ey of Almeixal, sent the monks about their business, fortified the
place, and gathered in the plunder of all the country round.'

'For which it is high time he was hanged,' said I, making once more for
the door.

'One instant!' cried the Marshal, smiling at my impatience. 'The worst
remains behind. Only last week the Dowager Countess of La Ronda, the
richest woman in Spain, was taken by these ruffians in the passes as she
was journeying from King Joseph's Court to visit her grandson. She is
now a prisoner in the Abbey, and is only protected by her----'

'Grandmotherhood,' I suggested.

'Her power of paying a ransom,' said Massena. 'You have three missions,
then: To rescue this unfortunate lady; to punish this villain; and, if
possible, to break up this nest of brigands. It will be a proof of the
confidence which I have in you when I say that I can only spare you half
a squadron with which to accomplish all this.'

My word, I could hardly believe my ears! I thought that I should have
had my regiment at the least.

'I would give you more,' said he, 'but I commence my retreat today, and
Wellington is so strong in horse that every trooper becomes of
importance. I cannot spare you another man. You will see what you can
do, and you will report yourself to me at Abrantes not later than
tomorrow night.'

It was very complimentary that he should rate my powers so high, but it
was also a little embarrassing. I was to rescue an old lady, to hang an
Englishman, and to break up a band of five hundred assassins--all with
fifty men. But after all, the fifty men were Hussars of Conflans, and
they had an Etienne Gerard to lead them. As I came out into the warm
Portuguese sunshine my confidence had returned to me, and I had already
begun to wonder whether the medal which I had so often deserved might
not be waiting for me at Almeixal.

You may be sure that I did not take my fifty men at hap-hazard. They
were all old soldiers of the German wars, some of them with three
stripes, and most of them with two. Oudet and Papilette, two of the best
sub-officers in the regiment, were at their head. When I had them formed
up in fours, all in silver grey and upon chestnut horses, with their
leopard skin shabracks and their little red panaches, my heart beat high
at the sight. I could not look at their weather-stained faces, with the
great moustaches which bristled over their chin-straps, without feeling
a glow of confidence, and, between ou