ridge, farther up the vale, or at one
of the two fords a little below it. For there, and there only, could
our men cross the river, as they must to hit off any line of escape
through Liscard and into Devon. The bridge we knew to be held by a
guard, and almost to a certainty the fords, though swollen by recent
rains, would be watched also. It was a part of the plan to surprise
and force these crossings, and no question but that--unless their
guard had been strengthened--they could be forced. But as certainly
the guard, however weak, would make at least some show of fight; so
certainly, indeed, that the sound of firing here was to announce
success and be our signal to rejoin the main body.

Now from this bridge of Respryn a highway climbs from the valley and
runs due east across the downs; that is to say, straight athwart the
track we were holding; and our orders were on no account to cross
this highway, but to halt at some little distance on the near side of
it, place ourselves in cover, and so await the signal. For the enemy
held it--we could spy a couple of their camp-fires on the rise where
it crosses Five Barrow Hill, with a third somewhat nearer, by the
cross lanes called Grey Mare--and it would assuredly be patrolled.
If in attempting to cross it we fell foul of the patrol, the alarm
might draw their troops down towards the bridge; and again, if we
crossed it without mishap, we should be no better placed and might
easily overshoot our mark, for somewhere alongside this road our
general would direct his retreat, over the heather and short turf
that stretched for miles ahead and for a mile or more on either
hand--fair open country and for cavalry the best in the world.

Accordingly we found cover in a belt of fir-trees overlooking the
valley, and for a while possessed our souls in patience. We were
early, having come without mishap or challenge, and to expect a like
speed of two thousand five hundred men--riding in thick fog through
water-meadows, with ditches to be crossed and gates to be found and
passed--was in the last degree unreasonable. Nevertheless, dawn
could not be far off, and as the minutes dragged by, my spirits sank
and my thoughts ran on a score of possible disasters.

By-and-by the sky began to pale. We heard a small troop of horsemen
coming down the road at a walk--a patrol perhaps, or perhaps they
were riding down to relieve the guard by the bridge. We listened and
made out their number