tale; and it accordingly closed with the passage of
the Douro, and the expulsion of the French from Portugal.

The hero, Terence O'Connor, was the son of the senior captain of
the Mayo Fusiliers and, when the regiment was ordered to join Sir
Arthur Wellesley's expedition to Portugal, the colonel of the
regiment obtained for him a commission; although so notorious was
the boy, for his mischievous pranks, that the colonel hesitated
whether he would not get into some serious scrapes; especially as
Dick Ryan, one of the ensigns, was always his companion in
mischief, and both were aided and abetted by Captain O'Grady.

However, on the way out, the slow old transport, in which a wing of
the regiment was carried, was attacked by two French privateers,
who would have either taken or sunk her, had it not been for a
happy suggestion of the quick-witted lad. For this he gained great
credit, and was selected by General Fane as one of his aides-de-camp.
In this capacity he went through the arduous campaign, under General
Moore, that ended at Corunna.

His father had been so seriously wounded, at Vimiera, that he was
invalided home and placed on half pay; and in the same battle
Captain O'Grady lost his left arm but, on its being cured, returned
to his place in the regiment.

At Corunna Terence, while carrying a despatch, was thrown from his
horse and stunned; and on recovering found that the British had
already embarked on board the ships of the fleet. He made his way
to the frontier of Portugal, and thence to Lisbon. He was then
appointed to the staff of Sir John Craddock, who was now in
command; and sent in charge of some treasure for the use of the
Spanish General Romana, who was collecting a force on the northern
border of Portugal. Terence had orders to aid him, in any way in
his power, to check the invasion of Portugal from the north.

Of this order he took advantage when, on the way, the agents of the
junta of Oporto endeavoured to rob him; attacking the house where
he and his escort had taken up their quarters with a newly-raised
levy of two thousand five hundred unarmed peasants. By a ruse he
got their leaders into his hands, and these showed such abject
cowardice that the peasants refused further to follow them, and
asked Terence to take the command of the force.

He assented, formed them into two battalions, appointed two British
orderlies as majors, the Portuguese officer of his escort
lieutenant-colonel, and his