remained quiet, I might be able to sit my saddle again in a few weeks.

"A few weeks!" I exclaimed; "I thought a few days would put me to
rights, doctor."

"For the sake of getting another bullet through you," he observed.
"Well, I will patch you up as far as I can; you must do as you think
fit."

I lay awake, expecting every instant to hear the rattle of musketry and
the booming sound of our field-pieces, but the night seemed to be
passing away quietly. At last I dropped off to sleep.

"If the enemy intended a night attack, they had thought better of it
when they found that you had escaped and given us warning," said Captain
Brown, when he awoke me in the morning and gave me the breakfast that
Antonio had brought. "When they do come, I must go out with my
regiment, whether ill or well; but you, Sinclair, must remain in camp--
you will be unable to sit a horse for many days."

From the excessive weakness I felt, I feared that he was right, but I
was much disappointed at the thought of being unable to take part in the
expected battle.

I had been sleeping for some time, when I was awakened by the sound of
firing. No one was in the tent, for, in spite of his illness, Captain
Brown had joined his regiment and gone to the front. Weak as I was, I
thought that I could manage to crawl up to some neighbouring height,
from whence I might see what was going forward. The sound of the
rattling of musketry now came up the valley, with the louder boom of our
artillery, so I could resist the temptation no longer. Supporting
myself on a stick, therefore, with a spy-glass hanging by a strap over
my shoulders, I left the tent and made my way on, sometimes crawling on
my hands and knees, until I reached a rock overhanging the camp, where I
could lie down and rest the glass on a ledge just above me.

Our troops crowned the heights of the opposite side of the valley. It
was not of sufficient elevation, however, to prevent me seeing over it
on to the plain beyond, where the Pastucians were moving, endeavouring
to force their way to the northward--their main body attacking our
centre, while other divisions were marching to the right and left,
evidently with the hope of outflanking the Patriots. I could clearly
distinguish the different corps. The centre stood their ground. Juan
with his cavalry drove back the enemy on the right; while the Cauca
regiment, charging, prevented the body threatening our left flank from
gaining