on the 31st of july terence reached the neighbourhood of banos and learned, from the peasantry, that a french army had passed through the town early on the preceding day. no resistance, whatever, had been offered to its passage through the pass of bejar; and the spanish at banos had retreated hastily, after exchanging a few shots with the french advanced guard. the peasantry had all deserted their villages, but had had some skirmishes with small foraging parties of cavalry. several french stragglers had been killed in the pass.
hoping to find some of these still alive, and to obtain information from them, terence continued his march for banos; sending on two of the best mounted of the portuguese horsemen, to ascertain if there was any considerable french force left there. he was within half a mile of the town when he saw them returning, at full speed, chased by a party of french dragoons; who, however, fell back when they saw the advancing infantry.
"what is your news?" terence asked, as the troopers rode up.
"banos is full of french troops," one of them replied, "and columns are marching down the pass. from what i can see, i should think that there must be 16,000 or 20,000 of them."
in fact, this was soult's second army corps--the first, which had preceded it, having that morning reached plasencia, where they captured 400 sick in the hospitals, and a large quantity of stores that had been left there, from want of carriage, when the british army advanced. terence lost no time in retreating from so dangerous a neighbourhood, and at once made for the mountains he had just left.
two regiments of french cavalry set out in pursuit, as soon as the party that had chased the portuguese troopers entered banos with the news that a body of infantry, some 2000 strong, was close at hand. they came up before the portuguese had marched more than a mile. the two battalions were halted, and thrown into square. the french rode fearlessly down upon them, but were received with so hot and steady a fire that they speedily drew off, with considerable loss. then the regiment ascended the hills and, half an hour later, halted.
"the question is, what is to be done?" terence said to herrara and his two majors. "it is evident that, for once, the information we obtained from the spaniards is correct, and that soult must have at least 30,000 men with him. possibly his full strength is not up yet. by this time the force that passed yesterday must be at plasencia, and by tomorrow may be on the tagus, and sir arthur's position must be one of great danger. putting cuesta and the spaniards altogether aside as worthless, he has, even with that brigade we saw marching in soon after we started, only 22,000 or 23,000 men; and on one side of him is victor, with some 40,000; on the other is soult, with perhaps as many more. with starving and exhausted troops his chances are small, indeed, unless he can cross the tagus. he might beat one marshal or the other, but he can hardly beat the two of them.
"the first thing to do is to send two troopers off, with duplicate despatches, telling sir arthur of soult's passage. he might not otherwise hear of it for some time, and then it might be too late. the peasantry and the village authorities will be too busy carrying off their effects, and driving their animals to the hills, to think for a moment of sending information. that is evidently the first thing to be done.
"until we see what is going to happen, i don't think we can do better than cross the sierra, and encamp at some spot where we can make out the movements of the french on the plain. at the same time we can keep an eye on the road to plasencia, and be able to send information to sir arthur, if any further bodies of french troops come down into the valley. our position is evidently a dangerous one. if the news has reached sir arthur, he will have fallen back from talavera at once. victor will no doubt follow on his heels, and his cavalry and those of soult will speedily meet each other. therefore it will be, in all ways, best to see how matters develop themselves before moving down into the plain."
accordingly two of the troopers were sent off with information that 15,000 french were already in the valley, and that as many more would be there on the following day. then the regiment marched across the sierra and took post high up on the slope, with plasencia ten miles away on the right, and the spires of oropesa visible across the valley.
on the following day another army corps was seen descending from banos to plasencia, while a large body of troops marched from that town to navalmoral, thus cutting off the retreat of the british by the bridge of boats at almaraz. clouds of dust on the distant plain showed that a portion, at least, of the allied army had arrived at oropesa; and bodies of french cavalry were made out, traversing the plain and scattering among the villages. two more troopers were sent off with reports, and warned, like the others, to take different routes, and make a wide circuit so as to avoid the french, and then to come down upon oropesa. if the troops there were british, they were to deliver their reports to the general in command. if it was occupied by spaniards, they were to proceed to talavera and hand them in at headquarters.
on the following day, still another army corps marched down to plasencia, raising soult's force to 54,000. on that day cuesta, who had undertaken to hold talavera, retreated suddenly; alarmed by victor's army making an advance, and leaving to their fate the 1500 british wounded in the hospital. these, however, were benefited by the change. they had been dying of hunger for, although there was an abundance of provisions in talavera, the inhabitants refused to sell any to the british, and jealously concealed their stores in their houses. nor would cuesta do anything to aid them; and thus the men who had fought and suffered for the spanish cause were left to perish, while there was abundance around them. the conduct of the spaniards, from the moment the british crossed the frontier to the time of their leaving spain, was never forgotten or forgiven by the british troops, who had henceforth an absolute hatred for the spanish, which contributed in no small degree to the excesses perpetrated by them upon the inhabitants of badajos, and other places, taken subsequently by storm.
the french, on entering talavera, treated the british wounded with the greatest kindness, and henceforth they were well fed and cared for.
the first report sent by terence reached sir arthur safely, ten hours after it was sent out, and apprised him for the first time of the serious storm that was gathering in his rear; and he had, without an hour's delay, given orders for the army to march to oropesa, intending to give battle to soult before victor could come up to join his fellow marshal. the second report informed him of the real strength of the army towards which he was marching, and showed him the real extent of his danger. so he at once seized the only plan of escape offered to him, marching with all speed to arzobispo, and crossing the tagus by the bridge there, cuesta's army following him. as soon as the tagus was passed, crauford's brigade was hurried on to seize the bridge of boats at almaraz, and prevent the french from crossing there.
fortunately, soult was as ignorant of the position of the allies as sir arthur was of his and, believing that the british were following victor and pressing forward towards madrid, he had conducted his operations in a comparatively leisurely manner. therefore, it was not until the british were safely across the tagus that he ascertained the real state of affairs, and put himself in communication with victor.
on the morning following the crossing terence was apprised, by a note sent back by one of the troopers, of the movement that had taken place. it was written upon a small piece of paper, so that it could be destroyed at once, by the bearer, if he should be threatened with capture, and contained only the following words:
"your report invaluable. the allied army moves to arzobispo, and will cross the tagus there. you must act according to your judgment. i can give no advice."
"thank god the british army has escaped!" terence said, after reading the despatch to his officers; "now we have only to think of ourselves. as to rejoining sir arthur, it is out of the question; the valley is full of french troops. ney has joined soult, and there are 100,000 frenchmen between us and our army. if i had any idea where wilson is, we might endeavour to join him, for he must be in the same plight as ourselves. our only chance, so far as i can see, is to cross their line of communications and to endeavour to join beresford, who is reported as marching down the frontier from almeida."
"would you propose to pass through banos, colonel?" herrara asked. "the mountains there are almost, if not quite, impassable; but we might get a peasant to guide us."
"i don't like going near banos, herrara. the french are almost sure to have left a strong body there, and the chances are against our finding a peasant; for the inhabitants of all the villages, for ten miles round, have almost certainly fled and taken to the hills.
"i think it would be safer to follow along this side of the sierra, cross the road a few miles above plasencia, then make for the mountains, and come down on the head of the river coa. beresford is probably in the valley of that river. we are more likely to find a guide, that way, than we are by going through banos. we shall have tough work of it whichever way we go, even if we are lucky enough to get past without running against a single frenchman."
"would it not be better to wait till nightfall, colonel?" bull asked.
terence shook his head.
"there is no moon," he said; "and as to climbing about among these mountains in the dark, it would be worse than running the risk of a fight with the french. besides, we should have no chance whatever of coming across a peasant. no, i think we must try it as soon as it gets light, tomorrow morning. we had better dress up a score of men in peasant clothes; and send them off, in couples, to search among the hills. whoever comes across a man must bring him in, whether he likes it or not. the spaniards are so desperately afraid of the french that they will give us no information, whatever, unless forced to do so; and we shall have even more difficulty than the british. there must have been thousands of peasants, and others, who knew that soult had come down upon plasencia; and yet sir arthur obtained no news.
"there is one comfort: there can be little doubt that soult is just as much in the dark as to the position of the british army."
by nightfall three peasants had been brought in. all shook their heads stolidly, when questioned in portuguese; but upon terence having them placed against a rock, and twelve men brought up and ordered to load their muskets, one of them said, in spanish:
"i know where a path across the mountains leaves the road, but i have never been over the hills, and know nothing of how it runs."
"ah! i thought you could make out my question," terence said. "well, you have saved the lives of yourself and your comrades. take us to the path, tomorrow, and set us fairly on it; and you shall be allowed to go free, and be paid five dollars for your trouble."
then he turned to bull.
"put four men to guard them," he said, "and let the guard be changed once every two hours. their orders will be to shoot the fellows down, if they endeavour to make their escape. they are quite capable of going down into plasencia and bringing the french upon us."
at daybreak they were on the march and, two hours later, came down into the valley through which the road from banos ran down to plasencia. they had just crossed it when the head of a column of cavalry appeared, coming down the valley. it at once broke into a gallop.
"how far is it to where the path begins to ascend the mountains?" terence asked, holding a pistol to the peasant's head.
"four miles," the man replied sullenly, looking with apprehension at the french.
terence shouted orders to bull and macwitty to throw their men into square, and as they had been marching, since they reached level ground, in column of companies, the movement was carried out before the enemy arrived.
the french cavalry, believing that the battalions were spanish, and would break at once, charged furiously down upon them. they were, however, received with so heavy a fire that they drew off discomfited, leaving many men and horses on the ground.
"they are a strong body," terence said quietly to bull, in the centre of whose square he had taken up his position. "i should say there are 3000 of them, and i am afraid they are the head of another division."
"yes, there are the infantry coming down the valley. we must press on, or we shall be caught before we get into the hills."
the battalions were soon in motion but, immediately they started, the cavalry prepared to charge again.
"this will never do, bull. if we form square every time, we shall be delayed so much that the infantry will soon be up. you must do it now, and quickly; but we will start next time in column, eight abreast; and face the men round in lines, four deep either way, if they charge again."
the french, this time, drew off without pressing their charge home; and then, trotting on, took their place between the portuguese and the mountains.
"form your leading company in line, four deep, bull. the column shall follow you."
the formation was quickly altered and, preceded by the line, to cover them from the charge in front, the column advanced at a rapid pace. the cavalry moved forward to meet them, but as the two parties approached each other the line opened so heavy a fire that the french drew off from their front, both to the right and left. bull at once threw back a wing of each company, to prevent an attack in flank; and so, in the form of a capital t, the column kept on its way. several times the french cavalry charged down, compelling them to halt; but each time, after repulsing the attack, the column went on.
"it would be all right if we had only these fellows to deal with," terence said to bull, "but their infantry are coming on fast."
the plain behind was, indeed, covered with a swarm of skirmishers, coming along at the double.
"we must go at the double, too, bull," terence said, "or they will be up long before we get to the hills. we are not halfway yet. keep the men well in hand, and don't let them fall into confusion. if they do, the cavalry will be down upon us in a minute."
the cavalry, however, were equally conscious of the importance of checking the portuguese, and again and again dashed down upon them, with reckless bravery; suffering heavily whenever they did so, but causing some delay each time they charged.
"i shall go back to the rear, bull. mind, my orders are precise that, whatever happens behind to us, you are to push forward until you begin to climb the hills."
then, without waiting for an answer, he galloped back.
although the column pressed on steadily at the double, the delay caused by the cavalry, and the fact that the french infantry were broken up--and able, therefore, to run more quickly--was bringing the enemy up fast. herrara was riding at the head of the second battalion, and to him terence repeated the instructions he had given bull.
"what are you going to do, colonel?" the latter asked.
"there is some very broken ground, a quarter of a mile ahead," he replied. "i intend to hold that spot with the rear company. it will be some little time before the french infantry will be able to form and attack us; and the ground looks, to me, too broken for their cavalry to act. as soon as i can see that you are far enough ahead to gain the hill, before they can overtake you again, i shall follow you with the company; but mind, should i not do so, you must take the command of the two battalions, cross the mountains, and join beresford."
he galloped on to macwitty, who was riding in the rear, and repeated the order to him.
"well, colonel, let me stop behind with the company, instead of yourself."
"no, no, macwitty. it is the post of danger and, as commanding officer, i must take it. it is a question of saving the two battalions at the cost of the company, and there is no doubt as to the course to be taken. do you ride on at once, and take your post at the rear of the company ahead of this, and keep them steady. here come their cavalry down again on the flank."
there was another charge, three or four heavy volleys, and then the french drew off again. the bullets of their infantry were now whistling overhead.
"a hundred yards farther," terence shouted, "and then we will face them."
in front lay an upheaval of rock, stretching almost like a wall across the line they were following. it was a sort of natural outwork, pushed out by nature in front of the hill, and rose some fifty feet above the level of the plain. there were many places at which it could be climbed, and up one of these the track ran obliquely. hitherto it had been but an ill-defined path, but here some efforts had been made to render it practicable, by cutting away the ground on the upper side, to enable laden mules to pass up.
terence reined up at the bottom of the ascent, and directed the men to take up their post on the crest; the leading half of the company to the right, and the other half to the left of the path. before all were up the french light troops were clustering round, but a rush was prevented by the heavy fire that opened from the brow above, and the company were soon scattered along the crest, a yard apart.
in five minutes some two thousand french infantry were assembled. a mounted officer rode some distance to the right and left, to examine the ground. it was evident that he considered that the position, held by 200 determined men, was a formidable one. lying down, as they were, only the heads of the portuguese could be seen; while a force attacking them would have to march across level ground, affording no shelter whatever from the defenders' fire, and then to climb a very steep ascent. moreover, the whole force they had been pursuing might be gathered, just behind.
after another five minutes' delay, half a battalion broke up into skirmishers; while the rest divided into two parties, and marched parallel to the rocks, left and right. terence saw that these movements must be successful for, with 200 men, he could not defend a line of indefinite length. however, his object had now been achieved. the descent behind was even and regular, and he could see the column winding up the hill, somewhat over half a mile away. of the french cavalry he could see nothing. they had, after their last charge, ridden off, as if leaving the matter in the hands of their infantry.
he ordered the bugler to sound the retreat, in open order; and the portuguese, rising to their feet, went down the gentle slope at a trot. they were halfway to the hills when the long lines of the french cavalry were seen, sweeping down upon them from the right; having evidently ridden along the foot of the steep declivity, until they came to a spot where they were able to ascend it.
at the sound of the bugle the rear company instantly ran together and formed a square and, as the french cavalry came up, opened a continuous fire upon them. unable to break the line of bayonets, the horsemen rode round and round the square, discharging their pistols into it, and occasionally making desperate efforts to break in. suddenly the cavalry drew apart, and a battalion of infantry marched forward, and poured their fire into the portuguese.
terence felt that no more could be done. his main body was safe from pursuit, and it would be but throwing away the lives of his brave fellows, did he continue the hopeless fight. he therefore waved a white handkerchief, in token of surrender; shouted to his men to cease fire and, riding through them with sheathed sword, made his way to the officer who appeared to be in command of the cavalry.
illustration: 'we surrender, sir, as prisoners of war.'
"we surrender, sir," he said, "as prisoners of war. we have done all that we could do."
he could speak but a few words of french, but the officer understood him.
"you have done more than enough, sir," he said. "order your men to lay down their arms, and i will guarantee their safety."
he ordered his cavalry to draw back and, riding up to the infantry, halted them. terence at once ordered his men to lay down their arms.
"you have done all that men could do," he said. "you have saved your comrades, and it is no dishonour to yield to twenty times your own force. form up in column, ready to march."
the commander of the cavalry again rode up, this time accompanied by another officer.
"the general wishes to know, sir," the latter said in english, "who you are, and what force this is?"
"i am colonel o'connor, holding that rank in lord beresford's army; and have the honour to be on the staff of sir arthur wellesley, though at present detached on special service. the two battalions that have marched up the hill are the minho regiment of portuguese, under my command. we were posted on the sierra and, being cut off from rejoining the british by the advance of marshal soult's army, were endeavouring to retire across the mountains into portugal, when you cut us off."
the officer translated the words to the general.
"tell him," the latter said, "that if all the portuguese fought as well as those troops, there would have been no occasion for the british to come here to aid them. i have never seen troops better handled, or more steady. this cannot be the first time they have been under fire."
terence bowed, when the compliment was translated to him.
"they fought, general, in the campaign last year," he said, "and the regiment takes its name from the fact that they prevented marshal soult from crossing at the mouth of the minho; but their first encounter with your cavalry was near orense."
"i remember it well," the general said, "for i was in command of the cavalry that attacked you. your men were not in uniform, then, or i should have known them again. how did you come to be there? for at that time, the british had not advanced beyond cintra."
"i had been sent with a message to romana and, happening to come across this newly-raised levy, without officers or commander, i took the command and, aided by two british troopers and a portuguese lieutenant, succeeded in getting them into shape; and did my best to hold the pass to braga."
"peste!" the general exclaimed. "that was you again, was it? it was the one piece of dash and determination shown by the portuguese, during our advance to oporto, and cost us as many men as all the rest of the fighting put together.
"and now, colonel, we must be marching. major portalis, here, will take charge of you."
in a few minutes the french cavalry and infantry were on their march towards plasencia, the portuguese prisoners guarded on both sides by cavalry marching with them; their captain being, like terence, placed in charge of an officer. the portuguese marched with head erect. they were prisoners, but they felt that they had done well, and had sacrificed themselves to cover the retreat of their comrades; and that, had it not been for the french infantry coming up, they might have beaten off the attacks of their great body of cavalry.
on their arrival at plasencia, the troops were placed in a large building that had been converted into a prison. here were some hundreds of other prisoners, for the most part spaniards, who had been captured when soult had suddenly arrived.
terence was taken to the quarters of general foy, who was in command there. here he was again questioned, through the officer who spoke english. after he translated his answers to the general, the latter told him to ask terence if he knew where wilson was.
"i do not, sir," he replied; "we were together on the sierra, a fortnight ago, but he marched suddenly away without communicating with me, and i remained at banos until ordered to march to the alberche. we took part in the battle there, and were then ordered back, again to support the spaniards at banos; but marshal soult had marched through the pass, and the spaniards had disappeared before we got there. we remained among the mountains until yesterday when, hearing that the british had crossed the tagus, and seeing no way to rejoin them, i started to cross the mountains to join lord beresford's force, wherever i might find it."
"general heron reports that the two battalions under your command fought with extraordinary steadiness, and repulsed all the attempts of his cavalry to break them; and finally succeeded in drawing off to the mountains, with the exception of the two companies that formed the rear guard. how is it that there is only one officer?"
"they were, in fact, one company," terence said. "my companies are each about 200 strong, and the officer captured with me was its captain."
"general heron also reports to me that your retreat was admirably carried out," general foy said, "and that no body of french veterans could have done better.
"well, sir, if you are ready to give your parole not to escape, you will be at liberty to move about the town freely, until there is an opportunity of sending a batch of prisoners to france."
"thank you, general. i am ready to give my parole not to make any attempt to escape, and am obliged to you for your courtesy."
terence had already thought over what course he had best take, should he be offered freedom on parole, and had resolved to accept it. the probabilities of making his escape were extremely small. there would be no chance whatever of rejoining the army; and a passage, alone, across the all-but-impassable mountains, was not to be thought of. therefore he decided that, at any rate for the present, he would give his promise not to attempt to escape.
quarters were assigned to him in the town, in a house where several french officers were staying. these all showed him great courtesy and kindness. between the english and french the war was, throughout, conducted on honourable terms. prisoners were well treated, and there was no national animosity between either officers or men.
when he went out into the town one of the french officers generally accompanied him, and he was introduced to a number of others. he set to work, in earnest, to improve the small knowledge of french that he possessed and, borrowing some french newspapers, and buying a dictionary in the town, he spent a considerable portion of his time in studying them.
he remained three weeks at plasencia. during that time he heard that the army of venegas had been completely routed by victor, that cuesta had been badly beaten soon after crossing the tagus, and albuquerque's cavalry very roughly treated. five guns and 400 prisoners had been taken. ney had marched through plasencia, on his way back to valladolid to repress an insurrection that had broken out in that district; and on his way met wilson, who was trying to retreat by banos, and who was decisively beaten and his command scattered.
terence was now told to prepare to leave, with a convoy of prisoners, for talavera. he was the only british officer and, being on parole, the officer commanding the detachment marching with the prisoners invited him to ride with him, and the two days' journey was made very pleasantly.
at talavera he remained for a week. the portuguese prisoners remained there, but the british who had been captured in plasencia, and the convalescents from the hospital at talavera--in all 200 strong, among whom were six british officers--were to march to the frontier, there to be interned in one of the french fortresses.
the officer who had commanded the escort, on the march from plasencia, spoke in high terms of terence to the officer in charge of the two hundred men who were to go on with them. the party had been directed not to pass through madrid, as the sight of over two hundred british prisoners might give rise to a popular demonstration by the excitable spaniards, which would possibly lead to disorder. he was therefore directed to march by the road to the escurial, and then over the sierra to segovia, then up through valladolid and burgos. the escort was entirely composed of infantry and, as terence could not therefore take his horse with him, he joined the other officers on foot.
to his great surprise and joy he found that one of these was his chum, dick ryan.
"this is an unexpected pleasure, dicky!" he exclaimed.
"well, yes, i am as pleased as you are at our meeting, terence; but i must own that the conditions might have been more pleasant."
"oh, never mind the conditions!" terence said. "it is quite enough, for the present, that we both are here; and that we have got before us a journey that is likely to be a jolly one. i suppose that you have given your parole, as i have; but when we are once in prison there will be an end of that, and it is hard if, when we put our heads together, we don't hit on some plan of escape.
"do you know the other officers? if so, please introduce me to them."
as soon as the introductions were completed, terence asked ryan where he had been wounded.
"i was hit by a piece of a french shell," the latter replied. "fortunately it did not come straight at me, but scraped along my ribs, laying them pretty well bare. as it was a month ago, it is quite healed up; but i am very stiff still, and am obliged to be very careful in my movements. if i forget all about it, and give a turn suddenly, i regularly yell; for it feels as if a red-hot iron had been stuck against me. however, i have learned to be careful and, as long as i simply walk straight on, i am pretty well all right.
"it was a near case, at first; and i believe i should have died of starvation if the french had not come in. those brutes of spaniards would do nothing whatever for me, and i give you my word of honour that nothing passed my lips, but water, for three days."
"perhaps it was a good thing for you, dicky, and kept down fever."
"i would have run the chance of a dozen fevers, to have got a good meal," ryan said indignantly. "i don't know but that i would have chanced it, even for a crust of bread. i tell you, if the french had not come in when they did, there would not have been a man alive in hospital at the end of another forty-eight hours. the men were so furious that, if they could have got at arms, i believe everyone who could have managed to crawl out would have joined in a sally, and have shot down every spaniard they met in the streets, till they were overpowered and killed.
"now, let us hear your adventures. of course, i saw in orders what good work you did, that day when you were in our camp, against the french when they attacked donkin. some of our fellows went across to see you, the morning after the big battle; but they could not find you, and heard afterwards, from some men of hill's division, that you had been seen marching away in a body, along the hills."
terence then gave an account of the attack by the french upon his regiment, and how he had fallen into their hands.
"that was well done, terence. there is some pleasure in being taken prisoner, in that sort of way. what will become of your regiment, do you suppose?"
"i have no idea. herrara may be appointed to the command. i should think that most likely he would be, but of course sir arthur may put another english officer at its head. however, i should say that there is no likelihood of any more fighting, this year. ney's corps has gone north, which is a sign that there will be no invasion of portugal at present; and certainly sir arthur is not likely to take the offensive again, now that his eyes have been thoroughly opened to the rascality and cowardice of the spaniards; and by next spring we two may be back again. we have got into so many scrapes together, and have always pulled through them, that i don't think the french will keep us long.
"have you stuck to your portuguese, dicky?"
"i have, and am beginning to get on very fairly with it."
"that is right. when we get back i will apply for you as my adjutant, if i get the command of the regiment again."
