[Illustration: 'Good news. We are going to take Coimbra.']

Terence and Ryan remained for an hour, and then rode back to the
regiment. The men were all sound asleep, but Herrara and the two
majors were sitting round a campfire.

"What news, Colonel?" the former asked, as Terence rode up.

"Good news. We are going to take Coimbra, tomorrow morning. All
Massena's sick and wounded, and his heavy baggage are there. They
have no suspicion that any force is yet assembled in the
neighbourhood and, I expect, we shall have easy work of it. They
have a post a mile out of the town. Trant will surprise and capture
that, at five in the morning. Just before daybreak we shall enter
the town. We must march from here at half-past three."

"That is something like news, Colonel," Macwitty exclaimed. "It
will cut the French off from this line of retreat, altogether, and
they must either fall back by the line of the Tagus, or through
Badajoz and Merida."

Terence laughed.

"You are counting your chickens before they are hatched, Macwitty.
At the present moment, it seems more likely that Wellington will
have to embark his troops than that Massena will have to retreat.
He must have nearly a hundred thousand men, counting those who
fought with him at Busaco and the two divisions that marched down
through Foz d'Aronce; while Wellington, all told, cannot have above
40,000. Certainly some of the peasants told me they had heard that
a great many men were employed in fortifying the heights of Torres
Vedras, and Wellington may be able to make a stand there; but as we
have never heard anything about them before, I am afraid that they
cannot be anything very formidable.

"However, just at present we have nothing to do with that. If we
can take Coimbra it will certainly hamper Massena and, if the worst
comes to the worst, we can fall back across the Douro.

"Don't let the bugles sound in the morning. It is not likely, but
it is possible that the French may send out cavalry patrols at
night. If a bugle were heard they might ride back and report that a
force was in the neighbourhood, and we should find the garrison
prepared for us. Now we had better do no more talking. It is past
eleven, and we have but four and a half hours to sleep."

At half-past three the troops were roused. They were surprised at
the early call, for they had expected two or three days' rest,
after the heavy work of the last eight days; but the company
officers soon lea