o take an aim at us, and succeeded in
gaining the cannon and driving the men down the mountain to a body of
their infantry that was stationed at the foot. I immediately made a
signal with my cap for our brigade to come up, for they were all ready
and on the watch, but we found that the enemy's infantry was likewise
on the move for our height. Fortunately, our brigade was the first to
arrive, and reinforced us on the mountain, and on seeing this the
enemy decamped. By great luck not one of my men was injured, whilst
our volley killed or badly wounded five of the artillerymen.

After the enemy's retreat, the colonel came up to me and said, "Well
done, Lawrence; I did not think you were half so brave, but no man
could have managed it better." He likewise praised my six
fellow-stormers, and a short time afterwards Lord Wellington himself
came up and asked me my name, and on my telling him, said, "I shall
think of you another day."

These three cannon, which were composed of brass, were now the only
ones we possessed, as owing to the difficult nature of our route our
own had been obliged to be left behind; even the cavalry being of very
little use in this mountain warfare. Soon after this daring feat of
ours, the enemy again commenced their retreat, we still following
close up to them; but after proceeding some two miles, we found they
had again halted and were occupying another mountain; so we sank into
the valley, and made ourselves as comfortable for the time as we could
under the circumstances. We had no tents, and even if we had, we could
not have pitched them so close to the enemy, so at night we curled
ourselves well into our blankets and retired to rest on the ground.

Finding next morning that they apparently did not mean to renew their
retreat without being made to do so, we tried the experiment; but that
day we were defeated in our object, for again, like the fatal fox and
grapes, we could very well look at them but could not get them down.
We accordingly brought up by the mountain again that night, and those
who were not amongst the number told off for picket, which was large
as we were so near the enemy, again retired to rest in their blankets.
But next morning, not feeling contented with their prolonged stay, or
with our attack of the day before, which had only failed to move them,
we again assailed them; this time with success, for we drove them from
that mountain and pursued them till they again halted. We