he forerunners, was following hotly behind. So that should any peasants
favorable to Philip's cause carry the news to Las Torres, that general
would be forced to believe that he was being pursued by a veritable
army. Many stragglers of the retreating force were picked up and handed
over to the peasantry to be sent as prisoners into Catalonia.

For the most part the little parties of cavalry were well received by
the populace; the majority of Valencians were in favor of King Charles,
and that night, when they halted, the weary horses obtained ample
supplies of grain and forage, and the troopers were made welcome to the
best the villages afforded.

A few extra horses were purchased by Peterborough during the day, and
it was well for his aides de camp that it was so, for scarcely had
they finished their meal than Peterborough ordered them again into the
saddle. They were to ride by crossroads right and left to the villages
where the different detachments had been ordered to halt, and to
tell them the routes marked out for them by which they would again
concentrate at midday, so as to ride in comparatively strong force
through a small town on the main road, whence news might, not
improbably, be sent on to Las Torres. After that they were again to
disperse and pervade the country.

Jack and Graham carried out these orders, taking guides from each
village through which they passed to the next, and it was near midnight
before they had finished their work. At four in the morning every
detachment was in motion, and at noon the troop was again concentrated.
Here the earl learned that a detachment of the enemy had remained behind
at Alcala, and, instead of carrying out his previous plan, he rode
straight with the whole of his dragoons to that town. When he approached
it he divided his force into three bodies, which entered the place
simultaneously by different gates, and the Spanish detachment, two
hundred strong, at once laid down their arms.

Evening was now approaching, and as the horses and dragoons were utterly
worn out, Peterborough halted for the night. He at once called together
the principal inhabitants, and informed them that he required all the
horses in the town, with such saddlery as they could obtain, to be
collected and forwarded for his use to a point he named.

The next morning the march was continued. Las Torres had continued his
flight, and this was hastened when he heard of the capture of Alcala. He
pushed