th him at twelve thousand; and it is
hardly probable that they could, at such short notice, have
assembled in anything like their full strength."

"I have also to report, general, that we, this morning before
daybreak, captured a British officer on his way to Miranda, with
despatches. We were fortunately halted for the moment, so that he
was unaware of our presence until he rode into the midst of us.
These are his despatches. I have not opened them."

"It is an important capture, indeed," the general said; "that is,
if the report contains details of the fighting. Its contents may
enable us to form a clearer idea than we can, at present, of their
numbers."

He broke the seal and read the account of the battle.

"It is signed T. O'Connor, colonel," he said. "The name is
well-known to us as that of a very active partisan leader. Three of
the columns appear to have been commanded by British officers. Here
we have them: Major Bull, Major Macwitty, and Captain Ryan."

"It is Captain Ryan whom we have made prisoner, sir."

"Their dispositions appear to have been good, and ably worked out.
The bridge across the river had been destroyed, and our crossing
was opposed by one column. While we were attempting to force the
passage, three more columns attacked us, one on each flank and
rear; while a fourth, composed of a portion of the force defending
the passage who, as soon as we were fairly engaged with the other
columns, crossed the ford lower down, leaving a thousand men to
face us on the river bank, advanced against our left. Finding
themselves thus greatly outnumbered, the column fell back, leaving
behind them some five hundred dead and wounded. Their passage was
closed by the enemy, who had broken down some bridges and thrown a
breastwork across the valley; but after sharp fighting they made
their way through."

He then turned to the other despatch.

"This is still more useful," he said. "It is a general report of
their proceedings since they crossed the frontier, and gives the
number of each column. They total up to twenty-five thousand men;
of which some ten thousand seem to be regular troops, the rest
guerillas."

"Do you wish to see the prisoner, sir? He is waiting with the
guard, outside."

"Yes, I might as well see him though, as a point of fact, he can
give us no more information than that contained in these reports,
which are very full and detailed."

"So, sir," he said when Ryan was brought in, "you ar