ve dollars for your trouble."

Then he turned to Bull.

"Put four men to guard them," he said, "and let the guard be
changed once every two hours. Their orders will be to shoot the
fellows down, if they endeavour to make their escape. They are
quite capable of going down into Plasencia and bringing the French
upon us."

At daybreak they were on the march and, two hours later, came down
into the valley through which the road from Banos ran down to
Plasencia. They had just crossed it when the head of a column of
cavalry appeared, coming down the valley. It at once broke into a
gallop.

"How far is it to where the path begins to ascend the mountains?"
Terence asked, holding a pistol to the peasant's head.

"Four miles," the man replied sullenly, looking with apprehension
at the French.

Terence shouted orders to Bull and Macwitty to throw their men into
square, and as they had been marching, since they reached level
ground, in column of companies, the movement was carried out before
the enemy arrived.

The French cavalry, believing that the battalions were Spanish, and
would break at once, charged furiously down upon them. They were,
however, received with so heavy a fire that they drew off
discomfited, leaving many men and horses on the ground.

"They are a strong body," Terence said quietly to Bull, in the
centre of whose square he had taken up his position. "I should say
there are 3000 of them, and I am afraid they are the head of
another division."

"Yes, there are the infantry coming down the valley. We must press
on, or we shall be caught before we get into the hills."

The battalions were soon in motion but, immediately they started,
the cavalry prepared to charge again.

"This will never do, Bull. If we form square every time, we shall
be delayed so much that the infantry will soon be up. You must do
it now, and quickly; but we will start next time in column, eight
abreast; and face the men round in lines, four deep either way, if
they charge again."

The French, this time, drew off without pressing their charge home;
and then, trotting on, took their place between the Portuguese and
the mountains.

"Form your leading company in line, four deep, Bull. The column
shall follow you."

The formation was quickly altered and, preceded by the line, to
cover them from the charge in front, the column advanced at a rapid
pace. The cavalry moved forward to meet them, but as the two
parties approached eac