, -indeed, I do not yet give up hope. Though Mr. Frere -tells me that I can no longer expect assistance from -without, I do not know—I do not know. My brother is raising -levies to the south; others are gathering forces. In any -case, our brave countrymen will form guerrilla bands, and -we shall give the accursed French no respite until they -are all driven back across the mountains. And—but tell -me; I do not understand why I have received so long and -full a despatch from Mr. Frere and none from our own -Junta. I should have expected that the Marquis del Villel -would have given you a despatch that would have been -of equal importance with the British minister's."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is easily explained, Señor Capitan. I carry -Mr. Frere's despatch because I am myself an Englishman. -My name is Lumsden—Lieutenant Lumsden of the -Rifles." Jack watched the general's face for a sign of -recognition of the name.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed! you amaze me. You speak our tongue so—Lumsden! -I remember; I had almost forgotten it; a -friend of my old friend Don Fernan Alvarez—is it not so? -Alas! Don Fernan could not survive the humiliation of -his unhappy country. Are you the Señor Lumsden who -was Don Fernan's friend?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My father was his partner, Señor," replied Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, and I had a letter for you, addressed to you by -Don Fernan, and left in my charge ere he died. As I -understood, it was a duplicate of a letter sent to -Mr. Lumsden in London—your father, no doubt, Señor—and -Don Fernan asked me to retain it until I heard either from -your father or yourself, and if I heard from neither within -six months, I was to send it to an address in London that -he gave me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Palafox was here overtaken by a fit of coughing, which -shook his fever-worn frame. When the coughing ceased, -and the general lay back panting, Jack said quietly:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And the letter, Señor?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is what troubles me, Señor. I regret to tell you—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was seized again with coughing; Jack waited -anxiously for the paroxysm to cease.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I regret to tell you the letter is gone."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gone!" echoed Jack blankly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gone, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But how—why—can it have been lost, mislaid?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was locked in my cabinet. A fortnight ago my -cabinet was rifled, and a box of papers was taken away, -among them the letter addressed to your father."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But still I do not understand, Señor. Why should -anyone wish to steal a letter addressed to an unknown -Englishman?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No one wished that, I suspect," said Palafox with a -faint smile. "The box in which the letter was placed was -exactly similar to another box containing papers of public -importance, including plans for the defence of the city. -That, as I surmise, was the box which the thief wished to -secure. Luckily for Spain, unluckily for you, he stole the -wrong box, and apart from your letter obtained nothing -of any great importance."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am glad of that," said Jack instantly. "Of course -I am disappointed and vexed about the letter, but a private -loss like that does not matter half so much as the loss of -your plans would have done; it's no good crying over spilt -milk, as we say, and I must put up with it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is good of you to take the matter with such noble -resignation," said the courtly Spaniard. "Believe me, I -regret the circumstance exceedingly. I can only hope that -the French spy who stole the box—he must have been a -French spy; we have no afrancesados in Saragossa—I can -only hope that there was nothing in the letter that will -seriously affect your fortunes, and after all, it was a -duplicate, and the original is probably safe with your father in -London. And now tell me, Señor, how you succeeded in -the daring and marvellous feat of entering our sorely -invested city."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack gave a brief account of his adventures, to which -Palafox listened with an air of the keenest interest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It will be more difficult to get out than in," he said at -the conclusion of the story. "And yet to remain in the -city will be to court death or disease. It cuts me to the -heart to think of the thousands who are dying here week -by week, not for want of food—we have provisions of a -sort in plenty—but for want of air and space. We had -too large a population, Señor, when the siege began. I -should have sent away the townsfolk; I see it now. And -yet no, for the townsfolk are our most ardent and staunch -defenders; even when the courage of the soldiers flags, the -brave citizens cry "Guerra al cuchillo",[#] and "Hasta la -ultima tapia",[#] and when fell disease overtakes them in -the fetid cellars where they now mostly live, still with -pious resignation they cry: "Lo que ha de ser no puede -faltar".[#] Such is their spirit, Señor, and hoping against -hope I maintain my defences, and, if God wills, shall yet -win the day."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">[#] "War to the knife."</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span class="small">[#] "To the last wall."</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span class="small">[#] "That which is to be cannot fail."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>During this speech Palafox had worked himself up into -a frenzy that brought on another fit of coughing; and -Jack, observing his unnaturally bright eyes, could not but -wonder whether the labours and responsibilities of the -defence were not affecting his mind. In a moment Jack -said quietly:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My position need not give you concern at present, -Señor Capitan. I must stay in Saragossa for at any rate -a day, for I have to make enquiries after my old friend -Don Fernan's family. His daughter, Señor—is she well?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I believe so; I hope so. It is long since I saw her. -I wished her to leave the city before the siege, but, like a -true maiden of Spain, she preferred to remain and do what -she could to help the noble Countess of Bureta and the -thrice noble Maria Agustin, our heroic maid of Saragossa, -in serving the soldiers and tending the sick and wounded. -The Señorita is under the guardianship of her aunt, the -Doña Teresa, and if you will seek the Padre Consolacion, -he will give you all particulars of their welfare; he -undertook to watch over their interests at my special request. -If you stay with us for a time, then, Señor, you will want -a residence. There is little choice; we are at the mercy of -the French guns; no house is safe, but—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have been thinking, Señor," interposed Jack, as the -general paused: "Will you accept me as a volunteer? -I have some months' leave. I not only have personal -interests in your city, but I feel that the struggle in which -you are engaged is one that I can throw myself into with -a whole heart. The cause of Spain is the cause of -England, and if I can do anything—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor, I thank you; I welcome you with eagerness. -You are an officer; your experience with Sir Moore's army -will be of value to me. Many of my best officers are dead; -many more have no experience. If you please, I will -assign you a definite command on our defences; will you -come to me to-morrow at this hour?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was on the point of replying when loud vociferations -came through the door from the large room. "Palafox! -Where is Palafox? The captain-general! Come! -Help! Tio Jorge! Palafox!" The cries grew louder -and louder; heavy fists, muskets, pikes battered on the -door; Don Basilio's powerful voice was heard endeavouring -to quell the tumult. Gathering himself together, and -bravely repressing the signs of weakness he had previously -shown, Palafox walked to the door, opened it, and stood -in the doorway.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is it, my children?" he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The noise was hushed; the crowd turned as one man -and seemed to be looking for someone. Then a passage -opened up among them, and a huge brawny figure, with -capless, dishevelled head, torn clothes, and face and hands -black with the smoke of battle, elbowed his way through -till he came to the general.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Viva Arcos! Viva el valiente Arcos!" cried several in -the throng.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Silencio!" in the stern, authoritative tone of Don -Basilio.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor Capitan," said the big man, "the French are -making towards the Coso! The Casa Ximenez block is in -their hands. They are burning, butchering; they are beating -down our men at the barricades! I come for the reserve, -Señor; for Tio Jorge and Tio Marin, and all their men! -At once, Señor; send them at once; for if time is lost, the -accursed foe will swarm into the centre of the town, and all -is lost."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Before Palafox could say a word, the priest Santiago -Sass seized a musket, and, raising his piercing voice, -cried:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Follow me! follow me! In the name of God and Our -Lady of the Pillar! To the convent of San Agustin! Tio -Jorge, Tio Marin, Jorge Arcos, follow me!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He rushed out into the corridor, and the mob, in a -frenzy of enthusiasm, poured pell-mell after him, carrying -their heroes with them. The room was left almost empty. -Don Basilio turned to Palafox and said quietly:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They will recover any ground that is lost. Spare -yourself, my son José."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But the madness of Santiago leading them to the -convent! The walls were breached by the explosion this -morning, and the French must now be in full possession of it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If the Augustine convent is where the explosion took -place," cried Jack eagerly, "that is near where I came in -this morning. I found out by accident something of the -position there, Señor. I think I could help. Have I your -leave?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Palafox looked kindly into the boy's shining eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," he said, "go, and bring me word of what befalls."</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 100%" id="figure-126"> -<span id="plan-of-the-city-of-saragossa"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Second Siege of Saragossa" src="images/img-224.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Second Siege of Saragossa</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack sprang instantly towards the door. As he passed -out, Don Basilio turned with an enquiring look towards -Palafox.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"An English youth, Padre," said the general, in answer -to his mute question.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A leader of men," said the priest, and sat down to -write a proclamation.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-day-with-tio-jorge"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">A Day with Tio Jorge</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">A Barricade—Battering-Rams—A Lull—A Way In—On the -Stairs—The Day's Work—A Triumph—Pepito's Watch</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>At the end of the covered way leading to the Portillo Gate -Jack found Tio Jorge giving instructions to a group of -armed citizens, who went off one by one on various -errands. Seizing a favourable opportunity, Jack went up -to the big Spaniard, and in a few rapid words acquainted -him with his own position and intentions. Jorge scanned -him for a moment with quick, penetrating glance, then -said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor will want a musket. There is a stand of arms -at the corner yonder."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In two minutes Jack, armed with a musket of British -make—one of those opportunely thrown into the town -by Colonel Doyle the day before the siege opened,—was -hastening along by the side of Tio Jorge into the city. On -entering the streets, the Spaniard summoned to join him -small bodies of citizens who were gathered at certain -points to act as reinforcements and reserves. Soon he was -at the head of a considerable troop, all of the artisan class, -for in these days of stress every able-bodied man in the -city was transformed into a fighter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As they ran, their ears were deafened by a loud explosion -on the right. The air was darkened with dust; broken -slates and stones came hurtling down upon their heads; -but the eager citizens pressed on with an indifference that -showed how much accustomed they were to such incidents.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A block of houses blown up between here and the -Santa Engracia convent," said Tio Jorge in answer to a -question of Jack's. "But that is not our business. The -French will hold the ruins, but they'll get no farther. Our -men will beat them back. 'Tis more dangerous towards -San Agustin. The French have gained more there in this -one day than in weeks on the Santa Engracia side. -Hombres," he cried to the men with him, "hasten, -hasten! The French are over the barricades, and we -must drive them out at all costs."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They ran on. Even in the rush and excitement Jack was -struck by the scenes of horror in the streets. At one point -two corpses swung slowly on gibbets erected by the door -of a church. Tio Jorge pointed to one of them, a look of -grim exultation on his face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He was my school-fellow," he said, "and my friend; -but I hanged him. So perish all who falter and counsel -surrender!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Wounded men were being carried to the hospitals by -women; some were limping or crawling with shattered -limbs and ghastly faces. Women and children ran hither -and thither, some carrying goods from houses threatened -by the enemy, others food and ammunition for the fighters. -Though many of them bore only too manifest signs of -sickness and privation, they all seemed animated by the same -spirit of fierce determination, and a gleam lit up their worn -features whenever Tio Jorge, as he passed, threw them a -word of encouragement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All the way along the Coso the sounds of firing in the -eastern quarter of the city came more and more distinctly -on the ear. Dense clouds of smoke rolled towards them, -and Jack heard the crackle of flames, still invisible. A -messenger with blackened face came towards Tio Jorge, -and announced that the French had captured three blocks -of buildings beyond the Casa Ximenez, and were slowly -but surely gaining ground. The Spaniard, bellowing out -fierce maledictions on the enemy, hastened his stride, and -in a few minutes reached a street leading to the university. -Here the Spaniards had entrenched themselves behind a -barricade, where they endeavoured to find cover from the -musket-shots fired from houses on both sides of the streets. -The French, borrowing the tactics of the besieged, had -occupied these houses, and were shooting from windows -and loopholes bored in the walls.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lean figure of the frenzied Santiago Sass was -conspicuous among the defenders of the barricade. Disdaining -all artifice, he stood erect, a mark for every bullet, yet -unhurt, uttering derisive shouts, and mingling his battle-cry -with quotations from the Psalms. Seeing Tio Jorge -approach at the head of his men, the priest hailed him -with loud acclaim.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Twice," he cried, "twice, Tio Jorge, have we already -beaten back the men of Belial. The hand of the Lord is -heavy upon them!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And shall be heavier!" cried Tio Jorge. "We must -over the barricade, hombres."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Instantly Santiago Sass mounted the entrenchment, and -was first on the other side, his long cassock flying loose as -he led the charge, musket in hand. Tio Jorge and Jack -were but a yard behind him, and with a great shout the -Spaniards swarmed over and dashed furiously at the French -advancing to the attack. Nothing could withstand their -rush. The French gave way, but instead of retreating -down the street they disappeared into the houses on either -side, bolted the doors behind them, and went to swell the -numbers of those who already occupied posts of vantage -within. In vain the frenzied Spaniards beat on the doors -with their clubbed muskets; the massive panels were -unyielding, and a rain of bullets fell from above, thinning the -Spanish ranks moment by moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Poles, bring poles!" shouted Tio Jorge.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Instantly men ran off, some of them only to drop on the -way. The survivors returned by and by with poles and -beams, with which as battering-rams they drove at the -fast-closed doors. They were shot down almost to a man; -but the places of those that fell were at once taken. A door -here and there was burst in, and the heroic Spaniards -sprang into the gardens and patios, only to be killed or -wounded before ever they came to close quarters with the -French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>From the first Tio Jorge had selected as the special -object of his attack a large house on the right of the -barricade. It was evidently held by a considerable force of the -enemy. But all assaults upon its thick door had proved -ineffectual. Even when a heavy beam was brought up as -a battering-ram it could not be used with effect, for the -door was at such an angle to the barricade that it could only -be struck obliquely unless the bearers of the beam advanced -for several yards into the open, where so many of their -comrades had already been struck down. Tio Jorge -ordered his men to make an attempt to drive in the door -from the angle of the barricade. Before the beam could be -thrown across, one of the men carrying it was shot. The -rest persevered, hauled it over, and made for the door. A -sheet of flame burst from the windows above; six of the -men were hit. The weight of the beam being now unequally -distributed, the other men were dragged down, or -tripped over the bodies of the slain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had accompanied them. Feeling a sharp pain in -his left arm, and seeing that nothing could be done at the -moment, he ran back to the barricade, narrowly escaping -being hit by flying bullets. Behind the barricade he found -Tio Jorge with a few others, the only survivors of the band -which had come up with such ardour and enthusiasm. -The leader was furious, railing at fate and at the failure -of the men to back up their comrades, and shouting for -more men to come to his assistance. Meanwhile, as Jack -stood by endeavouring to bind up what proved to be a -slight flesh wound, a lady came from the corner of the -street, bearing food and wine. Seeing what Jack was -about, she placed her baskets on the ground, calling -upon the men to help themselves, and then with quick -deft hands completed the bandaging which Jack had -clumsily begun.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You look tired," she said. "Take some food, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was only too glad to eat and drink. It was the -first food that had passed his lips since he left the boat. -Tio Jorge, too, ate like a famished man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gracias, Contessa," he said in a softer voice than was -usual with him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When all had eaten and drunk, the lady picked up her -baskets and moved away without hurry towards another -part of the city.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who is she, hombre?" asked Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The noble Contessa de Bureta, Señor; a delicate, frail -lady, as you see, but as fearless as—as I myself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a breathing-space, during which the men -rested, awaiting reinforcements, and rejoiced that the -French were contenting themselves with their work from -the houses, and made no further attempt at present to -storm the barricade. Jack took stock of the situation. -The house on the right could not be taken by assault; it -was occupied in too great force by skilled marksmen. To -ram the door by a direct blow was impossible, as -experience had proved; the fire from the houses was so deadly -that no bearers could live through it. While Jack was -pondering, the little band had been reinforced by other -citizens, and Tio Jorge was on the point of ordering -another attack. But he had uttered only a few words of -vehement encouragement when Jack interposed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Give me ten men, and I think in a few minutes we -could drive the French from yonder house without great -loss."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Tio Jorge looked doubtingly at Jack's eager face. They -were crouching behind the barricade, and there was a -temporary lull in the firing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How will you do that?" asked the Spaniard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Attack them from above."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Impossible! impossible! If you got to the roofs you -could not get into the houses, for the trap-doors are all -towards the street. You would be seen from the houses -on the opposite side, and shot down at once."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Still, I think it is possible. I have a plan."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, then, go, Señor, in the name of Our Lady of the -Pillar, and I will remain here and fire on the French to -cover your movements."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Accompanied by ten men hastily selected by Tio Jorge, -Jack made his way to the rear, and came to a house which -had not yet fallen into the hands of the French. Gaining -admittance, he led his men upstairs to the attic floor, -clambered out by the trap-door, and, before the enemy -had caught sight of him, succeeded in crawling over the -sloping roof to the opposite side. Two or three men had -followed him safely. Then the move was seen, and bullets -began to patter on the roof, so that the other men had to -follow Jack at great risk. All but one managed to crawl -over and join him without hurt, and the nine stood with -him on the farther side of the roof, sheltered by the low -parapet from any shots that might come from that direction.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then he led them quickly on to the roof of the adjoining -house, which was occupied by the French. Immediately -over an attic window he cautiously started to loosen the -tiles, the Spaniards eagerly following his example as they -perceived his intentions. After the first two or three tiles -had been gently prised out, the rest came away easily. -Half the men were employed in lifting the tiles, while the -others took them from their hands, and laid them quietly -in heaps at the foot of the parapet. Under the tiles were -the joists, and as these were not connected by matchboard, -it was an easier matter than Jack had expected to -break an opening into the room below. It was empty. -Such little noise as had been made on the roof had -evidently been drowned by the continuous firing in the houses -and streets. Jack handed his musket to the man next -him, and, catching hold of one of the joists, swung lightly -down into the room. The man handed him his musket, -then followed him, to be followed in turn by all his -comrades. In little more than ten minutes after their arrival -on the roof the ten stood together in the attic.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, hombres," said Jack, "we have to clear them -out room by room."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Followed by the Spaniards, he dashed from the attic -down the stairs into the first room on the floor below. -At the window were three men, so intent on firing at the -barricade that they were not aware of their danger until -the invaders were upon them. When they turned and saw -their enemies they had no thought of surrender. In this -bitter war surrender to a Spaniard was only another name -for death. But before they could bring their muskets to -the shoulder the Spaniards were at their throats. They -fell. Instantly the victors rushed to another room. In -a few minutes all the occupants of that floor were -disposed off.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>By this time the rest of the garrison had taken the -alarm. Many of the French had left their posts, and were -crowding downstairs in a panic, believing that a large -force of Spaniards had gained a lodgment in the house. -Tio Jorge below inferred from the slackening of the -enemy's fire that the bold attempt had been successful. -Without losing an instant he ordered some of his men to -make another onslaught with the beam on the door, and -sent others round to the back of the house, where a narrow -lane was at present clear of the French, to intercept any -who should endeavour to escape there. Panic had now -seized the French in the house. Fearing to be taken in -front and rear, most rushed downstairs towards the back -entrance, a few obstinately refusing to stir, and calling on -their comrades to stand firm. But Jack and his men -poured in pursuit, shouting, to keep up the illusion of -their being a numerous body. Below, the door at last -fell in with a crash before the strokes of the ram. Tio -Jorge burst in, and found only a small knot of French -between himself and Jack's men. The execution was -swift and sure. Of all the French who had used that -house as their fortress only those escaped who, fleeing -out by the back door, cut their way through the Spaniards -sent by Tio Jorge to intercept them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This brilliant success, won by citizens without the help of -the soldiery, wrought the spirits of the people to a high pitch -of exultation. Santiago Sass, who had escaped in all his -wild peregrinations without a scratch, rejoined Tio Jorge's -band, and rolled out sonorous sentences in jubilant frenzy. -But the Spaniards were not satisfied with the first triumph -of the day. There were other blocks of houses in -possession of the French. After a brief respite, during which -reinforcements of soldiers and citizens came up in considerable -numbers, the defenders set to work systematically to -dislodge the French from the positions so hardly won. -The housetop device was put in practice wherever access -could be obtained. For hours the struggle continued, and -Jack, who worked as hard as any man, was struck with -admiration of the untiring enthusiasm of the Spaniards. -Fighting from barricade to barricade, and from house to -house, they retook position after position, until, as early -dusk fell, the French had been cleared out of all the houses -and forced back to their impregnable position in the Santa -Monica and San Agustin convents.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The din of combat died down. Jack had arrived at the -Casa Ximenez, the scene of his adventure in the morning. -Entering the house, he found many signs of its temporary -occupation by the French, but the fighting had been so -intense and so persistent that they had had no time to -perpetrate the wanton mischief and destruction which -usually marked their progress. Jack went through the -house to make sure that none of the French were left, -and, entering one of the rooms, he guessed by the character -of its furniture and appointments that it belonged to the -young lady whom he had assisted earlier in the day. The -French had been so much occupied in the lower rooms -that they had left this room untouched. There were a -few trinkets on the dressing-table. Jack put these into -his pocket, knowing that the Señorita would be glad to -receive anything of value that could be rescued. Then, -descending into the patio, he found that Tio Jorge had -already told off a company of his men to occupy the house -during the night, in preparation for the renewed attack -which was undoubtedly to be expected in the morning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, Señor," shouted the big fellow, "we will now -go to the captain-general and tell him what we have done -for Saragossa this day. And your part, por Dios! is one -that no Saragossan will forget. Come!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They left the house. The sounds of bombardment and -musketry had ceased; parties of the citizens were moving -about collecting the dead and wounded; women and -children were emerging for a breath of air from the close -cellars in which they had sheltered during the day. As -Tio Jorge and Jack passed into the street, they became -aware, from the attitude of a group of soldiers and citizens -all looking in one direction, that something unusual was -attracting their attention. Looking up the street, towards -the same end at which he had entered it nearly twelve -hours before, Jack saw, by the light of the torches carried -by search-parties, a small figure advancing—the figure of -a boy, with a Frenchman's képi many sizes too large for -him almost obliterating his head, a Frenchman's sword -dangling from his belt, its point trailing a yard behind -him along the cobbles, and a Frenchman's musket -weighing down his shoulder. The boy was staggering along -under his burdens, yet contrived to maintain an air of -jauntiness and assurance that held the Spaniards -spell-bound with surprise and curiosity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The imp again!" ejaculated Jack with a smile.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boy caught sight of him, and, endeavouring to -hasten his step, tripped over his sword and fell headlong, -rising a moment after without musket or képi, and -revealing the swarthy face and unkempt hair of Pepito.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here I am, Señor," he said with his enigmatical smile. -"Not lost, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So I see. And what have you been doing? What -do you mean by giving me the slip like that, and making -me think the French had got you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito looked aggrieved. He took out of his vest the -silver watch Jack had given him at Seville, and held it -dangling by its chain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor's gift; should it get wet? Never. I got into -the water; not the watch. No, I put it on one of the -thwarts. We got out of the boat. Señor went so fast -that I forgot the watch. It was Señor's fault. I went -back for it, Señor; I got it; then when I came away—ha! -I hear the march of men. I stop; I hide; all day long -from my deep hole I see the French shoot with their -big guns across the river. I wait; I think, what if Señor -is dead? I wish I had come with him, and let the watch -get wet. Then, wonder of wonders! the Busne drive -the French back. They go by my hole; one falls; then -all is quiet, and I steal out and get these things from -the dead man, and I come in and have Señor as well -as the watch."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack could hardly find fault with the boy for wishing -to preserve his own gift. Explaining to Tio Jorge that -Pepito was a servant of his, he turned to resume his -interrupted journey northward, and bade Pepito follow him -closely.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="night-on-the-ramparts"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Night on the Ramparts</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">The Café Arcos—The Story of the Siege—Perfervour—An -Oath—The Casa Alvarez—The Missing Sentry—Through the -Lines—Miguel Enters Saragossa—Don Casimir is -Astonished—Moonshine</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>On arriving with Tio Jorge at the Aljafferia Castle, Jack -found that Palafox had already received from Santiago -Sass news of the excellent work done in the south-eastern -quarter of the city. But Tio Jorge insisted on telling -the story again, and dwelt with enthusiasm on the part -the English Señor had played—his idea to scale the roofs, -and his intrepidity in fighting by the barricades. The big -Spaniard loved a hard fighter, and Jack could have found -no surer way to his confidence and respect.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Excellent! excellent!" cried Palafox; "you came to -us most opportunely, Señor. And let me tell you, the -good opinion of our brave Tio Jorge is itself the highest -praise. Would to God that our success had been as -certain at other points! Unhappily, the French have -exploded mines in the neighbourhood of Santa Engracia, -and the most heroic efforts of our men have failed to -dislodge them from the ground they have gained. -Unhappily, also, Don Hernando de Solas, my valiant -lieutenant there, was shot as he led his men for the tenth time -to the assault, and I have no one whom I can conveniently -send to take his place."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Send the English Señor," cried Tio Jorge instantly. -"He has shown what he can do; he is an officer who -has served with the great Sir Moore; he is the very -man for the post."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Palafox looked for a moment doubtfully at Jack's -youthful face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are young yourself, Don José," added Tio Jorge, -divining his general's reluctance. "Por Dios! was there -ever before a captain-general so young!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is an arduous post," said Palafox. "Just now it -has to bear the brunt of the French attack, I fear. But -you have shown valour and resource, Señor Lumsden; -will you undertake the command of Don Hernando's -district?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I will do my best, Señor, if you entrust it to me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He spoke quietly, but his pulse leapt at the thought -of the work opening before him. Accepting the general's -offer with alacrity, he set off in a few minutes with Tio -Jorge, who had offered to introduce him to his men, and -procure for him a Spanish uniform to replace his soiled -garments. As they were hastening along the Coso, -crowded with people now that the day's fighting had -ceased, Tio Jorge stopped at the door of a big café.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You must be famished, Señor," he said. "You have -had nothing but a bite and a sup all day. Here is the -café of my friend Jorge Arcos; let us enter. When we have -eaten and drunk it will be time to seek the ramparts."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was nothing loth. In a few minutes he was seated -amid a crowd of ardent Saragossans, whose blackened -features and soiled garments bespoke the part they had -played in the defence of their city. Jorge Arcos himself, a -robust and lusty Spaniard, attended to Jack's wants when -he had learnt from Tio Jorge that the young Señor was an -English officer who had done good work that day, and -been entrusted by Palafox with the Santa Engracia -command. The big host, as well as the miscellaneous -company in the room, looked somewhat askance at the weird -figure of Pepito, who had closely followed his master. -His garb showed him to be one of the despised and outcast -gitanos; but on Jack's explaining that the boy had been -of service to him, Arcos shrugged, and brought him some -food and diluted wine, which the hungry little fellow -despatched with gusto.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As he ate, Jack fell into conversation with his host, and -showed a curiosity to learn something of the earlier history -of the siege. The mere suggestion was enough to set -the man's tongue wagging. He evidently loved the sound -of his own voice, and he owed indeed much of his popularity -with the citizens to his rough-and-ready eloquence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A remarkable siege, you say, Señor?" he said. "It -is, in truth; never was such a siege since the world began! -And 'tis not the first time the French pack of wolves has -come to eat us. Last year, by the favour of Our Lady of -the Pillar, we escaped their greedy jaws; and now also -again they shall rue the day they came a-hunting. For -six weeks we have withstood them; 'tis six weeks since -they began to throw their bombs and balls into our midst. -Aha! and on the second day after, they sent a man to -summon us to surrender. Surrender! Little they knew -Don José Palafox, little they knew the hearts of our -people—of Tio Jorge here, and Tio Marin, of the padres Don -Basilio and Santiago Sass and Consolacion; aye, and of -our noble ladies and of our poor folks such as I myself. -Surrender! Why, our people well-nigh tore the French -messenger in pieces! We knew they were coming to -invest us; did they think we should open our gates or -that our walls would fall flat as the walls of Jericho? Por -Dios!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He uttered a scornful guffaw, and shouts of approval -broke from the crowd.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, no. We had warning; the people from the -countryside came flocking in—workers in olive groves -and vineyards, potters from the villages, swineherds and -muleteers—and Don José gave them each his task, and -with our own people they toiled night and day to make -our city strong. Men and women and children, sixty -thousand of us, we wrought upon the ramparts. Some -carried earth in baskets, others plied the spade, others -went into the outskirts with picks and axes, and levelled -houses and orchards until, for half a mile round, the -country was as bare as my table here, a level waste on -which no enemy could find a wall or tree to shelter him. -Thus we strengthened our defences, building bastions and -raising mounds, till the whole city was encircled with -strong ramparts from the Ebro to the Huerba.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And all this time our people were gathering food—great -stores of corn and maize, oil and fish; and some -were making powder and bullets, and others were building -barriers across the streets with timber and sand-bags, so -that if the accursed French did break through our walls -we could still fight from street to street, as you have seen -to-day, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, but they are gaining ground; how can we hold -out longer, Jorge Arcos?" said a voice in the crowd.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Arcos glared around and smote upon the table.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where is that coward?" he cried passionately. -"Where is he? For whom does the gibbet stand in the -Coso? Is it not there for cowards, and weaklings, and -traitors, and all who talk of surrender? Hold out longer! -We have only begun. The French have got in here and -there—well, what of that? Every house captured costs -them a day; and every day brings our triumph nearer. -Have we not ample food? Is there a wretch in Saragossa -who complains of hunger? Set him before me; let me see -his face; he shall prove his words here in my presence, -or—" He made a significant gesture, and continued: -"No, we are not hungry; we can hold out for months; -and meanwhile friends are hastening to our succour. -North and south, east and west, armies are collecting. -The French shall be hemmed round like pigs for the -butcher; the February rains shall descend and flood their -trenches; and by the grace of Our Lady of the Pillar we -shall be able once again to foil the plans of the Corsican -dog, and the men of Aragon will set such an example to -the men of Andalusia and Castile, of Leon and Estremadura, -of Catalonia and Navarre, that no Frenchman shall -be left alive between the mountains and the sea."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Loud vivas rang through the room as Arcos brought his -oration to a close. It was no surprise to Jack to hear -such a speech from the lips of an ordinary café-keeper—every -Spaniard is an orator,—but he by no means shared -the speaker's assurance. The influx of so many people -from the country must have swelled the population far -beyond its normal limit. Overcrowding involved disease; -the encroachments of the French must constantly narrow -the habitable region; in the exposed parts only the vaults -and cellars would be safe from bombardment; and while -the operations of war claimed their full tale of victims, -Jack feared that pestilence would carry off still more. -But he said not a word of his apprehensions, and soon -afterwards, bidding his host and the company a cordial -adieu, he left with Tio Jorge and Pepito.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They passed the Franciscan convent beyond the Coso, -cut through narrow tortuous side streets, each barricaded -and guarded, passed the Capuchin nunnery, and came at -length to the district of Santa Engracia, in which a few -days before the French had gained a lodgment by sapping -and mining and direct assault. As they passed along a -street from which the French had been driven at the point -of the bayonet, but which was now a mere heap of charred -and smoking ruins, Jack saw a young lady standing -before the smouldering embers of one of the houses. By -her side was a little boy. The lady, who could not -have been more than twenty-five years of age, was pale -and haggard, and gazed upon the ruins of her home like -a very statue of sorrow. As Tio Jorge and Jack came -up to her, they heard her talking to the boy in low fierce -tones.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is the Doña Mercedes Ortega," said Tio Jorge half -to himself. "What is the matter, Señora?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>She turned and threw back her mantilla. Jack had -never seen a face in which utter woe and desolation was -so piteously imprinted. Her eyelids were swollen with -weeping; her eyes blazed out of dark sunken rims; her -lips were quivering.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That was my home," she said in an agony of grief -that Jack never forgot. "My husband lies there, and -my father. My brothers died on the ramparts; my little -girl died of fever in my arms. Only Juanino is left, only -Juanino, he and I; we are alone—alone—alone!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack turned away; there was a mist before his eyes. -Then suddenly the woman's tone changed from grief to -rage. Her next words seemed to bite into Jack's soul.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay, Señor!" she cried; "stay, Tio Jorge! I call -you to witness what I teach my Juanino. Yes, I teach him; -he will never forget; it is for a mother to teach her son -his duty. He shall be a scourge to all the accursed race. -He shall kill, kill, kill, knowing no rest till he join his -father—his father whom the French have killed!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boy looked up in her face with eyes of terror.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Put your hands together," she continued, "and swear -that henceforth, in war or peace, at home or abroad, in -the street or in the field, you will kill every Frenchman -you may meet, kill without mercy or ruth, and thus avenge -me and all your house. Swear, Juanino!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack shuddered as he heard the little fellow, whose age -was perhaps seven years, repeat the terrible oath his -frantic mother demanded of him. At that moment the -horrors of war were brought home to Jack's mind more -forcibly than ever before; nothing in the terrible retreat -to Corunna had been so terrible as the picture of the -young widow's desolate grief and passionate longing for -vengeance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He passed on, with Tio Jorge and Pepito, into a small -plaza out of which several narrow streets radiated. The -place was familiar to him, and a few steps farther on he -recognized the Casa Alvarez, and remembered, what he -had forgotten till now, that the house of his old friend -stood almost within a stone's-throw of the Santa Engracia -convent.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This was the head-quarters of Don Hernando," said -Tio Jorge. "You had better make it yours also, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. But let us go on to the ramparts now. I want -to see the position, and the men. Do you know, by the -by, what has become of the family of Don Fernan Alvarez? -The old Señor himself is dead."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I cannot tell you, Señor. He was a good man, was -Don Fernan. He had one daughter; was it not so? But -they were far above a poor man like me, and I know -nothing about the Señorita."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack felt a curious pleasure in knowing that the Casa -Alvarez was in his own district, and would actually be his -head-quarters. Hastening down the street towards the -walls, he enquired whether the ramparts were manned in -force at night in anticipation of attack during the hours -of darkness. Tio Jorge informed him that the French had -not risked a night attack in force since the beginning of -the siege. They continued their mining operations, but -they had found it so difficult to make headway -above-ground, even in the daylight, that actual assaults and -fighting seldom or never occurred between dark and dawn. -The ramparts were therefore guarded by a sufficient -number of sentries, but not occupied in force, the defenders -being only too glad to recruit their overtaxed energies -with sleep. When Jack arrived at the wall he found -sentries posted at intervals of a few yards. He learnt -from Tio Jorge that his command extended from the Santa -Engracia convent some fifty yards to the north, where it -adjoined the Porta Quemada district under the charge of -a personal friend of Palafox, Don Casimir Ulloa. It -happened that Don Casimir was making a round of his -sentries before leaving for the night, and to him Jack -was introduced by Tio Jorge at the point where their -commands met. Tio Jorge then took his leave, promising -to call at the Casa Alvarez on the way back, and see -that a room was arranged for the Señor's occupation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is all quiet to-night, Señor?" asked Jack, after the -first compliments had passed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes; nothing has happened since the French blew -up a house by the Santa Engracia convent just before -dark. But one thing puzzles me, Señor. Do you know -this part of the city?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I was here once before, but that was six years ago, -and I was too much a child then to remember it well now."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But you will know that beyond the wall here, which -has been greatly strengthened and thickened, the ground -slopes steeply down to the River Huerba. You can see -it; the water shines in the moonlight. On the other side -of the ravine, at the top, are the French trenches."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I see. What puzzles you, Señor?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am coming to it. Every night for ten days past -I have been at this spot at this hour, and every night I -have either seen or heard a French sentry exactly opposite. -To-night, however, there is a difference. At dusk we saw -the Frenchman tramping up and down behind the trench, -just out of range of your good English muskets, Señor; -we heard the guard changed; but a few minutes ago, -when I looked, I found that the sentry had disappeared. -Perhaps my eyes are at fault. Will you look, Señor?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack looked across the ravine. A pale half-moon was -shining, as yet somewhat low in the sky, and the ravine -and river-bed were gloomed by black shadows. The line -of the entrenchments showed rugged against the -background, in which watch-fires here and there marked the -night bivouac of the French. From the far distance came -faint and fitful noises; the gurgling wash of the river -against its embankments made the only sound in the -vicinity. Jack ran his eyes along the edge of the -entrenchment for a hundred yards in each direction. -Certainly no sentinel was in sight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perhaps he is resting," he remarked. "There is no -need for him to tramp up and down in sight all the time."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"True, Señor, but why to-night? Why on this night -should we miss what we have seen without exception for -many nights past?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is certainly strange. I shouldn't think it implied -any particular danger of an attack; should you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment Pepito touched him on the arm.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Something crawling, Señor!" he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He pointed across the river towards a spot in deep -shadow half-way down the opposite slope. Jack looked -in that direction, but failed to perceive any moving object.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are mistaken, Pepito," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The gipsy was stretched now at full length on the -wall, peering, with his hands arching his eyes, into the -darkness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A man crawling!" he whispered. "See!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and Don Casimir followed the boy's example, and, -keeping the moonlight from their eyes, at length discerned -a dark figure crawling slowly down the steep. A moment -later, all three caught sight of a second figure following at -a short interval the first.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They are coming within range," whispered Don Casimir. -"I will order my men to shoot."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay!" said Jack quickly. "Let us wait. Pass the -word along the sentries not to shoot if they see two men -approaching. Two men will not overpower us and capture -the city, Señor; there is something puzzling, as you -say, in all this. We must find out what it means."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The men had now reached the foot of the opposite -slope. On the ramparts several pairs of eyes were -watching them eagerly. At the brink of the river they halted -for a moment, then stepped into the water. Jack looked -questioningly at Don Casimir.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," said the latter, "the Huerba is fordable here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Two figures were wading through the water. They -gained the nearer bank; they climbed up. When on dry -land again they no longer crawled, but clambered as -rapidly as might be up the steep ascent to the wall. Jack -felt growing interest and excitement as they came up foot -by foot, with no attempt at concealment. They were -within four yards of the wall.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Quien vive?" asked Don Casimir in clear low tones.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Silencio!" said the first of the two figures, holding up -a warning hand. "I am a friend; help me up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The wall was some fourteen feet in height, and there -was no apparent means of assisting the man below.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If two of your men let down their muskets, I can -catch hold of them," said the man in a whisper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The hint was acted on. Don Casimir beckoned up two -of his men, who laid themselves flat on the wall, lowering -their muskets until the man below was able to grasp a -barrel in each hand. Then they gradually drew up the -weapons hand over hand, and the man with them. Don -Casimir, with drawn sword, kept a sharp look-out to -assure himself that the new-comers were alone, and that -this strange incident was not part of a French plot to rush -the wall.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In half a minute the spokesman was standing beside -the little group.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do I see Don Casimir?" he said, looking keenly at the -Spaniard, who had given a start of recognition as his -features came into view above the parapet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, Señor," replied Don Casimir with a bow. -"This is a strange meeting."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Strange indeed! Ah, what an hour it has been! I -thought we should never have got through. Turn where -we would, the French seemed to have sentries everywhere."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Except yonder, Don Miguel," said Jack quietly, -coming a little more distinctly into view.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Miguel made a quick turn at the sound of his voice, -and with a scarcely perceptible pause said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! my dear young friend, who would have thought -of seeing you here? What a pleasant meeting! Yes, -as you say, except yonder. But, as it happens, the sentry -yonder is now keeping guard in another world." He -tapped the hilt of his sword significantly. "We were -not in the mood to brook delay, and he was—well, one -Frenchman the less."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"All the same, they have replaced him pretty soon," -remarked Jack dryly, "unless that is his ghost."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He pointed, as he spoke, to the form of a sentry leaning -on his musket at the spot that had been described to him -by Don Casimir as the customary post.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is strange," replied Miguel musingly; "one might -have expected a commotion—when they found the body. -But, yes—no doubt they hush these things up. It would -reflect on their discipline."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Don Casimir, who had been looking from one to the -other in some astonishment, here interposed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But—do I understand, Don Miguel, that you have -come through the French lines?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, certainly, my friend; how else should I be -here? We are from Seville, from the Supreme Junta, -with despatches. We have ridden post-haste four -hundred and fifty miles in six days, as my friend here must -know, and by a miracle have succeeded in eluding the -wolves yonder. But that reminds me—I should lose no -time in delivering my despatches to the captain-general. -I suppose he is still in the Aljafferia? How goes it in -Saragossa? I fear you have been hard pressed."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, indeed," replied Don Casimir. "But the pack -of wolves outside is being thinned. Every yard costs a -man."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! I shall have much to hear," said Miguel, with -a meaning look at Jack; "and on my side I have not -a little to tell. Adios, Señores!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With a low bow he turned away, followed by his -companion, whom Jack had at once recognized, when he -gained the summit of the wall, as the one-eyed servitor -of evil memory. There was no look of recognition in the -man's fixed stare as he left the group a few paces behind -his master. Jack, however, was amused to note the attitude -of Pepito, who stood fingering his little knife with an -air of tragedy worthy of Mr. Kean himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was a daring feat," said Don Casimir, looking into -the moonlit distance as if gauging the difficulties that -must have beset any attempt to approach Saragossa from -that side. "Indeed, except yourself, I believe no one has -got in for at least three weeks past. But we have always -known Don Miguel as a match for any Frenchman. He -gave many proofs of astuteness during the first siege. He -is not easy to beat when readiness and resourcefulness are -needed. It is strange," he added after an interval, during -which his eye rested on the figure of the French sentry, -"very strange. I could have sworn it is the same man—the -man I missed an hour ago. But, of course, it cannot be."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The moonlight may be deceptive," suggested Jack; -but as he left the spot to return to his quarters he looked -thoughtful.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="juanita"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Juanita</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">The Brave Antonio—A Survey—Towards the Coso—A Deed -of Daring—The Señorita Receives—Old Friends—Mig -Prig—Don Fernan—An Ambush—José Pinzon—The Call of Duty</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Next morning, as soon as it was light, Jack started for -a round of his district. The Casa Alvarez was a large -square house, standing in the middle of a small plaza of -its own. Exactly opposite its front, which faced towards -Santa Engracia, there were two smaller houses, known -as the Casas Vega and Tobar, the backs of which were -separated from each other by a narrow lane leading -towards the convent. Each of these houses was the last of -a block of contiguous buildings, and they were, in fact, the -only houses in their blocks which were still intact, the rest -being more or less in ruins. The front of the Casa Tobar -looked into a street running parallel with the lane and -entering the Plaza Alvarez on the side nearest the ramparts. -On the other side of the street ran a row of houses -parallel to the Casa Tobar block. These also were mainly -in ruins. The house exactly opposite the Casa Tobar -was known as the Casa Vallejo, and this, while at present -unharmed, was the immediate object of the French attack. -Thus in the vicinity of the Casa Alvarez there were three -parallel blocks of buildings along which the French were -working simultaneously. Two of the blocks were -terminated by the Plaza Alvarez, and the last house in each -was in a line with the Casa Vallejo. The Casa Vallejo -terrace was separated by a lane from the ramparts, for -the defence of which Jack was not responsible.</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 100%" id="figure-127"> -<span id="plan-of-the-plaza-alvarez-district"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Plan of the Plaza Alvarez District" src="images/img-246.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Plan of the Plaza Alvarez District</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>The features of the locality were pointed out to him -by a young Spanish lawyer, Don Cristobal Somiedo, -who had taken a voluntary part in the struggle, and had -acted as lieutenant to Jack's predecessor, Don Hernando -de Solas. It was he, toe, who introduced Jack to his little -corps. It consisted of about 380 men, of whom no more -than 250 could be regarded as really fit for duty, and even -of these, as they paraded before him, many looked as -though they should be in hospital wards. The majority -of them were regulars, but nearly 100 were guerrilleros -driven into the city, before the actual investment began, -by the advance of the French. Among the rest were -once well-to-do shopkeepers, whose businesses had been -ruined, and whose houses and shops had in many cases -been destroyed by the French bombs or mines. They -were fighting side by side with artisans from the lower -quarters of the city, and peasants from the country-side, -all distinctions of class and occupation being forgotten -in the common peril. Regulars and irregulars all bore -marks of the toils and dangers of their strenuous life—some -in their tattered garments, others in ghastly wounds, -others in their haggard cheeks and fever-lit eyes. But -only one spirit animated them all: the determination to -spend their last energies in the defence of the city.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Passing down their ranks, Jack was struck by one face -that seemed familiar to him, and he stopped before the -man, endeavouring to recall the circumstances in which -he had seen him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Buenos dias, Señor," said the man, a stout thick-set -fellow wearing a heavy skin cloak. He smiled somewhat -sheepishly as he saluted his new commandant.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The tone of voice brought back to Jack's memory the -roadside encounter with a man on the way to Medina, -and the subsequent meeting in the inn.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The brave Antonio, is it not?" he said with a smile.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor," replied the man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am glad to see you engaged in such excellent work."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Passing on, Jack was introduced by Don Cristobal to -Pablo Quintanar, the chief of the guerrilleros, and learnt -that the man, though subordinate to the commander of -the district, expected a certain amount of consideration -as head of an independent party of peasant-warriors. -Jack was not taken with the man's appearance. He had -a sinister look and shifty eyes, and replied in curt ungenial -tones to the few words addressed to him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Antonio, the man you spoke to just now," added Don -Cristobal, "is second in command of the guerrilleros, and -a much better man, in my opinion, than the chief. You -appear to know him, Señor?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I met him once," was Jack's brief reply.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Having made acquaintance with his corps, and finding -that the French had not yet commenced their morning -movements, Jack proceeded to complete his survey of -the position. Beyond the River Huerba he could now -clearly see the long rows of French trenches, the parallels -cut here and there by a series of zigzags constructed with -incredible labour to secure the besiegers' approach to the -walls. The French had actually made good their position -on the near side of the river, immediately beneath the wall, -towards Santa Engracia, but they had hitherto forborne -to press their advantage, the height of the bank rendering -it difficult for them to storm the ramparts in that quarter, -and at the same time preventing them from blowing them -up by mines.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was clear that no French attack was to be expected -from the Porta Quemada side of his district, for in order -to reach him the enemy would have to push their way -through some hundreds of yards of streets held by Don -Casimir, who had proved himself a very capable leader. -But on the Santa Engracia side he was exposed to what -was plainly the enemy's principal attack. Their aim was -obviously to reach the Coso, and to connect the wedge -they were driving into the city in this quarter with the -wedge already inserted at San Agustin.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They had made considerable progress since the capture -of the Santa Engracia convent four days before. They -treated each block of houses as a miniature fortress. -There was no attempt to carry it by storm until the -defences had been attacked by sap and mine. As soon -as a house was blown up they rushed in and occupied -the ruins, where they entrenched themselves with bales -of wool, gabions, and sacks of earth, and began to drive -mines under the next block.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Anxious to see for himself something of their method, -Jack entered a house next to one recently blown up, -and, ascending to the top story, peeped through a -loop-hole pierced in the party wall. The roof of the next -house had fallen in. Some charred beams were still -smouldering. Here and there a tongue of flame licked -the débris, and as the breeze blew in fitful gusts, dense -clouds of smoke rose into the air.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They don't do their work very thoroughly," said Jack -to Don Cristobal. "The shell of the house is still -standing. A good explosion would have shattered the whole -place."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They have changed their ways, Señor," replied the -lieutenant. "At first they used big charges and -completely destroyed the houses; but they found that when -the ruins cooled, and they occupied the space, they had -no shelter from our fire. Now they use smaller charges -and throw down only the wall next to them, leaving the -other walls and the roof uninjured. The roof next door -was not brought down by the explosion, but by our own -men setting fire to the shell."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A counter-stroke, eh? Obviously two can play at -their game. Well, it will be at least a couple of days, -I should think, before the ruins are cool enough for the -French to occupy the ground. Probably they are busy -running a mine towards us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A loud explosion at this moment shocked the air. Looking -out of the window, across the barricaded streets, Jack -saw a column of smoke pouring from a house to his left, -at the corner of another block of buildings not in his -quarter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"One house nearer the Coso," he said. "Well, Don -Cristobal, we must do what we can to check their -progress in our direction. Our men are no doubt -counter-mining."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not very successfully, I am afraid. We have no -trained sappers and miners; only a scratch battalion -formed from the workmen employed on the great canal -of Aragon, a mile to the south, and they haven't been -accustomed to work underground."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must give them some practice, then," said Jack -as they left the house together.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Returning to the Casa Alvarez, which he had fixed on -as his permanent head-quarters, Jack learnt that there -had as yet been no sign of a French attack upon his -district. The houses and barricades were well manned -by the Spaniards. It was clear that their vigorous -opposition had deterred the French from attempting an -assault in force until they had made further progress with -their mines. In pursuance of an idea that had occurred -to him, Jack sent for the foreman of the canal labourers -and took him at once into a small cabinet, where they -remained closeted for more than two hours. At the end -of that time the workman, carrying a sheet of paper, left -the house, collected a gang of the labourers, and brought -them, armed with various implements, into the Casa -Alvarez, where he descended with them into the cellars.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile Jack, leaving Don Cristobal in command, -made his way to the Aljafferia Castle to see Palafox. His -interview with the general was brief. He reported that -he had taken over command of his district, rapidly -surveyed it, and inspected his men. He mentioned what he -had learnt of the recent operations of the French, and -was informed by Palafox that he might regard himself -as having a free hand in preparing measures of defence, -though he would be expected to make a daily report to -head-quarters. The business of the interview being -concluded, Palafox said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You will be interested to hear that last night Don -Miguel Priego—he is connected, I believe, with your -father's house—got through the French lines by a stroke -of matchless daring, bringing me despatches from the -Supreme Junta. Their view of my country's prospects is -brighter than Mr. Frere's; and Don Miguel tells me -that, from information he gained during his wonderful -journey across Spain, we may expect the siege to be -raised within a week."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am glad to hear it, Señor Capitan," said Jack -gravely. Then, abruptly changing the subject, he -continued: "Can you tell me where I should be likely to -find Padre Consolacion?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"At the Franciscan convent, no doubt; you will pass -it on the way back to your district. The padre is doing -grand work."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack thanked the general and took his leave. He was -anxious to find Padre Consolacion and discover from him -the whereabouts of Juanita Alvarez. As he walked along -the Coso towards the Franciscan convent he came to the -house where he had left the young Señorita whose -acquaintance he had made on his first entrance to the town, -and remembering the trinkets of hers he had in his pocket, -he decided to call and leave them with her, and at the -same time enquire after her welfare and the health of the -fragile old lady whom they had rescued. Rapping at the -door, he was in a minute confronted by a pleasant-looking -old duenna, who, on learning the object of his call, at once -asked him in.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Señorita said that if you called you were to be -shown up, Señor. Follow me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was nothing unusual in this; in Spain a message -is always delivered in person, be the messenger high or -low. Jack followed the old woman into a vast salon, -darkened by the closing of the shutters except at a small -window at the back.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Señora is ill; the Señorita receives," said his -guide, and went out, closing the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a chair sat the old lady, looking vacantly around -the room, mumbling her lips and fingering the ends of her -lace mantilla. She paid no attention to the visitor, but -the younger lady rose and came forward a few steps, -then stood in an attitude of mingled enquiry and expectancy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You will pardon me, Señorita; I could not help calling -to enquire—I am not sure of your name—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't think we mentioned it, Señor. And that -reminds me of my own neglect—my unpardonable neglect. -I should certainly have asked the name of our—deliverer."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this word Jack looked uncomfortable. His fluency -in Spanish seemed for the moment to have utterly -deserted him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh," he exclaimed at a rush, "my name is Lumsden—Jack -Lumsden."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! an English name, is it not? Then you are not a -Spaniard. And yet you speak—just like one of ourselves."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack's reply was half-apologetic.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, well, I had a good deal of practice as a child. -I used to live in Spain."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And now?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now—I'm in the army—the English army—lieutenant -in the 95th regiment."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lieutenant?—May I congratulate you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Congratulate me!" repeated Jack in some surprise.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes; is it not permitted? Among us it is quite the -custom to congratulate a friend on his promotion."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly, Señorita—" began Jack, wondering still -more; but before he could collect himself the girl -continued, with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Surely it is only the other day that you were an -ensign. Can you have forgotten that too? You were -not always so forgetful. I fear—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"True, Señorita, I was a kind of ensign, though in the -95th we've no colours to carry. But—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I fear," she continued, after a scarcely perceptible -pause, "—yes, that you are—well, not quite so nice as -you used to be."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Her eyes were dancing with merriment, and in a flash -Jack recalled the time, six years ago, when a little maid -with just such eyes had been his occasional playmate in -Barcelona. True, there was little other resemblance; she -had been an elf-like girl, with tangled hair, thin cheeks, -and the shy manner of a child unused to the society of -children. Before him now stood a tall girl with a dignity -and self-possession beyond her years, her rounded cheeks -and bright eyes showing that the trials of the siege had -as yet touched her but lightly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Juanita!" exclaimed Jack, almost below his breath. -"Well, of all the extraordinary—of all the stupid—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita laughed outright—the old rippling laugh that -Jack now remembered well.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I hope, Señor Lumsden, you are not referring to me," -she said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You must think me an ass," he replied, half-amused, -half-nettled. "But," he added, seeing a loophole, "it -isn't my fault. It's you who have changed, not I. And -I came to Saragossa on purpose to see you. To think -it was you all the time!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed we thank you. I don't know what we should -have done without you," said Juanita more seriously. -"We could never have got away. Don't think me -ungrateful; I knew you at once; but it was all so terrible, -and I saw you didn't know me. And then, when all was -over, I ought to have explained, but I—well—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Didn't," said Jack with a smile. "I see you haven't -changed so much after all. The same Juanita, -mischievous as ever."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm afraid not, Jack. I'm years older than I was a -few months ago. We were happy then; now everything -is different."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The tears stood in her eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," said Jack, "I had heard; that is why I came to -see you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were silent; then Juanita, with a brave effort to -smile, said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Jack, tell me all about yourself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a few words Jack gave an account of what had happened -to him since his arrival in Spain, Juanita listening -with an interest and excitement that every now and then -found expression in eager questions.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But now," said Jack in conclusion, "it's your turn. -I have many things to ask. Do you know, I met an -old friend not long ago, who told me something about you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh! Who was that, and what was it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I called him an old friend—for your sake. It -was Miguel Priego."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Him!" Her shrug was expressive. "Why do you -say for my sake?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, considering what he told me—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What did he say? Don't be mysterious."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He said—that you were about to be married."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Married! Good gracious! To whom?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To him!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To Mig Prig?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Her scornful laugh was wholly convincing, and Jack -could not help joining heartily in her merriment when he -heard once again his boyish nickname for their common -tyrant.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's all right, then," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But surely you didn't believe it?" added Juanita, with -a touch of indignation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, time works strange changes, you know."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Possibly," said Juanita, appreciating the retort; "but -not so strange as that. Marry </span><em class="italics">him</em><span>!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Her gesture was imperial in its disdain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Another of Miguel's lies!" said Jack. "But," he -added thoughtfully, "there was usually a motive behind -them. What can it be this time? He gave me so many -details; said it had all been arranged between your father -and Don Esteban; he was to have the business; and all -the rest of it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ridiculous! My father would have been the very last -to think of such a thing. He distrusted him—with good -cause."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And then she proceeded to give Jack a narrative from -which, as the tale was unfolded, he gained more than an -inkling of Don Miguel's designs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>More than two years before, when Napoleon formed his -alliance with Spain, Don Fernan Alvarez, a shrewd -observer of events, had suspected that the ostensible object -of despoiling Portugal was only a ruse by which the -emperor intended to make himself master of the whole -peninsula. Foreseeing a period of confusion and anarchy, -the old merchant resolved to take time by the forelock and -set his house in order. He went to Barcelona, the headquarters -of the business, and proceeded to realize his stock -as far as possible, with the intention of converting it into -bullion or valuables which could be laid aside as a -provision for his own declining years and his daughter's future. -On going into the accounts of the firm he found that Don -Esteban Priego's books showed large deficiencies, threatening -to more than cover his interest, not a great one, in the -business. When the matter was brought to light, Don -Esteban was much distressed. He had been for some time -in failing health, and had left the management of his -branch almost entirely in the hands of his son Miguel, -who, however, when brought to book by his father's -partner, indignantly protested against the implied charge -of dishonesty, and declared that if there was anything -wrong he at any rate was absolutely clean-handed. There -was no time to investigate the matter fully. After a -stormy interview Don Fernan left the office in charge of -a trusted clerk, and, taking with him the large sum of -money he had realized, together with the unsatisfactory -books, set out for Saragossa a few days before Barcelona -was seized by the French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Owing to the disturbed state of the country he thought -it wise to travel with an escort of some score of well-armed -men, half of them his own retainers, half alguazils. From -some undefined motive of prudence he kept his departure -secret until the last moment. But, despite this precaution, -the party was ambushed at dusk, at a lonely spot on the -hills within two marches of Saragossa, by a horde of -brigands. The escort made a stout resistance, but being -taken entirely at a disadvantage by superior numbers they -were overpowered. Don Fernan himself was severely -wounded in the first moment of attack; several of his -men were killed or disabled; and the rest, seeing their -case hopeless, made their escape.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The brigands were about to kill the wounded, on the -principle that dead men tell no tales, when a body of -French horsemen rode down the hill at a gallop. One -startled glance, and the bandits hurriedly decamped. At -that time the French were posing as disinterested friends -of Spain. The cavaliers showed every attention to the -wounded men, assisted Don Fernan into Saragossa, and -with a self-restraint that was remarkable in the light of -the subsequent behaviour of their countrymen, handed -over to him his books and boxes untouched. This was -a double relief to the merchant, for, if what he learnt on -the way from his old body-servant José was true, he had -not only saved the treasure for his daughter, but preserved -it from the hands of the one man whom he had recently -had so much reason to mistrust. José had been stunned -during the fight by a blow from a clubbed musket. On -recovering consciousness he was amazed to recognize, -among the assailants, no other than Don Miguel Priego. -He could not be sure. At that moment the French -appeared and the brigands fled. But he felt that he could -hardly have been mistaken.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That was where Miguel got his scar," said Jack to -himself at this point of the story.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A few months after Don Fernan's return to Saragossa -the French began the first siege of the city. He -contributed largely to the funds raised for the defence, and -though scarcely able to walk played a not inconsiderable -part in the actual work behind the walls. But such -unwonted exertions tried his already enfeebled health. He -had never thoroughly recovered from his wound. The -troubles of the siege were too great a strain for a man -of his age. And though his strength revived a little when -the French were so signally beaten, he was again ailing -when the news of the fatal day of Tudela broke his -last hold on life. The Saragossans gave him honoured -burial.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His last days were troubled by anxiety about his -daughter and only child. He knew that if his property -became subject to the lingering processes of the Spanish -courts, very little of it would be left for Juanita. He had -no near relatives or friends on whose integrity and business -capacity he could thoroughly rely. Mr. Lumsden, his -English partner, would, as a heretic, probably be unable -to act as executor of a will, and in any case would be -seriously handicapped in any legal proceedings. He -therefore made no will, but solemnly entrusted his servant -with the task of carrying out his wishes. José was forty -years of age, wholly illiterate, but devoted to his old -master, and even more to Juanita. He enjoyed Don -Fernan's entire confidence, and was fully informed of his -master's affairs. A sum of money had already been -invested in England that would produce an income of about -£400 a year; of this Mr. Lumsden was trustee. The -remainder of his property consisted of a country house -and estate near Morata, some miles west of Saragossa; -the family plate and heirlooms; and the money realized -by the sale of his disposable stock in Barcelona. The -movable property was all given into José Pinzon's charge, -to be handed over to Juanita when the country should have -settled down again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That won't be yet, I'm afraid," remarked Jack, "but -no doubt José has it safe enough. By the way, where is he?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wish I knew," said Juanita anxiously. "Nothing -has been heard of him since the great sortie of Captain -Mariano Galindo about ten days ago. He volunteered -among the brave two hundred, and was one of the first -to spike the French guns. But he never came back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Poor fellow!" said Jack. "I'm very sorry. We used -to be great chums. There aren't many like him. You -will miss him sadly."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, indeed; and I wouldn't mind about the property -if only he were safe."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But surely his disappearance doesn't affect the property?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, you see, nobody else knows where it is. Father -didn't tell me. He thought there would be less risk of -harm if I knew nothing about it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But he would be sure to provide against José's death. -Ah!" he exclaimed, as a sudden light dawned, "that -explains it. I had a letter from him in Salamanca, telling -me about another letter left with General Palafox. No -doubt everything was explained in that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Was explained! What do you mean?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The letter has disappeared—was stolen, mistaken for -plans of the city. But there's still a chance left. A third -letter was sent to my father. We must hope it was a -duplicate of the lost one."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh dear!" sighed Juanita, "to think that so many -people should be troubled with poor little me!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We seem to have rather muddled things among us," -said Jack. "But I see now what Mig Prig is aiming at. -Have you heard that he is back in Saragossa?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Miguel back!" exclaimed Juanita; in her tone there -was a hint of uneasiness. "Oh, I do hope I shall not -meet him! But I won't think of him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's not worth it.—I was almost forgetting. I have -brought some of your trinkets from the Casa Ximenez. -Will you—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hark!" exclaimed Juanita, holding up her hand. -There was a loud crash as of falling masonry.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They are bombarding again," said Jack, rising. "I -must hasten to my post. Good-bye, Juanita!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You will come and see us again when you have time?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They both looked sympathetically at the huddled figure -of Doña Teresa, who had fallen asleep in her chair.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Poor Auntie!" said Juanita. Then, as Jack turned -towards the door, she folded her mantilla about her head -and dropped a low curtsy, saying demurely: "Adios, -Señor!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-fight-in-the-ruins"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">The Fight in the Ruins</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Mines and Countermines—In the Cellars—Burrowing—Y -Mines—An Underground Enemy—The Foe Within—Planning -a Surprise—At Dawn—Across the Barricades—In the -Enemy's Works—A Bird's-eye View—Through the -Wall—Sword versus Bayonet—Shut Out—A Mob Leader—Too -much Zeal—Not Proven</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack walked downstairs abstractedly, and was only brought -to himself by the sudden realization that he had almost -collided with a person entering at the door. Looking up -with a murmured apology, he saw that the visitor was a -burly priest, in long cassock and broad sombrero which -roofed a round jovial face. The priest was equally -apologetic, and eyed Jack curiously, stopping in the doorway -and turning round to gaze after his retreating figure. -Outside, Jack found Pepito perched on a stone post. He -sprang to the ground when he saw his master.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, imp," said Jack, "sticking to me as usual, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor. Señor knows the fat padre?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No. Do you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A friend of the Busno Don Miguel," replied the boy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed! How do you know that?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I saw them talking at the door of the great big house -over there."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He pointed to the Franciscan convent on the other side -of the road. Jack looked thoughtful; he wondered whether -this was the Padre Consolacion of whom he had heard, and -was half-minded to turn back and make his acquaintance. -That he had been seen in consultation with Miguel was -somewhat disturbing. But, on second thoughts, he decided -that he had already been long enough away from his -command at Santa Engracia, and he hastened his steps in that -direction, anxious to see how things had been progressing -there in his absence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When he left the Casa Alvarez, two hours before, he -had given instructions for the commencement of operations -by which he hoped to beat the French at their own game. -From what he had learnt from Don Cristobal he saw that -the mistake up to the present had been the waiting for the -explosion of the French mines, the result being that the -enemy gained positions from which it usually proved -impossible to dislodge them. The only means of keeping -them effectually in check was to practise countermining, -not in the hand-to-mouth manner in which it had hitherto -been attempted, but systematically, with a longer outlook, -with a regard to ultimate developments rather than to the -immediate repelling of attack. During his interview with -the foreman that morning he had explained his ideas, and -learnt that, so far as the man's limited experience went, -there was no practical obstacle to their accomplishment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The French, as he had seen, had been for some days -past working steadily through the three parallel blocks -of buildings that ran from the Santa Engracia direction -towards the Plaza Alvarez. They had made equal progress -in all three blocks. The limit of destruction was marked -by the Casas Vega, Tobar, and Vallejo, the first two being -at the end of their blocks immediately facing the Casa -Alvarez, separated from each other by a narrow lane, -while the last was separated from the Casa Tobar by the -street running into the plaza. These three houses were -still standing, but it was obvious that they would form the -next points of attack, and it was highly probable that -even now the enemy had begun to cut galleries towards them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had made up his mind to anticipate the attack. -Before leaving in the morning he had learnt from the -foreman, whose name was Pulgar, that the work of mining -underground could usually be heard from a distance of -about forty feet. From this he calculated that, if the -French began to work from their side immediately after -their last attack, there would be time for his own men -to drive a short gallery beneath the wall of each of the -three houses before there was any risk of their operations -being heard by the enemy. He had therefore left instructions -for a hole to be cut beneath the farther party-wall of -each house, where it adjoined the house last demolished. -He told Pulgar to see that the digging was done as -quietly as possible, and to be on the alert to catch the -slightest sound of the approach of the French miners in -the opposite direction.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, how are things getting on?" he asked of Don -Cristobal, on arriving at his post after his interview with -Juanita.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Excellently," was the reply. "Pulgar has kept the -men at work without relaxation."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In shifts, I suppose?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Only one man can work at each tunnel, so he gave -each man half an hour; then his place was taken by -another. Here is Pulgar himself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are doing capitally, I hear, hombre," said Jack. -"How far have the men got?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The tunnels are nearly three feet long by this time, -Señor. It takes about an hour to cut away a foot."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Any sound of the French?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"None, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well. Another four feet will finish these. But -we mustn't stop at that. We can't hope to keep the -enemy back altogether by one explosion at those walls. It -would delay them, certainly, and do considerable damage; -but we'll have to prepare to give them much more trouble -farther back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I had thought of that, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I think we'll go and have a look at the cellars. -Come along. Bring your measure with you; we shall -require that, and a candle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Descending to the cellars of the Casa Alvarez, Jack found -that they ran along the walls on the west and north sides -of the building, at a distance of ten feet below the surface -of the ground. They formed a series of arched rooms -leading one from the other, with small openings for ventilation -giving on the patio.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Dark musty places these!" said Jack. "Judging by -the appearance of them, they haven't been used for a -century. There's not even a bottle of wine to be seen, -let alone a rat. Ah! I spoke too soon; sh-h-h!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A rat had just scurried along the wall into its hole in -the corner.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have been thinking over things," resumed Jack, -"and I shall be glad of your opinion of the plan I have -partly formed. Our object, of course, must be to hold -the French in check as long as possible; but if they -succeed in occupying the two houses opposite, and the Casa -Vallejo, we shall be very hard put to it to defend the plaza -and this house. They outnumber us. It is quite likely -that, in spite of all we can do, they will eventually succeed -in obtaining a lodgment in these three houses or their -ruins. I propose, therefore, to plan our defence on the -assumption that they will do so. This house in which we -now stand will be our fort, and we should arrange so that -we can do the enemy as much damage as possible from -this spot."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is reasonable, Señor," said Don Cristobal.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, the greatest damage we can do will be done by -mines like their own—either to destroy their mines before -they have time to explode them, or to drive the enemy -back when they have exploded their mines and seized the -houses. To do that effectually we require to drive at -least two galleries from these cellars under each house. -But the Casa Vallejo is too far away. We haven't men -enough, and it would take too long, to cut a gallery from -here right across the plaza and street and under that -house. The Casas Vega and Tobar are much nearer, and -I see nothing to prevent us from cutting the galleries -under them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In addition to the short tunnels already being cut -under the party-walls?" asked Don Cristobal.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh yes! You see my aim? The short tunnels are to -delay their attack on those houses; the longer tunnels I -propose are to check their advance on this house when -they have captured the others."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But why two long galleries, Señor?" asked Pulgar.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Because, after we have fired one, the French will come -on in greater strength again, thinking we have done our -worst, and the explosion of the second will have a -shattering effect on them in every way."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"An excellent idea, Señor!" said Don Cristobal, "but -our men are not too strong, and it would cost immense -labour to drive two galleries. It is forty feet across the -plaza between this and the houses opposite; you must -allow for several feet of tunnel in each house if you want -to spare the walls facing us—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Eight feet at least," interrupted Jack. "I don't want -to destroy the houses entirely."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, that makes ninety-six feet of tunnelling for each -house, and all the earth to be carried back as it is dug -out. You will work your men to death, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack considered. For the moment he envied some -friends of his who had commissions in the Engineers. -"They would have mugged up all this sort of thing in -their books," he said to himself. How could he achieve -his purpose without running the risk Don Cristobal had -pointed out? He stood for a time unconsciously tapping -the stone floor with his foot as he thought over the -problem.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have it!" he exclaimed suddenly. "It's a case of -letter Y—you see? Drive one gallery half-way; then two -branching out from it like the arms of a capital Y. It -won't save time, but it will save labour, and we can't -afford to knock the men up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is it, Señor," said Pulgar, rubbing his hands.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then I will get you to arrange with the men so that -they take turn and turn about. And by the way, two -short tunnels must be cut between the Casa Vallejo and -the house next it on this side—the Casa Hontanon, is it -not? Those houses are not so capable of defence as this -is, but we must do what we can to beat the enemy there -also."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pulgar at once set off to arrange with the workmen, -while Jack proceeded to organize the garrisoning of the -houses. Except for a few shells thrown over the ramparts -nothing had been done by the French since the explosion -of the previous evening. The barricades in the streets -and lane were held by men of the Valencia regiment; Jack -selected other men from the same regiment, and some of -the best of the guerrilleros, and thus formed three -companies of twenty men each to garrison the three casas, -Vega, Tobar, and Vallejo. Fifty men were held in reserve -in the Casa Alvarez.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the day wore on, Jack found that the tunnelling -proceeded more rapidly than he had expected. Working on -a more definite plan than hitherto, the men saw that their -chances of seriously checking the French advance were -much greater, and dug and carried with a dogged -perseverance that gave Jack a new respect for the Spanish -character. By the evening the short holes under the -party-walls nearest the French were ready for the charges. -Thinking it advisable to see for himself what had been -done, Jack crawled through one of the tunnels with a -lighted candle, feeling the oppression of the dank confined -air. He saw by the dim light that the sides and roof -were roughly shored up with timber, and that, as he had -wished, there was a slight slope upwards, so that the -head of the tunnel was only about four feet from the -surface. At the end he listened for the sound of the French -miners, who, he guessed, were approaching, but hearing -nothing concluded that they were not as yet so far -advanced with their work.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Returning to the rear end of the tunnel, he arranged for -a heavy charge of powder to be placed in position with the -fuses. When this had been done it was time to "tamp" -the tunnels—fill them up again with earth to a distance -greater than the depth of the mines below the surface. -This was necessary, or when the explosion took place it -would exhaust its force along the open tunnel instead of -in the upward direction intended. But Jack decided not -to do any tamping until he was sure that the French had -driven their galleries so close to his own that the explosion -of his own mines would destroy the enemy's. If he found -that the French tunnels were to the right or left of his -own, so far away that his explosion would not greatly -affect them, he would have to await the French explosion -and then use his own mines to repel the attack on the -buildings that would instantly follow.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Late at night Antonio the guerrillero, who had been one -of the most enthusiastic of the workers, reported that at -the farther end of the short tunnel into the Casa Vega he -had heard the faint sound of picks. Jack instantly crawled -into the tunnel to listen for himself. Undoubtedly the man -was right. Giving orders that men should take turns to -watch all through the night at the tunnel head, he went to -bed after midnight, tired out with the day's exertions.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Before he fell asleep his mind ran over the strange -events with which the last two days had been crowded. -In particular he reflected on the story he had heard from -Juanita, and could not help wondering at the extraordinary -mischances which had befallen her affairs. The letter -confided to Palafox must have contained instructions in -regard to the property which old Don Fernan had preserved -somewhere for his daughter, and had been written as a -precaution in case anything happened to his trusted -servant José. Some perverse fate seemed to have decreed -that José should die and the letter be lost simultaneously. -And then his thoughts turned to Miguel. His story about -the projected marriage was clearly a sheer fabrication; but -it showed what his intentions were. He meant to take -advantage of Juanita's orphaned condition to coax or -cajole her into a marriage, and thereby to secure the -property which he knew must be hers. It seemed improbable -that he could have learnt where her father had stored his -wealth; it might be that he supposed Juanita knew. His -sudden nocturnal appearance in Saragossa, with a story -of overpowering a sentry, was in itself very suspicious. -Could he be playing a double game? At any rate Jack -felt that he must be on his guard, on behalf of Juanita as -well as himself; that Miguel would not hesitate to injure -him he had now little doubt.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>These thoughts, however, were banished by the -important work of the next day. At dawn he learnt that -hour by hour during the night the approach of the French -had been more distinctly heard. All that morning he paid -frequent visits to the Vega tunnel, and about eleven -o'clock he felt sure, from the direction and the proximity -of the sounds, that the French miners had arrived at a -point in a line with the head of his gallery. The mining -continued; it would take them between six and seven -hours to reach the wall. Leaving Don Cristobal in -charge, with instructions to keep as vigilant a look-out -as ever, Jack went to see how the Y-shaped mines from -the cellars of the Casa Alvarez were progressing, and then -made a general round of the district. Several times -during the day he had heard the sound of explosions in -other parts of the city, but had been too busy to enquire -about what was happening. He learnt now, however, -that a block of houses twenty yards nearer the Coso, in -the direction of the Franciscan convent, had been carried -by the French, by which means they had extended their -attacking front by nearly three times that distance. He -heard also that trenches had been opened against the -Jesus Convent, in the suburb of San Lazaro, across -the river. It was evident that the enemy were at last -arranging for a determined attack in that quarter, where -they had done little since the early days of the siege. -The possession of San Lazaro would enable them to harass -the whole north side of the city, the only portion that -hitherto had been immune, and where, consequently, the -greater part of the stores was collected and the mass of -the fever-stricken inhabitants huddled together.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>About six o'clock he was recalled to the Casa Vega by -the news that the French gallery had reached the wall -and the tunnelling had ceased. It would take them some -four hours, Jack conjectured, to tamp their mine; when -that was done they would no doubt retire from the tunnel, -and it would then be safe for the Spaniards to tamp their -mine in turn. If they started to do so earlier, the sound -would betray them. At ten o'clock all sounds from the -French end had ceased; then Jack, after allowing a short -interval, set his men to perform the tamping. Working -without relaxation, they completed the task by two in the -morning. Within four or five hours the French would -explode their mine beneath the wall.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The first thing Jack did on being awakened by Pepito -half an hour before dawn was to enquire whether any -sounds of the French progress had been heard in the -Casas Tobar and Vallejo. In the former he learned the -mining had been heard for several hours; in the latter -there had been no sounds at all. Satisfied that immediate -work would only be required in the Casa Vega, he -proceeded to get his men into order.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His plan, carefully thought out on the previous day, -was to withdraw his garrison from the Casa Vega, leaving -only one man to fire the mine; otherwise a large number -would be uselessly sacrificed. The inrush of the French -after the explosion of their mine was to be the signal -for the firing of his own, and that in turn the signal for -a sortie of the whole of his available force. By this means -he hoped to drive the French back to such a distance that -he could discover and blow up the galleries they were -driving into the Casa Tobar, and probably into the Casa -Vallejo also.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It still wanted some minutes of dawn when his motley -force was drawn up in the plaza behind the walls of Vega -and Tobar. It numbered only 350 men in all—some -haggard burghers of the city, some rugged guerrilleros from -the country districts, a few regulars from General Fiballer's -Valencian regiment, a few of Palafox's grenadiers. All -bore signs of the stress and toil of the past few weeks; but -all were animated by one spirit of indomitable resolution. -Fifty of the best marksmen were at once picked out to -garrison Tobar and Vallejo and harass the French with -musketry-fire from the windows. Eighty good men were -drafted as a reserve. This left 220, of whom 120 were -told off to make the main sortie over the barricade in the -street between Tobar and Vallejo, while 30 were appointed -to guard the shorter barricade across the lane between -Tobar and Vega. The remaining 70 were ordered to -march to the upper side of the Casa Vega and make a -demonstration at the barricade erected in the street there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had resolved to lead the principal sortie in person, -and he devoted special attention to the organization of his -band. Ten of the men were ordered to carry bags of -powder to blow up the French galleries into Tobar and -Vallejo, if the sortie party were able to push home their -charge. Another ten were given short ladders and mats -to assist the rest across the barricade, which was of timber, -some twelve feet in height, and studded at the top with -sharp nails. It had been constructed so hastily, and with -so little idea of the possibility of a sortie, that it formed -almost as formidable an obstacle to the Spaniards as to -the French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sortie party beyond the Casa Vega was entrusted -to Don Cristobal, the reserve to Pablo Quintanar, the chief -of the guerrilleros. This man was very much dissatisfied -with the post allotted him; he grumbled and protested that -he deserved a more prominent part in the operations, but -Jack had a vague distrust of the fellow, and somewhat -curtly refused to alter his arrangements.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All was now ready. In the chill foggy dawn the men -waited at their several posts for the expected explosion. -Sounds floated across the river from the French lines: the -blare of bugles, the rat-tat of drums, occasionally the loud -call of bustling officers. Jack began to wonder whether -the French would wait until their galleries into Tobar and -Vallejo were ready, and then spring the three mines -simultaneously. But the anxious period of waiting was at -length ended. About an hour after daybreak there was -a dull roar; the whole district seemed to tremble; there -was the crash of falling stones and timber, a cloud of -smoke and dust from the Casa Vega, and with a shout -the French rushed into the ruined building beyond, to -make good their position there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then came a terrible interval of suspense, even more -trying to the nerves of the Spaniards than the long wait -for the French explosion. When would they hear the -answering explosion? Had the gallant fellow who had -offered to fire the train perished before his work was done? -Jack wondered, waited anxiously. Second after second -slipped by; he could hear the ticking of the watch in his -vest pocket. At last when, unable to endure the uncertainty -longer, he was about to rush into the casa himself, -a deafening noise like a thunderclap close at hand checked -him. The French mine, acting immediately upon the wall -and at a considerable depth below-ground, had spent -most of its force on the wall itself. But Jack's mine, -having only a few feet of earth above it, and being heavily -charged, exerted its destructive effect in all directions. It -blew to fragments the ruins of the house adjoining the -Casa Vega, brought down what remained of its roof, -shattered the remnants of the walls on either side, and -filled the air for a hundred yards around with dust and -débris, a few of Jack's men, even in the plaza behind, -being injured by objects that were shot clean over the -houses. Jack, from his position, could not see the extent -of the damage; but the fact that the explosion had -actually occurred left him in no doubt that the French in the -ruined house beyond the Casa Vega must have been -annihilated, and in the ruins, where they had but slight -protection, they must have suffered heavy loss.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But he hardly waited to estimate the effect of his -successful coup. Immediately after the explosion he gave his -men the order to advance; they dashed from cover and -began to swarm over the barricades. At the last moment -Jack sent a man with orders to barricade as far as possible -the newly-made breach in the Vega wall. Then, with -Antonio at his side, he led the charge. The dust was still -falling in clouds as they came to the Tobar barricade. So -sudden was the unexpected event, and so swiftly did the -Spaniards move, that their manoeuvre was not discovered -by the French until the greater number had crossed and, -headed by Jack and Antonio, charged down the street. -But within fifty paces a shot rang out from beyond the -ruined house on their left; it was followed immediately -by a scattered fire, and amid yells of rage and pain many -of Jack's men fell. The French were firing from the -half-dismantled houses they had rushed a few days before, -which, being somewhat remote from the scene of the -explosion, and sheltered by the ruins of the house adjoining -the Casa Tobar, had not suffered like the rest of the -French position. Nothing daunted by their losses, the -Spaniards pressed on with shouts of "Nuestra Señora -del Pillar! A la cuchillo!" Don Cristobal meanwhile -had swept round the upper barricade. The ruins beyond -the houses lately burnt were carried with a rush. Drums -were heard beating not far away; there were loud shouts -in French and the hurried tramp of feet. It was clear -that the enemy, not anticipating danger at this point, had -drawn away their troops in the direction of the Franciscan -convent; they had expected that under cover of the -explosion the Casa Vega would be captured, as a score of -houses in the same quarter had been rushed before, by a -handful of disciplined men. No plans had been made -to meet so unexpected a movement of retaliation; for a -moment the battle was to the Spaniards.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But Jack knew well that he durst not attempt to push his -attack far. He had given orders to Antonio, who had led -a small body to the assault of a house to the left, where the -street bent inwards from the ramparts, to blow up the head -of the gallery into the Casa Vallejo, then to retire towards -that house, recross the barricade, and take up a position -behind it. To cover these movements, Jack directed a -party of his men to keep up a hot fire on the house at -the bend of the street, from which some French marksmen -had swept the front of the attacking force. Within a few -minutes he heard a sharp report. At the same time -Antonio's men came streaming back towards Vallejo and -over the barricade. One of the French galleries was -evidently accounted for.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile Jack's own position had been hotly assailed in -front. The ruined houses on the right of the street were -now full of Frenchmen, who charged again and again -across the débris up to the party-wall, only to be driven -back by the men stationed there, under such cover as the -irregular remnants of the broken walls afforded. There -was no time to barricade the gap; it was only a question of -time before the French must break through in overwhelming -numbers. Don Cristobal had occupied the ruins -adjoining the Casa Vega, but he was now ordered back -across his barricade, from which he could protect the flank -of Jack's force when it became necessary to withdraw it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this juncture Jack felt the necessity of obtaining a -view of the whole position. He looked round for some -point of observation. Through a large rent in one of -the walls to his right he perceived the remains of a -staircase to the second story. Was there time to clamber -up it before the French burst in? "I'll chance it," he said -to himself. Ordering his men to stand firm, he ran across -the narrow lane, through the wall, and began to ascend the -staircase. It was a rickety structure; its top had been -blown away; it remained upright only by favour of one or -two stout joists which had been so firmly embedded in the -stone as to withstand the shock of the explosion when the -party-wall was cracked. Up he went. The stairs creaked -under him; at every step it seemed that the whole structure -would fall with him. But at length he reached a spot -whence, through a hole in what had been once the wall, -he could see for a considerable distance over the quarter -occupied by the French. To his left he saw the dreary -waste of ruins through which, by patient mining and sudden -rushes, the French had made their painful way from the -convent of Santa Engracia, which stood a woful spectacle -of destruction some hundreds of yards distant.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Eastward he traced their progress through a series of -dismantled buildings, up to within a short distance of the -Franciscan convent. Farther to the right they had made -yet deeper inroads into the city, and were now almost -within arm's-length of the Coso. Jack thought, with a -sudden pang, of the danger Juanita would soon be in, and -decided that at the earliest opportunity he must persuade -her to change her quarters and retire northwards, loth as -he was to see her in that fever-haunted spot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly his eye was caught by a compact body of -French, about 500 in number, advancing at the quick step -across the wide open space outside the Santa Engracia -convent. They had evidently been hurried from the -entrenchments beyond the walls. At the same time, -glancing to the right, he saw another body of men -issuing from some buildings near the Coso. Clearly no -time was to be lost. Outnumbered already, he had only -held his own up to the present by having the advantage of -the defensive position. But the position was not strong. -If the French occupied the adjoining ruins in force there -was scarcely an inch of cover for his men. He must, -therefore, at once blow up the head of the French gallery -leading below the Casa Tobar, which he had been unable -to do hitherto for fear of destroying his own men, and then -withdraw his troops to their original position. In face of the -large French reinforcements coming up, it would be as much -as he could do to hold his own even there. Springing down -the staircase, three steps at a time, one of them breaking -through and falling with a crash behind him, he hastened -back to his men. He called up a little musketeer belonging -to the Murcian tiradores—one of the few survivors of -that regiment—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hombre, run back to the Casa Alvarez; tell Pablo -Quintanar to leave a gap in the Vega wall wide enough to -allow the passage of men in single file. Understand, in -single file."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor," said the man, and bounded off.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Now Jack prepared with all possible speed to evacuate -his advanced position. He was delayed by the necessity of -removing his wounded; for all this time the French had -been firing into the houses, and, though their aim was bad, -several shots took effect owing to the Spaniards' almost -reckless exposure of themselves. Before he actually gave -the order to evacuate, the French, unaware of the -reinforcements hastening to their support, gathered themselves -together for another charge. They came gallantly almost -to the very muzzles of the Spanish muskets; then they -recoiled before a terrible volley, and fell back in confusion. -Seizing the moment, Jack ordered his men to retire towards -the Casa Vega.</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 62%" id="figure-128"> -<span id="jack-has-a-narrow-escape"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Jack has a Narrow Escape" src="images/img-271.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Jack has a Narrow Escape</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Leave the gap in the wall open for me," he said to one -of the regulars; "I shall not be long behind you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, catching up a burning rope, he hastened to the end -of the French gallery, where his men had laid a train of -gunpowder connecting with a heavy charge. He had just -time to set light to the train before a group of three or four -French soldiers dashed towards him through the ruins. -His perilous task was done; he turned to follow his men, -the enemy, not waiting to fire, close behind him. As he -was crossing the lane dividing the Casas Vega and Tobar -there was a loud explosion; the gallery had blown up, and -with it the head of the French column immediately behind -his pursuers. Only two men were now on his track. He -glanced over his shoulder, and judged that there was time -to reach the gap in the wall before he could be overtaken. -At this moment his foot slipped on a loose heap of fallen -masonry; he fell headlong, and before he could recover -himself, the foremost pursuer was upon him. Wriggling -over instantly on his side, he drew his pistol, and managed -to snap it at the man when the point of his bayonet was -within a foot of him. The ball hit the man full on the -forehead, and he dropped like a log.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Springing to his feet, Jack drew his sword in the nick of -time to meet the attack of the second pursuer. It was -sword against bayonet, and if the latter had been in the -hands of a British soldier, Jack, in spite of his skill as a -swordsman, might have stood a poor chance. But the -bayonet, as wielded by a Continental soldier, was not the -same formidable weapon, and it happened that his attacker -was a Pole—one of Colonel Chlopiski's Vistula regiment, -which, as Jack had already learnt, had proved the most -troublesome of all the French troops since the capture of -Santa Engracia. Jack had more than once shown himself -to be a swordsman of exceptional resource, and at this -critical moment the old French émigré who had been his -fencing master in London, if he could have seen the duel, -would have beamed with satisfaction. After a few passes -Jack gave the Pole an opportunity to lunge; he eagerly -seized it; his thrust was lightly parried, and the next -moment Jack was in beneath his guard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As he hurried away, even in that breathless moment Jack -could not help feeling some pity for his two gallant foemen -who would see the Vistula no more. It was in the hope of -freeing their country from the bondage of Russia that the -Poles had allied themselves with Napoleon. They were -now purchasing their own freedom by assisting to enslave -others.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Hastening across the ruins adjoining the Casa Vega, -Jack saw terrible signs of the havoc wrought by his mine. -The attacking French force had been a large one. It had -perished to a man. But there was no time for anything but -escape from the horde of French now rapidly approaching -him. Scrambling over charred beams, shattered brickwork, -fragments of household furniture, and the dead -bodies of the fallen enemy, he drew near to the spot -where the explosion of the French mine had blown a large -hole in the party-wall. It was here that Jack expected to -find the gap through which his men had preceded him into -safety. But there was no gap. The hole was completely -closed up, and the obstruction was too strong to be won -through, too high to clamber over. Nonplussed for the -moment, Jack turned to look for another means of escape, -aware, as he did so, of loud voices in altercation on the -other side of the barricade.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Bullets were now pattering on the brickwork, and the -sound of scrambling feet in the adjoining ruins showed -that he had been seen by the French, and that they were -making towards him. There was not an instant to lose. -To his left, as he faced the French quarter, the ruins were -open and exposed to fire from several directions; escape -was impossible that way. But on his right there still -stood the remnant of what had been a lath-and-plaster -wall between two rooms. He caught at this chance of even -temporary concealment. Bending low, he dodged along -behind its precarious shelter till he came to a ruined -window within a few feet of the barricade defended by -Don Cristobal. The rattle of musketry could now be -heard on all hands. Jack felt sure that his appearance -at the window would be the signal for a hail of bullets from -the opposite side of the street, at the angle nearer the Coso -where the French had obtained a lodgment. But it was -now or never, and he was just wrenching away a broken -iron bar, to squeeze his way through, when his ears were -assailed by unexpected shouts from the street. To his -amazement, he saw Don Cristobal's men come swarming -over the barricade and rushing along the street towards the -French. But it was not Don Cristobal who led them; the -leader was a tall figure who rushed forward, sword in hand, -with long robe tucked up, and bare arms, from which the -sleeves had been flung back over the shoulders. He was -shouting in frenzied tones. Jack recognized Latin phrases -mingled with Spanish. It was the patriot priest, Santiago -Sass.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Wondering what had happened, Jack jumped into the -street, safe now, for the French were occupied with the -rush of the headlong Spaniards. There they were, cutting -their way through a large body of French troops, heedless -of the pelting bullets from the surrounding houses, yelling, -slashing, and, alas! many of them falling.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What imbecile folly!" exclaimed Jack in his anger. -The rash charge was useless, hopeless. All that he could -do was to cover the inevitable retreat. Clambering over -the barricade, Jack ran towards the Casa Alvarez, -overtaking on the way Don Cristobal, who had hastened -thither on the same errand as himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Men of the reserve," cried Jack, "follow me!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pablo Quintanar, their leader, was, strangely, not with -them. They dashed after Jack and Don Cristobal, and -reached the barricade just in time. The Spaniards, all -that were left of them, were streaming over it, broken -and disheartened, pursued by bullets from the French. -Last of them all came Santiago Sass, splashed with blood -from head to foot, blood streaming from a wound on his -brow.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In te, Domine, speravi!" he cried breathlessly as he -staggered over the barricade.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Catching him by the arm, Jack dragged the exhausted -priest out of harm's way, and then, ordering his men to -hold the barricade, enquired of Don Cristobal what was -the meaning of the recent extraordinary movement. He -learnt that Santiago Sass, who was ever where danger -was thickest, had been passing the quarter, and, attracted -by the noise of the explosions, had hastened, full of -burning zeal, to the nearest barricade. There, finding -Don Cristobal's force, as he thought, culpably inactive, -and hearing musketry on all sides, he had jumped to the -conclusion that the Spaniards were skulking, and, -refusing to listen to Don Cristobal's explanation, had -poured out upon them a torrent of invective and -exhortation, called on them to follow him, and led them -furiously over the barricade. Such was his influence -that not a man refused to obey his call.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile the hot fire maintained by the reserve had -driven the French back. But they showed some -disposition to come on in greater strength and attempt the -capture of the barricade. Santiago Sass, furious at the -failure of his ill-timed sortie, and still more with Jack -for forcibly removing him from the scene, began to vent -his wrath upon him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do not stay me!" he cried. "Cursed be any that -flinches! Dominus vir pugnator! Let us haste—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor Padre," interrupted Jack quietly, "you led a -most gallant charge, but look—it has cost me some -twenty good men."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He pointed to the corpse-strewn street. The priest -looked, and was evidently impressed. Gathering his skirts -about him he sped away towards the Coso in search of -more forlorn hopes to lead, the sound of his wild and -whirling words being scarcely drowned by the noise of -the battle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For the rest of that day French and Spaniards continued -to occupy their respective positions. The former -made no attempt at organized attack; they clearly dreaded -the discovery of more mines. The Spaniards were not -strong enough to expel the enemy altogether. Thus, -when nightfall again put an end to the fighting, the -situation was essentially the same as it had been in the -morning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Reckoning up the results, Jack was able to congratulate -himself on having accomplished all that he had hoped to -do. The two French galleries towards the Casas Tobar -and Vallejo were destroyed; the French had suffered -very heavy loss in men. The explosion of their mine in -the Casa Vega had not furthered their advance, and their -work for three days past was rendered null. But their -failure, Jack knew, would only nerve them to redoubled -energy; he must be prepared for an even more strenuous -attack on his position. All that he could do was to ensure -that if the houses must be captured it should be with a -maximum of delay and loss to the French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As he went the round of his district, before proceeding -to convey his nightly report to Palafox, Pablo Quintanar, -the guerrilla leader, came up and made a complaint against -his subordinate Antonio. He had been attacked, he said, -and nearly murdered by Antonio for refusing to reopen -the barricade thrown across the gap in the wall of the -Casa Vega.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Did you not receive my order?" demanded Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Your order was to hold the barricade, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But you opened a gap to let in my men. I sent the -order by one of the Murcian tiradores."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, indeed, and the men came through one by one, -and when the last was through I closed the barricade."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And shut me out!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack looked sharply at the man, but as usual was unable -to catch his eye.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I waited for the Señor," he protested, "five, ten, -twenty minutes; but he did not come. What was I to -think but that he was dead? If I had known—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You would have acted otherwise. Well, as you did -make so unfortunate a—mistake, perhaps the less you -say about Antonio's attempt to mend it the better. Buenas -noches, hombre!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack turned on his heel, and, wondering what conceivable -motive Pablo Quintanar could have for doing him -a hurt, set off for the Castle Aljafferia.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-bon-chat-bon-rat"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXIV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">"A bon Chat, bon Rat"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Under a Cloud—The Door—Padre Consolacion—A Daughter -of Spain—The House in the Lane—An Unexpected Visitor—A -Gambit—In the Shadow—The Worm Turns—A Blue Paper—The -Simple Way</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>As he made his way through the throng of people filling -the corridors and halls of the palace, Jack could not but -observe that the looks he met were rather of suspicion -than friendliness. He was known by sight to many of -the habitués of the castle. Tio Jorge had never tired -of praising his exploits and acclaiming him as a staunch -friend of Spain; and yet many now scowled on him, -whispered to each other as he passed; one or two even -fingered their knives.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Surprised at this change of attitude, he was still more -surprised to find it reflected in the bearing of Palafox -and Don Basilio and other members of the Junta who -were present when he made his report. Palafox listened -to him coldly, spoke a few words of the faintest praise, -and dismissed him without a sign of real approval or -encouragement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Tio Jorge met him as he was re-entering the town by -the Porta Portillo, and Jack felt a sense of relief when -he saw that the big peasant's greeting was cordial as -ever. After an exchange of news Tio Jorge, who had -scanned his face anxiously, said bluntly:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am a plain man, Señor. You will answer me a -plain question."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly, anything in reason," said Jack in surprise.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They're saying—I could not believe it—but they are -all saying that you wish to surrender; at least, that you -do not think we can hold out. Now, whatever we may -think, we do not talk of these things; it is not good for -the people to hear such things. If any man says them, he -does not live to say them twice. Tell me plainly, Señor, -have you spoken of surrender?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My good friend," said Jack with a smile, "when you -yourself hear an Englishman talk of surrender, then you -may believe it; till then—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then it is false?" asked Tio Jorge.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Absolutely."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I knew it. And that proves," added Tio Jorge after -a moment, "what I thought from the first: you have an -enemy in Saragossa, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And then he explained. The despatch brought by Don -Miguel Priego had been in several points so different from, -so much less discouraging than, that previously brought -by Jack, that the Saragossans' first flush of enthusiasm for -the English had soon disappeared. The undoubted retreat -of Sir John Moore, and the subsequent departure of his -army from the shores of Spain, were twisted to mean a -desertion of the Spanish cause. There was at first no -personal feeling against Jack, though his country was -regarded with bitterness, but it had lately been rumoured, -on the authority of Don Miguel's servant, that he had -been overheard, in the Cafe Arcos, expressing a despondent -view of the chances of holding the city, and hinting -that it would be wise to make terms with the French. -Only the energetic and successful work Jack had been -doing in the Santa Engracia district, and the strong -support of Tio Jorge himself, had given pause to those who -wished to treat him as all who counselled surrender were -treated—to gibbet him in the Coso.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack recognized at once that Don Miguel's malignity -was not to be ignored. The bare suspicion of disloyalty -had been sufficient to bring a full tale of victims to the -gallows, and the fact that he was an Englishman would -not preserve him if the feelings of the populace were once -thoroughly roused. Fortunately Tio Jorge was his friend; -and Tio Jorge was a host in himself. Jack had seen no -more of Miguel or his man since their remarkable -apparition on the ramparts. He resolved to keep a good -look-out; though, after all, it was wily, underhand -machinations rather than open violence he had to fear from them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had determined to see Juanita and advise her to -remove immediately to a safer part of the city. He -therefore took leave of Tio Jorge at the door of the house in -the Coso where she was staying. The same old duenna -admitted him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Señora is very ill," she said. "The Señorita -receives. There is a visitor with her now."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I will wait, then."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not so, Señor. The Señorita gave orders that the -Señor was always to be shown up if he called."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Entering the sala, he saw a tall cloaked figure between -him and Juanita.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah!" said Juanita, coming forward eagerly with -outstretched hand; "how do you do, Jack? You are just in -time to show Don Miguel to the door."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"With pleasure," said Jack, returning at once to the -door and holding it wide open.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Miguel had faced round, and stood swinging his hat -in the middle of the room. A fierce scowl darkened his -face as he looked from one to the other. Juanita reseated -herself, turned her back on him, and resumed some needle-work -for the wounded on which she had been engaged. -Jack stood in an attitude of polite expectancy at the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I protest—" began Don Miguel; but Jack cut him -short. Speaking in a quiet, even tone, he said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You have taken leave, Don Miguel?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Spaniard stood for a moment irresolute; then, -flinging on his hat, he strode across the room, made no -response to Jack's bow, and disappeared. The moment -the door was shut Juanita sprang up, ran towards Jack, -and took him by both hands.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, Jack, Jack," she said, "you don't know how -glad I am to see you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Has that hound been bullying you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bullying! He dare not. I am not a child! But -listen, amigo mio; he came to ask me to marry him. -He did! He had the audacity! You should have seen -him—heard him—his nasty oily voice; oh, he seemed to -be quite sure that he had only to ask! 'And you think -of marriage at this fearful time!' I said. And he wanted -me to believe that he was thinking only of my safety. -When the town falls, he said, I shall want a protector. -'And you, one of Palafox's hussars, how can you protect -me?' And then he smiled, and spoke in dark hints of -some special power he will have, and I grew angry, and -asked whether he meant to turn afrancesado, and then—and -then you came, Jack, and I wondered what he would -do; and—and he went, and I couldn't help remembering -the time when you and I were so terribly afraid of him, -and—oh, Jack, it was magnificent—it was indeed!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita laughed, and Jack himself smiled at the -recollection of Miguel's undignified exit.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, Juanita," he said, "I came to warn you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Against him?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No; against the danger you run in staying here. The -French are coming nearer every hour; almost at any -moment they may reach the Coso. They are driving their -mines steadily towards the centre of the city. You must -find a place—I can't call it a home—elsewhere."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, Jack, that is arranged already. Padre -Consolacion is going to take us to a house near the Porta -Portillo to-morrow. What do you think?—the padre -came to see me only a minute or two after you left the -other day."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Was that the Padre Consolacion? I saw a -benevolent-looking priest enter as I went out."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. And, only think, he wanted me to marry Miguel!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The padre?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita nodded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of course I told him it was impossible—quite -impossible. He sat down and crossed his white plump -hands on his hat and began to talk. Miguel must have -won him with his plausible manner. I love the padre, -but I couldn't listen to him; could I, Jack? He asked -me why I was so opposed to what he thought was an -excellent match, and one that my father had so much -desired; and then I told him that it was all lies, lies; -my father had never wished anything of the sort. And -the poor old dear was puzzled, and kept tapping his -thumbs together and looked at me so sorrowfully, and -then he was called away to attend to a dying officer. -And—Jack, tell me, will this siege ever end? Can we -hold out any longer? Are there big armies mustering to -relieve us, as they all say?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>She bent forward with clasped hands. Jack hesitated -for a moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Juanita," he said, "I won't disguise my real belief. -I don't believe in the big armies. Saragossa will -fall—unless one of two things happens."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And they?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Unless General Palafox sends out a large sortie and -defeats the French, or unless their ammunition gives out. -Neither is probable."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then what will become of us? How long will General -Palafox resist? Cannot someone plead with him? Think -of the thousands who have died, and the thousands who -are dying—the poor women and children in their horrible -cellars! Oh, Jack, what a terrible thing war is! Does -Napoleon know, can he know, of all the horrors he has -brought upon us? Has he any heart at all? Jack, my -poor aunt is dying, I fear. I can do nothing. Every -morning when I go out to carry food and water to the -brave soldiers—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You do that, Juanita?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, yes; every girl in Saragossa does that or -something else to help; and every morning I go fearing that -I shall never again see Tia Teresa alive. And if she -dies, I shall be quite alone in the world. Father gone, -José gone— Ah! but I have you, Jack, and the good -padre, and if the worst comes you will look after me, -won't you?—take me to England, perhaps—I used to like -your mother,—and Napoleon will never conquer England, -will he, Jack?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not he," said Jack with a laugh. He saw that the -events of the past few days had wrought her nerves to -a high pitch of excitement, and tactfully turned the -conversation into a quieter channel. He asked for the name -of the house to which she was going on the morrow, -assured her that, when the inevitable capitulation came, -the French would allow generous terms to such brave -defenders, and at length took his leave, promising to visit -her whenever he could snatch an opportunity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And will you be able to save the old house?" she -asked, as he was going out at the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I shall do my best, for the sake of old times, be sure -of that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I know you will. Vaya usted con Dios, Jack!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Before he reached the foot of the stairs, Jack saw, in -the dim light of the small hanging lamp, a portly figure -ascending. He crossed to the other side and waited to -allow the visitor to pass.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Buenas noches, Señor!" said Padre Consolacion, -sweeping off his large shovel hat; then he stopped as -he recognized the same youth whom he had seen earlier -in the week.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Padre mio," cried Juanita from the top, "come along; -I want to speak to you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Buenas noches, Padre!" said Jack; and the priest, -after a moment's hesitation, went up slowly.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Hard by the Casa Alvarez a narrow tortuous lane of -mean houses, dirty in appearance and evil in repute, ran -almost due east from the ramparts. It was not a district -in which, before the siege, any person worth robbing -would choose to be abroad after nightfall. But when, -towards dusk on this fifth of February, a well-dressed man -passed rapidly down the street and disappeared into one -of the least reputable of the houses, the few denizens who -observed him did so without a thought of their knives, -almost without a sense of curiosity. To such a height -of abnegation had the public danger brought the -professional lawbreakers of Saragossa.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a house of three stories, and the stranger, -threading his way gingerly through the gloomy entrance -and up the narrow stairway, gathered from the evidence -of all his senses that every story was fully occupied. In -hardly another street in this part of Saragossa could a -house have been found where its whole population was -not herded in cellars below-ground. But here the lane -was so narrow, and so closely surrounded by buildings, -that the inhabitants were in no danger from the French -bombardment, and lived in a security which few of their -fellow-citizens enjoyed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the visitor passed room after room on his upward -way, the sounds of coarse laughter, the oaths of men, the -shrill expostulation of women, and the querulous cry of -children came to him through closed or half-closed doors, -and he drew his cloak around him with an instinctive -movement of disgust. Treading almost noiselessly he -reached the attic floor, where the doors of three rooms -opened on to a narrow landing. Although evidently a -stranger to the house he showed little hesitation. With -infinite caution he tiptoed across the landing to the -farthermost door, and put his eye to a crack in the panel, -through which a narrow beam of light fell on the -dirt-encrusted wall behind him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The room into which he looked was in keeping with the -rest of the house. The fitful light of a tallow candle -showed a man bending over a crazy table, two truckle-beds -ranged at right angles to each other in the far -corner, and a few articles of clothing hanging from hooks -on the wall. The man was intently studying a blue paper -spread out on the table, spelling out the words with -difficulty, and repeating them under his breath with a -growl of impatience that accentuated the unpleasing effect -of a countenance by nature unprepossessing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For some minutes the man beyond the door, drawing -shallow breath, watched him closely as he struggled with -the intricacies of the document. There was apparently -a passage in it that completely baffled him. He turned -the paper this way and that, examined it even upside -down, but without success, and at last, in a burst of -anger, dashed it down on to the table with an audible -oath.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The visitor took this as his cue for entry, and tapped -gently at the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Adelante!" was the answer, after a distinct pause.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He turned the handle and went in. The man had faced -round towards the door, and the dim light of the candle -disclosed the narrow features, low receding forehead, thin -lips, and shifty eyes of Pablo Quintanar. The blue paper -had disappeared.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a momentary silence. The host was -evidently waiting for his visitor to introduce himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Buenas noches, hombre!" said the stranger suavely, -with a conciliatory bow. "I trust I don't come at an -unseasonable hour."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The guerrillero scanned him from head to foot with -a quick suspicious glance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That depends, Señor, upon your business, who you -are, and what you want with me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"As to who I am, hombre—may I take a chair? thank -you!—my name is Miguel Priego. As to my business, -that is not so simply stated; we must improve our -acquaintance first."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man started at the mention of his visitor's name; -and the latter duly noted the fact. But as the guerrillero -merely stood in an attitude of expectancy, Don Miguel, -loosening his cloak and placing his hat on the table, -continued:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have been, my friend, as you may perhaps have -heard, four days in Saragossa. During these four days -I have been searching for you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man's hand went like a flash to his knife, and -Miguel, quickening his measured tones, hastened to add:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, my friend, not in that way, or, as you can -imagine, I should not have come alone. I have been -searching for you because I think we are both of one mind -regarding, let us say, the policy of our brave commandant -General Palafox."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Say what you have to say, and have done with it. -I don't understand your fine phrases."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Don Miguel smiled indulgently. It was clear to him -that his host fully grasped his meaning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, to put the matter quite plainly, you—that is, -you and I—regard all this," waving his hand in the -direction of a cannon-shot from the ramparts, "as useless -waste of life—sheer obstinacy; a noble enthusiasm, but -misguided. Is it not so? Now, acting upon our convictions -we—that is, you—have already done our little best -to bring this distressing conflict to an end. We—that is, -you—have endeavoured—unsuccessfully endeavoured—to -relieve our commandant of certain plans which, if placed -in proper hands might—I say might—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this point the guerrillero, who had been standing -facing his visitor, sank into a chair, his face blanched, -his mouth twitching. On the blank wall before him his -imagination was casting the grim shadow of a gibbet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Don Miguel smiled faintly, and waved his hand reassuringly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is no need, my friend, for emotion. If we were -not of the same mind you might, of course, have some -ground for uneasiness; but fortunately we understand one -another. Is it not so?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor," the man replied, recovering himself with -an effort. "Sí, Señor, we understand one another."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is well. Now we can proceed. You can -understand that our good friends out yonder, who also -wish to end this terrible siege, are grieved by your -ill-success. They are saying hard things about you. They -even went the length of giving me your name, which, if -I were less discreet, might well have been awkward for -you. I don't disguise that if they capture Saragossa -while you are still in their debt—one thousand pesetas, -is it not?—they may treat you somewhat harshly. But, -fortunately, you have a chance of retrieving yourself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Don Miguel paused. His host had now to some extent -recovered his composure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what is that?" he asked sullenly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I happen to know, hombre, where our noble commandant -has placed the papers you failed to find. If -you can deliver those papers to me I will see that our -friends outside do not forget you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man smiled cunningly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank you, Señor! If I run the risk it would suit me -better to claim the reward myself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"As you please, my friend. But remember that without -my assistance you can do nothing. A few more days -will end the siege, and then—" He smiled, then added -reflectively: "They say it is an easy death."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pablo Quintanar winced. He felt himself in the toils, -and had some difficulty in resisting the impulse to throw -himself upon his visitor and end the interview with a -knife-thrust. But he felt that Don Miguel, with all his languid -urbanity, was fully on his guard, and choking down his -animosity he replied:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What does the Señor wish me to do?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Don Miguel's voice throughout the interview had been -carefully modulated to defeat any eavesdropping. He -now rose quietly, and, rapidly opening the door, peered -out on to the landing. There was no one in view. He -stretched himself over the balustrade and saw, on the -flight below, what appeared to be a tall figure lurking in -the shadow. He seemed satisfied. Quietly re-entering -the room, he closed the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then began a long colloquy between the two men, -Miguel giving precise directions as to the whereabouts -of a certain box, and the means whereby it could be -secured.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I think, my friend, there is nothing more to say," -he remarked in conclusion. "The matter now rests with you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"One moment, Señor," said Quintanar, motioning him -to be seated. He had listened deferentially to what -Miguel had been saying, and had obediently fallen in -with every proposition; but there was now a vindictive -look in his eyes that caused Miguel a strange uneasiness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly," he replied, "but I have little time to spare."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I will not detain you long—not longer, Señor, than -you wish, though I think that when you have heard what -I have to say, you may not be in such a hurry. The point -is this. If—mind, I say 'if'—I knew the whereabouts -of a letter in which your name is mentioned in connection -with a little affair on the Barcelona road—you remember?—a -couple of years ago?—if, I say, I had such a letter, -that is, if I knew where such a letter was to be found, -would it be worth anything to you, Don Miguel?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pablo Quintanar grinned maliciously. He had been -the victim for the past half-hour; it was now his turn. -Miguel had done his best to dissemble his start of -surprise and anxiety; but the man's searching gaze was -upon him, and though he replied with a show of -confidence he felt that it was not convincing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My name has no doubt been mentioned in a good -many letters, my friend; but I am quite indifferent -whether I am well or ill spoken of. Hard words break -no bones."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That may be, Señor, but they sometimes break -reputations, and you are dancing on a thin rope. But if -I tell you that this letter also has a message about a sum -of money hidden by the writer, how does that alter the -case?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can tell you better if you inform me what the -message is, and what the name of the writer is."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I can tell you the name of the writer; it is the -late Señor Alvarez."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! I heard that a letter had been lost—that, then, -was what you found instead of the plan. Do you know, -my friend, that this places you in a very awkward position? -You will do well to hand the letter over to me. The -slightest whisper of suspicion—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man glared viciously at the speaker, then snapped -out:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You may be quite sure that as you are the only man -who knows anything about it, I shall take care that you -swing on the same gallows."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Don Miguel shifted his feet uneasily.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You need not fear, my friend; I am not the man to -betray you. I merely thought it would be safer for you -if this letter were in my possession."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, no doubt! but, Señor," added Quintanar with a -harsh laugh, "I couldn't allow you to take the risk—especially -as the letter is of no value to you. I need not -detain you, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Miguel considered a moment, tapping the floor lightly -with his foot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you want for the paper?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, Señor, I am not unreasonable. Let us say one -thousand pesetas down and a quarter of the treasure when -you find it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Miguel laughed softly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank you, my friend! Before I pay a thousand -pesetas I should like to know what I am paying it for."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Quintanar, hesitating for a moment, slowly drew out -a blue paper from beneath his jacket, and said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you think of this?</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>'I am convinced that Miguel Priego was at the bottom of this -dastardly outrage. Unfortunately, we have no proof at present -that would satisfy a judge, but if any of the men who assisted -him can be found and induced to give evidence it is still possible -that he may be brought to book.'</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>What do you think of that, Don Miguel? Ah! I thought -I should interest you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Miguel forced a smile, and, waving his hand airily, said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If that is all the letter contains I would not offer a -maravedi for it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, there is more, a good deal more! I need not -read it all, but listen to this:</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"The sum saved from Miguel's brigands, together with a -large amount in jewels and bullion, I have thought it best to -secrete until more settled times. You will find appended to -this letter instructions which, taken together with a -communication I have made to your son Jack, will enable you or him, -or such other person as you may be so good as to depute, to -find them in the event of anything happening to my servant -José Pinzon, who is fully acquainted with all my dispositions."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Don Miguel, greed written in every lineament, leaned -forward on his chair, listening eagerly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well," he said impatiently, as the man concluded, -"what are the instructions?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Those, Señor, I cannot read. They are in some -strange tongue; but no doubt you, having education, -will be able to make them out. That is to say, if you -make it worth my while to hand you the letter. You -know my price."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Carefully refolding the letter, Quintanar replaced it in -a pocket inside his jacket. In doing so he took his eyes -for a moment off Miguel, whom he had been watching -with the utmost vigilance, to assure himself that the -document was safely stowed away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The other, his face aflame with rage and cupidity, -instantly seized the opportunity. Drawing his feet quietly -beneath him, he sprang from his chair and bore the -guerrillero to the ground. But the man, although taken -unawares, recovered himself with surprising agility. -Before Miguel had time to draw his knife he had clutched -him by the throat, and with a dexterous turn had reversed -their positions, Miguel now being on the ground, -Quintanar above him, his long knife uplifted to strike.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="pepito-finds-a-clue"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Pepito finds a Clue</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Morning Light—Bombarded—An Afrancesado—From the Roofs—In -the Casa Vallejo—A Fight at Daybreak—Anticipated—The -Jesus Convent—New Barricades—Repulsed—Borrowing a -Gun—Round-Shot and Grape—Out of Action—Odds and Evens</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack was awakened next morning by the sounds of altercation -outside the small room on the ground floor of the -Casa Alvarez that he had reserved for himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You shall not!" he heard Pepito cry in his shrill voice. -"The Señor sleeps; you—shall—not—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then his voice was stifled by the noise of scuffling. -A heavy thud shook the door, as though some massive -body had been driven against it. Springing from his bed, -on which he had lain down in all his clothes save his boots, -Jack went to the door, opened it, and saw Antonio, the -guerrillero, raining blow after blow on the small form of -Pepito, who had twisted himself about one of the big -man's legs and held on grimly, though he must have -suffered not a little.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, come!" said Jack; "what is it, Antonio? -Pepito, let him go!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito sprang away instantly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Busno wanted to wake the Señor," he piped, -with a fierce look at Antonio.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You waked me between you. Well, Antonio?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor, I was on night duty; I was to be relieved at -two o'clock, so it was arranged by Don Cristobal; the -chief was to relieve me. He did not come. I waited, one -hour, two hours; he did not come. The Señor knows I -would not leave my post. At five came Don Cristobal on -his round of the posts. I told him; he put a man in -my place and I went home tired as a dog, and there, in -the top room I share with the chief, there, Señor, I saw -him, Pablo Quintanar, on the floor, still, dead, and blood -all round him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack looked sharply at the man. There was every sign -of amazement and agitation in his face, but Jack remembered -that he had quarrelled with his chief on the previous -day, and could not but suspect there had been a repetition -of the dispute when the men met in their lodging, and that, -possibly by accident, it was Antonio's knife that had done -the fatal work. Antonio appeared to guess what was -passing in his captain's mind.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I swear I did not do it, Señor. I knew nothing of -it till I saw him there on the floor. We quarrelled; yes, -the Señor knows that, but I keep my knife for the French; -I would not—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take me to the place," interrupted Jack coldly. -Staying only to pull on his boots, he accompanied the -man to the dirty lane and into the dingy house from -which Miguel had stealthily issued some six hours before. -Pepito was at his heels as he climbed the filthy staircase; -the gipsy sniffed and snorted at the foul odours his nostrils -encountered, and put his hand on his knife as he passed -each doorway.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They entered the attic. The gray light of a dull -morning coming through a narrow skylight barely illuminated -the sordid room. On the floor, stretched on his face, with -arms extended towards the door, lay the figure of the -guerrillero. This was no death in fair fight, face to face -with his enemy; but the base, stealthy thrust of an -assassin.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is how I found him, Señor," said Antonio.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes; it is the Spanish way."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had noticed that the dead man's hand clasped a -knife. Stooping, he removed it from his grasp; the steel -was bright and clear, as though it had never been used for -any but innocent purposes. Jack, as he held the weapon, -reflected. The man had drawn his knife. It must have -been for attack or for self-defence against an enemy in -front of him; therefore the blow from behind that killed -him must have been dealt by a second person. Antonio -was scarcely likely to have brought another man into his -personal quarrel; Jack was inclined to believe that he was -guiltless, as he said. He looked around the room; there -were few signs of a scuffle. It was useless to institute -an enquiry among the other people in the house, and -the sound of musketry and cannon-shots without already -called him to his duties.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bury the poor wretch," he said, "and then come to me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Señor believes I did not do it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, yes; we have no time for enquiries. There is -work for us who are left alive."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He hurried away. There had been something sinister -about the guerrillero, something that Jack could not -fathom; perhaps it was resentment at a stranger being -brought in and placed above him; but Jack could not -help feeling a passing pity for the Spaniard who had met -his death by the hands presumably of one of his own -countrymen, instead of in heroic combat with the enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He returned to his post. The situation as it had been -left on the previous evening had now been complicated. -The cannon-shots he had heard in the attic had been fired -from two pieces mounted by the French at the angle of -the street. An epaulement of sand-bags and gabions had -been thrown across between the ruined blocks, and from -that point of vantage the French gunners were pointing -their cannon so that their shots fell plump upon the walls -of the Casas Vega and Tobar. These, it was clear, would -before long be a heap of ruins. Jack sent men to the end -of his subterranean galleries to listen whether mining -operations had been resumed by the French. When they -returned, reporting that no sound could be heard, he -concluded that the signal failure of their last mines had been -enough for the enemy, and that in future they would -probably trust entirely to cannonade, followed by attacks -in force. He could not reply to their artillery; all that lay -in his power was to hold his men in readiness to repel -a charge, and to fire his long Y-shaped mines when the -French attack was being pressed home.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Some two hours later he was consulting with Don -Cristobal on the possibilities of capturing the French -guns in a night attack, when Pepito came up, looking -even more than usually mysterious. He stood before Jack -with his hands behind him, waiting until his master, now -deeply engrossed in conversation, should notice him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I should dearly like to make the attempt," Jack was -saying, "but your arguments are, I am afraid, conclusive. -We can't afford to lose any of our men unless we can -be sure of success, and after their recent warnings I -don't think we shall catch the French napping. We -must give up the idea, I suppose, but you will see that -our men keep a keen watch on the epaulement, -Señor— Well, what is it, Pepito?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito came forward carelessly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I found these, Señor," he said, handing two papers -to Jack, who took them carelessly. Without unfolding -them, he asked:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where did you get these?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In the tall house, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Which tall house?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where the Señor went just now."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where the man was murdered?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor. The big Antonio took him away. I was -there. In a minute, two men came in. 'Now we get a -bed,' they say. They pull the dirty quilt off the bed. One -man carries it; the other pulls off the mattress. There, -on the boards, I see two papers. I snatch them, and -say: 'I take these to the Señor Capitan'. The man laughs; -and here they are, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack unfolded the papers and glanced at them curiously. -Suddenly he started, and keenly scrutinized one of -them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is explained now, Señor," he said to Don Cristobal, -at the same time laying the papers before him. -"Quintanar was a spy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"An afrancesado!" ejaculated the Spaniard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Unhappily. One of the papers, you see, is a pass -through the French lines; the other a rough plan of our -defences. See, the miserable fellow had begun to dot in -our mines under the houses opposite. Someone must -have discovered his treachery, and killed him without -remorse."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So perish all traitors!" said Don Cristobal.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment a man rushed in with the news that -a small breach had been made in the wall of the Casa -Tobar.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must do something to check them," said Jack, -rising. "A few good marksmen on the top of this house -might pick off their gunners; let us go and see."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They went up the staircase towards the roof, Pepito, -left alone, put his hand into his pocket, and drew out a -small silver buckle, such as Spanish burghers and officers -wore on their shoes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor has the papers," he muttered. "Ca! I have -the buckle. The buckle is better than the papers."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He swung it round his forefinger, humming under his -breath, and was still toying with it when Jack came -downstairs again. Then he hurriedly thrust it into his pocket, -and stood unconcernedly as though waiting for orders.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A moment's glance had shown Jack that his plan of -placing marksmen on the roof would be useless. The -Casas Vega and Tobar, though much lower than the -Casa Alvarez, were not low enough to allow an effective -fire over them. But what could not be done from the -Casa Alvarez might be done from the lower roofs nearer -the guns. Jack lost no time in making his way to the -flat roof of the Casa Tobar. Carefully crawling along -and peeping over, he saw that the angle of depression -was just sharp enough to allow a good marksman to take -aim at the gunners' heads. It would be dangerous work, -for the French would instantly perceive the source of -the shots, and would bring a concentrated fire to bear -in return. There was no parapet to the roof, but a -parapet could perhaps be extemporized with sand-bags, -between which the Spaniards' muskets might be placed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Returning to the ground, Jack explained what he had -in his mind, and Antonio at once volunteered to make the -attempt. With some of his men he climbed to the roof, -where they pushed sand-bags along until they came to the -edge. Then one of the men tried a shot. He missed. But -Antonio took more deliberate aim, through the interstice -between two sand-bags, and hit one of the French gunners -in the arm.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Three Frenchmen had been hit before the enemy -discovered whence came these disconcerting shots. Then -bullets began to patter on the walls and roof. But the -Spaniards were too well protected by their extemporized -parapet to be in much fear, and continued their firing -without suffering serious loss. Before the day was out -the French found it the part of discretion to withdraw -their gunners, and for the time being the cannon were -useless.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was not surprised next morning to learn that -the French mining work had been renewed. This time -the sounds were heard in the Casa Vallejo. The French -had evidently seen that their only chance of carrying the -position was by reverting to the slow burrowing which -had been successful in earlier days. Jack went himself -to the attacked house. The sounds through the wall were -very faint, but there could be no doubt that the enemy -were engaged in repairing the gallery destroyed in the -sortie, though they were as yet thirty or forty feet away. -It was probable that they had resumed, or would soon -resume, operations in the Casas Vega and Tobar also, and -dispositions must be made to meet them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was Jack's practice every morning to call the roll of -the men under his charge. Every day the force dwindled, -and the physical weakness of the survivors had patently -increased. Wishing to spare them as much as possible, -he had been indisposed to set them to the arduous work -of mining until he felt sure that he was seriously -threatened. The fact that the French had resumed their -tunnelling showed that there was now no time to be lost, and the -morning was but little advanced when men were busily -engaged in clearing out the galleries, in Vega and Tobar, -that had been tamped and fired, so that they might be -recharged. But while the sounds of mining grew clearer -in front of Vallejo, hours passed without the Spaniards -detecting any signs of activity towards the other two -houses. Leaving men to keep watch there, and report -if any change took place, Jack returned to Vallejo, where -it seemed evident that the only present danger was to -be apprehended.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He stood with Don Cristobal near the end of the short -gallery beneath Vallejo and the ruined house beyond. -About eleven o'clock he was struck by a difference in the -sounds, which up to the present had been fitfully -interrupted.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Listen, Señor!" he said to Don Cristobal. "I fancy -the French are making several tunnels this time. Don't -you think so? There is no break in the sound now, as -there would be if they were driving only one or two; and -yet there is a slight difference in the quality of the sound -at successive moments. Do you hear? There; that was -a deeper sound than the one before it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are right, Señor," returned the Spaniard. "We -can do little on our side, I fear."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No. You see what a piece of arrant folly that rush -of Santiago Sass was. Several of our best miners were -killed; and what with the necessity of defending the -barricades, and maintaining constant garrisons in the houses, -we simply can't hope to match the French underground. -All we can do is to wait till the right moment comes, and -then explode our little mine first. If we let the French -anticipate us, the explosion of several mines at once will -blow ours up or make it useless, and all our work will -be thrown away."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How many galleries do you think the enemy are cutting?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If we listen carefully we can tell."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were silent, and after about a quarter of an hour -Jack declared that he had counted four separate operations. -He sent for one of the more experienced miners, and asked -him to count independently. The man confirmed his -opinion, adding that he thought there would be no danger -of explosions from the French side for a day or two.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The rest of that day passed quietly. But early next -morning the necessity of maintaining adequate guards at -the exposed points of his position was brought home to -Jack. During the night a large number of French had -been silently posted in the ruined house at the end of the -lane to the north of the Casa Vega. Issuing from these -ruins, almost as soon as day dawned, they rushed towards -the barricade, bearing fascines and scaling-ladders. But -Don Cristobal, who was in command at this point, proved -equal to the occasion. He sent off a messenger to Jack -in the Casa Alvarez as soon as he saw signs of the French -movement, and with the thirty resolute men of his -command he held the enemy off, showing much coolness in -awaiting their onset and ordering his men to fire at the -right moment. When Jack came up at the head of a -considerable reinforcement, the French were decisively -driven off, leaving more than a score of dead behind them. -They retired in confusion, some going into the ruins from -which the attack had been made, others retreating down -the street until they found protection from the Spaniards' -musketry at the sharp bend in the roadway.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Hastening then to the Casa Vallejo, Jack found that -the sounds of miners at work had been steadily growing -more distinct. It was clearly time to prepare his own -mine. The gallery extended some six feet beneath the -floor of the ruined house adjoining. A heavy charge was -laid in it; then the mine was tamped as quickly as possible. -All was now in readiness. Through that day Jack scarcely -left the place for a moment. It was of the utmost -importance that the time for exploding the mine should be well -chosen. He dared not run the risk of allowing the French -to drive the heads of their tunnels past his own, for indeed -they might not pass it, but come clean upon it, in which -case they would either explode it themselves, or more -probably withdraw the charge. His object was to allow -them to approach as near as seemed safe, and then to fire -the train. After an anxious day he retired to rest, -convinced that a sharp conflict could no longer be much -delayed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At ten o'clock next morning, the 8th of February, he -judged that the French miners could only be a few feet -distant. Withdrawing all his men from the Casa Vallejo -to the Casa Hontanon, next door, he waited tensely for -a few minutes, then himself fired the train. There was a -thunderous explosion, the walls of the room in which he -was seemed to rock, then came the crash of falling beams, -followed by a death-like silence. The mine had done its -terrible work effectually; for the rest of the day there was -no further sound of the French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile, on the other side of the Ebro the French -were gradually preparing for a grand assault. The part -of the city along the river bank had been hitherto little -damaged, for it was protected by the transpontine suburb -of San Lazaro, and to some extent by a few gun-boats -moored near the bridge. The key to the position was -the Jesus Convent, a building of bricks, with a ditch on -the French side of it. The French batteries had made -large breaches in its masonry, but in order to carry it -by storm it was first necessary for the enemy to trench -their way towards it by slow degrees, every step having -to be taken under fire from the walls. Their work was -delayed for a time by a sudden rise of the river -inundating their trenches and driving them back for several -hundred yards—a flood hailed with joy by the defenders, -who regarded it as another miraculous interposition on -the part of Our Lady of the Pillar.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Their condition was becoming pitiful in the extreme. -All fresh meat and vegetables were exhausted; they had -nothing now to subsist on but fish and salt meat. The -few chickens that could be got each sold for a sum -equivalent to an English pound. The French had seized -all the water-mills along the banks of the river, so that -the corn, of which the Spaniards yet possessed large stores, -could not be ground, and they were forced to make a -rough unwholesome bread of grain merely crushed or -bruised. Fever, bred in the damp vaults in which most -of the people lived, was carrying off hundreds every day; -yet the emaciated survivors scarcely murmured, and the -faintest suggestion of surrender was still sufficient to carry -a man to the gibbet. Cheered by their brave untiring -priests, they hoped against hope that relief would come.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But the floods subsided, and there was no sign of the -long-expected succour. On the morning of February -8th, twenty-two French guns opened fire on the convent. -Within a few hours the outer walls were battered down; -then Marshal Lannes in person ordered the place to be -carried by assault. Five hundred men instantly sprang -from the trenches. The Spaniards in the convent, mingled -regulars and monks, made what resistance they could, -but they were unnerved by the preceding cannonade, and -before the furious rush of the French grenadiers they -fled and left the convent to its fate. Within the walls -the French found hundreds of wounded and sick, and in -the courtyard there were some two hundred corpses, men, -women, and children, piled up awaiting burial. Even -the French were sick at heart when they saw on these -pale cold faces the terrible signs of fasting and disease. -They themselves had suffered in their trenches. Among -them too men fell fast; and even in their ranks there -were heard murmurs against the long waiting of this -cruel siege.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But though they had gained possession of the convent, -their capture of the whole suburb was to be delayed for -yet a few days. News was brought in to the French -marshal, from his outlying positions, that a Spanish army -was marching towards the city. The captain-general's -brother, Francisco Palafox, had succeeded in raising a -small force of 4000 men, and was now but twenty miles -away. The attack could not be pressed in this quarter -until the exact strength of the new enemy was ascertained. -Marshal Lannes himself, therefore, drew off with 12,000 -men, and once more the hopes of the dwindling garrison -within the walls flickered up into the semblance of a -flame.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile Jack, in his little district, had become -convinced that the defence could not be maintained for many -more days. But he was determined to hold his own -to the very end. After his explosion beyond the Casa -Vallejo there had been a prolonged silence on the French -side, but in the evening renewed sounds of mining in two -quarters showed that though two of the four French -galleries had been injured, the other two were still workable. -It was only a matter of hours before the wall must fall. -All that Jack could do was to ensure that the house should -be held as long as possible after the explosion of the -French mines, and that this should cause his men the -minimum of loss. During the night of the 8th he built -a fresh barricade between Vallejo and Tobar, some yards -in the rear of the first one, leaving a means of ingress -into the threatened house. On the roof of Tobar he -stationed men, just before dawn, to give notice of any -French movements in the ruins at the farther end of the -block. Meanwhile the garrison of Vallejo were -withdrawn behind the barricade, with orders to rush in and -reoccupy the house as soon as the explosion had taken -place.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At seven o'clock on the morning of the 9th a deep -rumbling noise, as of a miniature earthquake, shook -the quarter. Volumes of pungent smoke rolled along -the lanes, and the crashing sounds proclaimed that the -party-wall of Vallejo had fallen in.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Into the house!" shouted Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The men burst into the building. Taking advantage -of the cover afforded by heaps of shattered masonry, -woodwork, and furniture, they stood firm to meet the -attack of the French, who, as soon as the dust and smoke -began to clear, charged furiously up to the ruined wall. -Their front ranks were mowed down by the withering -fire of the Spaniards, but the gaps were instantly filled, -and the undaunted enemy pressed on again. The volumes -of smoke and the heaped wreckage of the house made -it difficult sometimes for the combatants to see one -another. For the moment the advantage was with the -Spaniards. Nothing could dislodge them from behind -their barricades of brickwork, furniture, even piles of -books. But the French were swarming in at the other -end of the block of buildings, and some, mounting on -heaps of débris, were able to fire over the heads of the -men in front of them into the Spanish position. Jack -saw that with the fall of the party-wall of Vallejo the -remains of the roof and front wall of the house beyond -had also come down. Profiting by this circumstance, he -sent a number of men on to the roof of Tobar, whence -they were able to enfilade the French marksmen. They -were assisted by a strong fire from the front barricade, -where Antonio, now the leader of the guerrilleros, was -doing yeoman service. Finding that after repeated charges -no impression had been made on the Spanish defences, -the French drew back disheartened, and, unwilling to -face the risk of meeting again such heavy losses, made -no further serious attempt during the morning to carry -the position. The action degenerated into a fitful -exchange of musket-shots, whenever a Frenchman or a -Spaniard incautiously exposed himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well done, hombres!" said Jack, who had gone -from point to point cheering them on, reinforcing weak -spots, narrowly escaping the enemy's bullets as he moved -at times across the line of fire. He had been quick to -mark instances of special bravery or skill, and the few -words of praise he spoke nerved the ardent Spaniards -to still more strenuous exertions.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In the afternoon, as he was resting in the Casa Alvarez, -news was brought that the French had been seen clearing -away parts of the débris in the ruins at the farther end -of the Vallejo block.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What does that mean?" he exclaimed, starting up. -"They will only expose themselves to direct fire from -the roofs and the barricade."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Hastening with Don Cristobal to the roof of the Casa -Tobar, he sought for an explanation of the new movement. -Suddenly it occurred to him: the French were about to -bring the gun, which had been driven away from the -angle of the street, to a position whence it would bear -upon Vallejo, and the work they were doing was for the -purpose of clearing away anything that might intercept -its fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We can't hold Vallejo against a bombardment," he -remarked. "Stay! Perhaps Don Casimir would lend -us a gun from his ramparts. Things have been pretty -quiet with him lately. Antonio, run off with twenty men -and ask Don Casimir to let you have an eight-pounder, -with grape and round-shot. If we can get a gun to bear, -Señor, the work the French are doing will assist us as -much as themselves."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can we mount the gun?" asked Don Cristobal, -descending with Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We can but try. 'Where there's a will there's a way', -as we say in England."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Twenty minutes later Antonio returned with his men, -hauling the eight-pounder briskly along towards the -barricade. It was easily taken into the patio of the Casa -Vallejo, but to move it thence into a position facing the -French would necessitate the breaking of the wall of one -of the ground-floor rooms.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was approaching nightfall when, from his post of -observation on the roof of Tobar, Jack saw that the -French had completed their work. He could just perceive -the muzzle of their gun, carefully blinded with beams, -protruding from a sort of screen in the ruins of the second -house from Vallejo. He was confident that they would -not begin their bombardment until the following morning, -and he hoped to use the hours of darkness to place his -own gun. Before darkness fell, with Don Cristobal's -help he took, from several points, careful observations of -the position of the French gun, and on the stone floor -of the room opening on to the patio in Vallejo he drew -chalk lines indicating what appeared to be a suitable -position for his eight-pounder.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As soon as it was dark he set two men to break a way -with picks through the wall of the patio, at a spot where -there was a window. The work was carried out with the -aid of dark lanterns, large pieces of cloth being hung over -every gap to conceal any glimmer of light from the French. -The gun was then hauled through the hole and laid by the -chalk lines; it was screened with bags of earth, and then, -after it had been loaded with ball, a horse-blanket was -hung over the muzzle, which alone was in sight of the enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now we can get some sleep, Señor," said Jack. -"We've had a hard day's work. I confess I'm longing -for the morning, to see whether we can once more get in -first. You have arranged the sentries for the night?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. Nothing has been neglected."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A special guard for the gun?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Antonio and two of his guerrilleros will take turns -through the night."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We haven't any better men. I can hardly keep my -eyes open. Come along."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was but a faint glimmer of light beyond the Ebro -when Jack again took his place beside the gun.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm not a gunner," he remarked to Don Cristobal, -"but I fancy I can manage to lay and fire it myself; it's -point-blank range, you see; I can hardly miss. Now, -hombres," he said, turning to the eight men with him, -"everything depends on our shooting first, so keep as -mum as door-mats."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Waiting till the increasing light showed him clearly the -muzzle of the enemy's gun, he carefully pointed his own -piece. He aimed at a beam covering the gun at a point -which, as nearly as he could judge, corresponded with the -trunnion. Don Cristobal watched him anxiously as he -lit the match. What would be the result of the shot? -One moment of suspense, then Jack applied the match; -there was a flash and a roar, followed immediately by -the crashing of timber.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was impossible to see the effect of the shot through -the cloud of smoke that hung between the buildings; but, -whatever it was, Jack knew that it would awake the -enemy to feverish activity. Running his piece in, he had -it rapidly sponged and then reloaded with grape. While -this was being done, he sent orders to the garrison to -open fire on the French position, to which there would -certainly be a rush. As soon as the smoke cleared he -saw that the French gun had also been run in. Before -it could be loaded, however, Jack applied his second -match; his canister of grape searched every square foot of -the area around the French gun, and the men serving it -were annihilated. Before another complement of gunners -could be brought up, Jack had his piece cleaned and -charged again, this time with round-shot. He saw now -that the first shot had broken and splintered the beam; -the third shivered it to fragments. A great cheer arose -from the garrison when they saw the damage already -done. A second charge of grape, together with sharp -musketry-fire from every point occupied by the Spaniards, -scattered the French reinforcements who were now -attempting frantically to withdraw the gun out of range. -Again Jack loaded with shot, and a fierce shout of -exultation broke from the Spaniards on the roof-tops as they -saw the enemy's gun completely dismounted, and the -remnant of the French fly in all haste to the rear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This spirited defence had the effect of keeping the -French quiet in that quarter for the rest of the day. Jack -maintained his vigilance unrelaxed, but there was no -movement from the enemy's direction either above or -below ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Another day saved!" said Jack to Don Casimir, who, -having heard of what had happened, had come to -congratulate him on his successful manipulation of the gun.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, one more day. But how long can we still hold -out?" replied Don Casimir. "Surely, Señor Lumsden, -you are not among the credulous people who think that -we shall save the city?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Since you ask me plainly, Don Casimir, I am not. -But what does that matter? We have to hold our -quarters, and I confess that I sha'n't be satisfied unless I -can say, when the end comes, that here at all events we -are still unbeaten.—Do look at that odd little gipsy boy of -mine. He is a strange child. When the fighting is going -on he is never to be found; he hasn't any courage of that -sort; but he always turns up when it is over, and looks as -proud as though he had fought with the best. What has -the brat got now?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito approached jauntily, twirling a small silver buckle -round on his finger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, what is the mischief now?" asked Jack with a smile.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is for Señor to say," replied Pepito gravely.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You found that buckle, I suppose. Well, it looks a -very good silver buckle; what is there to explain?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I found it in the tall house. It was under the dead -man. I saw it when they took him away."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. What then?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito put his hand into his pocket and produced a -second buckle, the exact fellow of the first.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now I have two," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So I see. One isn't much use without the other. I -suppose you will want them sewn on your shoes now. -You found that too, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, I cut it off. Señor thinks they are the buckles a -poor Busno would wear?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, no; they are a little unusual for a guerrillero, -certainly. But he may have been a bandit first."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, no. They were not his. Señor, listen as I tell. -I find in the room one buckle; I think I know it. I put it -in my pocket. I go out at once into the streets to look. -What do I see? I see a man walk; one shoe has a -buckle, the other shoe has not. I open my eyes wide; I say -to myself: 'Ho! ho! That is what I thought!' But I was -not sure. I wait. A time comes. I see the one-buckle -Señor go into the Café Arcos. I follow; big Jorge Arcos -knows me now. I keep much in the dark; Señor One-buckle -must not see me. But I see him; I see his foot; I -am under the table. I put buckle one next to buckle two; -they are brothers. I take my knife and cut off buckle two. -It is Señor No-buckle now! Señor knows?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had been impressed, not so much by the gipsy's -story as by the solemnity of his manner of telling it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You have something more to tell me. What is it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor One-buckle, Señor No-buckle—who is it? One-buckle, -I find it under the dead man in the tall house; -two-buckle, I cut it from the shoe of—of the master of -Señor One-eye."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor Priego?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="wanted-don-miguel-priego"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXVI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Wanted: Don Miguel Priego</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Circumstantial Evidence—A Council of War—Miguel's -Despatch—A Statement of Facts—The Inevitable -Inference—Shambles—In the Belfry—Without Guile—The -People's Curse</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jack had had so many evidences of Pepito's sagacity that -he could not doubt the accuracy of the boy's report. The -shoe buckles almost certainly belonged to Don Miguel. -From this one seed of fact sprang a whole sheaf of -problems. Miguel had been in the room when the -guerrillero was murdered; he may not have dealt the blow -himself, but certainly he was there. Then why was -he there? Had he learnt that the man was an afrancesado -and gone personally to serve him as every good -Spaniard would wish to serve a traitor? That was -improbable, for the murder had been committed in secret, -no report had been made of it, and Miguel was not the -man to let slip the chance of adding to his popularity -by ridding the city of a domestic foe. No, he had not -gone to the house as an enemy; could he have gone to it -as a friend? What bond of union could there be between -Don Miguel Priego, in civil life a well-to-do merchant and -now also major in Palafox's hussars, and a poor obscure -peasant who had no standing whatever as a citizen or -a soldier?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly the idea came to him: could Miguel have -visited the man because he was an afrancesado? The -suggestion was like the letting out of a flood. Jack -recalled the suspicious entry of Miguel and his man into -Saragossa; the strange tale about an overpowered sentry; -the curious reappearance of a sentinel in the French -trenches almost immediately afterwards. Had Miguel got -in, not in spite of the French, but with their connivance? -His rapid journey across country from Seville: how could -that be accounted for unless he had been helped through -the districts in French occupation, and provided with -relays of post-horses at every stage? The inevitable -conclusion was that Miguel was himself an afrancesado, and -had come into the city on some traitorous errand. -Knowing that the guerrillero was of the same kidney, he had -visited him for some purpose of his own. A quarrel had -arisen; during the struggle one of his buckles had been -wrenched off, and it lay unnoticed on the floor. It was -improbable that Miguel himself had dealt Quintanar the -fatal blow; but, remembering Perez, the one-eyed man, -Jack was in little doubt where to look for the assassin.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was only one thing wanted to complete his assurance -of Miguel's treachery. Miguel had certainly brought -to Palafox a despatch from the Supreme Junta at Seville. -If he were a true Spaniard, and had really gained admittance -to the city by a hazardous feat of arms, the despatch -must have been intact when Palafox received it. On the -other hand, if Miguel was a spy, in the pay of the French, -it was little likely that they would have allowed a despatch -to pass through their lines without mastering its contents. -In that case they must have found means to open and read -it, without leaving anything to arouse suspicion in the -mind of Palafox when he received it. How was that -possible? Palafox would certainly have remarked any sign -of tampering with the seal; the despatch could not have -been opened without tampering with the seal, and -that— Stay! Jack vaguely remembered having read somewhere -that a seal could be removed by dexterously slipping a -thin hot blade between it and the paper. Had that been -done with Miguel's despatch? The question had no sooner -formed itself in Jack's mind than conviction flashed upon -him; he felt absolutely sure that the man he had always so -much disliked on personal grounds was a renegade and a -traitor.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Next morning he rose from his bed unrefreshed, but with -a plan of action formed. He made his dispositions for the -continued defence of his district with keenness and care. -Then, somewhat after one o'clock, he left the work in -charge of Don Cristobal, and made his way by narrow -lanes towards the other end of the city. The streets were -almost entirely deserted now; only a few brave women -and ministering priests went about fearlessly on errands -of mercy. All the men were engaged on the ramparts -or in the houses, striving with dogged energy to hinder -the creeping advance of the French. He had crossed the -part of the city most in danger from bombardment or -mines when he met Tio Jorge, whom he had not seen for -a few days.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tio," he said, "can you come with me? I am going -to see the general, and I should like you to be with me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Assuredly, Señor. And in truth, I think it well you -should have a friend with you, for the murmurs against -you are growing stronger. It is whispered that an -afrancesado was lately slain in your quarter, and men -are saying that he was not the only one there. They -are puzzled, for if you are an afrancesado, as some -think, why are you fighting the French so desperately -every day? I only tell you what they think and say, -Señor; it is well I am your friend."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack set his lips; he traced this to Miguel's inveterate -malice. Hurrying along with the big peasant, he arrived -at the Aljafferia Castle, and was admitted after some delay -to Palafox's room. The general had now taken to his -bed; the fever had gained a terrible hold upon him, and -but for his indomitable spirit he would probably ere this -have died. He was surrounded by a group of his -advisers, among them Don Basilio, Santiago Sass, Padre -Consolacion, and General San March, who, having failed -to hold the Monte Torrero against the French in the early -days of the siege, had since been under a cloud. The -priests scowled at Jack as he approached; the lean -Santiago Sass and the rotund Padre Consolacion looked at -him with equal distrust.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, Tio Jorge," said General San March, "you are -in time to support me. I have been asking the captain-general -to allow me to lead a sortie across the Ebro, now -that the French are weakened there by the withdrawal of -so many men."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Useless, useless!" cried Palafox from his bed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Useless, Señores!" echoed Tio Jorge. "What men -have we now for sorties? Three weeks ago, yes; but -now—most of our men can hardly stagger under the weight of -their muskets. The time for sorties is past; but let us -hope the French are withdrawn from San Lazaro by news -of our brothers coming to aid us—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And we will never give in, never give in!" cried -Santiago Sass. "No, not even though traitors within our -walls give the gates to the enemy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Tio Jorge was on the point of resenting, on Jack's -behalf, the glare with which the priest accompanied these -words; but Jack laid his hand on the man's arm, and, -advancing to the bedside, spoke to the worn figure lying -there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You remember, Señor, the despatch that was brought -to you from the Supreme Junta, little more than a week -ago, by one of your officers who made his way by night -through the French lines?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I remember it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You have that despatch still?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have. Why do you ask?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pardon me, Señor, you will see in a few moments. -You observed nothing unusual about the seal?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nothing."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was the usual seal of the Junta," put in Don Basilio. -"I have the despatch."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Will you allow me to look at it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The chaplain hesitated; he appeared to be about to ask -a question, but Tio Jorge interposed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The despatch, Señor Padre! The Señor has a reason; -I know it not, but he fought with me by the Casa Ximenez, -and what he says, por Dios! there is sense in it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Produce the despatch, Padre," said Palafox.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Don Basilio went to a cabinet, and after a little search -found the despatch and handed it to Jack. The seal was -broken across the middle. Jack examined the edges -carefully, lifting the wax slightly with his thumb nail. He -looked up.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is as I thought," he said. "Will Don Basilio look?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The priest took the paper and looked at it with an air -of puzzlement and surprise.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I see red wax and paper," he said coldly. "What of that?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you not see, Señor Padre, a slight browning of the -paper beneath, as though it had been scorched?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The chaplain scrutinized the seal again. The other -priests watched him in silence; Palafox kept his burning -eyes fixed on Jack; and Tio Jorge stood with his lips -parted as though wondering what deep mystery was -concerned here.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I do see a faint coloration," said Don Basilio at -length; "a light tinge at the edge of the wax, becoming -a little darker beneath the seal. What then?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This, Señor. The paper, I suggest, was scorched -by the passage of a hot keen blade beneath the seal."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a painful silence. Then Tio Jorge cried, -"Por Dios! that explains everything. It is all clear. -The man that brought it is a villain, an afrancesado, -Señores! And 'tis he who has sought to harm the brave -English Señor here! Death to all traitors! Death to -Don Miguel Priego!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay, stay!" said Padre Consolacion, his round face -wearing a look of concern. "This is a terrible charge to -bring against a reputable citizen of Saragossa."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"One of my own hussars," murmured Palafox.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He was my pupil," continued the padre. "I have -known him since he was an infant. I knew his father, -an estimable man; he cannot be a traitor. If the despatch -was opened, it must have been without his knowledge. -Of that I am sure."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The evidence is not sufficient—not sufficient," said -Palafox. "You must be mistaken, Señor Lumsden."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am sorry, Señores," returned Jack; "but will you -bear with me while I put certain facts before you? You -remember how strangely Don Miguel made his entrance -into the city some days ago? He had overcome a -sentinel, he and his man, and came by night across the -Huerba, scaling our ramparts by the aid of muskets held -out to him by two of Don Casimir's men. I was present, -Señores, at the time. I had just gone to take over the -command with which the Señor Capitan-general honoured -me, and was walking along the ramparts with Don Casimir -Ulloa, who told me how amazed he was to see no sentinel -in the French trenches, where for many nights before a -sentinel had never failed to be. Even as he spoke we saw -two figures creep down the slope and approach the walls. -They, as you know, were Don Miguel Priego and his -man. They forded the river, clambered up the slope on -our side, and were assisted over our ramparts, and we -heard from Don Miguel's lips the story he told the general -afterwards."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was a bold feat," interjected Padre Consolacion. -"Don Miguel was ever a man of daring."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, Señores," continued Jack, "no sooner was Don -Miguel safely within our walls than, in the French lines -opposite, a sentinel suddenly reappeared. Had the -Frenchman, slain by Don Miguel, come to life again? Why had -Don Casimir heard no sound? Would the discovery of -their dead sentinel have been regarded by the French as -an ordinary accident, of no more account than the finding -of a dead rat? And now we find that the despatch brought -by Don Miguel had been opened. Is it not natural to -conclude that it was opened by the French, and that the -temporary absence of the sentinel was part of an arrangement -between them and Don Miguel to give colour to his story?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Surmise! All baseless surmise!" said Padre Consolacion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"One thing more," went on Jack quietly. "The -other night a man was murdered in my quarter of the -city. He was assassinated in his room at the top of a -lofty house. In that room was found this pass through -the French lines, and this drawing of our defences."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Everyone started as Jack produced the papers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Besides these, there was found this shoe-buckle, that -had been torn off in the man's scuffle with his assailant. -Two days afterwards the fellow-buckle was brought to -me, and Don Miguel Priego was seen in the streets with -shoes which had both lost their buckles. It was this that -convinced me. Had Don Miguel reason to dispute with -an afrancesado unless—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Enough!" cried Santiago Sass. "It is clear he is a -proved villain! To the gallows with him! Where is he? -With my own hand will I hang him in the midst of the -Coso! To the gallows! To the gallows!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And, gathering his cassock about him, the priest rushed -madly from the room. Almost before the door was closed -behind him a tremendous explosion set the whole building -vibrating, and caused Palafox almost to jump from his bed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My convent!" cried Padre Consolacion. "It is my -convent at last! Tio Jorge, come; they will have need -of us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And of me!" cried Palafox, springing up.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay, José," said Don Basilio, "you are not fit to go -out."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do not stay me, Padre," answered Palafox, clasping -his cloak, and with trembling fingers buckling on his -sword. "I must go; I must share the dangers of my -people."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The chaplain made no further protest, and soon Palafox, -accompanied by San March, Tio Jorge, and Jack, was -hastening towards the scene of one of the most awful -catastrophes that ever befell a beleaguered city. The -French, undetected by the defenders, had driven a mine -beneath the great Franciscan convent, and charged it with -3000 pounds of powder. The convent was at the moment -full of fighting-men; the cellars were occupied by many -families of citizens; and one part of the building was -crammed with 400 workpeople, men and women, who -were there engaged in making clothes for the soldiers. -All these perished when the mine was fired; and when -Palafox arrived on the scene, the whole district for many -yards around was strewn not merely with broken masonry, -but with mutilated human remains.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All thought of Don Miguel's treason was for the moment -banished by the hideous spectacle. Yet, awful as the -damage was, the Spaniards had not awaited the arrival of -their leaders before attempting reprisals. A wide opening -had been made by the explosion, in the wall near the porch; -the pavement of the church of San Francisco had been -torn up; altars, pulpits, columns, arches, lay in shattered -fragments; but Spaniards had rushed in from the streets, -and, barricading themselves behind the ruins, were -showering bullets upon the incoming French. Some had climbed -into the galleries; others had mounted by a narrow spiral -staircase into the belfry, which had strangely withstood -the shock; and from these elevated positions they poured -murderous volleys upon the invaders. As the rays of -sunlight streamed through the broken stained-glass windows, -they fell upon groups of furious combatants, imparting -varied tints to the clouds of smoke and dust that rolled -through the shattered nave, and glinting on the bayonets -of the French infantry as they pressed desperately forward. -The Spaniards fought with the fury of despair. Inspirited -by the presence of their idolized general, by the heroic -efforts of Tio Jorge, and the fiery exhortations of Padre -Consolacion and Santiago Sass, who had soon appeared -on the scene, they defended every nook and corner with -obstinate tenacity, and when night put an end to the -terrible conflict, had succeeded, at a huge cost, in driving -the French from a portion of the building.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack had climbed into the belfry along with a body of -peasants under the command of a French émigré, the -Comte de Fleury. He was almost overcome by the -sickening sight. All around, the roofs of the neighbouring -houses were covered with dismembered limbs; the gutters, -through which for eight centuries nothing but rain had -streamed, now ran red with blood, that poured into the -street as if from the mouths of the dragons, vultures, and -winged monsters that decorated the Gothic walls. He -could not help exclaiming at the folly of maintaining a -resistance against such heavy odds. It was terrible -enough that soldiers, whose duty brought them face to -face with sudden death, should fall by hundreds to the -French arms; but innocent and helpless citizens, young -boys and girls, were all included in this late carnage, -and Jack shuddered at the dire results of what he could -now only regard as sheer obstinacy and blind rage.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Creeping down when the din was over, and French and -Spaniards alike were resting from the fray, he found that -Palafox, in a complete state of collapse, was being carried -back to his bed. Along with Tio Jorge, Jack accompanied -the sad group. The halls of the Aljafferia Castle -were thronged with some of the more substantial merchants -who were yet left alive. They had come to plead -with the general to ask for terms from the French. But -at the first suggestion there arose such an outcry from -the peasants and the poorer citizens, incited by their -priests, that the merchants were in danger of being torn -limb from limb. No voice was louder than that of -Santiago Sass in demanding that the defence should be still -continued. The French who had withdrawn from the -eastern suburbs had not yet reappeared, and the priest -vehemently declared that the catastrophe at the -Franciscan convent was the turning-point of the siege, and -that from that moment the hand of Our Lady of the Pillar -would work wonders on behalf of her city. Backed up -by him, the people clamoured for a proclamation to be -issued, enjoining still more strenuous resistance, and not -till this had been drawn up by Don Basilio, and Palafox -had affixed his tremulous signature, did the crowd disperse.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack remained for some time in the castle. He wished -he was older and more experienced. He then might have -pointed out to some of the bitterest of the Junta what -fearful hardship they were bringing on the city by their -insensate resistance. But he saw that they were in no -temper to listen to expostulations from anyone, and he -dared not speak his thoughts even to his friend Tio Jorge. -He was about to return to his own district when he saw -Padre Consolacion enter with a brisker step than was -usual with him. The priest came straight towards him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor, Señor," he said, with a mingled look of regret -and indignation, "he that backbiteth not with his tongue, -nor endureth a reproach against his neighbour, he shall -never be moved. I knew it could not be true; I knew the -boy I taught at my knee could not be a traitor; I knew—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor Padre," interrupted Jack, "you don't mean to -say you have told him?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed, and what more natural? Is it right to -condemn unheard? Should I not ask of the man himself -what—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come to the general!" shouted Tio Jorge, catching -the priest by the arm. "Come to the general! He must -know of what you have done."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They made their way to Palafox's room, where none but -Don Basilio remained with him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don José needs sleep," said the chaplain, meeting -them at the door. "What do you want with him?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Caramba, Padre!" cried Tio Jorge, "he must know -whether the man be a traitor or not. Listen to Padre -Consolacion!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The priest seemed amazed at the fuss Tio Jorge was -making.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I went, Señores, to find Don Miguel Priego, to ask -him, on his honour, whether there was a word of truth -in the English Señor's story. He was indignant, as I -knew he would be. He demanded to know why he, a -loyal son of Spain, should be suspected on such flimsy -grounds. He scoffed when I spoke of the scorched paper, -and—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You told him that, Padre?" said Palafox, raising -himself on his elbow.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I did, of course, and he flew into a passion, and said -that with morning light he would come and meet his -accuser and give him the lie to his face."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Send for him now; bring him here instantly. Shall -there be treason in our midst? Tio Jorge, do you go and -command Don Miguel Priego instantly to my presence."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was an hour before Tio Jorge returned.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Proof! Proof of treason!" he cried furiously. "He -is gone; he and his man. See what your meddling did, -Señor Padre! No sooner was your back turned than the -accursed afrancesado fled."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Fled!" echoed the priest in consternation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Meet his accuser—give him the lie to his face', you -said," exclaimed Tio Jorge with bitter mockery, "'with -morning light'! He is gone, and even now, I doubt not, -is making merry with the French who have hired him. -A curse light on him! May he die by a traitor's hand, -even as he is a traitor!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Write, Don Basilio," said Palafox, "write a proclamation! -Proclaim Miguel Priego to all men a traitor, -and call upon all true men to seize upon him and bring -him before us to suffer the penalty of his crime. My -unhappy country! Let me die, let me die!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He turned his face to the wall. The stern chaplain -wrote a proclamation; within an hour printed copies were -distributed throughout the town, and the name of Miguel -Priego, hitherto lauded to the skies, was now hissed with -venomous hate by every loyal citizen of Saragossa.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-eleventh-hour"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXVII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">The Eleventh Hour</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Tantaene Irae?—Taking thought—Pepito's Charge—Horrors -of the Siege—Beyond the River—A Ring of Steel—Unconquered -Still—Patriots All</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>With morning light the French completed their capture of -the Franciscan convent. By a series of desperate charges -they cleared the vast ruins of the Spaniards who had held -their position during the night, the brave Comte de Fleury -and his men were bayoneted on the narrow stairway of the -bell-tower, and with one final rush the French pursued the -fleeing remnant of the defenders to the very edge of the -Coso.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Not long afterwards the French outposts beyond the -Aljafferia Castle were surprised to see a strange and -motley procession issue from the Portillo Gate. A mob -of peasants—for the most part women and children—ragged, -famished, fever-stricken, almost mad, rushed -pell-mell towards the French lines, preferring to die by -the hands of the enemy rather than endure longer the -terrors of the beleaguered city. Reaching the outposts, -they begged to be allowed to pass through towards their -village homes; this being refused, they implored the -French to kill them, not to drive them back. But the -marshal would not forgo this opportunity of teaching -the obstinate defenders a lesson. He ordered the poor -creatures to be fed, and then sent back to the city, hoping -thereby to impress the Spaniards both with his humanity -and with the abundance of his stores.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When news of this incident was brought to Jack, he -read it at once as a sign that the inevitable end could -not now be long delayed. Heroic as the defence had been, -the strain upon poor human nature was too heavy to be -borne, and though the priests and the mob-leaders were -still vehemently opposed to surrender, it was clear that -only surrender would save the city from the most horrible -of fates. Not even the most violent fanatic would have -the heart to prolong the struggle for more than a few days.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Things being still quiet in his own quarter, Jack -determined to see Juanita, and advise her upon her course -when the city fell. He left Don Cristobal in charge, -and made his tortuous way around the captured part -of the town towards the northern end of the city. Pepito -accompanied him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita was looking pale and worn. Her aunt was -seriously ill, and the girl had spent sleepless nights in -watching her.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, Jack, Jack," she cried, "surely the end must -come now! It is wicked of our Junta to hold out longer. -The people are dying like flies. Two were carried out of -this very house yesterday. Are we all to die?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"General Palafox must capitulate soon," said Jack, -"and that is what I wanted to see you about. Have -you thought of what you will do when the capitulation -takes place?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, you will be with me; you will look after my -poor aunt and me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, I shall be a prisoner."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A prisoner! Oh, but you must escape! It will be -easy to escape in the confusion. What shall we do if you -are a prisoner, Jack?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can't run away. I have to defend my quarter till -the last. And then—well, it's the fortune of war—the -French will make sure of all the officers, you may depend -on that. But about yourself, Juanita; you won't be in any -danger—except from Miguel."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why from Miguel? Won't he be a prisoner too?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack laughed grimly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Miguel has taken care of that. Last night he -disappeared from Saragossa—just in time to escape being -gibbeted as an afrancesado, a traitor, and a spy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita's eyes blazed, her cheeks flamed with the hot -Spanish blood.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Kill him! Kill him, Jack!" she cried. "He was a -traitor to my father; he is a traitor to Spain! Oh, if I -were a man!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was amazed at the girl's fury.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't think I'd like to soil my hands with him," he -said quietly. "Besides, he will keep out of my way. -But don't you see, Juanita, that he will come in with the -French, and then—I'm afraid he might bother you, you -know."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita drew herself up with a proud air.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I could borrow a knife!" she said. "A Spanish girl -is not afraid to die."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't talk like that. What need is there for you -to die? I shall have to give you orders, as I give my -men. Señorita Juanita Alvarez, you are to make your -way, after the capitulation, to some place of safety, where -I will find you—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You, a prisoner?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, I don't mean to remain a prisoner! I shall say -good-bye to my captors at the earliest possible moment, -and then find you, and we will steal our way to the coast, -and find a ship and sail for England. Mother will be glad -to see you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have always wanted to see England," said Juanita -musingly. "But what about my property—that all this -mystery is about?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We don't know where it is; but, you remember, a -duplicate letter was sent to father in London, and we can -find out all about it there. And then, when the war is -over, no doubt father will come back with you and put -everything straight. And then—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, Señor?" said Juanita archly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, then I suppose you'll marry a Don—of some sort—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How dare you, Señor Lumsden!" she cried with -flashing eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack looked astonished at her sudden anger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But never mind that," he went on. "The question -is, is there anywhere that you can go to when the city -falls?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ay de mí! Our old country house near Morata was -shut up months ago; only one old man remains in charge. -The garden must now be a waste. But I have friends -at Calatayud, some miles farther away, and I could stay -with them. It is quite sixty miles distant. Could I get -there safely?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I think so. After the siege many peasants will be -returning to their homes. I will enquire if any are going -in that direction, and will let you know if I find some -respectable people with whom you might travel. Your -old duenna would, of course, go with you. And then I -thought of lending you a special friend of my own, who -has done me many a good turn; he is outside now—a -young gipsy boy who—</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pepito! Oh, he and I are good friends!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You know him, then?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of course I do. He comes to see me every day, and -talks about you all the time. Strange to say, he thinks -a great deal of you, Jack."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Poor little chap! I owe him a good deal. Well, he -shall go with you, and you will make your way to Calatayud, -and I will come to you there in—let me see, under -a week. I shall have had enough of the Frenchmen in -a week."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But suppose you can't escape, Jack?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Never fear," said Jack with a smile. "That is all -arranged, then?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, I suppose so," replied Juanita doubtfully. "You -will be sure to find me, Jack?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Unless you hide away—like your treasure."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Returning to his quarter he found that the French had -still made no further attempt upon it. The situation -indeed, remained unchanged for several days. They were -so fully occupied in pushing the advantage they had -gained in the direction of the Coso that they could afford -to leave Jack's little block of buildings for the present. -They continued to occupy the ruins facing the Casa -Vallejo, and Jack discovered, by observations made from the -roofs of the Casas Tobar and Alvarez, that a considerable -body of troops was held ready in Santa Engracia to -reinforce any point that should be threatened by the -Spaniards.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Though his own position was thus left unmolested, -every few hours brought news of the steady progress the -enemy were making elsewhere. One after another the -blocks of buildings adjacent to the Franciscan convent -fell into their hands. Jack saw that, even if he could hold -his own in front, the French were gradually creeping -around his flank, and that in the course of a few days -he would be attacked from the east as well as the north. -On February 12th Don Casimir sent for the gun he had -lent. An urgent message had come from Palafox asking -for all artillery that could be spared. It was needed for -the defence of the Coso. The French had established two -batteries among the ruins of the convent, one of which -raked the Coso, while the other commanded the street -leading to the bridge across the river. Jack had already -withdrawn Don Casimir's gun from the direct view of the -French, and he trusted that its total disappearance from -his defences would remain for some time undiscovered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But although he was not seriously pressed, he was -alarmed to see how his small force had dwindled and was -still dwindling in numbers. A few fell by the musket-shots -of the French; far more dropped out through sickness, -and of these almost none recovered. A form of -typhus fever had broken out in the city, attacking -especially the guerrilleros from the country and wounded -soldiers who had no fixed homes. The Countess Bureta was -dead; many of the other ladies who had nobly done their -best in nursing the sick and wounded had perished; the -stock of medicines was exhausted. Many invalids lay -untended on the stone pavements of the courtyards, with -nothing but a little straw for their beds. In the intervals -of fighting the worn survivors were to be seen sitting on -stone benches, shivering in spite of their cloaks, their -hands scarcely able to hold their weapons. So weak were -they that the slightest wound proved fatal. Jack was -sick at heart as he saw his ranks depleted day by day -through the loss of some stalwart guerrillero or seasoned -tirador who had succumbed to an enemy more terrible than -the French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Once or twice he thought of finding relief in leading -a desperate sortie on the enemy's entrenchments. But -consideration showed him the futility of any such move. -He might inflict some loss on the French, but even if he -drove them from their advanced position, he could not -hope to retain the ground he might thus win. His efforts -must be confined to defensive work; he must hold his -own, as he had hitherto succeeded in doing. He had now -been for a fortnight in command of the Casa Alvarez -district, and during that period the French had not made -any real progress. Indeed, they had lost very heavily in -men, and had suffered so many disasters from the Spanish -mines that they appeared for the present to have -suspended all mining operations in Jack's quarter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the days passed by without any serious demonstration -against his position, Jack inferred that the French, -like the Spaniards, were suffering from the long-continued -strain. The force under Marshal Lannes' command was -evidently not sufficient to maintain a simultaneous attack -on all the points at which they had effected an entrance -into the city. On the 13th the corps sent out to drive -away the army collected by Francisco Palafox returned to -the siege; their mere appearance had been sufficient to -scatter the relieving army of which the Saragossans had -expected so much. It was at once apparent that the -interrupted attack on the San Lazaro suburb was to be -actively pressed. The French entrenchments were pushed -closer to the river; heavy siege-guns were brought into -position, and epaulements were constructed across all the -roads by which the Spaniards holding the suburb could -escape.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On February 18th a vigorous bombardment was -commenced. No fewer than fifty-two guns opened fire at -daybreak, the main point of attack being the San Lazaro -convent, which commanded the bridge across the Ebro, -the sole link between the city and the suburb. The effect -of the bombardment was stupendous. Roofs crashed in -beneath the bursting bombs, the crackle of flames was -mingled with the clang of alarm-bells from every belfry, -the whole city shook as with an earthquake. The -Spanish batteries responded vigorously. The Spaniards -fought for every inch of ground in the streets, but they -were steadily beaten back. A breach was made in the -convent wall; the French rushed in, massacring the monks -who dauntlessly opposed them, cutting down without -mercy crowds of men, women, and children who had -sought a refuge in the church itself. The yells of the -combatants were mingled with the screams of the wounded -and dying, and not till every one of the occupants of the -convent was slain did the hideous clamour cease.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Retreat to the city was now cut off, and scattered bands -of Spaniards wandered frantically about, seeking a means -of escape and finding none. Three hundred, led by a bold -fellow named Fernando Gonzalez, succeeded in running -the gauntlet of the French fusillade and forcing their way -across the bridge into Saragossa. Many who sought to -escape by the river were drowned, and 3000 who tried to -make their way along the bank towards the country were -headed off by a regiment of French cavalry and compelled -to lay down their arms. Palafox himself, though so ill -that he could scarcely stand, came at the head of his -troops to the succour of the suburb, but his efforts were -vain. The French remained masters of the position, and -were now able to place their guns so as to command the -northern part of the city, which hitherto had been almost -untouched.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While this terrible struggle had been in progress, the -Spaniards had suffered a serious disaster elsewhere. At -three in the afternoon three huge mines, charged with more -than two tons of powder, were exploded beneath the -University, which was carried with a rush. With it fell several -buildings in its neighbourhood, and in the evening the -French penetrated to the Coso, where they gained several -houses, among them one which had repulsed no fewer than -ten previous assaults. The Spaniards lost ground also -near the Trinity convent, and the district known as the -Tanneries began to suffer severely from the new French -works thrown up in the captured suburb of San Lazaro.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night Jack held a serious consultation with Don -Cristobal and several of his more trusty men. The -successes won by the French in other parts of the town -would no doubt encourage them to make a renewed attack -on the only quarter along its outer rim which had yet -withstood them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am not going to give it up without a tussle," said -Jack resolutely. "If they bring artillery to bear, our -barricades must fall; but we still have the houses -opposite. The Y mines in Tobar and Vega will do enormous -damage if the French get in there. I rather suspect -they will fight shy of the houses and try to rush in from -the streets. All that we can do with our little force is -to man the windows and roofs of the houses and delay -them as long as possible."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a pathetic sight to see the unquenched eagerness -of the haggard crowd. Not one faltered; all were as -resolute as though it were the first day of the siege. -Jack arranged with them for their respective posts on -the morrow, and waited anxiously for daylight.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>About twelve o'clock on February 20th Tio Jorge and -Jorge Arcos were staying their hunger in the latter's café -with a mess of boiled rice and half-baked corn-meal. Their -begrimed, black-bearded faces wore a look of savage -gloom. No one was with them. Outside, in the Coso, -not a living person was to be seen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By all the saints, I vow I will not surrender!" Tio -Jorge was saying.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nor I!" replied his friend. "Nor would the general -himself, but that he is ill. Had he been well, no one could -have persuaded him to beg for terms from the French dog. -When I heard it last night I could not believe the news. -For two months we have fought; shall we yield now? I -for one will not yield; I will die rather!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And we could have told the general it would be of no -use. We have killed too many of the accursed French -for them to let us march away. I could have laughed -when Señor Casseillas came back after his journey to the -French camp, and said that we must lay down our arms -without conditions. And the general is dying! God have -his soul! He has given the command to San March. Ay, -'twas San March who lost the Monte Torrero—curse him! -But the Junta!—the saints be praised our brave padres are -members of the Junta, and will not let the others yield. -Traitors, por Dios! I myself will shoot any man, high -or low, who counsels surrender. But Don Basilio, and -Padre Consolacion, and Padre Santiago Sass—ah, they -will never yield! The priests of Spain are men, mi -amigo!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes; they will fight and—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A shattering explosion from the other side of the Coso -interrupted him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where is that?" cried Tio Jorge, starting up. Running -to the door he saw, beyond the Franciscan convent, a -cascade of dust and stones darkening the air. "'Tis towards -the Casa Alvarez," he cried, "where the English Señor -still holds out. The dogs are attacking there. Come, -Jorge Arcos, we can do nothing elsewhere; come, and -let us help the brave Englishman!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Together they left the café. The crash of the explosion -had drawn others to the street, and as the two leaders -hurried along, past the barricades, up narrow by-ways, -pursuing a roundabout course towards the Huerba, they -were joined by ones and twos and threes, who came in -answer to their hail. At the corner of a lane near the -Seminary thirty men who had escaped with Fernando -Gonzalez from San Lazaro swelled their numbers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To the Casa Alvarez!" shouted Tio Jorge.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A second explosion made him hasten still more eagerly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To the Casa Alvarez!" he repeated. "War to the knife!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-last-fight-in-saragossa"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXVIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">The Last Fight in Saragossa</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">The Last Muster—The Fougasse—A Forlorn Hope—Spiking -the Guns—A Race with Death—A Sally—Solicitude—Jorge -Arcos Volunteers—To the Bitter End—A Bolt from the -Blue—The Last Sacrifice—The Courage of Despair—Truce</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>At the Casa Alvarez a stern fight was in progress. On the -preceding day what Jack had foreseen had at length come -to pass: the French had once more brought guns to bear -on his position. Warned by their previous experience, -they blinded their batteries in such a way that their -gunners were protected from the muskets of the Spaniards -on the roofs. They cleared a space at the end of the -ruined block of which the Casa Vallejo formed a part, -and there placed two guns; another was mounted at the -end of the street between that house and the Casa Tobar; -a fourth at the end of the street in which the Vega -barricade was erected. It was clear to Jack that he could -not hope to prevent the enemy from gaining a footing in -the houses; all that he could do for the present was to -await developments, and act as the need of the moment -dictated.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But, to be prepared for emergencies, he rapidly constructed, -beneath the floor of the Casa Vallejo, a fougasse—a -shallow mine in the form of a truncated cone, with its -axis inclined towards the point of attack. Over this he -piled some tons of brickwork and stones which, in the -explosion, would be hurled many yards to the front and -flanks. With this, and the as yet unexploded Y-shaped -mines beneath the Casas Tobar and Vega, he hoped to -destroy the French who would rush the houses when the -bombardment ceased, and thus to enable his men to retake -the positions they must lose.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had only 200 men now with him, and many of these -were on their last legs. But when the rumour spread -through the quarter that the French were preparing to -make a serious attack, some fifty poor wretches, scarcely -able to crawl, staggered from their squalid lodgings, and -begged to be allowed to take part in the defence. They -were a pitiful sight, gaunt and haggard, with ague-stricken -limbs and fever-lit eyes. They were incapable of hand-to-hand -fighting; many of them were too weak even to lift -their muskets to their shoulders; but they could fire -muskets rested on window-sills and through loopholes, -and Jack, gladly as he would have spared them, was too -hard-pressed to reject any aid, however slight. A score of -women came forward, offering to load muskets for the men, -and thus save time. Among them Jack recognized the -lady he had seen as he came with Tio Jorge to take over -his command. He remembered her attitude of frenzied -grief; he recalled the fierce command she had laid upon her -little boy. The child was no longer with her; the little -fellow had died of fever a few days before. The poor -creature had now lost father, brothers, husband, and son, -and had come with the wild fury of a mad woman to -wreak vengeance on the enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>About ten o'clock in the morning the French opened -fire with all their guns upon the Casa Vallejo and the -barricades. Jack made what reply he could from the -roofs and windows, but the batteries were so well screened -that the fire of his men was almost wholly ineffectual. -Great gaps were soon made in the wall of the house and -in the barricades, and seeing that the attempt to hold -the latter in the face of the bombardment would entail -a useless loss of life, Jack withdrew his men behind the -Casas Vega and Tobar, and held them in readiness to -rush into the houses when his mines had exploded. After -two hours' bombardment the four guns ceased fire. -Immediately afterwards three parties of French dashed -forward in headlong charge. The Spaniards, who, on -the cessation of the bombardment, had sped back to -their posts, met the enemy with dauntless front. The -Frenchmen in the streets fell rapidly under a hot fire from -the roof and windows of the Casa Tobar and from the -advanced barricades, but, seeing the hopelessness of -continued resistance to the overwhelming numbers opposed -to him, Jack withdrew his forces again, and sent word -to the men stationed at the mines to light their matches -in readiness for firing the trains. With exultant shouts -the enemy, for the most part Poles and voltigeurs, swarmed -into the houses. Jack gave the word first at Vallejo. -The fougasse exploded with a terrific crash. It was this -explosion which had interrupted Tio Jorge's conversation -in the café. But though not a Frenchman was left alive -in the house, the places of the dead were instantly filled -by their furious comrades, who were only kept from -rushing across the street towards the Casa Alvarez by -the concentrated fire of the Spaniards there posted.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A few minutes later the French in Tobar and Vega -met with a like fate. Jack had exploded in each case -one of the arms of his Y-shaped mines, and for the time -both houses were cleared of the enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But Jack had long since seen that, unless he could deal -them a harder blow than any he had recently been able -to strike, he must inevitably be swamped by superior -numbers. Even though the explosions should slay a -hundred of the French to every ten of his own men, the -former could be continually replaced, while a loss to him -was irreparable. He could hold the enemy in check for -the moment, but a time must come when his gallant -little force must be overwhelmed and annihilated—unless -he could effect some diversion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His greatest danger came from these formidable batteries, -to which he could make no effective reply. Under cover -of their fire the French could at any time repeat the rush -across the street by which they had carried Tobar. Was -there no way by which the guns could be silenced?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>During the two hours' bombardment Jack had spent -many anxious minutes in thinking out this problem. What -were the chances? The explosion of the fougasse, -followed by that of the Y mines, would not only deal -immense destruction, but would also, he hoped, have a -tremendous moral effect. Could he not make a rush for -the guns while the French were demoralized and at sixes -and sevens? Would there be time to spike them? -Ought he to diminish his little force even by the minimum -number of men necessary to perform the feat? He now -had no more than 180 men all told. The French, he -computed, had numbered nearly 700 at the beginning of the -day. Could he, with, say, 50 men, hope to penetrate -their ranks and return in safety?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It must be tried," he said to himself, and from that -moment bent all his energies to ensure the success of -his daring scheme. Before firing the Y mines he collected -his whole disposable force, and, amid a breathless silence, -addressed them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hombres," he said, "there is one thing for us to do. -The French guns must be spiked. I will lead the way. I -want fifty men to follow me. It will be dangerous, perhaps -fatal work. Who will volunteer, for Saragossa and Spain?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Every man held out his hand. Jack felt proud of the -unswerving patriotism and courage of his troops. The -trouble was, not to accept, but to refuse their offers. -He quickly selected fifty of the strongest. Ten of these -he sent to find long nails and hammers, and they soon -returned, bearing tools of all sizes and shapes. The -rest were armed with muskets and bayonets. Jack gave -as many as he could pistols in addition.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, hombres," he said, "when the mines explode, -the French in the houses will be destroyed, and those -behind them dismayed. We must seize that very moment -to rush into the Casa Vega. I shall go first. You must -follow close upon me as rapidly as you can. I intend -to make for the guns. We shall spike them. We shall -then rush back through the ruins and the houses beyond -the Casa Vallejo and take the French there in the rear. -Don Cristobal will still defend his barricade. Antonio -here will hold the rest of you in readiness to sweep upon -the French in Vallejo and the street. If I am overcome, -and you cannot hold the second barricades, retreat to -the Casa Alvarez and fight to the death."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Spaniards were eager to start, and almost too -impatient to wait for the explosion. When that occurred, -the larger débris hurled into the air had scarcely reached -the ground before Jack, followed by his devoted fifty, -dashed through the dust that was swirling in vast eddies -from the ruins. Entering the Casa Vega by a low side -doorway, almost suffocated by the pungent fumes and -the clouds of dust, they scrambled through the ruins, -springing over stones and beams, broken furniture, -burning draperies, every man taking his own course and -trying to avoid impeding his comrades. A few seconds -brought them to what had been the party-wall of the house. -Bearing to the left, Jack dashed into the charred ruins of -the adjoining house, through the midst of a few -Frenchmen who, injured but not killed by the explosion, were -crawling painfully away. A glance to the right!—he saw -that the next clearing was still held by the force -supporting those who had rushed the houses; but they were in -no sort of order, having scattered to seek shelter from the -beams and stones that had descended upon them as from -the crater of a volcano. A glance in front!—across the -narrow street, in the wrecked house nearest the gun, -Jack saw in an instant that he had a more formidable -foe to reckon with. The French there, some 150 in -number, had not been affected materially by the explosion; -but it had taken them by surprise, and for the moment -they were at a loss what they should do. Before they -could realize what was happening, a band of fifty fierce -yelling Spaniards, led by a young officer with sword -in one hand and pistol in the other, was among them. -A score fell at the first onset; the rest scattered to right -and left of the Spaniards, and by the time they had -collected their wits, and perceived how small was the -party engaged in this desperate sortie, Jack and the first -of his men were already engaged with the gunners. The -onslaught was so sudden, and Jack was so intent on the -work in hand, that he was scarcely conscious of what -happened until afterwards. One of the gunners, in the -urgency of the moment, picked up a linstock and raised -it as a kind of club. Jack sprang straight at him, toppled -him over by the mere force of his impact, and came upon -another gunner, whose smoking musket showed that he -had just fired. Him Jack cut down; the others -meanwhile fell to the bayonets of the Spaniards. The gun -was reached. Jack sped past, while a burly Catalan, with -two strokes of his huge mallet, drove a nail into the vent. -Then the whole party, diminished by half a dozen who had -fallen, swept on across the street towards the spot where -stood the two guns that commanded the Casa Vallejo.</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 61%" id="figure-129"> -<span id="jack-leads-a-forlorn-hope"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Jack Leads a Forlorn Hope" src="images/img-326.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Jack Leads a Forlorn Hope</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>The few seconds occupied by the tussle about the first -gun had given the gunners at the other two time to form -up. At the same time the French behind Jack had -recovered from their surprise and were swarming upon -his track. Would he have time to complete his work? -A few bullets pattered on the jagged remnants of walls -still standing; but the French were too much afraid of -hitting their own men to fire volleys, and those who did -shoot were too flustered to take good aim. Amid a din -of shouting, Jack dashed into the ruins on the far side -of the street. Some two-score men were there drawn -up ready to receive him. Fortunately they were on the -French side of the epaulement that had been thrown across -the ruins. Had they occupied the other side they could -have held their assailants at bay long enough for the -reserves to come up from the direction of Santa Engracia -and take them in the rear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a moment the two bands met. The French were -outnumbered, but for a few seconds they held their own -around the guns. Then the Spaniards closed about them, -and with their backs to the epaulement the valiant gunners -fell, to the last man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The first gun was quickly spiked. At the other a gallant -pair of Frenchmen caused a momentary delay by their -desperate defence. But they were in turn overpowered, -and fell covered with wounds. A nail was driven home, -and the hazardous exploit was complete.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But the peril was only just beginning. The sortie had -been so sudden and impetuous that even if the French -had been thrice as numerous the chances were on the -side of the assailants. But they had now had time to rally. -Sixty yards of ruins lay between the breathless Spaniards -and the Casa Vallejo, which was strongly held by the -French. Jack hoped that the diversion from the Casa -Alvarez would keep these sufficiently employed; it was -a race between him and the French who were now coming -up from the rear of their position. For an instant he -thought of retaining a few of his men and attempting to -check the pursuit while the remainder ran on and stormed -the French in Vallejo. But he saw in a flash that this -exposed him to the danger of being headed off by the -enemy, who would make greater speed along the -comparatively clear street than he could make through the -ruins. Without a moment's hesitation he bade his men -run for their lives. That he was right was proved at -once. Stalwart Poles and little voltigeurs were -swarming along the roadway; Jack could see them through the -gaps in the ruined walls, and hear them as they dashed -along out of sight parallel with his own men. Would -they outrun him? Would they succeed in joining hands -with their countrymen in Vallejo, and meet him in such -force that his own gallant band, now diminished by half, -would fall a helpless prey to them?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There broke out at this instant, ahead of him, a -pandemonium of cries, which seemed too great to proceed even -from the mingled horde of French and Spanish in Vallejo. -The foremost of his men were now at grips there with -the enemy. He dashed into the house, and found a -desperate combat in progress there, but was surprised to see -no Frenchmen upon his flank. He had expected to find -those who had rushed along the road now pouring into the -house through the gap in the walls. But the French in -the house were engaged on two sides; on one side by -Jack's own party, on the other by the second sortie-party, -under Antonio's command. That was not all. Amid the -din Jack heard the stentorian voice of Jorge Arcos -shouting words of encouragement to his men and of obloquy -to the French; immediately afterwards the bellow of Tio -Jorge echoed through the ruins. Jack understood now -what had so suddenly checked the French in the street. -How the great mob-leaders had come upon the scene he -knew not; it was sufficient that they had come in the nick -of time. They had evidently manned the nearest barricade, -and, battered as that had been, it was good enough yet -to afford a strong defence. With a sense of relief Jack -threw himself into the midst of the fray; in a few moments -the French in Vallejo were accounted for. Emerging into -the street, Jack saw his bulky friend chasing the French -back towards the spiked gun. The sudden sally over the -barricade, when they least expected it, and when their ranks -were in the disorder of pursuit, had been too much for the -enemy. They gave way before Tio Jorge's impetuous -rush; then, as Jack, with a feeling of elation that once -more the enemy were foiled, arrived at the barricade, he -heard Jorge Arcos shout to his men to retire, and they -came pelting back, followed by a few wild shots from the -discomfited French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Viva la España! Viva Saragossa! Viva el Señor -Ingles! Viva Tio Jorge!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The air rang with the jubilant shouts of the Spaniards, -panting, dishevelled, many of them utterly exhausted. A -strange calm succeeded the turmoil. Scarcely a live -Frenchman was now to be seen; the ground was strewn -with dead, and with wounded whom Jack did not dare -to remove. He knew that the lull could only be temporary; -the French would undoubtedly send for reinforcements. -After their successive checks they would not be -content until they could bring absolutely crushing force -to bear upon the obstinate defenders. The crisis was still -to come, and Jack, after warmly congratulating Tio Jorge -and Jorge Arcos, as well as Antonio, on the brilliant -success they had done so much to bring about, returned -to the Casa Alvarez to concert means of meeting the most -formidable attack of all.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Before he reached the house he saw a girl flying towards -him, her mantilla streaming behind.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, Jack, Jack," she cried, "I thought you would be -killed!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Juanita!" he exclaimed. "But you should not be -here. It is no place for you. You ought not to have -run into danger. Come back with me at once."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I came to help. I will help! Tia Teresa died last -night; I have no one now. I can do something. And -you—you are hurt! Oh, Jack, you are covered with blood! -Come, come, at once, let me do something for you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I didn't know it," said Jack simply. He brushed his -hand across his brow; it was smeared with blood. Looking -at his coat he saw blood trickling through a rent in -the sleeve. "It's nothing," he said. "I don't feel a -scratch. If you must help, Juanita—and it is brave of -you,—why, there are many others who need attention -more than I."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You first, Jack. Come at once; I insist! How can -you lead your men if you are blinded with blood? Jack, -you are doing grandly; it is splendid!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are right, Señorita," put in Tio Jorge, who had -come up with them. "All the men say the English Señor -is a hero, and, por Dios! the French will never get the -better of him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>By this time they had reached the house, where Juanita -insisted on bathing and binding up Jack's wounds before -she attended to any of the others. Jorge Arcos had been -slightly wounded in the dash across the barricade, and -afterwards Jack remembered, with a strange glow, the -roughly-expressed gratitude of the savage innkeeper as -Juanita tenderly assisted him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While she went about on her errand of mercy, Jack -consulted with his lieutenants. The new-comers recognized -him unhesitatingly as their leader, and declared that they -would remain with him and support him to the utmost of -their power. None doubted that the next fight would be -the most terrible of all; it was only a question how long -an interval would elapse before it came. The Spaniards -had lost some forty men since the morning; they were -all on the verge of collapse; only Don Cristobal's men, -who had been unmolested at the Vega barricade, were -for the moment fit for active work.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>To ascertain the movements of the French, Jack went -with Tio Jorge and Jorge Arcos to the roof of the Casa -Hontanon, that adjoined the empty shell of Vallejo. From -that coign of vantage they could overlook the whole -district. After a time they saw in the distance a compact -body of some 200 men approaching through the ruins from -the direction of the Franciscan convent. With great -difficulty they were dragging a gun over the heaps of obstacles. -It must have been taken from one of the batteries now -mounted near the Coso. Slowly they approached; nearly -an hour elapsed between their first appearance and the -placing of the gun at the end of the street facing the -Tobar barricade, on the same spot whence the spiked gun -had been withdrawn.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As soon as the gun was fairly in position, a renewal of -the bombardment of the barricade was commenced, and -the sound of heavy shots showed that an attack was being -simultaneously made on the Vega barricade.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We can't hold Vallejo any longer," said Jack. "We -shall be cut off from support."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not so, Señor," said Arcos at once. "I will hold it -with twenty men. If the French capture it, our flank will -be at their mercy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But if the French attack in force you cannot escape."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Caramba, Señor! What does that matter? A man -must die, and I vow I'd rather die fighting for Saragossa -than of fever in the cellars—or of rage in a French prison."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are a true son of Spain, hombre," exclaimed Jack, -and the gleam in Arcos's eyes showed that he wished for -no higher praise. "The barricades, now—it is useless to -attempt to repair them?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor," replied Tio Jorge, "but we can fill up the -breaches with sacks and baskets of earth, if we push them -out from the sides of the street."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well. Will you see that that is done?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Tio Jorge instantly departed on his errand. Arcos had -already gone to select his twenty men for the perilous post -in the ruins of Vallejo.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At half-past three in the afternoon the French cannonade -suddenly ceased. Jack had placed his men in position, -but as he saw that nearly a thousand men were being -launched against scarcely more than two hundred, he felt -that even the desperate valour of his patriotic troops could -not prevail against such odds. But it never occurred to -him, or to a single member of his gallant force, that there -was any alternative to the one simple course—to hold on -to the end. Palafox had entrusted him with the defence -of that quarter; he would defend it to the last gasp, and -he knew that no British officer in the same situation would -have come to any other conclusion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The attack had begun. In the two streets the French -were rushing ten abreast at the barricades. In the ruins -approaching Vega and Vallejo their formation was -necessarily broken, but they swept forward with a dash and -a courage which Jack, remembering their former failures, -could not but regard as magnificent. The front ranks -seemed to melt away under the fire of the defenders, who, -well disciplined by their long experience, fired calmly and -with deadly accuracy, wasting no powder, and watching -the French advance in seeming unconcern. But though the -enemy fell by scores, there was no halting now. They -swarmed up to and through the breached barricades, and -ran a race with death towards the grim skeletons of the -shattered houses. For a few seconds there was a tense -silence; the majority of the defenders had discharged their -pieces and were either reloading or preparing to repel with -the bayonet. Then the opposing forces met; there was a -sudden babel of noise, steel clashing against steel, pistols -cracking, men shouting fiercely in their several tongues, -and some crying out in the agony of death. The street -was narrow; for a time the French could make but little -impression on the unbroken front opposed to them, but -Jack, from his post on the roof of Hontanon, saw that it -was now a question of the most desperate close fighting. -As soon as the head of the attacking column was lost to -view beneath him, he hurried down to take his part in the -tremendous struggle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was as he had feared. As soon as the French -swarmed over the Vallejo barricade, the Casa Vallejo -and its garrison became completely isolated. At the -moment of his arrival a furious fight was proceeding at -the inner barricade. The French charge, led by a gigantic -Polish officer, had driven the Spaniards behind their last -defence and threatened to dislodge them from that. Jack -at once summoned twenty men from the reserve stationed -at the Casa Alvarez, and with them threw himself into the -breach, where, amid fragments of beams, displaced sacks -and baskets of earth, and the débris of part of the wall -of Vallejo thrown down by the explosion of the fougasse, -a stern hand-to-hand fight was being waged. It was -almost impossible, in the turmoil and rush, to distinguish -friends from foes, but in the centre of the human whirlpool -the huge form of the Polish officer was conspicuous. He -was wielding a large bar of iron, which he had picked up -among the ruins, and even at that moment Jack marvelled -at the man's immense strength. Disdaining the blows -aimed at him by men who looked mere pigmies beside -him, he was step by step forcing a way through the -barricade towards the open space fronting the Casa Alvarez. -Jack, with his reinforcements, had arrived not a moment -too soon. As he pushed through towards the spot where -the deadly iron, wielded with as much ease as though -it had been a malacca cane, rose and fell with fatal -regularity, the onward rush of the French was stayed for a -moment. Another second would have brought the two -leaders together; but Jack was not yet to cross weapons -with the Pole. At the very instant when they came within -striking distance there was a terrible crash; Pole and -Englishman started instinctively. A huge mass of masonry -had fallen from Vallejo upon the outer barricade, into the -midst of the crowded ranks of the Frenchmen, of whom a -score at least were buried beneath the ruins. Even above -the clash of weapons, the shouts of the combatants, and -the groans of the wounded, a shrill mocking voice could -be heard exulting in the deadly effect of the avalanche, and -raining frantic curses upon the French. In the moment of -surprise the enemy gave way. Glancing up, Jack saw the -figure of the madwoman, the demented Doña Mercedes -Ortega, giddily poised upon a jagged corner of masonry -that threatened every instant to follow the rest into the -street below. The poor creature had seen from the Casa -Alvarez that the outer wall of Vallejo had been so breached -that a push would precipitate it into the street upon -the barricade. Escaping from Juanita's detaining hand, -as Jack afterwards learnt, she had crept from the roof -of the Casa Hontanon on to the wall of Vallejo; had -leapt from point to point of the uneven summit, reached -the corner overlooking the street, and with the strength -of frenzy had pushed the masonry down, working more -havoc among the enemy than had been wrought by many -an elaborately-prepared mine.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While she stood on her precarious eminence, wildly -gesticulating in her insane triumph, there was the report -of a musket from down the street. She swayed for a -brief moment upon the crumbling wall, uttered one -heart-rending shriek of "Juanino!" and fell lifeless upon the -ruins below.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The interruption was but momentary. At the instant -when the hapless Doña Mercedes fell, Jorge Arcos, -desperately wounded, struggled from the ruins of Vallejo, -followed by half a dozen of his men, all showing terrible -signs of the struggle they had made to hold the position. -While a portion of Jack's force continued their gallant -attempt to repel the French from the barricade, the rest -swarmed into the house, only to be driven out again with -heavy loss by the enemy, who, backed by a large force -in the ruins, had now an overwhelming superiority in -numbers. In the street the gigantic Pole, swept away -from before Jack, returned to the attack at the head -of a compact band of his compatriots, and the Spaniards, -still fighting furiously, were driven back inch by inch -through the gap in the barricade, their retirement being -hastened by shots from the walls of the Casa Tobar, -which, together with its neighbour, the ruined Casa -Vega, had fallen into French hands. Save for the Casa -Alvarez and the surrounding streets, the whole of the -quarter towards Santa Engracia had now been captured, -and Jack, extricating himself from the mêlée, saw that -it was time to play his last card.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor," said Antonio, running up at this moment, -"Don Cristobal sends me to say that he still holds his -barricade, but that he will not be able to do so for more -than a few minutes longer."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are the man I want, Antonio," replied Jack. -"Run to the Casa Alvarez, send every man of the reserve -to me, and go into the cellars and fire the last of our -mines. Don't wait; do it at once."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Antonio, who was almost unrecognizable from his -wounds, at once returned to the house. Immediately -afterwards the remnant of the reserve dashed out, and -threw themselves into the fray with a vigour which for -a moment checked the enemy's advance. A few seconds -later there came the deafening crash which Jack expected. -Huge fragments of the walls of the houses were projected -into the street, injuring a few of the Spaniards who were -still tenaciously defending the extremities of the inner -Vallejo barricade, but working fearful havoc among the -French between the two barricades and in the street -beyond. Volumes of blinding smoke poured from the -shattered houses, into which, at Jack's order, Antonio -rushed with a party of men. He himself, calling on the -rest of his troops to follow him, sprang through the -barricade, leading an impetuous charge against the distraught -enemy. Even as he did so he heard the strident voice of -Santiago Sass behind him, urging on the men, and -shouting Latin words of denunciation and triumph. Dismayed -by their repeated failures, appalled at the apparent -inexhaustibility of the defenders' resources, the French were -now giving way like sheep, in spite of all the exertions, -example, and admonition of their officers. The big Pole, -carried away in the rush towards the outer barricade, -there turned and lifted his iron bar to deliver a crushing -blow at Jack, who was just behind him. The fraction of -a second occupied by his wheeling round cost him his life. -Before the blow could fall, Jack closed with him and ran -him through the body.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile the French in Vallejo, some of whom had -been hurt by portions of the flying masonry, had caught the -infection of panic, evacuated the position, and fled -helter-skelter across the ruins. Jack saw the danger of allowing -his men to become widely scattered in pursuit. Stopping -at the outer barricade, he ordered his men to withdraw, in -spite of the frenzied imprecations of Santiago Sass, who -would have thrown himself single-handed against a host. -The Spaniards retired slowly; they were clearly indisposed -to relinquish the pursuit, though all were well-nigh spent, -and some, indeed, when the excitement had subsided, -dropped their weapons and fell beside them on the ground. -At length the whole of the force was withdrawn behind the -inner barricade.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack stood there panting, wondering how long respite -he would have before the French came on again, when -he heard his name called from behind, and, turning, saw -Juanita running towards him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go back!" he cried; "for God's sake, go back, -Juanita! This is no place for you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A white flag, Jack! a white flag!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you mean?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A man is coming round the corner of the street with -a white flag. I saw him from a window."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What! Another regiment coming to attack us!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, it is not a regiment. It is one man carrying a -small white flag, and another, an officer, walking by his -side. Oh, it must be a flag of truce, Jack! See, there -he is, turning the corner of the street."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was as she said. Above the epaulement protecting -the French gun at the end of the street a white flag was -held aloft. A moment afterwards the Frenchman bearing -it stepped into the street, and, accompanied by an officer, -began to approach Jack's position, picking his way among -the débris and the bodies of the slain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I must go to meet him," said Jack. "Have you -anything to match his flag, Juanita? I've nothing fit to -be seen."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita handed him her handkerchief. Tying this to -a musket, Jack gave his extemporized flag to one of his -men, and walked down the street to meet the Frenchman.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="french-leave"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXIX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">French Leave</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Overtures—Capitulation—Prisoners of War—Colonel -de Ferrusat—In Tudela—Personally Conducted—Adding -Insult to Injury—Quos ego—Before a Fall—Out of Bondage</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Meeting midway down the street, the officers courteously -saluted each other.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I come with a flag of truce, Señor," said the Frenchman -in very bad Spanish.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I understand French, monsieur," replied Jack with a -slight smile, which the other returned. The Frenchman -continued, speaking now in French:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Marshal Lannes has given the order to cease fire, and -has sent an aide-de-camp into the town to discuss terms -of capitulation."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was impossible not to feel an unutterable sense of -relief. But Jack gave no sign of it to the Frenchman.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can you give me any particulars?" he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, monsieur, certainly. Last night General Palafox -sent his aide-de-camp to ask our marshal for a three days' -truce, and asking impossible terms. These, of course, were -refused, and the fighting was resumed. But your people -seem now to be more amenable to reason, and, to tell you -the truth, monsieur, I have great hopes that this very -afternoon the end of this most lamentable siege will come. -It is, of course, impossible and useless for your people -to continue the struggle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That, monsieur, is a matter for our general to determine."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Allons, allons, monsieur! You have made a brave -defence, but you are being driven in at all points, and -it can only be a matter of a few hours before we capture -your whole city."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can only speak for myself, monsieur," said Jack -quietly; "but it is now nearly three weeks since I had -the honour to be appointed to this quarter. I am now, -monsieur, where I was then."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The French officer smiled, and bowing, half-ceremoniously, -half-humorously, said:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pardon my oversight. Permit me, monsieur, to offer -my congratulations to a so gallant foe."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After an exchange of courtesies, Jack returned to his -men, who had watched the scene with mingled excitement -and distrust.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hombres," he said, "a truce is proclaimed. There -will be no more fighting for the present."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank God!" exclaimed Juanita. "That means that -we shall capitulate at last."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Capitulate!" cried Santiago Sass. "Never, hombres! -To the Aljafferia palace with me! Never will we -surrender—never! never!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But none followed him save Tio Jorge. No sooner had -he gone than a tremendous explosion occurred near the -University. Some French engineer officers, who had not -heard of the cessation of hostilities, exploded a mine, -and the jet of stones ascended to such a height that it -was visible to the whole town. Crowds of people rushed -towards the Aljafferia palace, crying for vengeance on the -treacherous French, and demanding that the French envoy, -at that moment in consultation with the Junta, should be -instantly put to death. He was only saved from being -torn in pieces, by the intervention of some Spanish officers -with drawn swords, and by a message from the French -marshal expressing regret for the unfortunate accident. -Marshal Lannes' message to the Junta was peremptory. -He allowed two hours for deputies to be sent him with -full powers to arrange a capitulation. The news was -brought to Jack by Tio Jorge, whose weather-beaten face -was expressive of the deepest dejection.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The interval was spent in anxious suspense. Juanita -went from one to another of Jack's wounded men, doing -all that was possible to ease their sufferings. It was -her tender ministry that soothed the last moments of big -Jorge Arcos, who was past recovery, and who died -breathing words of thankfulness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Later in the evening Jack learnt the result of the -negotiations. The Spanish deputies had again tried to extort -impossible terms from Marshal Lannes, but his most -effective reply was to unroll before them a plan of his -mines, from which they saw that the centre of the city -was in imminent danger of being blown to atoms. After -this the discussion was short. Jack had to inform his -gallant but exhausted men that the garrison was to march -out next morning and deliver up their arms. All who -would not take the oath of allegiance to King Joseph were -to be sent as prisoners to France. He pointed out that -the terms were on the whole lenient. The French knew -how to respect a brave enemy. And he did not fail to -impress upon the men that, so far as they personally were -concerned, they could always remember that nowhere else -throughout the city had the defence been more stoutly -maintained or more successful. This recollection would -sweeten whatever was bitter in the surrender.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When the men had accepted the inevitable, and the -quarter had settled down, Jack found time for a serious -consultation with Juanita. Now that her aunt was dead, -there was nothing to fetter her movements. Jack had -found a number of respectable farming people who would -return, after the capitulation, to their homes in the -direction of Calatayud, and had arranged that Juanita should -accompany them. He explained to Pepito what was -required of him—that he should go with the Señorita, and -never leave her except at her own command. Once more -he assured Juanita that within a week, by hook or by -crook, he would rejoin her. Then, late at night, he -accompanied her back to her lodging, and took leave of -her in a spirit of unbounded hopefulness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Next morning the last scene of this great siege was -enacted. At daybreak all the posts around the city were -occupied by the French. At noon the French troops were -drawn up in order of battle on the Aragon road, holding -lighted matches in readiness to prevent any attempt of -the Spaniards to break loose. Then the garrison marched -out. Jack never forgot the sad and touching spectacle. -With Don Cristobal and other officers he stood, under -guard of a detachment of the 5th Léger regiment, near -the Portillo Gate, and witnessed the whole scene as the -mixed column, soldiers and peasants, defiled past. It -was a motley crowd. There were young and old, some -in uniform, others in peasant rags. Even the most ragged -had tried to smarten up their appearance by tying -bright-coloured sashes round their waists. Their large round -hats, surmounted with feathers, and their brown ponchos -flung over their shoulders, made their very tatters -picturesque. Their pale emaciated features were scorched, -and scarred with wounds. Many had long black matted -beards. All had been so much weakened by disease -and privation that they could scarcely stagger along -under the weight of their weapons. Some were smoking -cigarillos, and affecting an air of proud indifference to -their fate; others took no pains to conceal their rage, but -ground their teeth and glared out of their gleaming -haggard eyes at the enemy they had withstood so long. -Women and children were mingled with them, and these -wept bitterly, and, flinging themselves on their knees -before the effigy of Our Lady in the gate, prayed for -solace in their affliction. The whole population numbered -but 15,000 souls; nearly four times that number had -perished during the two months of the siege.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The scene was closed by the warriors delivering up -their arms and flags, many of them then being unable to -refrain from tears and violent cries of rage and despair. -Within the city the victorious French had now begun to -plunder the houses and churches of all the valuables left -in them. At the Aljafferia Castle, Palafox, ill as he was, -had been brutally treated by a French colonel, appointed -temporary governor of Saragossa. Jack learnt long -afterwards that even before the brave captain-general had -recovered from his illness he was carried off to France, -where Napoleon, instead of treating him as a prisoner of -war, with the generosity due to a chivalrous foe, chose -to regard him as a traitor, and kept him for several -years a captive in the gloomy keep of the Chateau of -Vincennes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack himself was more fortunate. Along with Don -Cristobal and other officers he fell at first into the more -kindly hands of the captain who had brought him the -flag of truce. He remained in the French camp for two -days after the capitulation, and was able to assure himself -that Juanita had got safely away. Meanwhile the main -body of the garrison had already been put in motion for -France. On the 23rd Jack's own turn came. He took -a friendly farewell of the French captain who had been -responsible for him, and who was in entire ignorance that -he had an Englishman, not a Spaniard, to deal with. -His last sight of Saragossa was made terrible by a scene -he witnessed as he set out among a large company of -officers and men, defenceless prisoners. They passed a -spot where two Spaniards in priests' robes stood upright -against a wall, opposite a firing-party of French. As the -volley rang out, Jack recognized the victims of this act -of cold-blooded murder; they were Don Basilio Bogiero -and Santiago Sass.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Monsieur le Colonel Hilaire Maxime Lucien de Ferussat, -of the 121st regiment of the line, felt pardonably annoyed -when he found that his corps, or what remained of it, had -been selected, with another of Morlot's regiments, to escort -the Spanish prisoners to Bayonne. The duty involved -hard marching, and brought no glory, and Glory, as he -was never tired of declaiming at his mess-table, was the -sole object for which every true Frenchman should live -and die. He had not distinguished himself very greatly -in the operations of the siege; indeed it was whispered -among his fellow-officers, who did not love him, that his -selection for the escort duty was by no means a mark of -Marshal Lannes' favour. He himself, however, seemed -quite unconscious of everything except that he had a -grievance in being thus shunted for some weeks off the -highroad to fame, and, as was only to be expected, the -wretched prisoners in his charge bore the brunt of his -displeasure. They were physically incapable of prolonged -marches, but that was nothing to monsieur le colonel. -He was determined to reach Bayonne as soon as possible. -He played the drover with the unfortunate Spaniards, and -many of them succumbed to fatigue and illness on the -road. The men of his escort, adopting his attitude, and -themselves resenting the rapidity of the march after all -their hardships, were in no mood to spare the wretches -committed to their charge, and many a prod with the -butt-end of a musket, or the more lethal bayonet, -quickened the steps of laggards until they could endure -no longer, but dropped and died.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Mounted on a fine Andalusian charger, Colonel de -Ferussat rode up and down the line, roundly abusing -the non-commissioned officers of his party whenever he -saw any tendency to straggling among the prisoners.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Peste!" he said to one sergeant, in charge of a herd -of some 200 miserable skeletons; "if you value your -chevrons you will step out more briskly. No more of this -lagging, or, saprelotte! I'll reduce you." A moment or -two later he turned to the captain of a company: "How -long, monsieur le capitaine," he cried, "how long do you -propose to spend in herding these pigs of Spaniards? -Your men are dawdling as if they were sweethearting in -the Bois."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Such remarks caused a quickening all along the column -until the lost ground was made up. With such a -commander it was not surprising that the men took short -measures to save themselves trouble. Many a prisoner who -found the pace too fast, and sank down with a groan, was -spared further suffering. One bullet was usually enough.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Late in the afternoon of the second day after leaving -Saragossa, Colonel de Ferussat's column wound its way -into Tudela, a place held in bitter memory by those of -the prisoners who had formed part of Castaños' army on -the fatal 23rd of November. The scared inhabitants -sullenly submitted to having the prisoners, with their guards, -quartered upon them. Every building of any pretensions -was occupied; but the smaller houses were left, for -monsieur le colonel had a wholesome dread of scattering his -men too widely.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Colonel de Ferussat took up his quarters in the Plaza -de Toros. His chagrin was somewhat mollified when -he found that under the same roof was lodged no less -a personage than General Chabot, who was on his way -southward to rejoin his division, operating under General -Gouvion de Saint-Cyr in Catalonia. The colonel thought -a good deal of generals, for did he not expect to be a -general himself some day? When, therefore, on entering -the house, he found General Chabot himself lolling at ease, -his coat thrown open and his jack-boots unlaced, he saluted -with an air of unction, and prepared to make himself -amiable.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bonsoir, monsieur le général!" he said, sweeping his -plumed hat at a radius of a yard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bonsoir, colonel!" responded the general. "En route -for France, I presume?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, monsieur le general, and with the most paltry -set of prisoners a French officer ever had. As scarecrows -they'd disgrace any farmer's field in La Beauce."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! I had heard from some of your predecessors on -the road about the end of the siege. I wonder at such a -rabble being able to hold out so long."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Rabble indeed, monsieur le général. But there! what -are Spaniards but rabble! If you had only seen them -three months ago, when the marshal whipped them at this -very spot!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You were at the battle, colonel?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ma foi!" ejaculated the colonel, "I was indeed present -on that amusing day."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I shall be glad to hear something of the fight—if -you can spare time, colonel."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You honour me by the request. Would you care to -ride over the field with me? We have time before it is -dark."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly; I shall understand the details so much the -more clearly if I see the actual site."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a few minutes the two officers were riding side by -side over the battle-field, on which many grim tokens of -the struggle lay scattered. Striking into the road that -led from the village in a south-westerly direction, between -olive groves and stone fences, they passed the hill of Santa -Quiteria, where the Spanish centre, under San March and -O'Neill, had been so cleverly outflanked by Maurice -Mathieu, and arrived at length at Cascante, the extreme -left of the Spanish position, where La Pena, with -characteristic stupidity, had remained inactive throughout the -fight. Then, retracing their course, they turned to the left, -and rode past the spot where Colbert had held his cavalry -until the pursuit began. Leaving Tudela on their right, -they came within sight of the Cerro de Santa Barbara, -where Roca had been so brilliantly outmanoeuvred by -General Morlot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>General Chabot had been so eager to obtain a -comprehensive view of the whole scene of action that he had -set a quick pace, which the colonel found rather -discommoding to his rotundity. But he bore it all without a -murmur, for he was deeply imbued with the importance -of paying becoming deference to the higher powers. He -was, however, somewhat blown and heated when he pulled -up at a large house near the Ebro, commanding an -excellent view of the Cerro de Santa Barbara and the country -whence Morlot had delivered his attack. Round two sides -of the house ran a veranda, the roof being supported by -light pillars resting on a low balustrade. Beneath the -veranda stood a group of Spanish officers. They had just -marched in, and were awaiting the preparation of the -interior of the building, which was being got ready for -them. A sentry with fixed bayonet was stationed at the -corner of the veranda, and a squad of some twenty men -had piled arms in the open plaza beyond. An equal number -of Frenchmen were inside the house.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A capital horse of yours, colonel!" said the general -admiringly, as they reined up just outside the balustrade. -"Mine is wheezing a little, you observe, while yours is -hardly breathed."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is an excellent beast indeed," panted De Ferussat, -with a gratified smile. "I got it from a ridiculous old -Spanish nobleman at Pamplona, months ago—at a low -figure, I assure you; hi! hi! But look, monsieur le -général, it was out there"—he pointed towards the -Ebro—"that we first came in touch with these cowardly curs -of Spaniards."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He made no attempt to moderate his voice. Every word -was clearly audible to the gaunt group in the veranda, and -some of them looked with a glare of impotent rage at the -ill-mannered officer. As if to obtain a clearer view of the -field he edged his horse up to the balustrade, and continued -his narrative.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There were about 50,000 of them, but we had at least -half that number, so that there was not much doubt of -the issue. The more Spaniards in the field, monsieur le -général, the more there are to run away. Hi! hi!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He laughed, a harsh grating cackle of satisfaction that -made several of the Spaniards behind him turn livid with -wrath. General Chabot, to whom his remarks were -ostensibly addressed, seemed ill at ease. Like most of -Napoleon's lieutenants, he was a rough-and-ready soldier, -but he at any rate had a genuine Frenchman's respect -for a gallant foe, and he was reluctant to connive, even -tacitly, at De Ferussat's gross insult to helpless prisoners. -But, all unconscious of the contempt with which his -superior officer was beginning to regard him, the colonel -continued:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Our division, you observe, was posted behind the -Cerro de Santa Barbara yonder. There were thousands -of Spaniards on the summit. Behold how steep the slope! -Imagine their marvellous bravery! Ma foi, monsieur, but -courage is indeed magnificent at the top of a hill! Hi! hi! -They plumed themselves that we could not get at them. -But mark, monsieur le général, that was a mistake—oh! trifling, -but a mistake all the same. Why? There were -French at the bottom. I was there, monsieur. To me -turns General Morlot, and says: 'De Ferussat, mon ami, -your battalion will take that hill.' A word—parbleu! and -at a word the thing is done. Do you see, monsieur le -general, that narrow cleft on the hillside? Voila! That -is where we climbed up, I and my men." The general -glanced somewhat incredulously at the protuberant figure -beside him. "It was unguarded, and before the Spaniards -knew what was happening, behold! we are upon them. A -few minutes, then pouf!—General Roca's division is -pouring past the spot where we are now standing, squeezing -through the streets of the city on to the Saragossa road. -Farther to the left yonder, General Lefebvre-Desnouettes—alas -that he is now a prisoner!—broke the enemy's -centre with his cavalry; and presto! the other Spanish -generals were kissing the heels of Roca's braves, off to -Saragossa. Tredame! how these Spaniards can run when -there is a French bayonet behind them! It was laughable, -truly a comedy, a farce. I laugh always when I think -of it. Hi! hi!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Colonel de Ferussat's recollections had once more -overcome his gravity; but the first strident notes of his -cackle had barely had time to lacerate the ears of the -prisoners when there was a slight commotion behind -him. Even while his mouth was agape he felt a powerful -grip upon his collar, and in a twinkling he was turning -a complete somersault from the saddle to the balustrade, -and thence to the floor of the veranda. While he had been -delivering himself of his double-edged reminiscences a -young Spanish officer, unobtrusively detaching himself -from the group, had moved quietly to within striking -distance of the sentry on guard, who was listening with -open-mouthed appreciation. Disposing of him with a -single knock-down blow, the officer had leapt upon the -balustrade and hurled the fat colonel from his seat.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As De Ferussat rebounded from the balustrade, his -steed, naturally nervous at this unusual experience, started -aside, and the reins were jerked from the Frenchman's -grip. In an instant the young officer threw himself into -the vacant saddle, and as the horse, now thoroughly -alarmed, dashed madly forward, its new rider just -succeeded in grasping the reins short at the neck, and clung -to his seat by the sheer muscular grip of his knees.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The whole incident had passed rapidly, but General -Chabot, with the readiness of an old campaigner, bent -forward to clutch the near rein of the maddened horse. -His own horse swerving at the critical moment, he missed -his grip and himself almost overbalanced, and though he -at once spurred his charger into a gallop, endeavouring -to unbutton the holsters containing his pistols, the -fugitive had gained at least twenty yards before the pursuer's -horse settled into its stride.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack almost shouted with glee as he lay forward on his -horse's neck and got his feet into the stirrups, expecting -every moment that a hail of bullets would come flying -after him. But, hearing the clatter of the general's horse -behind, he lifted himself and laughed, and began to hum -a song he remembered Shirley was fond of:</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"Oh, who will o'er the downs so free,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Oh, who will with me ride,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Oh, who will up and follow me—"</span></div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The general was up and following him, but he cared -nothing for that. Not a shade of misgiving crossed his -exultation. While the general pursued him he was safe. -The group of French soldiers in the square had rushed to -their arms, but were unable to fire, for General Chabot -was between them and the fugitive. Colonel de Ferussat, -purple to the verge of apoplexy, was spluttering with -rage and pain, intensified by the evident delight of the -Spanish officers, who, forgetting that they were in the -man's power, were openly laughing at him. In the street, -meanwhile, soldiers and civilians alike cleared out of the -way of the dashing horsemen, not realizing at first what -had happened. When they did understand, Jack was -beyond their reach. He could not stop to choose his -course. He urged his steed straight along the road, out -at the north gate of the town, into the country of vineyard -and olive grove, gaining on his pursuer, even steadying -his horse somewhat when he found that the beautiful and -spirited animal had the heels of the general's charger. -Chabot must have recognized this, but with dogged -pertinacity he held on for nearly two miles, only desisting -from the chase when he found that his horse was failing. -Then he discharged his pistol; the shot flew wide. Jack -turned on the saddle and swept off his sombrero in ironical -salutation; and as the Frenchman drew rein, Jack jogged -the heaving flanks of his steed with his spurless boots, -and cantered gaily off into the dusk.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-whip-hand"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">The Whip Hand</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">No Thoroughfare—A Mountain Inn—A Night with -Guerrilleros—The Parting Guest—A Little -Dinner—Antonio in Command—A Night Surprise—On -the Latch—Mars and Bacchus—The Festive Board—Monsieur -Taberne off Duty—A Toast—The Score—Crowded -Moments—A Fight in the Glade—Quietus</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Nothing ever gave Jack more pleasure to remember than -that ride from Tudela. The scent of spring was in the -air, birds were twittering ere they tucked themselves up -for the night, and under him was a beautiful horse, whose -easy swinging motion was a double joy after so many -weeks of hardship and confinement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is good to be alive," he thought, as he rode on, -humming gaily. "And now what am I to do?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had only the vaguest idea of the country. He was -riding north-west from Tudela. The red glow of sunset -was fading on his left hand. Calatayud, where he hoped -to find Juanita, was far to the south-west. Now that he -was quite clear of pursuit, his best plan, he thought, would -be to double on his track, and, while avoiding Tudela, and -any other place likely to hold a French garrison, to make -his way back again towards Saragossa, keeping somewhat -west of the highway until he struck the road between that -city and Calatayud.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But it will not do to go too far west," he thought, -"or I shall get among the mountains, and then goodness -knows when I'll find my way out again."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Cautiously enquiring his way at cottages along the road, -he arrived in about three hours at the outskirts of the -township of Agreda. It was necessary to pass through -the place. He thought it more than likely that the French -would have a garrison there, for the mountain ranges -beyond were the haunt of several guerrilla bands which -the enemy were making spirited but ineffectual efforts to -keep in check. He therefore rode in, with one pistol -cocked in his right hand, and the holster of the other -unbuttoned, in readiness for any emergency.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The moon was rising, and Jack, as he passed through -the principal street, noticed that narrow lanes led out from -it on both sides, presumably towards the vineyards with -which the surrounding valley was covered. His horse -trod silently on the roadway, owing to a thick bed of last -year's leaves placed upon it by the people, for the purpose -of making manure. There was no light in any of the -houses; everybody appeared to have retired to rest, and -Jack was congratulating himself on having reached the -last house, when he came suddenly upon five mounted -French carabineers, with drawn swords, blocking the -street. They had apparently just come into the town from -the other end, on a reconnoitring expedition. They saw him -at the same moment, and with a shout dashed forward. -With only his two pistols to rely on, Jack chose the -discreet part, and instantly wheeled his horse round to -the right into one of the lanes, in which there was no -more than space for one rider to pass. It was a steep -ascent, and his horse, gallantly breasting the hill, showed -signs of fatigue natural after the long distance already -travelled. Something must be done to check the pursuit, -for if the Frenchmen had fresh horses they were bound -to run him down as soon as they drew out of the lane -Springing from his horse where the path opened into the -vineyards, he fired at the leading man, who was within -a few yards of him, and then, with some compunction, -discharged his second pistol at the trooper's horse. It -fell. There was a cry, followed by confused shouts. -Jack quietly remounted, and threaded his way through -the vineyards, bearing to the left until he struck a road -that appeared to lead in the direction he wished to go. -He looked cautiously about, in case his recent assailants -had belonged to a scattered party. Finding no trace -of an enemy, he sped on his way.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The road was rocky and uneven, winding among the -hills, which showed bare and ghostly in the increasing -moonlight. After riding on for some six or seven miles, -wondering where he was going and how long his horse -would hold out, he was passing by the brink of a ravine -overhung by a dark wall of rock, when in a narrow cleft -to the right he fancied he saw a glimmer of artificial light. -At once dismounting, he led his horse towards it, carefully -picking his way over the rough ground. At the end of the -narrow defile he came to a venta of rough-hewn stone, with -large casements, all of which were closed with wooden -shutters. The light he had seen proceeded from a round -knot-hole in the shutter of one of the rooms on the -ground-floor. The hole was higher than his head. Remounting, -he drew his horse sideways to the house, and, stooping, -put his eye to the peep-hole. He saw a spacious room, -part kitchen, part dining-room, and part dormitory, to -judge from the dirty mattresses spread here and there on -the floor. In the centre of the wall to the right was an -immense chimney-piece, where a pile of pine-logs were -crackling and blazing merrily. Over the fire two huge -black kettles were suspended, and in front a long iron -spit, garnished with fowls and goats'-flesh, was turned by -a miserable-looking dog, which, perched against the wall -in a wooden barrel, must have suffered both from the heat -and from the tread-mill work it was forced to do.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Opposite the fire, at a more comfortable distance, Jack -saw a large table, around which, seated on benches, -crippled chairs, and upturned casks, a score or more of -men were beguiling the time, till supper should be ready, -by frequent applications to the wine-jug. A glance at -their dress was sufficient to inform Jack of their condition. -They wore short tight-fitting jackets, low-crowned black -hats with the brim looped up on one side, breeches fastened -at the knee with coloured ribbons, and long leather gaiters. -From pegs on the wall hung long brown cloaks, and in the -corners lay heaps of sabres, pistols, and long carbines.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Guerrilleros, for a ducat!" said Jack to himself, "and -a desperate set. They have not even troubled to post -a sentry. I'm afraid they'll have to be my bed-fellows -to-night, at any rate."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Without hesitation he rapped smartly on the door with -the butt of a pistol. There was a sound of movement -within, heavy steps approached the door, and a gruff voice -demanded:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Quien vive?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"España!" said Jack, giving the usual countersign, -then by a happy inspiration adding: "Amigo de Antonio -el valiente guerrillero."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With an exclamation of delight the man inside drew the -bolts and threw open the door. The light from a lamp -streamed out, and Jack, bending his head, asked whether -he could be put up at the inn for the night.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Verdaderamente, Señor," replied the guerrillero, -recognizing from Jack's tone that he had a caballero to deal -with. In a few minutes the horse was stabled, and Jack -was seated at the table, partaking of the savoury stew -poured bubbling from the chaldron, and answering the -men's eager questions about the end of the siege of -Saragossa. They belonged to the band of which Pablo -Quintanar and Antonio had been the leaders, and were -burning with anxiety as to the fate of those sturdy -guerrilleros. Many a deep growl of rage and indignation -burst from them when they learnt of Quintanar's treason, -many a sigh of satisfaction when they heard of his fate; -and when they knew that Antonio had come safely -through the siege, they were all confident that somehow -or other he would escape from the French, and hasten to -rejoin them in their mountain fastnesses.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack in his turn asked for information, which the men -were not very ready to give. All that he learnt of their -movements was that they had recently left Soria and were -going southward by easy stages, hoping to meet members -of their band escaping from Saragossa. He spent a -comfortless night in the dirty inn, and departed next morning -early, glad to have got off from such rough companions -without the loss of his horse, on which they had cast -longing eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All that day he travelled by devious paths among the -mountains, asking his way of the few people he met, -putting up at night in a ruined cabin, and arriving late on -the following evening in the neighbourhood of Morata. -Remembering that the Alvarez country house was near -at hand, he found on enquiry that it lay a few miles to the -north, and was at present in charge of one old man, who -had been a gardener on the estate. Suspecting that -Morata itself might be garrisoned by the French, he -decided to turn off before reaching the town, and to seek -shelter for the night at the Alvarez villa.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Spring had set in unusually early this year, and as Jack -rode through the lanes he rejoiced in the bright sunshine -and the scent of lavender and rosemary, violets and -narcissus, that filled the warm air. He reached the villa at -dusk. It stood half-way up a hill, in a walled garden, -amid luxuriant foliage of laurels. On three sides the -garden wall was approached by the young growth of -olive plantations. The house itself was a long low -building of white stone, mellowed by age and weather. A -broad oak balcony ran round, sheltering the ground-floor -rooms from the sun's rays; and amid its massive columns -creeping plants, already in full leaf, pushed their way -towards the roof. As Jack rode up, the odours of honeysuckle -and clematis greeted his nostrils, and he noted the -small white stars of the jessamine glittering among their -narrow dark-green leaves.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The caretaker, a bent old man, received Jack somewhat -mistrustfully, but thawed when he was assured of his -friendship for the Alvarez family, and volubly deplored the -ruin which had fallen upon it. He conducted the visitor -over the house and round the immense garden, shaking -his head at the wildness of its untended state; all the -rose-trees wanted trimming, the fruit-trees pruning, and the -strawberries, already ripe, were rotting in their beds. He -did what he could, but what was one gardener for such -an immense garden? He made up a bed for Jack in one -of the upper rooms, and promised to provide as good a -breakfast as possible in the morning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Shortly after six Jack was urgently aroused by the old man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor, Señor," he said, "there are cavalry approaching -up the hill. They are French—I am sure they are; it -is not safe to stay longer."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was up in a trice. Hurrying to the stable he quickly -saddled his horse, stuffed some bread into his pocket, and -made off by a side gate leading out of the garden just as -the horsemen drew rein in front of the house. Fortunately -the wall hid him from too curious eyes as he led his horse -rapidly away. Gaining an olive plantation a quarter of a -mile up the hill, he decided to wait there for a while, in -the hope of discovering something about the horsemen -whose advent had broken his sleep. After about half an -hour, peeping over a stone fence, he saw them leave the -casa, and strike off in a north-easterly direction among -the foot-hills. Only the tops of their helmets were visible -as they trotted past, a shoulder of the hillside hiding the -rest of them from view. He counted forty-two. As soon -as they had disappeared he returned on foot to the house, -taking his chance of any Frenchman remaining there. He -found the old gardener in a frenzy of rage and agitation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The cursed Frenchmen!" he cried. "Gone—yes, they -are all gone, but they are coming back—this evening. -They are foraging, and among them is a dastardly -Spaniard, an afrancesado, Señor. He asked me -questions; he wanted to know where José Pinzon, old Don -Fernan's servant, is. As if I would answer him, even it -I knew!—a traitor, who knows the country and is guiding -the French to spoil his countrymen. He told them that -the casa would give them good lodging when their work -is done, and ordered me—yes, the dog of an afrancesado -ordered me—to have ready a good dinner for them—for -him and three officers, and nearly forty men—by the time -they return. They come from Calatayud; would to God -they'd break their necks in the hills and never return -alive!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was sympathetic with the old man, but after all -much less concerned with his troubles than with the -possibilities of a scheme that had flashed upon him. The -guerrilleros he had lately left were marching in that -direction from a point somewhat to the west of the line taken -by the French. There was little chance of their falling in -with the foraging-party, but it was at least possible that, -if they could be found, they might be able to arrange a -little surprise for the French when they returned. Were -they still in the neighbourhood? Jack thought it worth -while to spend a few hours in discovering this, and -decided to return to the plantation where he had left his -horse, and ride off. Before going he asked the old -Spaniard to leave unbolted a door he had noticed at the -back of the house; it was evidently little used, and now -almost hidden by tangled masses of creepers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I may want to get in to-night," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His horse, refreshed by a good night's rest, covered the -ground at a rapid pace. Jack eagerly scanned the bare -hills for signs whether of friend or foe; it was always -possible that the French had turned off in his direction -after visiting this or that farm or country house. But he -saw nothing for nearly two hours, when, having ridden, as -he estimated, some twenty miles, he suddenly heard a voice, -from a rocky ridge at his left hand, calling him to halt -He reined up instantly, and shouted back in Spanish:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who are you? I am a friend."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Get off your horse and put down your pistol then."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a peremptory order, which Jack at any other -moment might have resented; but there was no time to -spare, and he decided immediately to risk compliance. -The speaker then emerged from behind his rock, and -stood revealed in the rough yet gaudy costume of a -guerrillero.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hombre, take me to your captain," said Jack, stepping -towards him. "I must speak with him instantly."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man pointed out a narrow path between the rocks, -just wide enough to admit a horse, and a few minutes -later Jack was led into the presence of his stalwart friend -Antonio. Explanations were soon exchanged. Antonio, -having become an inoffensive civilian on the fall of -Saragossa, had had no difficulty in making his way to the -mountains. Falling in with a portion of his old band that -had been raiding French convoys along the Saragossa-Tudela -road, he had, only a short time before Jack's -arrival, effected a junction with the smaller band whom -Jack had met in the inn. He was now the leader of a -total force of over a hundred men, among whom Jack -recognized with pleasure several of his sturdiest fighters -during the siege.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When Antonio had explained to the others who Jack -was, their enthusiasm knew no bounds. The Saragossa -veterans had already told them what their English leader -had accomplished during the siege; how theirs had been -the only quarter in the city in which the French had made -no progress during the last three weeks. Antonio now -waxed eloquent on the same theme, and wound up by -commanding his men to serve the Señor as they would -their own captain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>If anything had been wanting to complete his welcome -it would have been supplied by the news he brought. -Antonio no sooner heard that a French foraging-party -was in the neighbourhood than he decided to cut it off. -He was anxious to start immediately and ambush it on -its way back to the house, but Jack suggested a better -plan. The country around the house, being, though hilly, -fairly open, presented little opportunity for a successful -ambuscade, and in the event of the guerrilla troop being -discovered, there would be great likelihood of the majority -of the enemy escaping. It would be better, Jack -suggested, to surround the house at night; not a Frenchman -should then escape. Antonio at once agreed. He said -that he would leave the planning entirely to the Señor, -which, Jack thought, was as it should be; for Antonio, -though a brave and dashing leader of a storming-party, -had little claim but that of bull-dog courage to his position -as captain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At four o'clock the band, well-mounted and eager, set -out on their march. The road followed led by a circuitous -course to the foot of the hill on which the Casa Alvarez -stood. It was past seven when, as they wheeled round to -the left, they saw the twinkling lights of the house more -than a mile above them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They are very bold," remarked Jack to Antonio. -"There must be a considerable force of French in -Calatayud, perhaps at Morata also, or these foragers would -have made some attempt to conceal their movements."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Few or many, Señor," declared Antonio, "we'll -capture these dogs and hang them up in a string."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, no; but we needn't talk about what we'll do with -them till we have them. I've been thinking out a plan -of attack as we rode along. It will be best to leave our -horses some distance from the house. If one of them -began to neigh it would at once put the French on the -alert. We must attack on foot in any case. There is -a hollow a little farther on where we can leave the horses -under guard."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now we don't want to lose any lives if we can help -it, so I think it will be best for us to get an idea of the -enemy's arrangements. I know the house, and I propose -to go forward alone and see what I can find out. The -old gardener will have left the back-door unlocked on the -chance of my returning. If when I get there I see a good -chance of your succeeding in a rush over the walls up to -the house, I'll give you a signal—a shrill whistle, say; one -of your men can cut me a reed."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No need, Señor; I have a whistle here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He produced a big steel whistle, which he handed to Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's well. If you don't hear anything from me in -the course of an hour after I leave you, you may -conclude that I am captured. You had better then rush the -sentries, who will no doubt be posted at the front gate. -At the same time your men will scale the wall. One -body should be sent to cut off egress from the stables, -and another to enter by the back-door. I leave the rest -to you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Half a mile farther on they came to the wooded hollow -of which Jack had spoken. The horses were left there as -arranged, and the guerrilleros, headed by Jack and -Antonio, advanced cautiously up the hill to within three -hundred yards of the house. By the light of the rising moon -two sentinels could be seen standing at the front gate, -between which and the house lay fifty feet of flower-garden. -Jack wondered whether sentries had been placed on the -other sides, but judged from the evident carelessness of -the French that that precaution had not improbably been -neglected. There was no cover for the attacking force -beyond about two hundred and fifty yards from the gates, -but at both sides the plantations would conceal them. -The guerrilleros stole into the shade of the trees; the -main body remained at the corner of the wall ready to -attack in front; smaller parties worked round the sides, -until the whole enclosure was practically surrounded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack accompanied the party which had gone to the wall -facing the rear of the house. Under cover of the -overhanging branches of a chestnut he climbed over the wall, -which was about eight feet high. No sentry was posted -at the back of the house. In a few minutes Jack had -run up the garden and come to the back-door. Already -he had heard sounds of merriment proceeding from the -house. He placed his ear against the door, listening for -footsteps within. Hearing nothing in the vicinity, he -lifted the latch and slipped inside, finding himself in a -large square stone-floored room, which had evidently been -used as a storehouse for the gardener's tools. At the far -side of the room was a door leading, as he knew, to the -corridor surrounding the patio. As he cautiously opened -this door his ears were saluted by a deafening babel from -a room on the right, opening on to the corridor. To -judge by the sounds, a large party of French troopers were -there enjoying their evening meal. Shouts of laughter -were mingled with bursts of song and the clatter of knives -and crockery. The patio was pitch dark save where a -beam of light fell across it from a window of the room on -the right, and another from the kitchen on the opposite -side. Hugging the rear wall of the patio, Jack made his -way cautiously across its tiled floor to the window of the -kitchen. A door opened into the kitchen from the corridor, -opposite to the middle one of the three arches in the -colonnade of the patio. Keeping well in the shadow, Jack saw -several Frenchmen leave the kitchen carrying dishes and -flagons, and cross the patio to the room whence the -boisterous sounds were proceeding. He saw also another -man, a tall fellow, whom in the half-light he seemed to -recognize, carry a dish into a room at the farther end of -the corridor, and close the door behind him. While the -door was open Jack heard a burst of song from within. -Evidently some of the Frenchmen were also regaling -themselves there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Peeping in at the kitchen window, he saw the gardener, -now alone. He tapped. The Spaniard looked startled -for a moment. Then a light of recollection came into -his eyes. He made hurriedly for the door, and in -another moment was with Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I've a hundred men outside," whispered the latter. -"Where are the officers?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In the room at the end, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment the door of that very room opened -again, and the tall servant came out, and turned down the -corridor at the farther end of the patio.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He is going to the cellar under the stairs for wine," -whispered the old man. "Curse them! They are -drinking my old master's store of Valdepenas."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man had left the door open, and from within the -room came the sound of a mellow baritone voice trolling -out a sentimental ditty:</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"J'ai fait un bouquet pour ma mie,</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>Un bouquet blanc;</span></div> -</div> -<div class="line"><span>J'ai mis mon coeur dedans,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Dedans mon bouquet blanc.</span></div> -</div> -<div class="line"><span>Comm' nous partions, v'là qu'elle cri-i-e:</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>'Oh! reviens t'en.'</span></div> -</div> -<div class="line"><span>'Marche!' dit mon lieutenant.</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Je lui laiss' mon bouquet blanc.</span></div> -</div> -</div> -<div class="line"><span>J'ai mis mon coeur, j'ai mis mon coeur dedans,</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>Dedans mon bouquet blanc."</span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Shouts of applause followed the last words. Immediately -afterwards the tall servant returned with a huge -flagon, re-entered the room, and shut the door.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hombre," said Jack in a whisper, "you must go into -that room."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, Señor, I'm afraid for my life. There's a big hound -of a Frenchman there whose very voice makes me shiver."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You must go in. I caught sight of a screen as that -man entered just now. All I want you to do is to go in -and show yourself—ask if they are fully supplied—and -give me time to slip in behind you; then wait outside the -door till I call."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old man hesitated for a moment, then plucked up -his courage and walked along the corridor, Jack following. -The Spaniard opened the door, and was instantly ordered -to go about his business. He moved back at once, but -meanwhile Jack had slipped inside the room, and found -that in an angle of the four-leaved screen he could conceal -himself, not only from the persons in the room, but from -anyone passing through the door. He quietly slit a hole -in the screen with his penknife, and peeped through.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Around a ponderous old table of black oak, illuminated -by a dozen wax candles and covered with dishes and -flagons and glasses, sat four men. At the head, with -his braided scarlet coat open from the neck, sat a fat, -red-faced, big-moustachioed officer, whom Jack recognized -at once as the blusterous commissary from whom he had -coaxed such valuable information at Olmedo. At the foot -sat a French captain, who was already half-drunk; on the -other side was a young lieutenant, with pink cheeks. With -his back to the door there was a man in Spanish dress, -who at that moment beckoned forward the tall servant to -fill the captain's empty glass. As the man moved round -the table, Jack caught the glitter of Perez' one eye, and at -the same instant recognized the seated Spaniard as Miguel -Priego himself.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Listening, Jack was amused to find that Commissary -Gustave Taberne had lost nothing of his braggadocio.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Parbleu, Señor Don What-do-you-call-yourself, this is -wine of the right sort. Nothing in this world is so -soul-satisfying as good Valdepenas after a hard day's work. -Mind you, I say 'after'. I'm not like Captain Horace -Marie Etienne d'Echaubroignes yonder, who'll drink in -bed, on horseback, or in a pig-stye—it's all one to him. -No; the emperor would call me a pig if I got drunk before -my work was over. I can drink a gallon without staggering, -and have a bottle at my hand without touching it; but -when my duty is done—ah ça! then I can fill my skin -in comfort, and sing a song with any man."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The long-named captain scowled at the reference to -himself, bent forward over the table, and stuttered:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Monsieur l'inten—l'intendant, do you mean that for -a—a reflection?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not at all, not at all, monsieur le capitaine. It was a -compliment—to your versatility and your—h'm!—capacity."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Eh bien!" rejoined the captain, lifting his glass -unsteadily, "if you mean it that way—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The commissary winked at Miguel.</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"J'ai fait un bouquet pour ma mie,</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>Un bouquet blanc,"</span></div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>he hummed. "Tiens! Songs like that suit a gay young -bachelor like you better than a man of my age, with a wife -and family. Come, Señor Don Something-or-other, sing -us one of your Spanish songs—a serenade such as your -gallants sing by night under their lady's window. -Tol-lol-di-rol! Come now—sing up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Really, monsieur, after hearing your excellent voice, I -do not feel able to enter into competition with you," said -Miguel stiffly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah bah! Allons! you are still in our debt. You did -us a good service to-day, in truth; but remember, we found -your lady-love for you yesterday. Ohé! her eyes, her -cheeks, parbleu! I envy you the lovely—how does she -call herself—la belle Juanita? Tol-lol-di-rol! Chantez, -mon ami."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We Spaniards are not accustomed to discuss such -matters in mixed company," said Miguel, still more -irritably.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We Spaniards! Par exemple! I'm not a Spaniard; -nor are you, my friend, to judge by your reception in the -Spaniards' houses to-day."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His tone was decidedly nettled, and the young lieutenant -looked uncomfortable, and seemed about to hazard a -remark. The captain was solemnly drinking.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Eh bien!" said the commissary, changing his tone. -"There's no need for us to quarrel. The lovely Juanita -is to be your bride; that is settled. We'll see what we -can do with King Joseph to hasten matters. And so, -without more words, let us drink a health to her!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perez, another bottle," said Miguel.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The one-eyed servant came across the room, and Jack -slipped out of sight between two leaves of the screen. -The commissary sang on:—</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>"J'ai mis mon coeur dedans,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Dedans mon bouquet blanc.</span></div> -</div> -<div class="line"><span>Comm' nous pardons, v'là qu'elle crie:</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>'Oh! reviens t'en.'</span></div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Voila qu'il en revient!" (as Perez re-entered).</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You can go and get your own supper," said Miguel -when the cork was drawn.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Perez left the room. As soon as he had gone, Jack, -relying on the commissary being engrossed with the bottle, -opened the door an inch, and beckoned the old Spaniard -in.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Señor Don What's-your-name," said the commissary, -"we Frenchmen will drink a bumper to the fair -Spaniard, the black-eyed beauty. Messieurs, aux beaux -yeux de la belle Ju—an—i—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had lifted his brimming glass half-way to his lips, -and turned with a fat smile towards Miguel, when he -paused, his hand stayed in mid-air, and he broke off in -the middle of Juanita's name. Advancing towards him -from behind the screen he saw a young Spaniard, with -a drawn sword in his right hand, and in his left a pistol, -cocked and pointed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You will excuse me, messieurs," said Jack quietly, -"intruding upon you thus unceremoniously—pray keep -your seats," he added, as the lieutenant pushed back his -chair, and the fuddled captain half rose. "In fact, I shall -take it so ill if you move but a hair's breadth that I cannot -answer for my nerves!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For all its banter, Jack's tone had in it so much of -deadly earnestness that the officers sank limply back into -their seats, the instinctive movement towards sword and -pistol arrested as if by a sudden palsy. Miguel had -remained on his chair without moving a muscle. With -him the French were four to one, for as a combatant -the old man did not count; but each of the four knew -that the first among them to take up the gage would -fall instantly to Jack's pistol, and the knowledge dulled -the edge of their courage.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hombre," continued Jack, addressing the old gardener, -"bolt the door."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man was trembling in every limb, but hastened -to obey the order.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That is right. Now, feel in my left-hand pocket. You -will find a whistle. You have it? Then open yonder -window and blow three times."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man went to the window behind the commissary, -opened one of its leaves, and blew three shrill blasts. -While this was going on, the four sat helplessly in the -same position in which Jack had surprised them. The -lieutenant's pink cheeks had paled; the commissary's -rubicund features had become like mottled soap; the -captain was red with sottish indignation; Miguel had -never moved. Jack could only see his back.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"With your permission, messieurs," Jack went on, -"this good man will make a little collection. Hombre, -relieve that gentleman at the head of the table of his sword -and pistol. No, no; not this side of him. You may get -hurt if you come between us, and we cannot spare a good -Spaniard—can we, Don Miguel? Go round him. That's -right. Now bring the weapons and put them on the floor -behind me. So. Now, go round in the same way and get -the next gentleman's arms."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Before the man reached the lieutenant, a confused -hubbub came into the room from the front of the house -through the open window—the clash of steel, the report of -firearms. Almost at the same moment loud sounds of the -same kind came from the direction of the patio. The old -servant hesitated, stood still, his fingers working nervously.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go on, hombre," said Jack sternly, his pistol still -pointed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While the uproar on both sides gathered strength, the -Spaniard tottered towards the lieutenant, and with shaking -hands disengaged his sword and pistol, which he placed -alongside of the commissary's on the floor behind Jack. -He was just repeating the process of disarmament with the -captain when loud shouts were heard at the door, followed -by heavy blows from the butts of muskets. Apparently the -French troopers had been driven across the patio, and were -seeking their officers in the inner room. Jack did not move -a muscle, but he devoutly hoped that the door would stand -the strain; otherwise the window was his only chance, -though in any case he could not desert the old man.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The noise outside provided a strange contrast to the -quietness within. Almost silently the Spaniard had -disarmed three of the four feasters. It was now Miguel's -turn. In advancing towards him the old man, alarmed -by the tremendous thunderings on the door behind him, -and by a bullet that crashed through one of the panels, -incautiously stepped between Miguel and Jack. In an -instant, with an extraordinary muscular effort for so -slightly built a man—an effort nerved doubtless by the -knowledge of what his fate would be if he fell into the -hands of his countrymen,—Miguel seized the man by the -middle, and, swinging him round so as to make of him -a screen between himself and Jack, dashed towards a -curtain of arras that apparently overhung a doorway on -the opposite side of the room. At the same moment a -number of Spaniards, headed by Antonio, came headlong -through the open window.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Secure the Frenchmen!" shouted Jack, springing -after Miguel. He could not fire. When he reached the -curtain he stumbled over the old Spaniard, whom Miguel -flung back at his pursuer as he dashed through the door -into the dark anteroom beyond. Jack recovered himself -in an instant, but Miguel had disappeared, and when Jack -had followed him into the darkness he heard him stumbling -over furniture on the other side of the room. Then -began a desperate chase. As is common in Spanish -houses, room opened into room, and Jack pursued the -traitor through door after door, occasionally catching a -fleeting glimpse of him by the moonlight filtering through -the windows of rooms on the outer wall, but losing him -again in the darkness before there was time to fire. At -last Miguel, gaining a slight lead, was able to open a -window at the back of the house, and sprang out into the -garden, flinging the leaf of the window back almost in -Jack's face. Outside he fell sprawling on the ground, but -was up in an instant, and rushed madly down the path -cutting the garden in two.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack leapt through the window after him, stumbled, -recovered himself, and was off after the fugitive. Tearing -through the bushes that had overspread the path, he flew -along, saving his breath, setting his lips, fiercely -determined to bring the wretched man to book at last. Miguel -had reached the wall; with the agility of despair he sprang -at it, and was over. Jack was a better runner; he made -as little difficulty of the wall; pursuer and pursued were -now in full career through the olive plantation. Miguel's -breath was failing; he knew that he could not escape. -Stopping suddenly in an open glade, he turned round, -and a bullet whistled past Jack's head as he closed with -his quarry. The headlong rush had spoiled Miguel's aim.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Disdaining to use his pistol, Jack at once engaged -Miguel with his sword. The Spaniard stood fiercely at -bay, panting with his exertions, his face showing livid -with fear in the pale moonlight. There were a few rapid -passes; then with a groan he dropped his sword, his -forearm gashed from wrist to elbow.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hold!" he gasped. "I am at your mercy. Spare me!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack dropped the point of his sword.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What—are—you—going—to—do—with—me?" panted Miguel.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do with you? There is only one thing for me to do: -deliver you to your fellow-countrymen. They shall judge -you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not that, for the love of God!" was the agonized -reply, whispered rather than spoken. "You know what -that means! Spare me that! Rather finish what you -have begun. For old time's sake you would not throw me -to those wolves. Ah! their fiendish tortures! See! have -done with it; strike here!"</span></p> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 61%" id="figure-130"> -<span id="miguel-escapes-from-the-garden"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Miguel Escapes from the Garden" src="images/img-362.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">Miguel Escapes from the Garden</span></div> -</div> -<p class="pnext"><span>He tore open his shirt and bared his bosom to the -sword. It was well acted, but Jack was not for a moment -deceived. Miguel, he knew, had not the slightest -expectation of being taken at his word. Yet the alternative! -When once the guerrilleros had him in their power there -would be no torture too horrible for the renegade and -traitor. Jack remembered with a shudder the tales he -had heard—even those told him by Miguel himself in -Salamanca. Could he deliver the wretch, vile though he -was, to so awful a fate? Could he allow the traitor to go -free? It was a painful dilemma.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So they stood while a man might count ten.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a crackle in the undergrowth, the sound of a -light footfall, and, lifting his sword, Jack half-turned. As -he did so a heavy form struck against him. He felt a -scorching pain between the shoulders, and pitching heavily -forward sank unconscious to the ground. The dilemma -had solved itself.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="doctor-grampus-and-a-french-cook"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Doctor Grampus and a French Cook</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">An Amateur—Pantomime—At Cross Purposes—Miguel's -Pocket-book—Links—In Cipher—Potatoes—Monsieur Taberne -on Duty—The Compelling Onion</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>When Jack came to himself it seemed to him that he was -in a shaded room by an open window, for the air gently -fanned his temples, and he saw a wide stretch of blue sky. -He turned his aching head.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hullo!" said a voice in English.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hullo!" murmured Jack in reply, automatically, not -knowing what he said. He looked with puzzlement at the -speaker, a tall, stout young fellow in guerrilla costume.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There, I wagered you wouldn't know me in this rig. -Don't you remember Dugdale, at Salamanca—Percy -Dugdale, don't you know?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Grampus!" whispered Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The very same. I might have bet you'd know Grampus -better than my good old respectable honoured ugly -name. Here, drink this."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He held a cup to Jack's lips. After drinking, Jack -closed his eyes and fell asleep.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where am I?" he asked, waking an hour later.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Feel better? That's grand. Where are you? High -up among the hills, in a sort of cave, lying on a pile of -blankets, with a splendid outlook over—well, nowhere in -particular."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In the hills!" repeated Jack feebly. "How did I get -there? I can't remember. Is anything wrong with me? -I don't seem to be able to move. I don't feel right."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There's gratitude! Why, you're as right as a trivet. -You're really doing splendidly! Now, you're not to talk. -Doctor's orders."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was silent for a moment, and dozed away again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When he woke, Dugdale came towards him from the -entrance of the cave.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's the matter with me? How do you come -here? I can't remember anything."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I said you were not to talk. Doctor's orders."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tell the doctor I want to see him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dugdale chuckled.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bet it'd be no go. Truth is, I'm the doctor. I've -pulled you through, and when I get home I'm going to -demand a diploma from the doctors' college or whatever it -is gives a man a licence to be a sawbones."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I must know all about it. I can't remember. How -long have I been ill?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nearly three weeks. Now, if you'll promise not to -get excited, I'll tell you what happened. You know a -man named Antonio?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, of course; he helped me in Saragossa."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, if he weren't a friend of yours I'd punch his -head. He is the leader of this band of ruffians that -scooped me up, two months ago, when I was riding over -the hills to see the fun at Saragossa. Antonio wasn't -with them then. I couldn't understand a word they said. -They couldn't understand a word I said. I roared -'Inglese! Inglese!' till I was sick. No good. They -kept me with them and made me get into this outrageous -toggery, and with them I've been ever since, like a canary -in a cage."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You mustn't talk. Doctor's orders. Lucky for you -I was here, or they'd have sent you to kingdom come. -With their nasty messes!—ugh!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where did you get your medicines, then?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Silence! Don't believe in medicine. Bet Antonio -three to one in Frenchmen—only he couldn't understand—that -I'd pull you through on cold water; and I've done -it,—thank God!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sudden change to earnestness in Dugdale's tone -was almost comic.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And you were pretty bad, I can tell you. Raved like -one o'clock. All about Pomeroy and Pepito, and some -chap whose name rhymed with ass, and Mig Prig—most -about Mig Prig,—and you laughed and shouted 'Fire the -mine!' and 'Pommy, I'll punch your head,' and all sorts -of funny things."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But what made me ill?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A villainous stab in the back. By gum! if I had the -beast here I'd trounce him, I bet I would. You and -Antonio had captured a foraging-party of French at a -country-house down there; you tackled the officers -single-handed; dashed plucky of you, begad! and you sprang out -after a scoundrelly Spaniard who escaped, a fellow in -French pay; and afterwards you were found among the -olives with a hole in your back and your sword covered -with blood."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I remember now," cried Jack. "I must get up. I -must save Juanita."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He tried to rise, but found that he had no power.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Juanita be hanged, whoever he may be. Lie still, and -don't talk. I haven't finished yet. Wish I'd been with -you, but these confounded brigands won't let me stir from -head-quarters. I've had the most disgusting luck. I -came out to see the fun, and hanged if I've seen any at all. -Well, they found you with a hole in your back and brought -you here, and they were in a deuce of a way about you. -They had a score or more of French prisoners with them, -including officers, one of them a fat, red-faced fellow—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I remember it all now. That's my friend the commissary."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, he's peeling onions at this moment. A little -change for him, but all in the same line of business. It -was he told me what had happened; lucky I can make out -two French words out of ten. By Jove! what bloodthirsty -ruffians these Spaniards are! If it hadn't been for me all -the prisoners would have been garroted or roasted before -slow fires, or something. When I saw what was in the -wind my blood boiled. I couldn't stand that; no -Englishman could; so I made 'em a speech. Lord! I never knew -I could rattle it off so; I must go into Parliament. Of -course they couldn't understand what I said, but I threw -my arms about, and pointed to my neck, and shook my -head, and generally played the goat, as I've seen 'em do -at the hustings; and they made out what I meant, and so -the prisoners are here still,—except the captain, who died -of over-drinking."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment Antonio came quietly into the cave; he -had been in and out during Jack's periods of unconsciousness, -and now showed every mark of delight at his impending -recovery.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The saints be praised, Señor!" he said. "We feared -you would die. We should have grieved."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was touched by his simple sincerity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am not gone yet," he said, smiling, "thanks, I -understand, to my friend Señor Dugdale here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He is a clever doctor, Señor," said Antonio.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He tells me that you have the Frenchmen we captured -at Morata."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sí, Señor, and another lot too."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed! It is well that he managed to persuade you -to do them no harm."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What does the Señor mean?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My friend Señor Dugdale tells me that you were going -to torture the prisoners, and he made a speech and—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, that!" exclaimed Antonio, with a wave of the -hand. "We didn't understand. We thought the Señor -wanted us to cut all their throats; but I knew you would -not like that."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack became almost hysterical with laughter at this -explanation, and Dugdale bundled Antonio out of the -cave, and told Jack he must go to sleep again. He -allowed no more talk on that day, but the patient was -so much better next morning that he made no objection -when Jack asked to see the guerrillero again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I want to hear what has happened," said Jack to him. -"I am anxious."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I know, Señor; but there is no need. The day after -we got back with the prisoners, the gitano Pepito came -and said the Señorita Juanita had been captured by the -French and was living with a colonel's lady in Morata. I -got my men together and we went down at once, and -in the night surprised the French, killed a great many, -and captured the rest. But the Señorita was not among -them. We found the colonel's lady; she told us that the -Señorita had escaped."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where is she?" asked Jack anxiously.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We do not know, Señor. The boy Pepito was frantic; -he said you would punish him for losing the lady, -and he went away to find her. He has never come back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Did he say anything about Señor Priego—the man -who was in Saragossa, you remember?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He said that Señor Priego was with the French who -captured the Señorita, but no more."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And you did not capture him at the house? It was -he I was fighting in the olive-grove."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Por Dios, Señor, if I had known that! When we -found you lying on the ground we let a few minutes slip. -We thought you were dead, Señor. Then we searched -all around, but we could find no one. Was it the cursed -afrancesado that wounded you, Señor?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No. It was someone who came behind my back; his -servant, I have no doubt. He has twice attempted my -life."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Antonio swore a hearty oath, and vowed a terrible -vengeance should either Priego or his servant fall into -his hands. Jack was much perturbed. He hoped that -Juanita in escaping from the French had escaped also -from Miguel, but the latter had much to gain by not -letting her slip through his hands.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is one thing, Señor, yet to be told," added -Antonio. "In the morning, when we were bringing away -the prisoners, one of my men found this at the back of -the house, lying on the grass."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He produced a leather pocket-book, which he handed -to Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can't have this," said Dugdale, entering at this -moment. "You're not well enough yet to be bothered -with business."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You will do me more good by letting me get to the -bottom of things. My hand's all wobbles. Take the -pocket-book, old fellow, and tell me what is in it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dugdale opened the case, and, taking out a number -of papers, unfolded them one by one.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"All in foreign lingos," he said ruefully. "Can't read -one of them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let me see them," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dugdale handed him one of the papers. It was a pass -through the French lines, signed by Marshal Lannes. At -the first glance Jack understood. The pocket-book must -have been jerked from Miguel's pocket when he fell on -escaping from the house. Jack examined the papers -eagerly. The second was a note from the marshal's -aide-de-camp Saint-Marc: "In consideration of Monsieur -Priego's services to the Government of His Majesty King -Joseph, his excellency will use his influence with the -commandant at Bayonne to facilitate the interview sought -by Monsieur Priego". The third was a memorandum -evidently relating to private business. The fourth was -a long blue paper, on unfolding which Dugdale cried:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George, Lumsden, this is curious! Hanged if -there isn't your name here!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack took the paper with still more eagerness. He saw -at once that it was in the same handwriting as the letter -he had received from Don Fernan Alvarez at Salamanca. -It was in Spanish, addressed to Mr. Lumsden, and Jack -had only to read a few words to be assured that this -was the very letter entrusted to the charge of General -Palafox—the letter whose disappearance had so much -perplexed him. Before he had read more than two or -three lines, however, Antonio broke in:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Señor, I know that paper. I saw it often in the hands -of Pablo Quintanar in Saragossa. He used to take it out -of his pocket every night and read it, and always when -he came to a certain place he stopped, and frowned, and -cursed. I am sure it is the same."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a flash the mystery of Quintanar's assassination -was made plain to Jack. Miguel must have discovered -in some way that the letter was in the possession of -the guerrillero, and the wretched man had been slain -from behind by one-eyed Perez while Miguel tried to -wrest the paper from him. Jack was aghast at this -additional proof of Miguel's villainy; his heart misgave -him as he thought of what might be Juanita's fate.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He read the letter. It gave a clear narrative of the -events of which Juanita had told him—Don Fernan's -making up of the accounts of the business, the journey -from Barcelona to Saragossa, the ambush on the road, -the suspected treachery of Miguel Priego. Then followed -a declaration of the old merchant's intentions in regard to -his property. In the last sentence he stated that the -place where the treasure had been concealed was known -only to his servant José, but that the secret was contained -in a short postscript, which could only be read in the -light of a private communication made to Jack himself -in Salamanca.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack looked eagerly at the postscript. He uttered an -exclamation of joy as he realized that Miguel must have -found the letter useless to him. For the postscript -consisted of a single line of sprawling uneven capital letters, -set close together, not divided into words, and conveying -to the uninitiated absolutely no meaning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you make of that?" said Jack, handing the -letter to Dugdale.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No good. Don't know a word of Spanish except pan, -agua, cebolla, which I hear every day, and a -few—interjections, I think they call 'em in grammar."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't mean the letter, I mean the postscript."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The postscript!" He held the paper at arm's-length, -shut one eye, and frowned. "H'm! Looks like a cat's -swearing, or Welsh. Too bad even for Spanish. Some -infant set to practise his capitals, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack smiled.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm as much in the dark as you are. Perhaps you -wouldn't mind making a copy of the letters, in case the -original goes astray?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Very well. Bet you I'll make a dozen mistakes. It -dazzles my eyes. You'd better call 'em out one by one."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Accordingly Jack read the twenty-nine letters off separately, -and Dugdale, whose inaptitude with the pencil was -clearly shown by the frequency with which he licked his -lips, made laborious strokes on a sheet of paper taken -from Miguel's note-book.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There," he said, when the task was finished. "Looks -a deal prettier than the original, don't it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In big boyish capitals Jack saw the following puzzling -sentence:—</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span>S E O S F L S A E O A P E J E J P J J F J P J X P A P P F</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"It's all right, Grampus," he said, after comparing it -with the original. "How long shall I be on my back -here?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can't say. Why?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Because I've something to do when we've discovered -the cipher. You and I must do that, and, by all -appearance, it will take time."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No good asking me. Never answered a riddle in my -life. Blinks of Merton tried me just before I came down. -Strolled into my room one morning—Blinks always dawdles,—threw -his leg over a chair, and piped up: 'Grampus, my -dear, would you like to answer a question?' 'Well?' says -I. 'Tell me,' says he: 'Why do birds in their little nests -agree?' 'Bet you they don't always,' says I. He was -put out; I could see it. He don't like a chap to be serious, -you know. Yet he's a good sort; so to please him I said: -'Why do they, then?' 'Because if they didn't they'd fall -out,' says he, and strolled away quite happy. I call that -mighty clever, don't you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack made a rapid recovery. The fresh air, the good -simple food, the unremitting care of Dugdale and Antonio, -and perhaps, more than all, his own strong determination, -soon set him upon his feet. When he was first allowed -by the Grampus to leave the cave, he was much amused -at the sight of Commissary Taberne sitting on an upturned -pail, peeling potatoes, and singing as blithely as a bird:</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>"Ma mie,</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>Ma douce amie,</span></div> -</div> -<div class="line"><span>Réponds à mes amours;</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>Fidèle</span></div> -<div class="line"><span>A cette belle,</span></div> -</div> -<div class="line"><span>Je l'aimerai toujours.</span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -<div class="line"><span>Si j'avais cent coeurs,</span></div> -</div> -<div class="line"><span>Ils ne seraient remplis que d'elle;</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>Si j'avais cent—"</span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Bravo, monsieur, et bonjour!" said Jack,</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ha! Qui est-ce que j'ai l'honneur de voir?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The commissary sprang off his perch, catching at the -bowl of potatoes just in time to prevent a cataclysm. He -presented a queer figure as he stood there, in Spanish -vest and pantaloons, with bare arms and legs, for it was a -hot day. Laying his hand on his portly middle, he made -a bow as low as he conveniently could.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I congratulate you, monsieur," he said. "I am -pleased to see you once more in health. Ah ça! but you -have the courage, you English! It was magnificent—to -come into the room alone and face me, Gustave Taberne, -single-handed. Parbleu! you took me by surprise, -or—Ah! and I congratulate myself that it was not my sword -that wounded so admirable a warrior. Nom d'un tonnerre! that -wretch, that scamp, that renegade, that Don Miguel -What's-his-name—if I could catch him! Gr-r-r-r!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I hope you have been well treated, monsieur," said -Jack politely.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The commissary shrugged.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Me voici!" he said. "Here am I, a commissary-general -of the emperor's, accustomed to feed huge armies, -the winner of innumerable victories that others have the -credit of,—and behold me, peeling potatoes for a herd of -unwashed, thieving, villainous, abomin—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay, stay!" interrupted Jack. "I really cannot hear -my friends abused."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pardon, monsieur. I for one moment forgot myself. -I have feelings, I am sentimental, I am upset; I see myself -on the road to glory; then, vlan! the vision dissolves; it -is a mirage!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The marquisate is a little farther off, you mean, monsieur?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hé quoi?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Monsieur Taberne looked puzzled.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you remember, monsieur," asked Jack, "a little -inn at Olmedo, where one day last November you made -your first acquaintance with the puchero, and honoured -with your conversation a young Spaniard, about my -own age, who happened to be able to speak a little French?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"H'm! h'm! I have a slight recollection of the incident. -I got a good deal of information out of the young cockerel, -if I'm not mistaken."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack smiled.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You were looking forward then, monsieur, to being -made a peer of France, like Marshal Lefebvre, Duke of -Dantzig. I am sorry that this little check has happened -in your career. You promised then, you remember, to -join me some day in drinking a bottle of Valdepenas—none -of your tarred vinegar of Toro, you know—when -your duty was done. You have one more potato to peel, -monsieur. While you are doing that, no doubt my good -friend Antonio will produce a bottle of Valdepenas from -his store."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>During this speech the commissary had stared at Jack -in amazement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Par le sambleu!" he ejaculated, "it is the very same!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He dropped down on his tub, his mouth agape, and -mechanically took up his last potato, which he began to -pare with the dexterity of long practice. He was evidently -casting back to that November day, and racking his -memory to recover the details of his conversation. Jack's -eyes twinkled. The commissary caught his look, and, -flinging the newly-peeled potato into the bowl, uttered a -huge guffaw.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Zut!" he cried, "I see twice, monsieur, that you -are a dangerous person to meet. One needs to be of -the greatest discretion. It is not only your sword that -is formidable. Tenez: voici le Valdepenas! I had hoped -you would have been my guest. N'importe; Valdepenas -is Valdepenas. The fortune of war is now to you; -perhaps on another occasion—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, thank you," said Jack, laughing, "unless our two -nations are at peace. Let me say, monsieur, how glad -I am that you take your little mischance with so much -philosophy. I am not in command here, of course, but -if there is anything I can do—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Morbleu, monsieur, you can do me an infinite favour. -The potatoes—they are nothing; but the onions!—sapristi! when -one weeps for sentiment, it is noble, it is French; -but when one weeps for onions, it is a degradation. Bien -sûr! precisement ça! allez!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-prisoner-at-bayonne"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">The Prisoner at Bayonne</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Running the Gauntlet—A Bait—Figments—Prophecy—Judas—At -Large</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"You will excuse a little delay, monsieur le colonel. -The letter from Monsieur le Maréchal Lannes is -somewhat—indeed I may say very—unusual. We must assure -ourselves that everything is en règle—a mere formality, -but in official business we live by rule and regulation. -Monsieur will understand."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lieutenant-general in command of the port of -Bayonne leaned back in his chair and smiled deprecatingly, -at the same time eying his visitor with no little keenness. -The stranger was a Spanish officer in the French service, -and as such to be distrusted; and although his manner -lacked nothing in ease and assurance, there was -something in his bearing and expression that added to the -Frenchman's instinctive suspicion. But from motives of -prudence he forbore to explain that he was detaining his -visitor until an aide-de-camp had ransacked the archives -for an undoubted autograph of Marshal Lannes with which -the letter brought by the Spaniard could be compared. -For nearly half an hour the two chatted on indifferent -subjects, the Spaniard growing more and more impatient, the -Frenchman more and more apologetic. At last the -aide-de-camp entered, and handed a document to the general, -which the latter keenly scrutinized.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am glad to say, monsieur," he said, rising, "that -I find his excellency's letter perfectly in order. I am -delighted to make the acquaintance of one who, as the -marshal informs me, has done good service to the emperor -and to France, and, let us hope, to Spain. Captain -Broussier will see that you are granted the most complete -facilities for a private interview with the man José Pinzon. -I understand that he is at present delirious—fever, -monsieur, carries off too many of our prisoners,—but he has -lucid intervals. For any service I may be able to render -you, command me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Captain Broussier led the way from the general's quarters -near the Place d'Armes, across the St. Esprit bridge that -spanned the Adour, to the grim citadel in which some -hundreds of prisoners, Spanish, Portuguese, and English, were -immured. Passing under the massive archway, they entered -the great courtyard in which the unhappy captives were -allowed to take exercise; some were sitting, the picture of -dejection; others maintaining the semblance of cheerfulness; -many endeavouring to add, by basket-weaving and -similar light occupations possible within prison walls, to -the wretched subsistence allowance doled out to French -prisoners of war. A group of Spaniards, looking up as -the two officers passed through the courtyard, caught sight -of the afrancesado, and as they did so their attitude -underwent an instant and extraordinary change. Listlessness -gave place to the most intense interest; every man showed, -each in his own way, the most passionate hatred of the -new-comer. But for the presence of the two French -sentries in the courtyard, and half a dozen more in the -guard-house beyond the gate, they would have thrown -themselves upon him as he passed. He caught the look -of murder in their eyes and paled visibly, shrinking as if -for protection closer to his companion, who noted the -action and its cause, and smiled questioningly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Some men of—the opposite party—in Saragossa. -Misguided, but dangerous; they bear me no good-will."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If appearances go for anything, monsieur, those -basket knives of theirs would have some pretty work to -do but for the bayonets of our men yonder."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Spaniard winced. He was clearly relieved when -they passed from the courtyard into a long corridor -leading to the room used as a hospital for the prisoners. -There were several occupants, many in the last stage of -disease, and the captain, having directed that a screen -should be placed round the bed of the patient whom the -visitor had come to see, left hastily. A visit to the -hospital of the citadel was not without its dangers, for prison -fever was no respecter of persons.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Upon a low truckle-bed in one corner of the room a -man, shrunken to a skeleton, lay stretched, apparently at -the point of death. He was conscious, for the light in -his eyes was clear although dim, but so weak was his -breathing, so wasted his figure, that at any moment it -seemed the wan flame of life might flicker out. He turned -his gaze slowly upon the stranger as he approached; then -there came into his eyes the same look of inextinguishable -hatred that had transfigured the wretched prisoners in the -courtyard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Traidor!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a mere movement of the lips, from which no -sound issued; but the visitor, already unnerved, started as -if stung; his face flushed, bringing into relief the livid -scar across his brow. Then, collecting himself with an -effort, he said, ignoring the unspoken insult:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It pains me, my good José, to find you thus—sick and -a prisoner. I have come a long way to see you, to bring -you freedom—for the sake of old times. Fortunately I am -not too late. A few more days in this place would have -killed you; but we shall soon see what liberty and good -nursing will do, eh, my friend?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>An eager light came into the sick man's eyes. In his -feeble state he was unable to grasp the full import of what -his visitor was saying. He was only capable of mastering -one idea at a time. The word "liberty" had sent a -sudden flash of colour into his cheek. The mere prospect -of freedom, dim though it was, had banished for a brief -moment his mortal antipathy to the man beside him. The -walls of his prison-house fell asunder; he saw himself once -again among his own people, the trusted servant of a -beloved mistress whom he had sworn to serve, and whom -his capture had left unprotected, exposed to all the -dangers of a besieged city. The other, watching him keenly, -was quick to note the changed expression of his face; -and without giving the weakened intelligence time for -ordered thought, he continued in the same tone of kindly -interest:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But I must first give you news of the señorita. I -know, my good José, you care nothing for yourself. It -is of her you think. I honour your fidelity; it is because -of that that I am here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What of her? Tell me!" whispered the sick man. -The voice was scarcely audible, but the eyes showed an -agony of doubt and apprehension; he had wholly forgotten -his distrust. He moved as if to raise himself; but he was -unable to lift his head from the pillow.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Make your mind easy; she is well, quite well. I left -her with the wife of the old porter. She is a worthy -woman, and devoted to the señorita. My influence with -the government of King Joseph ensured the safety of your -mistress after the fall of the city. She sends you the -kindest messages. When you did not return from that -brave sortie, she feared you were dead, and she grieved. -But I learnt that you were a prisoner, and when I told -her she clasped her hands and cried for joy, and bade me -come at once to find you. 'Tell my good José that I -shall know no peace until I am assured of his safety. -I pray for him. He is much in my thoughts.'"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sick man's eyes filled with tears. He would have -lifted his hand to dash them away, but his strength was -unequal to the effort. The visitor continued, his accent -carefully modulated, gentle, persuasive:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, alas! my good friend, she is poor, very poor. -The house in Saragossa is destroyed, burned during the -siege. The house at Morata is pillaged by brigands. -There is no rent from the estate; the people are all -dispersed; and the good aunt is dead. The worthy porter -and his wife have scarcely enough to keep themselves. -It is terrible, this war; would that all good Spaniards -thought with me that it is best to make peace with the -king!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The speaker bent forward, intently watching the effect -of these words. As he had expected, a look of keen -distress crossed the prisoner's face. Again he strove to -rise, as if by raising himself he could shake off his -intolerable weakness. He was suffering acutely. The visitor -was silent for a while, giving the imagination of the sick -man full play. Then he continued:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I, alas! can do little to help. I am poor, my good -José, miserably poor. I have sacrificed all—you will know -how. I would willingly share my last crust with the -señorita, but in this fatal war so many things may happen. -I begged her to take shelter in a convent, but she would -not; brave girl, she would stay to help her people! 'José,' -she said, 'could assist us if only he were free. He alone -knows what my poor father has done to provide for me. -Go to him, Miguel; tell him of our distress; he will find a -means of helping us.'"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What would you wish me to do?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The visitor, bending low, caught the whispered words. -The man's clear eyes were upon him, and he checked the -involuntary expression of satisfaction that crossed his face. -But, instantaneous though it was, the sick man, strangely -sensitive to shades of tone and manner, seemed to be -instinctively aware of it, and the other was clearly ill at -ease under his searching gaze.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, my good José," he said hesitatingly, "your -illness places us in a difficulty. I have here an order -for your release" (he drew from his pocket a blue paper -which might or might not be what he described); "I -hoped that we should have been able to return to Spain -together. You could have then placed the señorita -beyond the reach of want; for from what she told me it -is clear that your master left a large sum in your charge. -But, alas! you are not at present able to travel. The best -plan that I can think of is that you send the señorita -instructions where she can find her property—you can -either write her a letter or give me the message,—and -I will see that you are released and nursed back to health. -You can return to Spain when you are fit to travel."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sick man feebly shook his head, whispering:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I must not tell—anything. I swore it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, you swore it, and you have kept your oath. But -it was never Don Fernan's wish that the señorita should -be allowed to—to starve while her fortune remained -hidden. It is your duty to be guided by -circumstances—by common sense."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The other winced, but still replied: "I cannot; I swore -it. Not till the war is over."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, a ripple of impatience showing above his suave -manner, the visitor said hastily:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Certainly, but the war is over; the fall of Saragossa -finished the war. Joseph is again king in Madrid."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are mistaken, Señor. If what you say is true, -the war is only just beginning." There was a light in -the man's eyes, a fierce energy in his whispered words, -that seemed first to embarrass, then to anger his visitor.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, my friend, if you will not listen to reason, if you -prefer to allow your mistress to starve, I can do nothing -more. I will give her your message." He rose from his -seat. "And I shall at least have the satisfaction of being -able to add that such an ungrateful rascal is dead; for -in this hole you won't live another week, and you can't -expect me to do anything for your release."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The afrancesado caught the word and halted expectantly -as he was turning away. With a supreme effort the sick -man had raised himself on his elbow, and, struggling hard -for breath, gasped out:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Liar! Traitor! Spy! Do you think—I do not—do not -see you—for what you are? Go back—go back, accursed -afrancesado, to those who have—bought you. Out of my -sight! The price of blood!—Judas!—the doom of -Judas—awaits you—the doom—of—Judas!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The afrancesado recoiled as at the stroke of a lash; -then an ugly look crossed his face, and his hand sought -the hilt of his knife. But even as it did so the man sank -back half insensible, the gleam of fierce rage faded from -his face, and while Miguel was hesitating whether to stay -or go, the prisoner began to talk in a low but distinct -voice, as repeating a lesson he had learned by heart.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, Señor, dear master, I swear it. I will watch -over the señorita as long as I have life; I swear it. None -shall ever know except the señor Ingles. In the -garden—the old—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His voice was dying away again into a whisper; the -afrancesado bent eagerly over him to catch the feeble -tones, and when he rose a look of mingled greed and -malignant triumph shone in his eyes. He waited for a -while longer, while the sick man continued to babble in -the same strain, his voice occasionally rising so that it -could plainly be heard by the sufferers in the neighbouring -beds. Murmurs arose, and, helpless as they were, their -mutterings struck the heart of the afrancesado with a cold -chill of dread. Rising, and throwing one hurried -backward glance at the now silent figure on the bed, he -hastened from the room, pursued by the vengeful glance -of all who were conscious enough to recognize him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>An hour later the sick man opened his eyes and looked -around, as though fearing to meet once more the traitor's -malign glance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is that you were saying about a promise, and a -garden, and a señorita?" whispered the prisoner in the -next bed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Saying! When?" he asked with a note of mortal anguish.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Just now, when the vile afrancesado was with you. -Have you forgotten?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The man waited a moment, expecting a reply. None -came; the man had fainted.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The afrancesado did not leave Bayonne that night as -he intended. Stricken with the prison fever, he took to -his bed, and there lay for several weeks, tended with -unstinted care by his one-eyed servant. When he -recovered from his delirium he was eager to set out, as -soon as his strength permitted, on his return journey to -Spain, and was amazed to hear from the French -commandant that he must consider himself a prisoner.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nonsense!" he said; "la prisoner! What have you -against me?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The prisoner you talked with in the sick ward, monsieur—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is he dead?" asked Miguel eagerly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He may be, but his body has not been recovered. -His health rapidly mended from the day of your -interview with him, and ten days ago he escaped by swimming -the Adour—a marvellous feat for a man in his condition."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Escaped!" screamed Miguel, starting up. "I must -go, I must go at once, before it is too late!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then you did not arrange the escape, monsieur?" said -the Frenchman, surprised at the other's violence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Arrange it! Am I a fool? Am I mad? Arrange the -escape of my worst enemy! I must go! He has gone to -rob me; he will ruin me; I must go, before it is too late!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His agitation was so sincere that, after a consultation -among the French officers, the afrancesado was permitted, -a few days later, to depart with his servant, and they -rode southward out of Bayonne at a furious pace, the -stones clattering, the dust flying behind, and all who -saw them staring after them in amazement.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="palafox-the-name"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Palafox the Name</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Nonplussed—In the Convent—A Warning—The Key—Permutations -and Combinations—Light Ahead—Don Fernan's Message</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>One day the guerrilla camp in the mountains was thrown -into some excitement by the sudden reappearance of -Pepito. All the guerrilleros by this time knew something -of the strange complications in which the English señor -was involved. They had been constantly on the look-out -for the gipsy boy whom he was so anxious to see; and -when, on this sunny morning, the boy was seen bounding -up the hillside, they flocked to him in a crowd, crying -"Qué hay de nuevo? Qué hay de nuevo?" Pepito made -them no answer. He had already caught sight of his -master sitting some yards above him, and rushed forward -with a piercing cry of delight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Found, Señor!" he shouted. "Found!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack needed no telling who was found.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where is she?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Glad Señor is well, glad Señor is well!" shouted the -little fellow. "The Señorita will be glad too. Oh, she -will! When I told the Señorita—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where is she?" repeated Jack impatiently.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"When I told the Señorita that Señor was ill, she -jumped up; said she must come; but the old Busna -looked ugly; said no; and I come to fetch Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pepito, tell me at once where she is."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Safe, at a convent near Cariñena, Señor, all among -the trees and flowers. Señor can go, now he is well, -and I know who will be pleased. Yes, I know!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're a good boy, Pepito." He turned to Dugdale. -"Grampus, when shall I be fit to ride?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good heavens! Not for a long time. Look here, -Lumsden, I'm not going to have my cure spoilt and my -career ruined by you going raiding before you're fit. -Don't laugh. I'm in dead earnest. I'm sick and tired of -playing the fool at Oxford. As soon as I get home I'm -going to be a doctor. New idea, you know; fresh air and -cold water. The pater will laugh himself into a fit when I -tell him; but don't you see, if you back me up, and I can -show you as my first case—why, bet you the old boy -comes round and doubles my allowance, to encourage me. See?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"All right!" said Jack, laughing. "But you must -finish my cure quickly, for the instant I can manage it -I'm going to ride over to Cariñena."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What for? What is there special about Cariñena?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I've a—a friend there I want specially to see."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"H'm! A friend? Bet you my first year's fees it's -a girl. Now look here, Lumsden, don't be a fool. An -Englishman oughtn't to marry till he's thirty at least. -I've got ten years yet, and it won't be too much. It takes -time to be able to face a girl without flinching, and for -my part I'd rather learn Greek verbs than—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, shut up!" exclaimed Jack. "Who said anything -about marrying? Juanita—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oho! Juanita! Sorry for you, my boy; no cure for -that complaint. Well, I'll take care of you, but it'll be -a long time yet before you can ride."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nearly a month passed away before Jack, after a few -experiments, was pronounced fit to undertake the ride to -Cariñena. The period of waiting was diversified by one -or two expeditions against French convoys, in which -Antonio achieved brilliant successes. Jack chafed at -being obliged to remain inactive, and to share in these -raids merely in imagination. He spent hour after hour in -attempting to decipher the postscript of Don Fernan's -letter, always without success. Remembering the -enigmatical phrase in the letter he himself had received in -Salamanca, "Palafox the Man, Palafox the Name", he -believed that the key must be contained in that; but -though he tried to fit it to the ciphered message, and -made considerable demands on Dugdale's patience, he -drew no nearer to solving the puzzle, and finally gave it -up in disgust.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At length the day arrived when, feeling well and strong, -he set off on his ride to the convent. Pepito had several -times conveyed verbal messages between him and Juanita, -but nothing had been committed to paper for fear lest it -should fall into the hands of the French. Guided by the -boy, who rode before him, he reached the convent in the -afternoon of a beautiful April day, and was at once -admitted to the presence of Juanita, with whom he found -the old duenna he had seen in Saragossa.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Though Juanita greeted him with as much cordiality -as ever, he was conscious of a slight difference in her -manner; there was not quite the same frank comradeship -she had shown in Saragossa.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I am very glad to see you looking so well, Jack," she -said. "Will you take a cup of chocolate?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thanks!" replied Jack briefly. He sipped it for a -brief interval without speaking, then said suddenly: "I -say, Juanita, I am mighty glad you escaped, you know. -It was good of Padre Consolacion to help you—after -trying to persuade you to marry Miguel, too. Tell me -about it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Without her usual animation Juanita recounted how -she had been captured as she neared Morata by a party -of troopers, among whom she had recognized Perez, -Miguel's one-eyed man. She had been treated kindly -enough by the wife of a colonel of chasseurs, who, however, -irritated her beyond endurance by constant reference -to her approaching marriage. Miguel himself had only -seen her once. He had asked what had become of her -father's old servant José, and shown some annoyance -when she refused to answer. But she had had another -and a more frequent visitor. After the capitulation, Padre -Consolacion had been surprised to find that, though he -had been as consistent an opponent as Don Basilio and -Santiago Sass, he had not met with the same fate at the -hands of the French. He could only conclude that he -owed his security to the good offices of Miguel, whom, -however, he now held in utter abhorrence. Making his -escape from the city, he had gone into hiding at Morata, -where he soon learnt of what had befallen Juanita. It -was not difficult for him, with the assistance of the people -of the house, to obtain secret interviews with her. On -the day before Miguel went with Commissary Taberne on -the foraging expedition, Juanita learnt from the colonel's -wife that pressure was to be brought to bear in high -quarters for the purpose of bringing about her marriage -with Don Miguel. She sent a message by a secret channel -to Padre Consolacion, informing him of this alarming news. -On the next evening, almost at the moment when Jack -was surprising the commissary, she had slipped out of the -house in the dress of one of the Spanish maid-servants, -fled to where the priest was awaiting her, and by him was -escorted to the convent, where she was joined in a few -days by the duenna, after the sudden swoop of Antonio -had cleared the place of French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The padre is a trump," said Jack. "I confess I -didn't like him in Saragossa; but then, of course, he hadn't -found Miguel out. I thought he must be either stupid or -something worse. I shall do him more justice in future."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He would not perhaps have been so cordial if he had -known that it was to Padre Consolacion he owed the -strange alteration in Juanita's manner which had puzzled -him. When he left her in the convent, the padre's last -words had been: "Now, querida mia, though I have -helped you to escape a marriage with a traitor and a -villain, remember I shall not approve, I shall forbid, your -marriage with a heretic. You will understand me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All unconscious of this, Jack waxed eloquent in praise -of the padre, and went on: "Well now, I've something to -tell you besides what you have heard from Pepito. You -remember that a letter left with General Palafox for my -father disappeared—a letter about your property?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. I hate the sound of the word 'property'."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have the letter. It was—perhaps you guess—in the -possession of Miguel."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He proceeded to tell the whole story. Juanita listened -with growing interest, and when it was concluded every -trace of her stiffness had passed away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, Jack!" she cried, "now we can get this wretched -treasure that has nearly cost your life—for but for it you -would never have come to Saragossa—and then—oh! do -you think we can get away to England?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm very sorry, Juanita. I was just going to tell you -that I'm afraid we can't get the treasure."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why not? You said the letter was about it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So it is. But, unfortunately, the secret of its whereabouts -is locked up in a postscript—a single line of capital -letters, which I can't read. It is in cipher."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Show it to me. You have it with you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack took out the paper, and unfolded it before her. -She read over the postscript letter by letter:</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span>S E O S F L S A E O A P E J E J P J J F J P J X P A P P F</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Certainly a most curious-looking sentence," said -Juanita. "And have you no clue at all?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"None whatever. I thought I had. I made sure I -had, but when I tried to work it out in the cipher it -proved useless."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What was it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I had never told anyone. Your father said I was -to burn the letter as soon as I received it, and I did so; but -now that things have altogether changed, there can be no -harm in telling you all about it. In the letter I received at -Salamanca, Don Fernan said that I was to remember the -phrase, 'Palafox the Man, Palafox the Name'. It occurred -to me, of course, that the clue to the cipher might be found -in that phrase; but, try it as I might, I couldn't make -anything of it. You see, the cipher message contains all the -letters of the word Palafox, but there are a number of J's -and other letters that have nothing to do with it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And you gave it up!" exclaimed Juanita, with some -scorn. "Just like a boy!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Really, Juanita—" began Jack, but she interrupted him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't talk. Let me see if I've a little more perseverance. -I count six P's, three A'S, one L, three F's, two O's, -and one X; that accounts for PALAFOX. Why are there so -many P's? Besides, there are four E'S, six J's, and three -S's. What can EJS stand for? EJS, ESJ, JES, JSE—I see it! -Take an O out of PALAFOX and you have JOSÉ. That is the -name of our old servant, and of the Captain-General too. -Now, do you see, Señor Don Juan?—the key to the cipher -is JOSÉ PALAFOX."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What an ass I am!" said Jack. "It never struck me -that Palafox's Christian name might be included. But -what then? The only ciphering I ever did was in money -sums, and weights and measures. How do you work out -the thing now?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, it's clear that my father's message is made up of -the words JOSÉ PALAFOX, which have only nine different -letters. It's not likely that the message contains only nine -letters; therefore one letter of the cipher probably stands -for several, and I shouldn't wonder if all the letters of the -alphabet were represented by those nine. Suppose we -put down the letters of the alphabet and the other letters -underneath, and see what can be made of it then."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We don't know what language it is in."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Probably Spanish, like the letter itself. Let us try."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>She wrote down the twenty-seven letters of the Spanish -alphabet, and under each the corresponding letter of the -key words:—</span></p> -<pre class="literal-block"> -<span>a b c ch d e f g h i j l ll m n ñ o p q r s t u v x y z -J O S E P A L A F O X J O S E P A L A F O X J O S E P</span> -</pre> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"There you are, Jack. Now look. The first letter of -the cipher, s, may stand for either </span><em class="italics">c</em><span> or </span><em class="italics">m</em><span> or </span><em class="italics">x</em><span>; we can't -tell which of the three until we get a little further."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's a pretty puzzle," said Jack. "The next letter -is E; that may be either </span><em class="italics">ch</em><span> or </span><em class="italics">n</em><span> or </span><em class="italics">y</em><span>, and if we put either -of them after </span><em class="italics">c</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">m</em><span>, or </span><em class="italics">x</em><span>, we sha'n't begin to make any -Spanish word that I know of."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No," agreed Juanita, putting her pencil to her lips. -"It looks as if the sentence can't be Spanish."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don Fernan wrote to me in English. Let us try that. -I'll do it this time."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack wrote down the letters of the English alphabet, -placing the key-words below as before:—</span></p> -<pre class="literal-block"> -<span>a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z -J O S E P A L A F O X J O S E P A L A F O X J O S E</span> -</pre> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"S is either </span><em class="italics">c</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">n</em><span>, or </span><em class="italics">y</em><span> this time, and E is either </span><em class="italics">d</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">o</em><span>, or </span><em class="italics">a</em><span>. -We can drop </span><em class="italics">d</em><span> and </span><em class="italics">e</em><span>, because they can't follow any of the -first three; that leaves </span><em class="italics">co</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">no</em><span>, and </span><em class="italics">yo</em><span>. This is getting -interesting, Juanita."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, I am getting quite excited. Now for the next -letter, O. That can stand for </span><em class="italics">b</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">j</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">m</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">u</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">x</em><span>. I'll write -down all the combinations, and see how they look."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were fifteen, as follows:—</span></p> -<pre class="literal-block"> -<span>cob nob yob -coj noj yoj -com nom yom -cou nou you -cox nox yox</span> -</pre> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Some of these are too comical for anything," said Jack; -"but we've one complete word, </span><em class="italics">you</em><span>. Let us see what the -next comes to. S again; that's </span><em class="italics">c</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">n</em><span>, or </span><em class="italics">y</em><span>. Then F; that's -</span><em class="italics">i</em><span> or </span><em class="italics">t</em><span>. No English word begins with </span><em class="italics">ct</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">nt</em><span>, or </span><em class="italics">yt</em><span>, so </span><em class="italics">t</em><span> goes -out. Now for L; that's </span><em class="italics">g</em><span> or </span><em class="italics">r</em><span>; and the combinations now -are:—</span></p> -<pre class="literal-block"> -<span>cig nig yig -cir nir yir</span> -</pre> -<p class="pfirst"><span>I say, your father wouldn't begin by addressing me as 'you -nigger', would he? The next letter is S; </span><em class="italics">c</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">n</em><span>, or </span><em class="italics">y</em><span> again. -Not a single one of them helps to make a word. We are -on the wrong track, Juanita."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perhaps the first word is not </span><em class="italics">you</em><span> at all."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, let's go back and see how many of the fifteen -combinations of the first three letters will fit on to the -fourth. It's quite clear that you can't make a word by -putting c or y after any of them; there's only n left, and -all we can make is </span><em class="italics">coun</em><span> and </span><em class="italics">noun</em><span>. Don Fernan wouldn't -go in for grammar, would he? If we drop </span><em class="italics">noun</em><span> we've only -coun, and that looks most unlikely."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Be quick with the next letter, Jack. Why do you -talk so much? I could jump with excitement."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't be in a hurry; perhaps the whole thing will -come to grief again. The next letter is F; that stands -for </span><em class="italics">i</em><span> or </span><em class="italics">t</em><span>; </span><em class="italics">i</em><span> won't do, but </span><em class="italics">t</em><span> will, and we get </span><em class="italics">count</em><span>; -that's a word at any rate. I wonder what we're to count. -Now for L; that's </span><em class="italics">g</em><span> or </span><em class="italics">r</em><span>; and S again; that's </span><em class="italics">c</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">n</em><span>, or -</span><em class="italics">y</em><span>. And unless I'm a Dutchman, that makes the word -</span><em class="italics">country</em><span>."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Juanita clapped her hands and laughed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You </span><em class="italics">are</em><span> getting clever!" she said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The irony escaped Jack, who was busy working out the -next word. In a few minutes he had made out </span><em class="italics">house</em><span>.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Country house!" exclaimed Juanita. "Oh, you are -slow, Jack; do be quick! What about the country -house?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But the same process had to be gone through with -every letter, and it was quite half an hour before the whole -message was deciphered. The excitement of Juanita and -himself increased with every fresh discovery, and when -the task was finished, and the simple English words -were written down, each gave a gasp of relief. The -message consisted of but six words:—</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><em class="italics">Country house old well twelve feet</em><span>.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"I see it! I see it all!" exclaimed Juanita. "Oh, Jack, -we shall get it after all! I don't care for the treasure itself -one bit really, not one bit; but I could dance with joy at -defeating that wretch Miguel, and I should like to have -some money to give to the poor people ruined in -Saragossa. You must go, Jack. The well is in the garden -behind the house, near the wall. It has not been used -for many years; we got water from a new well by the -kitchen. Only to think that all is coming right after -all!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," said Jack; "Pepito and I will go to-morrow. -How deep is the well, Juanita?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't know. It doesn't matter. Twelve feet means -something. You will find out what, Jack. And then—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then, Juanita, for England!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="dead-men-tell-no-tales"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXIV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Dead Men Tell no Tales</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">The Old Well—A Voice—Visions—Infimis</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"It is locked, Señor."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Pepito had dismounted at the gate of the Casa Alvarez -on the hillside.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Shout, Pepito," replied Jack from the saddle of his -mule. "Perhaps the old man will hear us from the -house."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The gipsy put his hands to his mouth, and called -shrilly. There was no answer, no sound save the hum -of bees and the song of birds.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must climb the wall, then," said Jack, springing -to the ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"See, Señor, a face in the bush!" cried Pepito, pointing -through the iron railings into the garden.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Looking, Jack saw, framed in the foliage of a dense -laurel, the face of the old gardener.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Adelante, hombre!" he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Instantly the face vanished. Jack called again; no voice -answered, no footstep was heard. The two riders tied -their steeds to trees in the plantation on the right, then -scaled the wall and hastened towards the house.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nearly two months had elapsed since Jack's night adventure. -He was struck by the alteration in the place. It had -looked untidy, ill-cared-for, then; it was now a wilderness. -Flowers and shrubs bloomed in unchecked luxuriance; -hollyhocks drooped their heavy heads, sprays of -woodbine twined in and out among the laurels, unpruned -vines crept over the weedy paths, the sweltering air was -sickly with mingled perfumes. The house stood white -and brown in the glowing sunlight; lush creepers almost -hid the door; the dry wood-work was blistered, the lattices -falling away; all was decay, silence, and desolation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was high noon of a sultry summer day, yet Jack -shivered. He rapped at the door. There was no response -save an echo. He walked round the house; every window -was shuttered, every door barred. He went on down the -garden at the back, following the directions given him by -Juanita, and Pepito crept along behind him, his big eyes -wide with awe. A vulture flew up in front, and clattered -away on creaking wings. He stepped from the path, and -pushed his way through tangled shrubs and matted -undergrowth towards a broad chestnut in the angle of the wall. -Tendrils of convolvulus clung around his feet, the scent of -thyme came in gusts with the cloying odour of gardenias. -Suddenly the rank vegetation ceased, and before him, in -a clear space, he saw the circular covering of the old well.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Frame and winch had been removed. A broken moss-grown -bucket lay hard by; near it was a long bar of wood. -Around the well was a broad patch of soft black earth. -As Jack approached to remove the wooden cover from -the well-mouth, Pepito touched him on the arm.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Marks, Señor!" he said under his breath; "footsteps, -and marks of a mule's hoofs; fresh, Señor; made to-day."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack started. A green lizard, sunning itself at the edge -of the well, disappeared in a flash. He saw the hoof-marks -in the soil; his heart sank with a sudden misgiving. The -well-cover seemed to have been clumsily replaced.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Help me lift it," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They removed the heavy cover. The well opened black -before them. Pepito peered over the edge; he saw nothing; -there was neither rope nor ladder.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How can we get down?" said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Looking around, he saw what appeared to be the end of -a ladder projecting from beneath a bush. He dragged it -out; a snake dropped from it and vanished in the grass; it -was a ladder some sixteen feet long.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It will not reach the bottom of the well," said Jack. -His eye caught the bar of wood.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bring me that, Pepito."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He laid it across the well-mouth; on its mossy side there -was a dull splash of red. The bar stretched across the -opening. Lifting it again, Jack gave it to Pepito, and, -taking the ladder, lowered this into the well till only the -topmost rungs were above the brickwork.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Put the wood through," he said.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus the ladder hung dangling on its support, fifteen -feet into the well. Pepito looked at his master enquiringly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, you are to climb down. Stay!" he added, as the -boy prepared to step down on to the swinging ladder.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He took some papers from his pocket, twisted them into -a loose mass, and wound about them the end of a long -vine tendril. Then he kindled them from his tinder-box, -and let the flaming mass down quickly into the well. It -burned until it was consumed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is air enough. Go down, Pepito."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He steadied the ladder as the boy descended step by -step. Jack counted twelve rungs, then ordered the boy -to stop.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you see anything, Pepito?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A few moments passed. The gipsy's eyes were adjusting -themselves to the gloom.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A hole, Señor, a big hole in the wall."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can you get into it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, Señor, it is on the other side, too far away."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Bidding the boy ascend, Jack shifted the ladder across -the bar. Pepito went down again, and soon Jack heard -his muffled voice exclaim that he was in the hole.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you find anything there? Search thoroughly."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A minute passed. Jack was crouched at the brink, -holding the joists of the ladder firmly with both hands.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is nothing, Señor; all emptiness."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come up again."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He stepped out on to the brickwork, and Jack rose to -his feet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Dead! dead! dead!" said a quavering voice behind him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He turned with a nervous start. While he had been -engaged at the well, a figure had been slowly approaching -from a thicket of laurel, furtively, with hesitation, -stopping for a moment, then taking another unsteady step and -stopping again. Jack recognized the old gardener, but -how altered! His limbs shook as with a palsy; his lips -mumbled without sound; his eyes were wild.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is it, hombre?" said Jack quietly without moving.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old man stood as if listening. Then, raising his -shaking right hand, the long fingers working convulsively, -he murmured:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I saw it! ... Dead!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then he smiled, a thin wan smile, and tottering forward -pointed waveringly to the well. Jack recoiled. The old -man's smile was more awful than a sob of agony.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They came through the gate;" he pointed across the -garden to the farther wall. "There were two; I was -hidden in the copse; I watched them. I watched them. -They brought a mule; it was a fine mule, with gay -trappings,—a fine mule..." The old man passed his hand -across his brow. "What was I saying? I have forgotten."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They brought a mule," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, they brought a mule. They led it across the -garden, trampling down the poor flowers—my flowers! I -saw them! There were two. One was in front—the -cursed afrancesado; I knew him; yes, did I not serve him -at my master's table? the afrancesado! He was in front; -behind him a man, a long thin man, a one-eyed man, with -the mule. They crushed the flowers—my flowers ... what -was I saying?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They came across the garden," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They came across the garden. They came here, -here! where we are standing. The man, the one-eyed man, -fastened the mule to yonder tree; then they stooped down -and lifted the cover. It was heavy...I watched them. -They peered down into the well, into the deep well, but -they could see nothing. Then the tall man, the man with -the one eye, went away; the other, the afrancesado, the -cursed afrancesado, waited, and while he waited he cast -pebbles into the well ... horrible! horrible!" He covered -his eyes with his hand, as if to shut out some dreadful -thing. "What was I saying?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The tall man came back," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The tall man came back; he brought a ladder; he -fetched a beam, that beam, and they let down the ladder -into the well, the deep well ... I watched them. 'Twelve -steps,' said the afrancesado, the cursed afrancesado, and -the tall man, the man with the one eye, went down -... Twelve steps! ... The other, the afrancesado, bent over; -there was a noise below; the afrancesado said 'Bien!'—I -heard him. Then the man, the long man, the man with -the one eye, came up, slowly; there was a box, a heavy -box; the other took it, and the man, the one-eyed man, -went down, ... twelve steps ... He came up again; there -was another box, a small box. I knew it; it was the -master's. Then he went down again, ... twelve steps, -... and the other, the afrancesado, the accursed afrancesado, -drew his knife, silently; it flashed in the sun; I watched -him..." The old man stared fixedly before him. "What -was I saying?" he whispered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He drew his knife," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He drew his knife," said the old man, still in a -whisper. "The other, the long man, the man with one -eye, came slowly, slowly, up. He stretched his left hand -for the box, he raised the arm with the knife. He was -behind him. He leant forward; I saw him—him, and the -long man, the man with one eye—he drove it between his -shoulders..."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old man made as if to brush a cobweb from before -his eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Horrible! horrible! ... down! down! down! ... What -was I saying?"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="doom"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Doom</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Outcast—Spectres—Conscience—Tracked—Vanity—Scylla— -Charybdis—José—Faithful unto Death</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Within a few miles of Calatayud, a narrow path, little -more than a foot-track, leads down from the hills on to -the highroad to Saragossa. Just before joining the -highway, the path winds between two low bluffs that screen -it from the sight of wayfarers below. Indeed, any -muleteer or arriero unacquainted with the country might almost -pass unawares the spot where road and hill-path meet, -so completely is it hidden by the ash-gray contours of the -hills.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>About the time when Jack dismounted at the gate of -the Casa Alvarez, a man was making his way downward -along this narrow track, urging a heavily-laden mule with -low cries to hasten its flagging pace. He was a young -man, in the costume of a muleteer; his cheeks were pale -and sunken, his eyes unnaturally bright. Every now and -again he would throw an anxious backward glance over -his shoulder, not consciously, as if he feared pursuit, but -as though in obedience to some impulse of which he was -hardly aware.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When he approached the point where the track joined -the road he stepped to the mule's head and brought the -animal to a stand-still, looking from left to right as if in -doubt. After a moment's hesitation he tied the mule to -one of the rare saplings that grew at the side of the track, -and advanced warily towards the highway, pausing at -short intervals, and bending his head forward to listen. -There was no sound save the silver trill of a lark far -above, and the soughing of a light breeze as it lapped the -edges of the hills. The man moved forward again, still -more cautiously; rounding a knoll, he came to the road, -that stretched in gentle undulations for several hundreds -of yards in a straight line east and west. No one was -in sight. The man gave a sigh of relief, followed by one -of those quick uneasy backward glances that seemed to -be habitual with him. Rapidly scanning the road once -more, he returned to the mule, released the bridle from -the tree, and slowly led the laden animal down the path.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was within a dozen paces of the dusty highway when -he halted suddenly, dragging heavily upon the reins. His -dusky, olive-hued features paled, the hand that grasped -the bridle trembled nervously; his whole attitude was -one of dire apprehension. For a moment he stood intently -listening, his eyes fixed in a wide stare; then, wheeling the -mule sharply round and prodding the weary beast -desperately with the knife he drew from his belt, he raced -back along the track. For a full quarter of a mile he -continued his upward course; then he stopped, and again -turned his head towards the road in the attitude of -listening. At first he could hear nothing but the throbbing of -his heart and the quick breathing of the mule by his side; -but gradually the clatter of many hoofs on the hard road -became more and more audible through the clear air, -though the horsemen were hidden from view by the -obstructing hills. They arrived at what he judged to be -the place he had just left. He heard "Halt!" in a rough -stentorian tone. The voice was Spanish, and its effect on -the anxious listening man was as that of a galvanic shock. -With a smothered cry he dashed forward, dragging the -unwilling mule, which he goaded with alternate stabs of -the knife and whispered words half of menace half of -entreaty.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was no halting now. For mile after mile they -continued their flight, until, when both mule and man were -exhausted, they at length stopped at the edge of a wild -gorge high up in the mountains. There, for the first time -since he fled the voice, the man looked carefully around. -The place was evidently new to him. In his flight he had -diverged at the first opportunity from the track, along -which he had come, not then alone, earlier in the day. -The new path was more difficult than the old; it wound -away from his obvious destination; it led, indeed, almost -due north into the heart of the mountain country—the -Sierra de Moncayo, the precipitous granite range where -King Æolus had his mythic throne. But the fugitive -knew not, cared not, whither he went, so long as it was -away from the voice of his countrymen. And he avoided, -with the shrinking of dread, the track he knew.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>One thing was remarkable during his late impetuous -flight. He seemed to have forgotten his strange trick of -glancing backward over his shoulder. Many times he -turned half round to see if he was followed, but -consciously, less abjectly, for all his panic fear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When he had rested for a few minutes, he rose and -carefully scanned the surrounding country, debating with -himself what course to follow. His view was circumscribed -by the irregular masses of bare rock and sparsely -wooded slopes that formed the horizon. But he appeared -at last to have made up his mind, for, pulling the mule -slowly round on the narrow track, he took a few steps -as if to return in the direction from which he had come. -But his bearing was timid, uncertain, vacillating, and -when a mountain eagle swept from its eyry, and screamed -just above his head, he started as if struck, hauled his poor -beast feverishly across the track, and once more pressed in -hot haste towards the north.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For some time he marched on rapidly. Then the fatigue -of travelling over the steep uneven track again made -itself felt; his pace slackened; he moved along behind the -mule as if mechanically, while mechanically he still urged -it forward with his knife. For minutes at a stretch he -seemed as in a dream, immersed in dark thought. Again -he glanced fearfully backward, not as though seeking a -visible object of menace, not at the frowning hills, but -with eyes that attempted to pierce the infinite for a -something beyond. At moments he started from his waking -nightmare to a full consciousness of his position among -these bleak inhospitable hills. The phantoms dogging -his thoughts then vanished, giving place to real -cares—physical pain, a sense of desolation. At such times he -searched anxiously for a path to the west, whereby making -a circuit he might reach his goal, avoiding the highroad, -where he had so narrowly escaped the hands of his -countrymen the guerrilleros. But the track wound on, -swerving sometimes to right or left, yet leading remorselessly -northward, no by-path branching towards Calatayud. He -dared not turn back. The danger of the road, had he -known it, was past; but the awful risk of capture made -him sick with fear. He plodded on, sunk more and more -in dark imaginings, until at last, when the red sun was -sinking below the distant purple peaks on his left, the -mule suddenly stopped, and, breathing heavily, dropped -upon its knees. The poor brute was spent. The man -awoke with a start from his reverie. He was on the edge -of a deep gully; giant rocks hemmed him in on either -side; the path—there was no path! For the first time he -realized that the granite hills held him in their grip.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He looked at the mule, that lay with lolling tongue and -starting eyes. The animal was famished. He had no -food for it, none for himself; only now was he conscious -of his own gnawing hunger. He loosened the girths, and, -removing the heavy panniers from the mule's back, -enabled it to rise. There was nothing to tie it to. Sinking -down on a flat rock, he held the bridle and peered into -the deepening gloom. He dared not move forward; one -careless step in this wild place might hurl them both into -an abyss. There he sat, and the darkness gathered, and -the chill of night wrapped him round.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What were his thoughts as he waited and endured? -Who shall say? Human justice may falter, may be long -upon the road; Eternal Justice is instant, relentless, -inevitable. The sense of doom was upon this man, as he -held sombre vigil with the cold accusing stars.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>It was an unkempt, haggard, agued figure that rose -stiffly and dizzily from his hard couch as soon as the pale -dawn came creeping through the narrow gully among the -hills. He could just see the mule standing motionless a -few yards away. He shuddered as his eye fell upon the -brass-clamped coffers at its feet. Then he moved as if -to pass away, leaving behind him both mule and treasure, -the visible links that bound him to the past. But after -a few staggering steps he hesitated, set his teeth in -desperate resolve, and returning, painfully lifted the boxes on -to the panniers, the mule standing with drooped ears, and -shivering in the raw air. In the half-light he led the -famished beast away from the ravine, searching the rocky -ground narrowly for marks of its track. Here and there -appeared a stone covered with gray lichen; at these the -mule halted and licked a scanty, bitter meal. At one -point a silver rivulet poured from a fissure and fell -clattering upon the rocks far down the steep. There -Miguel dropped to his knees and drank with the animal, -then went on again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was nearly two hours before he saw, on the far side -of a deep ravine, a foot-path winding about a wall of rock. -Was it the path he had left? He did not know. Only -the guerrilleros he feared to meet could have told him that -but one other path led across these barren heights. -Leading the mule cautiously down one face of the ravine, he -hauled it with infinite difficulty up the other. The poor -beast, faint with hunger, had scarcely strength to crawl -when at last it scrambled with its burden on to the track. -But for the constant goad it would have fallen by the way. -The path ran north and south; Miguel hesitated which -direction to take. Northward he would have to scale -steeper heights, but would increase his distance from the -garden of his fear; southward, he might reach Calatayud -and safety with the French, but who knew what danger -might lie between? As the question beat this way and -that in his tortured brain, his eyes lit upon a long, thin, -jagged rock in which, in the gloom of the preceding -evening, he had marked with a shudder a grotesque -resemblance to a human form he would have given worlds to -forget. Then he knew that he was upon the track from -which he had wandered; he would persevere in the attempt -to find a cross-path to the west. Surely there must be -one that would lead, by however long a circuit, to his -goal?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He turned wearily towards the north and instinctively -glanced back across the hills, now variously tinted by the -ascending sun. As he did so his eyes dilated, and for -some moments he stood as if rooted to the ground. In -the clear distance two figures mounted on mules were -coming towards him. Even while he looked he saw -one, the smaller of the two, pointing in his direction. -The other drew rein for an instant, then both urged their -mules to a trot. A bend in the path hid them from view, -and Miguel leapt round, knowing that he was in very -truth a hunted man. For nearly a day he had been -pursued by the phantom of his crime. He had run from -the shadow of a sound, fled from the perils his own -imagination had created. Terror of he knew not what had -left him all unstrung. But now that vengeance dogged -him in real bodily form his mind braced itself to meet -it. Only for a moment did his heart quail with misgiving; -he reeled slightly, and clutched at the mule's bridle for -support; then, recovering himself instantly, he struck the -jaded beast, and with a fierce cry drove it before him up -the path.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly the track bent eastward, it ceased to rise, -he seemed to be on the northern slope of the watershed -up which he had toiled during the previous day. He -topped the crest. The path stretched downwards before -him; and, scattering the loose stones to right and left, -Miguel raced on with the mule until at a turn in the -track a vast and brilliant panorama opened before his -yearning eyes. Below him, at the edge of the long slope, -stretched a rolling wooded country intersected by numerous -watercourses shining in the morning sun. Far away on -the horizon a silver streak wound and doubled on itself. -It must be the river Ebro. Could he but gain the rich -champaign below, he hoped that, for a time at least, he -would be safe. In some copse or covert, vineyard or -olive-ground, even in the byways of some hamlet, he might -find a temporary refuge. But with the thought itself its -utter hopelessness was borne in upon him. His pursuers -must be closing in fast, although the windings of the track -hid them from him when at intervals he turned to see. -Panting himself, he dragged his panting beast with reckless -haste, though in his inmost consciousness sure that the -road was too long, the time too short. One solitary hope -remained to him. If he left the mule with its retarding -load, abandoned the prize for which he had staked his all, -he might perhaps even yet find some rocky defile, some -favouring grove, wherein to hide and baffle pursuit. But -no, the renunciation was too great for his blighted soul. -For the treasure he had schemed and sinned; he could -not, dared not, let it go.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Scrambling on down the mountain track, he spied at -length, some hundreds of feet below him, a narrow -hillroad to which his headlong course must lead him by and -by. Its farther side bordered a ravine. The road seemed -near at hand, but as he continued his flight he found that -the downward track zigzagged on the face of the slope, -so that sometimes two or three of its coils lay immediately -beneath him. There was no shorter way. Approaching the -end of the last of these windings, he was warned by -the clatter of dislodged stones that his pursuers were -now hard upon his heels. He threw a quick glance -upward; there, two hundred feet above him, the riders -crossed his sight, following at headlong speed the first -winding of the track. Without pause he raced -staggeringly along.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All unknowing, he had himself been watched for some -time from below. At the edge of the hill-road, hidden -from him by a jutting mass of rock, a man was resting, -seated on a boulder, eating a frugal meal from a wallet -hung at his neck. He was a gaunt, hollow-eyed man, -with wasted cheeks; thin, unkempt locks straggled from -beneath his cap; his long tangled beard was snowy white. -His attitude was of one in pain. At first he watched the -impetuous muleteer dully, without attention; then he -started, paused in lifting a piece of bread, and stared long -with quickening breath. As the mule turned the last of -the zigzags a sunbeam flashed on the brass of one of the -boxes. The seated man rose; his eyes, opened to their -fullest width, now fixed themselves with a glare of the -intensest hatred upon the fugitive approaching, until once -more he was hidden from sight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then with the stealthy movement of a cat the worn, -panting wayfarer glided from the brink of the ravine to the -opposite side of the road, and crouched down under cover -of the rocks that had hidden him from the man above. -Almost ceasing to breathe, he drew his knife, and waited. -His movements suggested that he expected the muleteer -to emerge into the road between himself and the animal. -But not thus was the event ordered. Rounding the last -turn of the path, Miguel, to avoid a projecting rock, had -changed sides; thus when, after a few seconds, he reached -the junction of path and road, the mule was between him -and the man who lay there waiting, ready to strike. The -anticipated moment was come. But Miguel was snatched -from human vengeance; for him was reserved another -fate. With an inarticulate cry of baffled rage the -ambuscader sprang forward as if to overtake the mule, but, -under the impetus gained during the last few yards of the -hill-path, the beast was still moving quickly in an oblique -direction across the road. Miguel at one and the same -moment heard the cry and saw the flash of the knife. Till -then he was unaware of his enemy's presence, so absorbed -was his attention with the path ahead and the progress -of the pursuers behind. At the cry he gave a startled -side-long glance at the wild menacing features glaring at him -across the mule's neck. In that dark look he read his doom.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It fell more quickly than any of the four persons—the -actors themselves, the spectators above—could have -thought possible. The two riders on the steep hill-path -had now come within full sight of the scene passing on the -road. As they gazed, holding their breath, they saw the -mule between the two men staggering across the road. -Startled by the sudden flash of the uplifted blade, the -poor beast swerved towards the ravine, driving Miguel, -all unconscious, on to the brink. He had already slipped -towards the almost perpendicular descent before he realized -his peril; then he clutched wildly at the slackened bridle, -dragging the mule after him. It stumbled at the edge; -burdened with its treasure-laden panniers it could not -recover its footing, and in a moment man and beast, with -one mingled scream of terror, disappeared into the -yawning gulf.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The spectators above had halted, transfixed by the -appalling tragedy. Then they hastened downward -impetuously. The older man had fallen forward on the very -edge of the ravine. Jack feared that he would follow -Miguel Priego to destruction. But when, reaching the -road, he threw himself from his mule and stooped to the -prone figure, he found that the man had fainted, overcome -by his fierce passion and the agitation of the last tense -moments. Then for the first time Jack was aware of the -thunderous roar of a torrent, and looking into the ravine -he saw a white flood swirling over the rocks hundreds of -feet below.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pepito," he said in a strained voice, "clamber down -carefully. See what has become of Don Miguel—if -anything can be done for him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While the boy was gone on his perilous errand Jack -loosened the clothing of the prostrate man, fetched water -from a mountain-rill, and bathed his head. He opened -his eyes, but there was no speculation in them. They -wandered vacantly and closed again. Jack looked at him -pityingly, and, as he looked, felt vaguely that the worn -features were familiar to him. They reminded him of -someone he had known as a child in Barcelona, a man who had -mended his toys for him, and carried him on his back -when tired; who had petted him and scolded him by -turns, and whom he had alternately plagued and -domineered over. Was it José Pinzon? Jack could scarcely -believe it. The José he had known was a man touching -his prime, strong, stalwart, bright-eyed, raven-haired; the -man lying before him was bent and aged, wasted, hoary, -decrepit. Yet the likeness to the old José was remarkable. -Was it possible that the faithful servant had not been -killed in Galindo's sortie, as Juanita had believed?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was three-quarters of an hour before Pepito returned -from his descent of the precipice. Nothing living could -have survived so terrible a fall; Miguel must instantaneously -have gone to his account. Fragments of the boxes, -but for which the mule might have regained its footing, -lay scattered on the rocks, and out of the ruin Pepito had -recovered but one relic—one gold pendant,—which he -handed to his master; all else had been swept away by the -torrent. Then he helped him lift the poor wayfarer to -the back of his mule, and together they bore him to a -muleteer's cabin in the hills.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For three days the man lingered there, unconscious for -the most part, and in intervals of consciousness talking at -random of people and things that were quite strange to -his hearers. Jack nursed him with every care; but it was -evident from the first that his days were numbered. On -the third evening, when the sun was near setting and -the cicalas had commenced their chant, the man opened -his eyes wide and looked amazedly about him. He made -an effort to rise, but fell back upon the rough blanket that -formed his bed. He seemed to be listening. Jack, watching -him, saw for the first time a glimmer of intelligence in -his eyes. Through the open door came the sound of hoofs -rapidly approaching. There was a strange eagerness in -the man's upward gaze. The sound ceased; Pepito came -into the hut, followed by a young lady and a priest fetched -in hot haste from Cariñena. The former bent over the -bed and looked hard at the pallid face; the latter fell on -his knees and began to recite the prayers for the dying.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"José! José!" whispered Juanita; "you know me, my -dear friend?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My mistress!" he murmured faintly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>She clasped his hand; a look of glad content shone -for a brief moment in the sick man's eyes. There was a -silence; then, as the light faded, came the solemn voice of -Padre Consolacion:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Domine, in manus tuas animam suam commendamus!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="sergeant-wilkes-wants-to-know"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XXXVI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold large">Sergeant Wilkes wants to know</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">Mr. Lumsden and Me—Me and Mr. Lumsden—A Lady in the -Case—The Pleasure of your Company—O'Hare and the -Ladies—The Grampus takes Cover—The Eve of Parting—The -Age Limit—Poor Mr. Dugdale!—The Question</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Want to know about the fight at Corunna, do you? -Hanged if you ain't always wanting to know something. -Well, attention! dress by the right! and stand easy while -I endeavour to reconstruct the situation."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The scene was the quay at Lisbon; the speaker was -Sergeant Wilkes; the audience was a knot of green-coated -recruits who, to judge by their docility, regarded the -sergeant with admiration and awe. Since he had won the -three stripes Wilkes had lost nothing of his loquacity, and -had, indeed, cultivated a vocabulary of words long enough -to match his new importance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here you are, then; that there stands for the -formidable French battery at the summit of the eminence"—he -placed a jack-knife on the wall before him,—"this here -stands for General Disney's brigade"—he put a plug of -black tobacco at a distance from the knife,—"this here -stands for the Reserve of that exemplary and notorious -general Ted Paget"—he ranged two pebbles to the right -of the tobacco,—"and this here," taking up one of the -pebbles, "is Captain O'Hare's company. Look at him -well, 'cos 'twas Captain O'Hare's company, and me in -it, that won the battle on that most fatal and obstrepolous -day. We was a-going up the hill towards that there -battery, when blowed if we didn't get variegated with -a lot of French dragoons in among the farmyards. -Then up comes Mr. Lumsden, and says to me, 'Corp'ril -Wilkes,' he says—I was only a corp'ril then, you -understand—'Corp'ril Wilkes,' he says, 'we've got to shove -down that there wall and drive the mounseers out. You -an' me can do it if we puts our backs into it,' says he. -'Right you are, sir,' says I, 'we'll fustigate the mounseers -and extipulate them to the last individual.' Them were -the words I used. Well—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I say, sargint," said Corporal Bates, strolling across -the road, "that's a smart little craft a-spanking up the -river there. Looks like a despatch-boat, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Don't interjeculate," said Wilkes irritably. "You -always must put your spoke in. I was just telling the -young 'uns how Mr. Lumsden and me won the fight at -Corunna; who cares for a despatch-boat?—which it ain't, -but only a common sloop."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go on, sargint, if you please," said one of the men.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, as I was saying, Mr. Lumsden and me was -just a-going to shove down the wall what was -intermediate between us and the mounseers when—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hold hard a bit, sargint," put in Bates; "ain't that -there little chap on the boat there rather like the gipsy -brat what Mr. Lumsden took up with?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Corp'ril Bates, if you keep on interrupting your -superior orficer I shall rejuce you. Gipsy brats is neither -here nor there; what the young 'uns want to know is how -me and Mr. Lumsden licked the French at Corunna."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's him; that's Pepito!" cried Bates, heedless of -Wilkes' increasing irritation. "P'r'aps he'll be able to tell -us what's become of his master."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Bates sheered off, and Wilkes resumed his much-interrupted -narrative. He was in the middle of a very vivid -description of how Mr. Lumsden and himself fought eight -Frenchmen at the wall, when he became aware of a -commotion at some distance along the quay. Chagrined to -find the attention of his audience wandering, he stood -up, exclaiming:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What are the rampaging Vamooses at now?—hang them!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But he saw, not Portuguese, but a number of men in -the well-known green of the 95th Rifles, marching up -the street, cheering vigorously. Among them, in the -middle of the causeway, strode two young Spaniards, the -one slim and lissom, the other broad and bulky. Both -walked buoyantly, and seemed in high good-humour. -Behind them, over their heads, could be seen the antic -figure of Pepito, perched on Bates's shoulders, and looking -as proud as a peacock. Wilkes stared at the procession -as it approached, wondering to see two Spaniards with -the unprecedented escort of British Riflemen. All at once -he drew himself up, struck his feet together, and, just -as the head of the procession reached him, brought his -hand to his eyebrow in the stiff military salute. His -face was a study in its successive expressions of -perplexity, vexation, and pleasure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The recruits were taken too much aback to be able -to make their salute before the procession had passed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who's that ragged Don you're saluting, sargint?" -asked one of them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who's that, you dough-faced clod-hopping chaw-bacon, -you!" cried Wilkes, seizing the opportunity of -venting his feelings. "Why, that's Lieutenant Jack -Lumsden, him what helped me to lick the mounseers at -Corunna. And I'll make it warm for Charley Bates," he -muttered, "stealing a march on me like that. Why -didn't I perpetrate the disguise? That's what I want -to know."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile Jack and the Grampus had continued their -progress until they arrived at the head-quarters of the -95th. There, two or three subalterns were seated at an -open window, to catch a breath of air from the sea, -grateful on that hot June day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hullo!" said Pomeroy, catching sight of the -procession, "what are the rascals up to now?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Some mischief, you may be sure," said Smith, looking -over his shoulder. "I shall be glad when we get marching -orders to join Sir Arthur. The men will get horribly -loose if we're here long."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George!" said Pomeroy, "they appear to have got -two Spaniards among them. Why—what—look here, -Shirley, isn't that Lumsden's boy Pepito grinning like a -monkey on Bates's shoulder?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Eh! What? Where?" said Smith, pushing his head -out. "Jehoshaphat! That fat Spaniard—ha! ha!—don't -you see, you fellows?—ha! ha!—he's the Grampus, bigger -than ever. Gad! I shall die of this! The Grampus in -Spanish toggery!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And the other fellow's Jack himself!" shouted -Pomeroy excitedly. "Hurray! hurray!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Sound the trumpets, beat the drums!'" quoted -Shirley. "Hurray! Three cheers for Lumsden! But -what am I to do with my epitaph?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's all this pandemonium about?" cried a loud -voice from the door of the room. "I wish you -gentlemen would behave less like a pack of schoolb—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lumsden's back, sir," said Smith. "The men are -escorting him up the street."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good gad!" ejaculated Colonel Beckwith. Then, -without more ado, he caught up Smith's cap from the -table, stuck it on his head, and ran downstairs buttoning -up his jacket on the way. He reached the door just in -time to meet Jack before he entered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Pon my honour—how d'e do?—glad to see you, hang -it! You're not dead, then, after all?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not a bit, sir," said Jack, heartily returning his -handgrip. "Come to report myself, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good gad! What a—what a villainous brigand you -look! But we'll soon put that right. 'Pon my honour, -I am deuced glad to see you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The colonel shook hands again, and for some minutes -Jack's arm was going up and down like a pump handle as -he returned the greetings of his old friends, who meanwhile -volleyed questions at him with clamorous excitement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Uncommonly kind of you fellows," he panted, "but if -you'll excuse me—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not a bit of it," cried Smith. "Excuse you, indeed!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, begad," said the colonel. "You'll come in and -let us drink your health—three times three. Come along."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Most happy, sir, if you'll just allow me five or six -minutes. The fact is, there's a lady on board, and—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good gad! A lady!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And I came to get a coach to fetch her."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of course. A lady! My barouche is at your service. -Here, Ogbourne, bring the barouche round in two minutes, -for Mr. Lumsden.—Used to be your man, I think; a -useful fellow.—Hang me! I must go and find Captain -O'Hare."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Not many minutes later the subalterns at the window -were as much surprised as interested to see the colonel's -heavy rumbling chariot draw up at a house almost exactly -opposite.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I say, you fellows," cried Smith, "get out of sight. -We don't want the lady to think we're a lot of peeping Toms."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"She's probably as old as your grandmother," said -Pomeroy, "and long past blushing. Still—"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Consequently, when Juanita and her old duenna stepped -out of the coach and entered the opposite house, there -were no spectators of the scene. But when Jack returned -to head-quarters he was instantly the mark of a running -fire of questions. His fellow-officers, from the colonel -downwards, were consumed with curiosity to know -whether she was young or old, tall or short, dark or fair; -where he had found her; what was her name. Shirley -eagerly asked whether she was the famous Maid of -Saragossa; Pomeroy was boiling with impatience because the -Grampus had absolutely refused to give any information.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gentlemen, gentlemen," cried Jack, "I can't attend -to you all at once. The lady is the Señorita Juanita -Alvarez, daughter of my father's old partner, on her way -to England, and the friend with whom she is staying has -invited the officers of my company to dinner to-morrow, so -that if you care to go I'll introduce you en bloc."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bedad now," said Captain O'Hare, "that's mighty -perlite. I must practise my best bow, and get my hair -cut. 'Tis a powerful pity pigtails are just gone out of -fashion, for sure I always looked killing in a pigtail. Ah -well!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, Mr. Lumsden," said the colonel, "the Señorita -has driven you out of our heads. What have you been -doing with yourself? We learnt when Mr. Frere came -home that you had gone to Saragossa, and not a man of -us expected to see you again. Ogbourne, get some -tumblers, and we'll do the honours."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was late before the meeting broke up, and then not -one of the company was satisfied. Jack had given them, -indeed, a full and interesting account of the siege of -Saragossa in general, but he appeared to be woefully lacking -in detailed information about his own part in it. He was -not so affectedly modest as to conceal the facts that -Palafox had entrusted him with the defence of a certain -district, and that the district was still in Spanish hands -when the siege ended; but of the weeks of ceaseless work, -unresting vigilance and anxious thought which had -purchased his success he said never a word. Colonel -Beckwith watched him closely as he told his story, and at its -conclusion made a brief comment which gave him a thrill -of pleasure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Gentlemen," he said, rising, "I speak for you all when -I say that we're glad to have Lumsden back at the mess. -There are big gaps in his story which somebody has to -fill; but we don't want 'em filled to know that he's been an -honour to the British army, and a credit to the Rifles. I -give you Mr. Lumsden!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When the cheers that followed the toast had died away, -Jack on his side was eager to learn what had brought his -old friends back to the Peninsula. Hearing that a new -campaign was opening under Sir Arthur Wellesley, his -face clouded for a moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sure an' ye've done enough for glory," said Captain -O'Hare, noticing the expression, "and there's never a -doubt the colonel will let ye go home to your sorrowing -mother,—not to speak of escorting the colleen."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack blushed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank 'ee!" he said, "but I'm not going to run away -from the regiment. Have you got a uniform to spare?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What, aren't ye in love then? Sure an' when I was -your age I was desp'rately in love with half a dozen at -once—the milkmaid, and the doctor's daughter, and the -girl in the haberdasher's in Sackville Street, and a lot -more."</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"'I could not love thee, dear, so much,</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>Loved I not honour more,'"</span></div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>quoted Shirley lugubriously.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Honour, bedad! That's what I said to Patsy -O'Dowd when she taxed me with making eyes at Honour -O'Grady, and she boxed my ears,—and Patsy had a powerful -heavy hand, begore. And if ye're not afraid of someone -cutting you out—Mr. Dugdale, for instance ... By the -way, is he going home too?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not a doubt of that, sir," said the Grampus himself. -"Amateuring isn't such fun as you'd think; why, I had to -peel the onions till the Frenchman came! I'm sick of it; -and I'm going home to practise doctoring on a new plan."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's that about onions?" called Colonel Beckwith -from the head of the table.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Grampus proceeded to relate his capture by the -guerrilleros, and to expatiate on various little grievances -incident to his state of bondage, which the company -appeared to find vastly entertaining. This want of sympathy -with his misadventures nettled even the good-natured -Grampus, who became more and more red and indignant, -until at length he burst out:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, at any rate I did some good, and that was no -laughing matter. If it hadn't been for me they'd have -tortured some scores of poor devils of Frenchmen that -Lumsden bagged—so there!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Story! story!" was shouted round the table.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You must get Lumsden to tell you that. He caught -'em; but 'twas a speech I made saved 'em from being fried -or boiled or something."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now, Lumsden, fill up that gap," said the colonel.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Seeing that there was no help for it, Jack gave a brief -account of his adventure with the commissary's party at -Morata, awarding a due meed of praise to Antonio the -guerrilla captain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He was a good sort," he added, "quite mild-mannered -for a Spaniard. None of them knew a word of English, -and he complained that his men had been roused to fury -against the prisoners by the violent harangue of the -English senior. He could hardly hold them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, come now!" expostulated Dugdale. "I didn't -know Spanish, but I made myself clear enough."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Exactly," said Jack; "when you pointed to your throat -and then to the fire, the poor simple guerrilleros were only -in doubt as to whether you meant roasting or garrotting."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A roar of laughter completed the Grampus's discomfiture.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bet you—" he began in desperation; but finding himself -unable to state a wager that would meet the case, he -buried his face in a tankard, from which it took a -considerable time to emerge.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Next day it was a quiet and subdued group that crossed -to the house opposite. Captain O'Hare was unmistakeably -nervous, Pomeroy self-consciously gorgeous, and -Shirley pale with sitting up late the previous night over -a Spanish grammar, conjugating the verb Amor in all its -moods and tenses. The Grampus took his revenge in -chaffing them, and they all grunted approval when Captain -O'Hare exclaimed:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bedad, if 'twas on Shannon's shore 'tis meself that -would be at home, but 'tis a mighty different thing meeting -a Spanish lady on the banks of the Taygus without a -word of the lingo to turn a compliment."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But they were agreeably surprised when, after being -welcomed in broken English by their portly and amiable -Portuguese hostess, they were greeted in the same tongue, -spoken with the prettiest accent imaginable, by a -charming young señorita. Her beauty made an instant and -visible impression on Captain O'Hare's susceptible soul.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The dinner was long remembered and talked of by the -officers of O'Hare's company. There was a numerous -party, Spanish, Portuguese, and English. Jack was -unwillingly the hero of the evening, and the flattering -attentions paid him would have been still more embarrassing -had he not been so preoccupied in watching Juanita, who -appeared to him in a quite unaccustomed light. He had -admired her courage during the dark days of the siege; he -had got an inkling even then of the essential brightness -of her temperament; but he was hardly prepared for her -perfect ease and self-possession, the vivacity of her -conversation, and her social tact. He felt an inexplicable -sinking at the heart; Juanita seemed to be farther away -from him than at any time since he had first met her in -Saragossa. They had been frank comrades during the -hazardous journey across country to the coast, and the -delightful voyage that had just closed their adventures, -and under stress of circumstances Jack had for so long -taken the lead that it was a sort of awakening to find -that she was now independent of his counsel and -protection. Moreover, she was going to England. He had -intended to go with her, but the return of his regiment -had altered all that. Till this moment he had not realized -what a separation might really mean. He felt that they -were at the parting of the ways.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was from Juanita's lips that his brother officers heard -the full story of his work in Saragossa, and after. Simply, -without exaggeration, yet glowingly, she described how, -with unfailing resource, he had met and frustrated all the -attacks of the French on his little garrison and kept the -flag flying to the last. Captain O'Hare followed her story -with unwavering interest. He was not the man to praise -lightly. Indeed, it was not the custom in that age of hard -fighters to scatter vain compliments; his subalterns were -therefore the more deeply impressed when, in a pause, he -turned to Juanita and said in a tone vibrant with earnestness:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By my faith, Señorita, yours is a story of which every -soldier, British or Spanish, may be proud. I honour your -countrymen and countrywomen for their glorious defence -of Saragossa—there is nothing finer that I know in all -history. And we British officers are proud to think that -one of ours, one of the 95th, is among the heroes of the -siege. We all try to do our duty; few of us get the -chance, like my friend Lumsden, of doing so much more -than our mere duty; and by my soul, if we do get the -chance, I only hope we'll make as good a use of it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack, who had spent a most uncomfortable half-hour, -was greatly relieved when the ladies withdrew. But his -troubles were not over, for Captain O'Hare, resuming -the brogue which had disappeared during his late -outburst, said with a chuckle:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By Vanus and all the Graces, 'tis a lucky thing for -you, you young scamp, that Peter O'Hare is not fifteen -years younger. 'Tis meself would have tried a fall wid -ye—ay, and come in at a canter. Indeed an' I'm not sure -'tis too late even now. She was mighty civil to me at -dinner, indeed she was."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The worthy captain laughed heartily, and turned to -make himself agreeable, in halting French, to a colonel -of Portuguese artillery.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hang it, Lumsden," said Pomeroy, "I call it a crying -shame, that merely because a man happens to patter a -little Spanish he should not only be shoved over the heads -of better men than himself, but cut out more presentable -ones with the jolliest girl I've seen this end of the Bay."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack smiled and held his peace.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I say, you fellows," said Shirley, "give me a rhyme for -Saragossa, someone. I've just knocked off a little gem of -a thing—'Lines to J——a A——z', but hang me if I can -tag the last of 'em."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A good job too!" said Smith. "The whole company -seems to be moonstruck. 'Pon my word, I believe I'm the -only one of you that can keep his head."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah," said the Grampus with a capacious sigh, "'tisn't -the head, it's the heart!" There was a general laugh at -his lugubrious accent; whereupon, with a sudden return to -everyday life, he cried: "And I'll bet you, Harry George -Wakelyn Smith, you're one of the first to find it out."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Smith snorted scornfully. He little imagined that long -before the war was over he would himself meet the lovely -Spanish damsel in distress who was to become Lady -Smith of Aliwal and give her name to a certain little town, -the Saragossa of South Africa.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack, who had taken his comrades' good-humoured -banter with unfailing cheerfulness, now slipped away to -join the ladies in the sala. When he entered the room, -he noticed at once a deeper flush than usual on Juanita's -cheeks, and felt that something was amiss. It was some -little time before he could escape the renewed attentions of -the circle. Then, seating himself beside Juanita, he said -anxiously:</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is anything wrong, Juanita?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wrong! No, of course not. Why should anything -be wrong?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>She turned her head away, and tapped her hand -impatiently with her fan. Jack, noting the flush on her -cheek, felt uneasily that her manner belied her words.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't know," he said. "I was afraid there was -something. I wanted to tell you, Juanita, that—that—well, -things have changed, you know. There is to be -another campaign; I shall have to march with the regiment. -There's no help for it. I can't go back to England—not -yet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I knew; I was told it—by somebody else."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was that in her tone which made Jack wish that -he had told her earlier of what his unexpected meeting -with his old comrades must inevitably involve. He had -shrunk from the explanation—he did not quite know why.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After a moment's silence she added slowly: "I am -sorry for Mr. Dugdale; he will have a lonely journey, I -fear, and he's so very fond of company."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lonely! But you get on very well together."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh yes! I like Mr. Dugdale very much, but you -see—I shall not be there. I have made up my mind, quite -decided, not to go after all. England is a cold, foggy, -horrid country, and I'm sure I shouldn't like the English. -I ought never to have come so far." She rose from her -seat. "I will go back to the dear Sisters at Cariñena."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As she moved towards the balcony at the far end of the -room, Jack caught the sparkle of tears in her eyes. He -felt that he must be in fault; how or why he could not tell, -and he was too much perturbed at Juanita's distress to -think the matter out. He merely followed her. When -they reached the balcony they stood for a few moments -silent in the twilight, looking with unseeing eyes at the -dim plaza below. There was a murmur of voices from -the dusk, at first vague and indistinct, the words -gradually stealing upon their consciousness with clearer and -clearer meaning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There he was, poor little beggar, crying his eyes out. -'Ogbourne,' says I, 'what's amiss with Pepito?' 'Oh!' -says he, 'crying for the moon. He wants to go with the -Spanish señorita and stay with Mr. Lumsden at the same -time; which ain't possible.' 'Well,' says I, 'I ain't so -sure o' that. They do say he rescued her from old Boney -himself and from a rascally Don too—yes, and they say -she's main fond of him, which is only natural—considering.'"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Even in the dusk Jack, stealing a look at Juanita, saw -that she had flushed hotly. As she half-turned to re-enter -the room, he imprisoned the little hand that lay on the -balustrade. She did not draw it away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But," continued the insistent voice, "what I want to -know is, when's it to be?—that's what I want to know."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="glossary-of-spanish-words"><span class="bold large">Glossary of Spanish Words</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><em class="italics">adelante</em><span>, forward! come in! -<br /></span><em class="italics">adios</em><span>, adieu. -<br /></span><em class="italics">afrancesado</em><span>, a Spaniard who had accepted the French domination. -<br /></span><em class="italics">agua</em><span>, water. -<br /></span><em class="italics">alcalde</em><span>, mayor, chief magistrate. -<br /></span><em class="italics">alguazil</em><span>, constable, guard. -<br /></span><em class="italics">amigo</em><span>, friend. -<br /></span><em class="italics">arriero</em><span>, muleteer, carrier. -<br /></span><em class="italics">ay de mí</em><span>, alas! woe is me! -<br /></span><em class="italics">azucarillo</em><span>, a confection of paste, sugar, and rose-water. -<br /></span><em class="italics">bergantin</em><span>, brig. -<br /></span><em class="italics">bien</em><span>, well. -<br /></span><em class="italics">bueno</em><span>, good: </span><em class="italics">buenos dias</em><span>, good-morning; </span><em class="italics">buenas noches</em><span>, -<br /> good-night; </span><em class="italics">buenas tardes</em><span>, good-afternoon. -<br /></span><em class="italics">caballero</em><span>, rider, gentleman, cavalier. -<br /></span><em class="italics">calle</em><span>, street. -<br /></span><em class="italics">caramba</em><span>, an exclamation. -<br /></span><em class="italics">casa</em><span>, house. -<br /></span><em class="italics">cebolla</em><span>, onion. -<br /></span><em class="italics">cerro</em><span>, hill. -<br /></span><em class="italics">choriso</em><span>, spiced sausage. -<br /></span><em class="italics">cigarillo</em><span>, a small cigar, whiff. -<br /></span><em class="italics">con</em><span>, with. -<br /></span><em class="italics">contessa</em><span>, countess. -<br /></span><em class="italics">contrabandista</em><span>, smuggler. -<br /></span><em class="italics">copa</em><span>, cup, goblet. -<br /></span><em class="italics">coso</em><span>, wide thoroughfare. -<br /></span><em class="italics">cuchillo</em><span>, knife. -<br /></span><em class="italics">cura</em><span>, parish priest, parson. -<br /></span><em class="italics">dia</em><span>, day: </span><em class="italics">buenos dias</em><span>, good-morning. -<br /></span><em class="italics">Dios</em><span>, God: </span><em class="italics">Vaya usted con Dios</em><span> (lit. go with God), good-bye. -<br /></span><em class="italics">don</em><span>, a title, equivalent to esquire. -<br /></span><em class="italics">doña</em><span>, a title, equivalent to madam. -<br /></span><em class="italics">el</em><span>, la*, the. -<br /></span><em class="italics">España</em><span>, Spain. -<br /></span><em class="italics">fonda</em><span>, inn. -<br /></span><em class="italics">garbanzo</em><span>, a species of bean. -<br /></span><em class="italics">gaspacho</em><span>, a compound of vegetables and condiments. -<br /></span><em class="italics">gitano</em><span>, gipsy. -<br /></span><em class="italics">gracias</em><span>, thanks. -<br /></span><em class="italics">guerrillero</em><span>, an irregular warrior, member of a guerrilla band. -<br /></span><em class="italics">hidalgo</em><span>, nobleman. -<br /></span><em class="italics">hombre</em><span>, man, a common mode of address to inferiors. -<br /></span><em class="italics">javaneja</em><span>, an old-fashioned dance. -<br /></span><em class="italics">junta</em><span>, council. -<br /></span><em class="italics">manaña</em><span>, to-morrow. -<br /></span><em class="italics">Maragato, one of a race of mingled Gothic and Moorish -<br /> blood, inhabiting a district in N. W. Spain. -<br />*maravedi</em><span>, the smallest Spanish coin. -<br /></span><em class="italics">marchesa</em><span>, marchioness. -<br /></span><em class="italics">mareamiento</em><span>, sea-sickness. -<br /></span><em class="italics">mi</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">mio</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">mia</em><span>, my. -<br /></span><em class="italics">muchas</em><span>, many. -<br /></span><em class="italics">noche</em><span>, night: </span><em class="italics">buenas noches</em><span>, good-night. -<br /></span><em class="italics">nuestra</em><span>, our. -<br /></span><em class="italics">padre</em><span>, father. -<br /></span><em class="italics">pan</em><span>, bread. -<br /></span><em class="italics">patio</em><span>, courtyard, characteristic of the better Spanish houses. -<br /></span><em class="italics">patron</em><span>, landlord. -<br /></span><em class="italics">peseta</em><span>, silver coin worth about tenpence. -<br /></span><em class="italics">plaza</em><span>, square, open space: </span><em class="italics">Plaza Mayor</em><span>, great square. -<br /></span><em class="italics">par</em><span>, by. -<br /></span><em class="italics">porta</em><span>, gate. -<br /></span><em class="italics">posada</em><span>, tavern, inn. -<br /></span><em class="italics">puchero</em><span>, a sort of hot-pot. -<br /></span><em class="italics">qué hay de nuevo?</em><span> what news? -<br /></span><em class="italics">querida</em><span>, darling. -<br /></span><em class="italics">quien</em><span>, who: </span><em class="italics">quien vive?</em><span> who goes there? -<br /></span><em class="italics">regidor</em><span>, alderman. -<br /></span><em class="italics">sala</em><span>, hall, drawing-room. -<br /></span><em class="italics">san</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">santo</em><span>, </span><em class="italics">santa</em><span>, saint. -<br /></span><em class="italics">señor</em><span>, sir, a title used in addressing equals or superiors. -<br /></span><em class="italics">señora</em><span>, madam, lady. -<br /></span><em class="italics">señorita</em><span>, miss, young lady. -<br /></span><em class="italics">sí</em><span>, yes. -<br /></span><em class="italics">silencio</em><span>, hush! silence! -<br /></span><em class="italics">tarde</em><span>, afternoon. -<br /></span><em class="italics">tia</em><span>, aunt. -<br /></span><em class="italics">tio</em><span>, uncle. -<br /></span><em class="italics">tirador</em><span>, sharpshooter. -<br /></span><em class="italics">usted</em><span>, you. -<br /></span><em class="italics">valiente</em><span>, brave, valiant. -<br /></span><em class="italics">vamos</em><span>, come along! -<br /></span><em class="italics">vaya</em><span>, go: </span><em class="italics">vaya usted con Dios</em><span> (lit. go with God), good-bye. -<br /></span><em class="italics">venta</em><span>, small wayside inn. -<br /></span><em class="italics">verdaderamente</em><span>, verily, indeed. -<br /></span><em class="italics">viva</em><span>, hurrah! long live! -<br /></span><em class="italics">vive</em><span>: </span><em class="italics">quien vive?</em><span> who goes there?</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 6em"> -</div> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="backmatter"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst" id="pg-end-line"><span>*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK </span><span>BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE</span><span> ***</span></p> -<div class="cleardoublepage"> -</div> -<div class="language-en level-2 pgfooter section" id="a-word-from-project-gutenberg" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<span id="pg-footer"></span><h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><span>A Word from Project Gutenberg</span></h2> -<p class="pfirst"><span>We will update this book if we find any errors.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This book can be found under: </span><a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44190"><span>http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44190</span></a></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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