ence was unchallenged
as he ran up. The gate was open and, on entering, he saw that the
disaster greatly exceeded his expectations. The castle had been
shattered into fragments, the church levelled to the ground and, of
the whole town, only six houses remained standing. Five hundred
people had been killed.

The wildest confusion prevailed. The soldiers were running about
without object or purpose, apparently scared out of their senses.
Women were shrieking and wringing their hands, by the ruins of
their houses. Men were frantically tugging at beams, and masses of
brickwork, to endeavour to rescue their friends buried under the
ruins. Presently he came upon Colonel Cox, who had just been joined
by Captain Hewitt, the only British officer with him; who had
instantly gone off to see the amount of damage done to the
defences, and had brought back news that the walls had been
levelled in several places, and the guns thrown into the ditch.

Da Costa, Bareiros, and several other Portuguese officers were
loudly clamouring for instant surrender and, the French shells
again beginning to fall into the town, added to the prevailing
terror. In vain the commandant endeavoured to still the tumult, and
to assure those around him that the defence might yet be continued,
for a short time; and better terms be obtained than if they were,
at once, to surrender.

"Can I do anything, Colonel?" Terence said. "My men are still
available."

The officer shook his head.

"Massena will see, in the morning," he said, "that he has but to
march in. If these men would fight, we could still, perhaps, defend
the breaches for a day or two. But it would only be useless
slaughter. However, as they won't fight, I must send a flag of
truce out, and endeavour to make terms. At any rate, Colonel
O'Connor, if you can manage to get off with your command, by all
means do so. Of course, I shall endeavour to obtain terms for the
garrison to march out; but I fear that Massena will hear of nothing
but unconditional surrender."

"Thank you, Colonel. Then I shall at once return to my corps, and
endeavour to make my way through."

On returning to the redoubt, Terence sent a message to Bull to come
to him at once and, when he arrived, told him and Ryan the state of
things in the town, and the certainty that it would surrender, at
once.

"The Portuguese are so clamorous," he said, "that a flag of truce
may be despatched to Massena, in half an hour's time. The