rned the news from their majors and, as it quickly
spread through the ranks, the men were at once alert and ready.
Fording the river, they marched at a rapid pace by the road to
Coimbra and, soon after five o'clock, arrived within a few hundred
yards of the town. Then they were halted and broken up into four
columns, which were to enter the town at different points. The
signal for moving was to be the sound of a body of cavalry,
galloping along the road. Terence listened attentively for the
rattle of musketry in the distance, but all was quiet; and he had
little doubt that the French had been surprised, and captured,
without a shot being fired.

Soon after half-past five he heard a dull sound which, before long,
grew louder and, in five minutes, a body of horsemen swept past at
a gallop. The troops at once got into motion, and entered the town.
There was no longer any motive for concealment. The bugles sounded
and, with loud shouts, the Portuguese ran forward. French officers
ran out of private houses, and were at once seized and captured.
Several bodies of troops were taken, in public buildings, before
they were fairly awake. Some of the inhabitants--of whom many,
unable to make their escape, had remained behind; or who had
returned from the villages to which they had at first fled--came
out and acted as guides to the various buildings where the French
troops were quartered and, in little over a quarter of an hour, the
whole town, with the exception of the convent of Santa Clara, was
in their hands.

By this time Trant had come up, with his command. The troops
rapidly formed up again and, issuing from several streets, advanced
against the convent. The astonished enemy fired a few shots; then,
on being formally summoned to surrender, laid down their arms.
Thus, on the third day after Massena quitted the Mondego his
hospitals, depots, and nearly 6000 prisoners, wounded and
unwounded, among them a company of the Imperial Guard, fell into
the hands of the Portuguese.

The next day Miller and Wilson came up; and their men, crossing the
bridge and spreading over the country, gathered in 300 more
prisoners; while Trant marched, with those he had captured, to
Oporto.

[Illustration: Plan of the Lines of Torres Vedras.]

On the 10th of October the whole of Wellington's army was safely
posted on the tremendously strong position that he had, unknown to
the army, carefully prepared and fortified for the protection of
Lisb