still held their ground opened fire, and the French
drew back. The fugitives continued their flight to Oropesa,
spreading panic and alarm everywhere with the news that the allies
were totally defeated, Sir Arthur Wellesley killed, and all lost.

Cuesta himself had for some time accompanied them, but he soon
recovered from his panic, and sent several cavalry regiments to
bring back the fugitives. Part of the artillery and some thousands
of the infantry were collected before morning, but 6000 men were
still absent at the battle, and the great redoubt on their left was
silent, from want of guns.

In point of numbers there had been but little difference between
the two armies. Prior to the loss of these 6000 men, Cuesta's army
had been 34,000 strong, with seventy guns. The British, with the
German Legion, numbered 19,000, with thirty guns. The French were
50,000 strong, with eighty guns. These were all veteran troops,
while on the side of the allies there were but 19,000 who could be
called fighting men.

"That is what comes of putting faith in the Spaniards!" Bull said
savagely. "If I had been Sir Arthur, I would have turned my guns on
them and given them something to run for. We should do a thousand
times better, by ourselves; then we should know what we had to
expect."

"It is evident that there won't be any fighting until tomorrow,
Macwitty. You will place half your battalion on the hillside, from
this point to the bottom of the slope. I don't think that they will
come so high up the hill as this; but you will, of course, throw
some pickets out above. The other wing of your battalion you will
hold in reserve, a couple of hundred yards behind the centre of the
line; but choose a sheltered spot for them, for those guns Victor
is placing on his heights will sweep the face of this hill.

"This little watercourse will give capital cover to your advanced
line, and they cannot do better than occupy it. Lying down, they
would be completely sheltered from the French artillery and, if
attacked, they could line the bank and fire without showing more
than their heads. Of course, you will throw out pickets along the
face of the slope in front of you.

"Do you, Bull, march your battalion down to the foot of the hill
and take up your post there. The ground is very uneven and broken,
and you should be able to find some spot where the men would be in
shelter; move a couple of hundred yards back, then Macwitty would
flank any fo