The Young Buglers

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  JUST IN TIME.

  "I shall go straight back to Vittoria, Sam. By what they say, GeneralReynier is in command there, and as it was through his wife that allthis terrible business has come about, we have a right to expect himto do his best to get us out of it. I will start at once. Now lookhere, Sam. You must put yourself where you can keep watch over thevillage. If you see any party come in, either to-night or to-morrow,you must try and discover if Peter is among them. If he is, light afire down in that hollow where it can't be seen from above, but wherewe can see it on that road. It's twenty miles to Vittoria; if I canget to see General Reynier to-morrow, I may be back here with cavalryby night; if he is out or anything prevents it, I will be here nextnight, as soon after dusk as it will be safe. I will dismount the menand take them over the hill, so as to avoid the sentinel who is sureto be posted on the road when Nunez arrives. If they come in theafternoon, Sam, and you find that anything is going to be done atonce, do everything you can to delay matters."

  "All right, Massa Tom, if, when you come back you find Massa Peterdead, you be berry sure you find dis chile gone down too."

  It was seven o'clock next morning when Tom entered Vittoria, anda few cautious inquiries proved the fact that General Reynier wasreally in command of the French division there. He at once sought hishead-quarters, and after some talk with a woman selling fruit near thehouse, heard that the general and his staff had started at daybreak,but whither of course she knew not. Tom hesitated for some time, andthen, seeing an officer standing at the door, went up to him and askedif the general would be back soon.

  "He will be back in an hour or two," the officer replied in Spanish,"but it is no use your waiting to see him. He has his hands full andcan't be bothered with petitions as to cattle stolen or orchardsrobbed. Wait till we have driven the English back, and then we shallhave time to talk to you."

  "Your pardon," Tom said humbly. "It is not a complaint that I have tomake, it is something of real importance which I have to communicateto him."

  "You can tell me, I am Colonel Decamps; it will be all the same thingif your news is really important."

  "Thank you very kindly, senor, it must be the general himself; I willwait here." Thereupon Tom sat down with his back to the wall a shortdistance off, pulled out some bread and fruit he had bought in thetown, and began quietly to eat his breakfast. An hour later a prettycarriage with two fine horses drew up to the door. It was empty,and was evidently intended for some one in the house. Suddenly, thethought flashed across his mind, perhaps Madame Reynier and her childwere there. It was curious that the thought had not occurred to himbefore, but it had not, and he drew near, when a sentry at the doorroughly ordered him to stand further back. Presently a lady came tothe door, accompanied by a little girl. There she stood for a minutetalking with the officer with whom Tom had spoken. At the moment ayoung officer passed Tom on his way to the house.

  "Monsieur," Tom said, in French, "do me the favor to place that ringin the hands of Madame Reynier. It is a matter of life and death.She will recognize the ring, it is her own," he added, as the youngofficer in surprise hesitated. He was a bright handsome young fellow,and after a moment's, pause, he went up to the lady. "My dear aunt,"he said, "here is a mystery. An old Spanish beggar speaks French, notvery good French, but enough to make out, and he begs me to give youthis ring, which he says is yours, and which, by the way, looks avaluable one." Madame Reynier, in some surprise, held out her handfor the ring. "It is not mine," she began, when a sudden thoughtstruck her, and turning it round she saw "a Louise Reynier, tumorsreconnaissance," which she had had engraved on it, before giving it toTom. "Who gave it to you, Jules?" she asked eagerly.

  "That old pedler," Jules said.

  "Bring him in," Madame Reynier said, "the carriage must wait; I mustspeak to him and alone."

  "My dear aunt," began her nephew.

  "Don't be afraid, Jules, I am not going to run away with him, and ifyou are a good boy you shall know all about it afterwards, wait here,Louise, with your cousin;" and beckoning to Tom to follow her, shewent into the house, the two officers looking astounded at each otheras the supposed Spanish pedler followed her into her sitting-room.

  "What is your message?" she asked.

  Tom's answer was to remove his wide hat, wig, and beard.

  "Himself!" Madame Reynier exclaimed, "my preserver," and she held outboth her hands to him. "How glad I am, but oh! how foolish to comehere again, and--and"--she hesitated at the thought that he, anEnglish spy, ought not to come to her, the wife of a French general.

  Tom guessed her thought. "Even General Reynier might succor us withoutbetraying the interests of his country. Read that, madame; it is anopen letter," and he handed her Lord Wellington's letter.

  She glanced through it and turned pale. "Your brother! is he in thehands of the guerillas? Where? How?"

  "He is in the hands of that scoundrel Nunez; he swore he would berevenged for that day's work, and he has had Peter carried off. Nodoubt to kill him with torture."

  "Oh! and it is through me," Madame Reynier exclaimed, greatlydistressed. "What can we do! Please let me consult with my friends,every soldier shall be at your service," and she opened the door."Colonel Deschamps, Jules, come here directly, and bring Louise withyou." These officers, on entering, were struck dumb with astonishmenton finding a young peasant instead of an old pedler, and at seeingtears standing in Madame Reynier's eyes. "Louise," she said to herdaughter, "look at this gentleman, who is he?"

  The child looked hard at Tom; he was dressed nearly as when she firstsaw him--and as he smiled she recognized him. "Oh, it is the goodboy!" she cried, and leaped into Tom's arms, and kissed him heartily.

  "Do you think we have gone mad, Jules, Louise and I? This is one ofthe young English officers who saved our lives, as you have oftenheard me tell you."

  Jules stepped forward, and shook Tom's hand heartily, but ColonelDeschamps looked very serious. "But, madame," he began, "you are wrongto tell me this."

  "No, Colonel;" Madame Reynier said, "here is a letter, of which thisgentleman is the bearer, from Lord Wellington himself, vouching forhim, and asking for the help of every Frenchman."

  Colonel Deschamps read it, and his brow cleared, and he held out hishand to Tom. "Pardon my hesitation, sir," he said in Spanish; "but Ifeared that I was placed in a painful position, between what I oweto my country, and what all French soldiers owe to you, for what youdid for Madame Reynier. I am, indeed, glad to find that this letterabsolves me from the former duty, and leaves me free to do all I canto discharge the latter debt. Where is your brother, and why has hebeen carried off? I have known hundreds of our officers assassinatedby these Spanish wolves, but never one carried away. An Englishofficer, too, it makes it the more strange!"

  Tom now related the story of Peter's abduction; the previous attemptsof members of Nunez's band to assassinate them, and the reasons hehad for believing that Peter was close to, if not already at, theheadquarters of that desperado.

  "Is he still there?" Jules asked. "We routed him out directly thegeneral came up here. My aunt declared herself bound by a promise, andwould give us no clue as to the position of the village, but he hadmade himself such a scourge, that there were plenty of others ready totell; if we had known the roads, we would have killed the whole band,but unfortunately they took the alarm and made off. So he has goneback there again. Ah! there is the general."

  Madame Reynier went out to meet her husband, and drawing him asideinto another room, explained the whole circumstance to him, withdifficulty detaining him long enough to tell her story, as the momenthe found that his wife and child's deliverer was in the next room, hedesired to rush off to see him. The story over, he rushed impetuouslyinto the room, where Tom was explaining his plans to his Frenchfriends, seized him in his arms, and kissed him on both cheeks, as ifhe had been his son.

  "I have longed for this day!" he said, wiping his eyes. "I have prayedthat I might some day meet you, to t
hank you for my wife and child,who would have been lost to me, but for you. And now I hear yourgallant brother is paying with his life for that good deed. Tell mewhat to do, and if necessary I will put the whole division at yourorders."

  "I do not think that he will have above fifty men with him, general;say eighty, at the outside. Two squadrons of cavalry will besufficient. They must dismount at the bottom of the hill, and I willlead them up. We must not get within sight of the hill till it is toodark for their look-out to see us, or the alarm would be given, and weshould catch no one. We shall know if they have arrived, by a fire myman is to light. If they have not come, then I would put sentries onguard upon every road leading there, and search every cart that comesup; they are sure to have got him hid under some hay, or something ofthat sort, and there are not likely to be more than two or three menactually with it, so as not to attract attention. It will be all rightif they do not arrive there to-day."

  "It is about five hours' ride for cavalry," the general said, "thatis at an easy pace; it will not be dark enough to approach the hillwithout being seen till eight o'clock. Two squadrons shall be paradedhere at three o'clock. I will go with you myself; yes, and you shallgo too, Jules," he said, in answer to an anxious look from his nephew."In the mean time you can lend our friend some clothes; you are aboutthe same size."

  "Come along," Jules said laughing; "I think we can improve yourappearance," and, indeed, he did so, for in half an hour Tom returnedlooking all over a dashing young French hussar, and little Louiseclapped her hands and said--

  "He does look nice, mamma, don't he? Why can't he stay with us always,and dress like that? and we know he's brave, and he would help papaand Jules to kill the wicked English."

  There was a hearty laugh, and Jules was about to tell her that Tom washimself one of the wicked English, but Madame Reynier shook her head,for, as she told him afterwards, it was as well not to tell her, forlittle mouths would talk, and there was no occasion to set everyonewondering and talking about the visit of an English officer to GeneralReynier. "There is no treason in it, Jules, still one does not want tobe suspected of treason, even by fools."

  Sam watched all night, without hearing any sound of vehicles, but inthe morning he saw that several more guerillas had come in during thenight. In the morning parties of twos and threes began to come infrom the direction of Vittoria, and it was evident from the shoutingand noise in the village that these brought satisfactory news ofsome kind. In the afternoon most of them went out again in a bodyto the wood at the foot of the hill, and soon afterwards Sam saw acart coming along across the plain. Two men walked beside it, andSam could see one, if not two more perched upon the top of the load.Three others walked along at a distance of some fifty yards ahead, andas many more at about the same distance behind. He could see othersmaking their way through the fields. "Dis berry bad job," Sam saidto himself; "me berry much afraid dat Massa Tom he not get back intime. Der's too many for Sam to fight all by himself, but he mustdo someting." Whereupon Sam set to to think with all his might, andpresently burst into a broad grin. "Sure enough dat do," he said; "nowlet me arrange all about what dey call de pamerphernalia." First, heemptied out the contents of a couple of dozen pistol cartridges; hewetted the powder and rolled it up in six cartridges, like squibs,three short ones and three much longer. Then he opened Tom's kit,and took out a small box of paints, which Tom had carried with himfor making dark lines on his face, and in other ways to assist hisdisguise. Taking some white paint, Sam painted his eyelids up to hiseyebrows, and a circle on his cheeks, giving the eyes at a shortdistance the appearance of ghastly saucers.

  "Dat will do for de present," he said; "now for business. If dey waittill it get dark, all right; if not, Sam do for Nunez and two or threemore, and den go down with Massa Peter!"

  Then carefully examining the priming of the pair of pistols, whichhe carried--the very pistols given to Peter by the passengers of theMarlborough coach--he prepared to set out.

  It was now six o'clock, and he calculated that the waggon would bythis time have mounted the hill, and reached the village; he hadalready collected a large heap of dry sticks and some logs, at thepoint Tom had pointed out, these he now lit, and then started for thetop of the hill. Looking back, just as he reached the crest, he couldsee, knowing where it was, a very light smoke curling up over a clumpof trees which intervened between him and the fire, but it was soslight that he was convinced that it would not be noticed by anordinary observer. Sam saw at once, on reaching the top of the hill,that the guerillas were crowded round the waggon, which stood at theedge of a small clump of trees in the middle of the village. Themoment was favourable, and he at once started forward, sometimesmaking a detour, so as to have the shelter of a tree, sometimesstooping behind a low stone wall, until he reached the first housein the village. It was now comparatively easy work, for there wereenclosures and walls, the patches of garden-ground were breast-highwith weeds, and, stooping and crawling, Sam soon reached a house closeto the waggon. It was a mere hut, and had not been repaired. The roofwas gone, but the charred shutters and doors still hung on theirhinges. It was the very place from which to see without being seen.Sam entered by a door from behind, and found that, through a slightopening in the window-shutter, he could see all that was going on.Some fifty guerillas were standing or sitting in groups at a distanceof twenty yards.

  In the centre of the groups, lying on the ground, was a figure whichhe at once recognized as Peter. It was wound round and round withropes; beside it stood, or rather danced, Nunez pouring forth stringsof abuse, of threats, and of curses, and enforcing them with repeatedkicks at the motionless figure.

  "De debil!" muttered Sam, "me neber able to stand dis. If you not stopdat, Massa Nunez, me put a bullet through dat ugly head of yours, assure as you stand dere. But me mustn't do it till last ting; for,whether I kill him or not, it's all up with Massa Peter and me if Ionce fire."

  Fortunately Nunez was tired, and in a short time he desisted, andthrew himself down on the ground. "Take off his ropes, one of you," hesaid: "there would be no fear of his running away had he three or fourdays to live, instead of as many hours. Take the gag out of his mouth,throw some water over him to bring him round, and pour some wine downhis throat. I want him to be fresh, so as to be able to enjoy thepleasure we have in store for him. And now let's have dinner."

  Sam felt that for another hour at least Peter was safe, andtherefore, with the same precaution as before, he crept away from hishiding-place, through the village, and over the hill-crest, to theplace where he had made his fire. The logs were burning well, but gaveout but little smoke. Sam looked at the sky. "Dusk cum on berry fast,"he said; "another hour Massa Tom come on with soldiers. If he seefire, he hurry up sharp." So saying, Sam heaped on a pile of wood,and then made his way back. He knew that Tom would not approach untilit was too dark for the movements of the troops to be seen by thelook-outs, and that he could not be expected to reach the villageuntil fully an hour after dark. "Just another hour and a half," hesaid to himself; "ebery thing depend upon what happen before dattime." It was quite dusk before he regained the shelter of thecottage. He had gone round by the wagon, and had taken from it a largestable-fork, muttering as he did so. "Golly! dis de berry ting."Close by he saw the carcase of a bullock which the guerillas had justslaughtered, and from this he cut off the horns and tail.

  When Sam peeped out through the shutter he saw that something wasgoing to be done. Nunez was sitting smoking a cigarette, with a lookof savage pleasure in his face, while the men heaped up a large firein front of the trees.

  "I don't like dat gentleman's look," Sam said to himself. "It's timedis chile begin to dress for de pantomime, dat quite plain. Massa Tomget here too late." Thus saying, Sam began to deliberately undress.

  Peter, his arms and feet still bound, was sitting with his backagainst a tree, watching what were, he was convinced, the preparationsfor his death. For the last ten days he had lived in a sort ofconfused and painful dream. From the moment, wh
en, upon entering hisroom two hands suddenly gripped his throat, others thrust a gag in themouth, and then blindfolded him, while some one from behind lashed hisarms to his side, and then altogether, lifting him like a log, carriedhim downstairs and threw him into a cart, he had not till now seenanything. The bandage had never been removed from his eyes, or thecords from his limbs. Sometimes he had been made to sit up, and soupand wine had been poured down his throat, or a piece of bread thrustinto his mouth; then he had been again gagged and thrown into a cart.Over him brushwood and fagots had been piled, and there he had lain,until at night a stop was made, when he was taken out, fed, and thenthrust back again and covered over.

  From the first he had never doubted who were his captors, or what washis destination, and he therefore experienced no surprise whatever,when, on his arrival at the village, on the bandage being taken offhis eyes, he saw where he was. That it was useless to beg for mercy ofthe savages into whose power he had fallen he knew well enough, and helooked as calm and indifferent, as if he did not hear a word of thethreats and imprecations which Nunez was heaping on him.

  "You see that fire," the enraged guerilla said, "there you shall beroasted! English pig that you are! But not yet. That were too quicka death! Here," he said to his followers, "make a little fire by theside of the big one--there under the arm of that tree; and put onplenty of green leaves: we will smoke our pig a bit before we roasthim!"

  Peter still eyed him unflinchingly. He was determined that no painshould wring a complaint or prayer for mercy. Even now he did notquite despair, for he thought that he had just one chance of life. Hewas sure that Tom would move heaven and earth to save him. He reckonedthat he would at once guess who had carried him off, and with whatobject; and he felt that Tom would be certain to set off to hisrescue. All this he had reflected over in his long days of wearysuffering, and from the moment that he was unbandaged, and proppedagainst the tree, he had listened attentively for any unusual sound.How Tom could rescue him he did not see. He was so utterly crippled,from his long confinement, that he knew that it would be hours,perhaps days, before he could walk a step; yet, still he thought itpossible that Tom might try; and he feared more than he hoped, for hetrembled lest, if Tom were really there, that he would do some rashthing, which would involve him in his fate. "Whether Tom is here ornot," Peter thought as he looked unflinchingly at Nunez, "one thingis certain, if I know my brother, you will not have many days to liveafter me, for Tom will follow you all over Spain, but he will avengeme at last!" Such were Peter's thoughts, and so likely did he think itthat Tom was present, that he was scarcely surprised when he heard, asfrom the ground behind him, a well-known voice.

  "Massa Peter, you keep up your heart. Sam here, Massa Tom he be herein another half hour with French soldiers. If dey go to kill youbefore dat, Sam play dem trick. Can you run, Massa Peter, if I cut decord?"

  "No, Sam."

  "Dat bad job. Neber mind, Massa Peter, you keep up your heart. Samkeep quiet as long as he can, but when de worst come Sam do de trickall right."

  "Don't show yourself, Sam. It would only cost you your life, andcouldn't help me; besides, it would put them on their guard. Theywon't kill me yet. They will smoke me, and so on, but they will makeit last as long as they can."

  Peter was able to say this, for at the moment Nunez was occupied inrolling and lighting a second cigarette. Peter received no answer, forSam, seeing some guerillas bringing sticks and leaves to make a fire,as Nunez, had ordered, crept back again into the deep shadow behind.The fire was now giving out volumes of smoke, a guerilla climbed upthe tree and slung a rope over it, and three others approached Peter.His heart beat rapidly; but it was with hope, not fear. He knew, fromthe words of Nunez, that at present he was not going to be burned,but, as he guessed, to be hung over the smoke until he was insensible,and then brought to life again with buckets of water, only to have thesuffocation repeated, until it pleased Nunez to try some fresh mode oftorture.

  It was as he imagined. The rope was attached to his legs, and amidthe cheers of the guerillas, two men hauled upon the other end untilPeter swung, head downwards, over the fire. There was no flame, butdense volumes of pungent smoke rose in his face. For a moment his eyessmarted with agony, then a choking sensation seized him, his bloodseemed to rush into his head, and his veins to be bursting: and therewas a confused din in his ears and a last throb of pain, and then hewas insensible.

  "That's enough for the present," Nunez said; "cut him down."

  The men advanced to do so, but paused, with astonishment, for frombehind the great fire was a loud yell--"Yah, yah, yah!"--each louderthan the last, and then, leaping through the flames appeared, as theysupposed, the devil. Sam's appearance was indeed amply sufficient tostrike horror in the minds of a band of intensely superstitious men.He had entirely stripped himself, with the exception of his sandals,which he had retained in order to be able to run freely; on his headwere two great horns; in one hand he held a fork, and in the otherwhat appeared to be his tail, but which really belonged to theslaughtered bullock. From his month, his horns, and the end of histail poured volumes of fire, arising, it needs not to say, from thesquibs he had prepared. The great white circles round the eyes addedto the ghastliness of his appearance, and seeing the terrible figureleap apparently from the flames, it is no wonder that a scream ofterror rose from the guerillas. Whatever a Spanish peasant may believeabout saints and angels, he believes yet more implicitly in a devil.Black, with horns, and a tail--and here he was--with these appendagestipped with fire! Those who were able turned and fled in terror, thosewho were too frightened to run fell on their knees and screamed formercy, while one or two fell insensible from fear. Taking the squibsfrom his mouth, and giving one more startling yell, to quicken thefugitives, Sam made two strides to where Peter was hanging, cut therope, and lowered him down.

  Nunez had at first joined in the flight, but looking over his shoulderhe saw what Sam was doing. His rage and frenzy, at the thought ofbeing cheated of his victim, even by the evil one himself, overcamehis fear, and he rushed back, shouting, "He is mine! He is mine! Iwon't give him to you!" and fired a pistol almost in Sam's face. Theball carried away a portion of one of Sam's ears, and with a yell,even more thrilling than those he had given before, he plunged hispitchfork into the body of the guerilla, then, exerting all hisimmense strength, he lifted him upon it, as if he had been a truss ofstraw, took three steps to the great bonfire and cast the brigand intoit.

  There was a volume of sparks, a tumbling together of big logs, and themost cruel of the Spanish guerillas had ceased to exist.

  This awful sight completed the discomfiture of the guerillas--somehearing their chief's shouts and the sound o his pistol had lookedround, but the sight of the gigantic fiend casting him into the firewas too much for them. With cries of horror and fear they continuedtheir flight; a few of them, who had fallen on their knees, gainedstrength enough, from fear, to rise and fly; the rest lay on theirfaces. Sam saw that for the present all was clear, and lifting upPeter's still insensible body, as if it had no weight whatever, heturned and went at a brisk trot out of the village, then over thecrest and down towards the fire.

  Then he heard a ring of metal in front of him, and a voice said, "_Quivive_!" while another voice said, "Is that you, Sam?"

  "Bress de Lord! Massa Tom, dis is me sure enough: and what is muchbetter, here is Massa Peter."

  "Thank God!" Tom said fervently. "Is he hurt? Why don't you speak,Peter?"

  "He all right, Massa Tom. He talk in a minute or two. Now smoke chokehim, he better presently. Here, massa, you take him down to fire, poura little brandy down his throat. Now, massa officer, I lead de wayback to village."

  As Tom took Peter in his arms a sudden fire of musketry was heard downon the road.

  "Our fellows have got them," Jules said. "I don't know what hasalarmed them, but they are running away!"

  "Push forward," General Reynier said, "and give no quarter! Jules,keep by the negro, and see that he comes to no
harm. The men mightmistake him for a guerilla."

  The night was pitch dark, and the extraordinary appearance of Samcould not be perceived until after scouring the village and shootingthe few wretches whom they found there, they gathered round thefire. Before reaching it, however, Sam had slipped away for a momentinto the hut where he had stripped; here he quickly dressed himself,removed the paint from his face, and rejoined the group, who were nota little surprised at seeing his black face.

  In a short time the parties who had been posted on all the variousroads came in, and it was found that they had between them killedsome thirty or forty of the brigands, and had brought in two or threeprisoners.

  "Have you killed or taken Nunez?" General Reynier asked. "Our work isonly half done if that scoundrel has escaped."

  "I have asked the prisoners," one of the officers said, "and they tellan extraordinary story, that the devil has just thrown him into thefire!"

  "What do they mean by such folly as that," the general asked angrily."Were they making fun of you?"

  "No, sir, they were certainly serious enough over it, and they wereall running for their lives when they fell into our hands; they hadbeen horribly frightened at something."

  "Ask that fellow there," the general said, pointing to a prisoner whohad been brought in by another detachment, "he cannot have spoken tothe others."

  The man was brought forward, and then Jules asked him in Spanish:"What were you all running away for?"

  The man gave a glance of horror at the fire. "The devil came with hispitchfork, fire came out of his mouth, his tail and his horns weretipped with sparks, the captain fired at him, of course the bullet didno good, and the devil put his fork into him, carried him to the fire,and threw him in."

  Jules and some of the other young officers burst out laughing, but thegeneral said:--

  "Humph! We can easily prove a portion of the story. See if there areany human remains in that fire."

  The wind was blowing the other way, but as a sergeant went up to thefire in obedience to the general's order, he said:--

  "There is a great smell of burnt flesh here, and, sapristi, yes," ashe tossed over the logs with his foot "there is a body here, sir,pretty well burnt up."

  "It's a curious story," the general said. "Where is that negro,perhaps he can enlighten us?"

  But Sam had already left to look after Peter.

  "Jules, put these fellows against that wall and give them a volley,then march the men down to the wood where their horses are. We willbivouac here for the night."

  A party now brought up Peter, who had quite come round, but was unableto stand, or indeed to move his arms, so injured was he by the ropes,which had completely cut their way into his flesh. However, he wascheerful and bright, and able really to enjoy the supper which wassoon prepared. That done, General Reynier said:--

  "Captain Scudamore, will you call your black man when he has finishedhis supper, which, no doubt, he needs? I want him to tell me what tookplace before we arrived. The prisoners were full of some cock-and-bullstory, that the devil had stuck his fork into their captain andpitched him into the fire, and the story is corroborated, at least tothe extent of the fact that, on turning the fire over, we found a bodythere."

  Sam, called and questioned, told the whole story, which Tom translatedas he went on to the French officers, and it was received with achorus of laughter at the thought of the oddity of Sam's appearance,and of the brigands' terror, and with warm admiration for the ablestratagem and courage shown by the black.

  Tom was delighted, and Peter, who had until now been entirely ignorantof the manner in which he had been saved, feebly pressed Sam's handand said a few words of gratitude and thanks, which so delighted Samthat he retired to cry quietly.

  The next day they moved down to Vittoria, where Peter was tenderlynursed by Madame Reynier. A week later he was fit to sit on horseback,and the next day, after a hearty and affectionate parting, theystarted to rejoin their own army. Both were now dressed as Spanishgentlemen, and Jules, with four troopers accompanied them as anescort.

  They made a long detour to avoid the French army in the field underClausel, and at last came within sight of the British outposts. HereJules and his escort halted, and after a warm embrace with the merryyoung Frenchman, they rode forward, and, after the usual parleyingwith the pickets, were passed forward to the officer commanding thepost. He happened to be well known to them, and after the firstsurprise, and a few words of explanation, they rode on towards thehead-quarters of the army besieging Burgos.