known. He
found him in the act of having a wound temporarily dressed, by the
light of a fire which had just been replenished; he having ridden,
in the dark, into the midst of a French battalion, believing it to
be one of his own regiments. Colonel Donkin was in conversation
with him.

"It has been a very close affair, sir," he said; "and I certainly
thought that we should be rolled down the hill. I believe that we
owe our safety, in no small degree, to a couple of battalions of
Spaniards, I fancy, who took up their post on the opposite hill
this morning. Just before you brought up your reinforcement, and
while things were at their worst, I heard heavy volley firing
somewhere just over the crest. I don't know who it could have been,
if it was not them; for there were certainly no other troops on my
left."

"They were Portuguese battalions, sir," Terence said quietly.

"Oh, is it you, O'Connor?" General Hill exclaimed. "If they were
those two battalions of yours, I can quite understand it.

"This is Colonel O'Connor, Donkin, who checked Soult's passage at
the mouth of the Minho, and has performed other admirable
services."

[Illustration: 'You may as well make your report to me, O'Connor.']

"You may as well make your report to me, O'Connor, and I will
include it in my own to Sir Arthur."

Terence related how, just as he was taking up his position for the
night along the slopes of the Sierra, he heard the outbreak of
firing on the front of the hill and, seeing a large force mounting
its northern slope, and knowing that only one brigade was posted
there, he thought it his duty to move to its assistance. Crossing
the valley at the double, he had taken them in flank and, being
unperceived in the gathering darkness, had checked their advance,
and compelled them to retire down the hill.

"At what strength do you estimate the force which so retired,
Colonel?"

"I fancy there were eight battalions of them, but three had gained
the crest before we arrived. The others were necessarily broken up,
and followed so close upon each other that it was difficult to
separate them; but I fancy there were eight of them. Being in such
confusion and, of course, unaware of my strength, they were unable
to form or to offer any effectual resistance; and our volleys, from
a distance of fifty yards, must have done heavy execution upon
them."

"Then there is no doubt, Donkin, Colonel O'Connor's force did save
you; for if those five