y yards beyond. Captain, I think you'll have to
put on a disguise for once in your life."

"Not if I can help it."

"Then, excuse me, but how the devil do you propose to manage?"

He frowned at the oath, recovered himself, and looked at me again with
something like a twinkle of fun in his solemn eyes.

"Do you know," said he, "it has just occurred to me to pay you a
tremendous compliment--McNeill to McNeill, you understand? I propose
to place myself entirely in your hands."

"Oh, thank you!" I pulled a wry face. "Well, it's a compliment if ever
there was one--an infernally handsome compliment. Your man, I suppose,
can look after himself?" But before he could reply I added, "No; he
shall go with me: for if you _do_ happen to get across, I shall have to
follow, and look sharp about it." Then, as he seemed inclined to
protest, "No inconvenience at all--my work here is done, and you are
pretty sure to have picked up any news I may have missed. You had best
be getting your horse at once; the dawn will be on us in half an hour.
Bring him round to the door here. Jose will find
straw--hay--anything--to deaden his footsteps. Meanwhile I'll ask you to
excuse me for five minutes."

The Spaniard eyed me suspiciously.

"Of course," said I, reading his thoughts, "if your master doubts
me--"

"I think, Senor McNeill, I have given you no cause to suspect it," the
Captain gravely interrupted. "There is, however, one question I should
like to ask, if I may do so without offence. Is it your intention that
I should cross in the darkness or wait for daylight?"

"We must wait for daylight; because although it increases some obvious
dangers--"

"Excuse me; your reasons are bound to be good ones. I will fetch
around my horse at once, and we shall expect you back here in five
minutes."

In five minutes time I returned to find them standing in the darkness
outside the granary door. Jose had strewn a space round about with
hay; but at my command he fetched more and spread it carefully, step
by step, as Captain McNeill led his horse forward. My own arms were
full; for I had spent the five minutes in collecting a score of French
blankets and shirts off the hedges, where the regimental washermen had
spread them the day before to dry.

The sketch on the following page will explain my plan and our
movements better than a page of explanation:--

[Illustration]

The reader will observe that the Posada del Rio, which faces inwards
upo