mong the rest of the troops,
and the enemy's advance was checked. The division then fell back in
good order, each of its flanks being covered by a brigade of
cavalry. From the height at which Terence and his officers stood,
they could plainly make out the retiring division, and could see
heavy masses of French troops descending from the high ground
beyond the Alberche.

"The whole French army is on us!" Macwitty said. "If their advance
guard had not been in such a hurry to attack, and had waited until
the others came up, not many of Mackenzie's division would have got
back to our lines."

It was not long before the French debouched from the woods and, as
soon as they did so, a division rapidly crossed the plain towards
the allies' left, seized an isolated hill facing the spur on to
which Donkin had just hurried up his brigade, and at once opened a
heavy cannonade. At the same time another division moved towards
the right, and some squadrons of light cavalry could be seen,
riding along the road from Madrid towards the Spanish division.

"They won't do much good there," Terence said, "for the country is
so swampy that they cannot leave the road. Still, I suppose they
want to reconnoitre our position, and draw the fire of the
Spaniards to ascertain their whereabouts. They are getting very
close to them and, when the Spaniards begin, they ought to wipe
them out completely."

At this moment a heavy rattle of distant musketry was heard, and a
light wreath of smoke rose from the Spanish lines. The French
cavalry had, in fact, ridden up so close to the Spaniards that they
discharged their pistols in bravado at them. To this the Spaniards
had replied by a general wild discharge of their muskets. A moment
later the party on the hill saw the right of the Spanish line break
up as if by magic and, to their astonishment and rage, they made
out that the whole plain behind was thickly dotted by fugitives.

"Why, the whole lot have bolted, sir!" Bull exclaimed. "Horse and
foot are making off. Did anyone ever hear of such a thing!"

That portion of the Spanish line nearest to Talavera had indeed
broken and fled in the wildest panic, 10,000 infantry having taken
to their heels the instant they discharged their muskets; while the
artillery cut their traces and, leaving their guns behind them,
followed their example. The French cavalry charged along the road,
but Sir Arthur opposed them with some British squadrons. The
Spanish who