tter told him that he had some urgent despatches
from the junta of Cadiz to that of Seville; and some despatches of
his own to persons at Cordova, and others in Madrid, who were in
communication with the British government; and he offered a sum,
for their safe delivery, that would recompense the muleteer for the
whole of his journey. This Garcia had gladly acceded to, on
condition that he might stop for a day, to get the wine at Xeres.

The voyage to Lisbon lasted three days, and was a very pleasant one
to Terence. On his arrival there he at once repaid the captain the
loan he had received from him, having over thirty pounds still in
hand. He next saw the agent, and requested him to pay the bill when
presented and, after waiting three days to obtain a fresh uniform,
started up the country and rejoined Wellington, who had been
compelled to fall back again behind the Coa. He reported himself to
the adjutant general.

"You have just arrived in time, Captain O'Connor," the latter said,
"for your regiment is under orders to start, tomorrow, to join the
force of the guerilla Moras who, with two thousand men, is in the
mountains on our frontier near Miranda; and intends to threaten
Zamora, and so compel Marmont to draw off some of his troops facing
us here. Your regiment is at present on the Douro, fifteen miles
away. How have you come here?"

"I travelled by a country conveyance, sir. I am at present without
a horse, but no doubt I can pick one up, when I have obtained funds
from the paymaster."

"I will give you an order on him for fifty pounds," the adjutant
said. "Of course, there is a great deal more owing to you; but it
will save trouble to give you an order for that sum, on account. I
don't suppose you will want more. I will have inquiries made about
a horse. If you return here in an hour, I daresay I shall hear of
one for sale.

"Your regiment has not done much fighting since you left it, but they
behaved well at Banos, where we had a very sharp fight. They came up
just at the critical moment, and they materially assisted us in beating
off the attack of the French; who were in greatly superior force, and
nearly succeeded in capturing, or exterminating, the light division."

On his return, Terence found that one of the officers on the
adjutant general's staff knew of a horse that had been captured, by
a trooper, in a skirmish with French dragoons three days before. It
was a serviceable animal and, as the soldier