infantry.

Chapter 11: The French Advance.

As there were no signs of any French force approaching the position
held by the Portuguese, Terence moved his regiment a short distance
forward, to a point which enabled them to obtain a view right down
the valley in which the conflict was taking place. He then allowed
them to fall out of their ranks; knowing that in less than a minute
from the call being sounded they would be under arms again, and in
readiness to move in any direction required. Then, with Herrara and
his three English officers, he moved a short distance away and
watched the scene.

As soon as Regnier's columns had crossed the bottom of the ravine,
their guns along the crest opened fire on the British position
facing them.

"They are too far off for grape," Terence said. "You remember,
Ryan, at Corunna, how those French batteries pounded us from the
crest, and how little real damage they did us. A round shot does
not do much more harm than a bullet, unless it strikes a column in
motion, or troops massed in solid formation.

"Those fellows are mounting the hill very fast."

"They are, indeed," Ryan agreed. "You can see how the line of smoke
of our skirmishers on the hillside gets higher and higher."

"I wish our regiment was there, Colonel," Bull said. "We might do
some good; while here we are of no more use than if we were a
hundred miles away."

"No, no, Bull, that is not the case. If the French had not seen
that this position was strongly held, they might have moved a
division by this road and, if they had done so, they would have
turned the main position altogether, and forced Wellington to fall
back, at once. So you see, we are doing good here; though I do not
say that I should not like to be over there."

"The French will soon be at the top of the hill," Herrara
exclaimed. "See how they are pushing upwards."

"They certainly are gaining ground fast," Macwitty said. "They are
within a hundred yards of the top. Our men don't seem to be able to
make any stand against them at all.

"Colonel, the lower column is turning off more towards their left."

"They had better have kept together, Macwitty. It is evident that
Picton's division is hard pressed, as it is and, if those two
columns had united and thrown themselves upon him, they would have
broken right through our line. As it is, the second party will have
Leith's division to deal with. Do you see one of his brigades
marching swiftly