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F'tontisp'nxc.

HE FF.l.L

IMS HORSE.

See p;i

THE YOUNG BUGLERS.

A TALE OF THE PENINSULAR WAR.

By G. a. HENTY,

author of " frirnus though uividku," " the ci/rsk of carn.'s hold "
"the voonc franc-tirkurs," " out on thk pampas," etc., etc '

WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN PROCTOR
AND ELEVEN PLANS OF BATTLER

TORONTO :
THE COPP, CLARK COMPANY, LIMITED.

1 ' 1 1)

Entered according to Act of the Parliament -if Canada, in the year one thousand eight
hundred and ninety-sight, by Gripfith, Farran, Browns & Co.t LTO.t London,
England, in the o£ce of the Minister of Agriculture.

PREFACE.

To MY Young Readers.

I REMEMBER that, as a boy, I regarded any attempt to mix
instruction with amusement as being as objectionable a practice
as the administration of powder in jam ; but I think that this
feeling arose from the fact that in those days books contained
a very small share of amusement and a very large share of
instruction. I have endeavoured to avoid this, and I hope
that the accounts of battles and sieges, illustrated as they are
by maps, will be found as interesting as the lighter parts of the
story. As in my tale, " The Young Franc Tire urs,'' I gave
the outline of the Franco-German war, so I have now endea-
voured to give the salient features of the great Peninsular
struggle. The military facts, with the names of generals
and regiments, the dates and places, are all strictly accurate j
and any one who has read with care the story of " The Young
Buglers" could pass an examination as to the leading events
of the Peninsular war.

Yours truly,

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

— ♦ — _

CHAPTER I.

A COACHINO AnVF.NTURE . . . ^^^•'

CHAPTER II.
Two Young Pickles .

CHAPTER III.
Enlisted ,

• . 38

CHAPTER IV.
A Tough Custo;:er .

CHAPTER V.
Overboard , ,

CHAPTER VL
Portugal ...

CHAPTER VIL

The Passage of the Douro-Talavera

• . . , 107

CHAPTER VUL
A Pause in C perations .

. 130

CHAPTER IX,
With the Guerillas

141

CHAPTER X.
Madrid ,

♦ • . . 164

CHAPTER XL
The Fight on the Coa .

• • X77

vi Contents.

CHAPTER XII.

FAOC

BusACO andTokrks Vkdras 196

CHAPTER XIH.
Albuera 209

CHAPTER XIV.
Invalidi.d Home * 229

CHAPTER XV.
CinoAn RoDRiGo and Baoajos , . 240

CHAPTER XVI.
Salamanca 261

CHAPTER XVil.
Caugh-^ in a Trap 273

CHAPTER XVIII.
JuBT IN Time 2b'9

CHAPTER XJX.

VlTTORIA • . 307

CHAPTER XX.

TOULOUSK * f .««.*•••< 326

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Hefell ofThisljorse . . . .
The Fight

The boys anxiously watched the vessel .
"Oh, golly, here's dose boys' spirits!" .

rACI!

Ft ondspiece
62
. 89
. 102

" Stop ! or by heaven there will be four victims instead of two " . ,59
- Stop him ! stop him ! " yelled Sam. "Gracioi;", me! disam drefful" 214
Until Peter swung, head downwards, over the fire
" I am about, in five minutes' time, to order you to be shot. Mr.

Wa!.sh "

. 329

LIST OF PLANS OF BATTLES.

The Passage of tlie River Douro

Craufurd's Operations

Battle of iJuhaco

Lines of Torres Vedras .

Battle of Albiiera .

Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo

Sii ge of Badajos

Battle of Salamanca . ,

Battle of Vittoria .

Assault of St. Sebastian .

Hattle of Toulouse .

PAGE
107
177

197

209
241

253
261

307

319

326

THE YOUNG BUGLERS.

CHAPTER I.

A*
%

A COACHING ADVENTURE.

Had any of the boys in the lower forms of Eton in the year
1808, been asked who were the most popular boys of their own
age, they would have been almost sure to have answered, without
the slightest hesitation, Tom and Peter Scudamore, and yet it is
probable that no two boys were more often in disgrace. It was
not that they were idle, upon the contrary, both were fairly up
in their respective forms, but they were constantly getting into
mischief of one sort or another ; yet even with the masters they
were favourites, there was never anything low, disgraceful, or
ungendemanly in their escapades, and they could be trusted
never to attempt to screen themselves from the consequences
by prevarication, much less by lying. If the masters heard
that a party of youngsters had been seen far out of bounds
they were pretty sure that the Scudamores were among
them ; a farmer came in from a distance to complain that his
favourite tree had been stripped of its apples- for in those
days apples were looked upon by boys as fair objects of sport,
—if the head-master's favourite white poodle appeared dyed a
deep blue, if Mr. Jones, the most unpopular master in the

2 The Young Buglers.

school, upon coming out of his door, trod upon a quantity of
tallow s'iieared all over the doorstep, and was laid up for a
week in consequence, there was generally a strong suspicion
that Tom and Peter Scudamore were concerned in the matter.
One of their tricks actually came to the ears of the Provost
himself, and caused quite a sensation in the place, but in this
case, fortunately for them, they escaped undetected.

One fine summer afternoon they were out on the water with
two or three other boys of their own age, when a barge was
seen ahead at some short distance from the shore. She was
apparently floating down with the stream, and the fact that
a horse was proceeding along thf- towing-path a little way
ahead was not noticed, as the rope was slack and was trailing
under water. The boys, therefore, as they were rowing against
stream, steered their boat to pass inside of her. Just as they
rame abreast of the horse a man on the barge suddenly
shouted to the rider of the horse to go on. He did so, the
rope tightened, rose from the water just under the bow of
the boat, and in another minute the boys were struggling in the
water. All were good swimmers, and would have cared little
for the ducking had it occurred accidentally, but the roars of
laughter of the bargeman, and the chaff with which he assailed
them as they scrambled up the bank, showed clearly enough
that they had been upset maliciously. The boys were furious,
and one or two f roposed that they should report the case,
but Tom Scudamore pointed out that the bargeman would of
course declare that it was a pure accident, and that the boys
were themselves in fault in not looking out whether the barge
was being towed, before going iuside her, and so nothing would
come of reporting.

The boat was dragged ashore and emptied, and in a few
minutes they were rowing back towards the town. The distance

A Coaching Adventure, 5

was but shoit, and they did not repass the barge before they
reached their boat-house. The brothers had exchanged a few
words in a low voice on the way, and instead of following the
exannple of the others, and starting at a run for the house where
they boarded to change their clothes, they walked down by the
river and saw that the barge had moored up against the bank,
at a short distance below the bridge. They watched for a time,
and saw the bargeman fasten up the hatch of the little cabin
and go ashore.

That night two boys lowered themselves with a rope from
the window of one of the dames-houses, and walked rapidly
down to the river. There were a few flickering oil lamps
burning, and the one or two old watchmen were soundly asleep
in their boxes. They did not meet a soul moving upon their
way to the object of the expedition, the barge that had run
them down. Very quietly they slipped on board, satisfied them-
selves by listening at the half-open hatch to the snoring within
that their enemy was there, then loosened the moorings so that
they could be thrown off at a moment's notice.

"Now, Peter," the elder brother said, "open our lantern.
The night is quite still. You hold your hand behind it, so that
the light will not fall on our faces, and I will look whether he
is only wrapped up in a blanket or has a regular bed ; we must
not risk setting the place on fire. Get the crackers ready."

A dark lantern was now taken out from under Tom's jacket,
and was found to be still alight, an important matter, for
striking a light with flint and steel was in those days a long and
tedious business, and then opening it Tom threw the light into
the cabin. It was a tiny place, and upon a bench, wrapped up in
a blanket, the bargeman was lying. As the light fell on his
eyes, he moved, and a moment afterwards started up with an
oath, and demanded who was there;

4 The Young Buglers.

No answer came in words, but half a dozen lighted cracke*s
were thrown into the cabin, when they began to explode with a
tremendous uproar. In an instant the hatch was shut down and
fastened outside. The rope was cast off, and in another minute
she was f oating down stream with the crackers still exploding
inside her, but with their noise almost deadened by the
tremendous outcry of shouts and howls, and by a continued
and furious banging at the hatch.

" There is no fear of his being choked, Tom, I hope ? "

" No, I expect he's all right," Tom said, *' it will be pretty
stifling for a bit no doubt, but there's a chimney hole and the
smoke will find its way out presently. The barge will drift
down to the weir before it brings up, there is not enough stream
out for there to be any risk of her upsetting, else we daren't
have turned her adrift."

The next day the whole town was talking of the affair, and
in the afternoon the bargeman went up to the head-master
and accused one of the boys of an attempt to murder him.

Greatly surprised the Provost demanded what reason the
man had for suspecting the boys, and the bargeman acknow-
ledged that he had that afternoon npset a boat with four or
five boys in her. " They would not bear you malice on that
account," the Provost said ; " they don't think much of a swim
such weather as this, unless indeed you did it on purpose."

The man hesitated in his answer, and the Provost con.
tinued, " You evidently did do it on purpose, and in that case,
although it was carried too far, for I hear you had a very
narrow escape of being stifled, still you brought it upon your-
self, and I hope it will be a lesson to you not to risk the lives
of Eton boys for your amusement. I know nothing about this
affair, but if you can point out the boys you suspect I will
of course inquire into it.*'

A Coaching Adventure.

Tlie bargeman departed, grumbling that he did not know
one of the young imps from another, but if he did find them,
he'd wring their necks for them to a certainty. The Provost
had some inquiries made as to the boys who had been upset,
and whether they had all been in at lock-up time; finding
that they had all answered to their names, he made no further
investigation.

This affair had taken place in the summer before this story
begins, on the 15th of October, 1808. On that day a holiday
was granted in consequence of the head-master's birthday, and
the boys set off, some to football, some for long walks in the
country.

The Scudamores, with several of their friends, strolled down
the towing-path for some miles, and walked back by the road.
As they entered their dames-house on their return, Tom
Scudamore said for the twentieth time, "Well, I would
give anything to be a soldier, instead of having to go in
and settle down as a banker — it's disgusting ! "

As they entered a boy came up. " Oh, Scudamore,
Jackson's been asking for you both. It's something par-
ticular, for he has been out three or four times, and he wanted
to send after you, but no one knew where you had gone."

The boys at once went into the master's study, where they
remained all the afternoon. A short time after they went
in, Mr. Jackson came out and said a word or two to one of
the senior boys, and the word was quickly passed round, that
there was to be no row, for the Scudamores had just heard of
the sudden death of their father. That evening, Mr. Jackson
had beds made up for them in his study, so that they might
not have the pain of having to talk with the other boys. The
housekeeper packed up their things, and next morning early
they started by the coach for London.

6 The Young Buglers.

Mr. Scudamore, the father of the young Etonians, was a
banker.. He was the elder of twc brothers, and had inherited
his father's business, while his brother had gone into the army.
The banker had married the daughter of a landowner in the
neighbourhood, and had lived happily and prosperously until
her death, seven years before this story begins. She had
borne him three children, the two boys, now fifteen and
fourteen years old respectively, and a girl, Rhoda, two years
younger than Peter. The loss of his wife afflicted him greatly,
and he received another shock five years later by the death of
his brother, Colonel Scudamore, to whom he was much
attached. From the time of his wife's death he had greatly
relaxed in his attention to his business, and after his brother's
death he left the management almost entirely in the hands of
his cashier, in whom he had unlimited confidence. This con-
fidence was wholly misplaced. For years the cashier had
been carrying on speculation upon his own account with
the monies of the bank. Gradually and without exciting the
least suspicion he had realized the various securities held by
the bank, and at last gathering all the available cash he, one
Saturday afternoon, locked up the bank and fled.

On Monday it was found that he was missing ; Mr. Scuda-
more went down to the bank, and had the books taken into
his parlour for examination. Some hours afterwards a clerk
went in and found his master lying back in his chair
insensible. A doctor on arriving pronounced it to be
apoplexy. He never rallied, and a few hours afterwards the
nev"« spread through the country that Scudamore, the banker,
was dead, and that the bank had stopped payment.

People could believe the former item of news, but were
incredulous as to the latter, Scudamore's bank was looked
upon in Lincolnshire as at least as safe as the Bank of England

A Coaching Adventure,

>cuda-
into
clerk
chair
> be
s the
nker,

were

ioked

jland

itselC But the sad truth was soon clear to all, and for a
while there was great distress of mind among the people, for
many miles round, for most of them had entrusted all their
savings of years ta the Scudamores' bank. When affairs were
wound up, however, it was found that things were not quite so
bad as had been feared. Mr. Scudamore had a considerable
capital employed in the bank, and the sale of his handsome
house and estate realized a large sum, so that eventually every
one received back the money they had entrusted to the bank ;
but the whole of the capital and the profits of years of success-
ful enterprise had vanished, and it was calculated by the
executors that the swindler must have appropriated at least
80,000/.

For the first month after their father's death the boys
stayed with the doctor who had long attended the family and
had treated all their ailments since they were born. In the
great loss of their father the loss of their fortune affected them
but little, except that they were sorry to be obliged to leave
Eton ; for the interest of the little fortune which their mother
had brought at her marriage, and which was all that now
remained to them, would not ha^ e been cufficient to pay for
their expenses there, and indeed such an education would
have been out of place for two boys who had to make their
own way in life. At the end of this month it was arranged
that they were to go to their only existing relative, an elder
sister of Mr. Scudamore. The boys had never seen her,
for she had not for many years been friends with her brother.

The letter which she had written to the doctor, announcing
her v;illingncss to receive them, made the boys laugh, although
it did not hold out prospects of a very pleasant future. " I
am, of course," she said, " prepared to do my duty. No one
can say that I have ever failed in my duty. My poor brother

The Young Buglers.

quarrelled with me. It was his duty to apologize. He did
not do so. Had it been my duty to apologize I should have
done so. As I was right, and he was wrong, it was clearly not
my duty. I shall now do my duty to my niece and nephews.
Yet I may be allowed to say that I regret much that they are
not all nieces. I do not like boys. They are always noisy,
and not always clean. They do not wipe their shoes, they
are always breaking things, they go about with all sorts of
rubbish and dirt in their pockets, their hair is always rough,
they are fond of worrying cats, and other cruel games.
Altogether they are objectionable. Had my brother made up
his mind to leave his children in my charge, it was clearly his
duty to have had girls instead of boys. Ii.->wever, it is not
because other people fail in their duty that I should fail in
mine. Therefore, let them come to me this day fortnight.
By that time I shall have got some strong and suitable
furniture in the room that my nephews will occupy, and shall
have time to make other arrangements. This letter will, if
all goes well, reach you, I believe, in three days after the date
of posting, and they will take the same time coming here. As-
sure them that I am prepared to do my duty, and that I hope
that they will make a serious effort at doing theirs. Ask my
nephews, upon the occasion of their first arrival, to make as
little noise as they can, because my cat, Minnie, is very shy,
and if she is scared at the first meeting, she will take a very long
time to get accustomed to them. I also particularly beg that
they do not, as they come up to the house, throw stones at
any of the pigeons who may be resting upon the roof, for the
slates were all t'et right a few weeks ago, and I am sure I
do not wish to have the slater here again ; they were hanging
about for ten days the last time they came. I do not know
that I have anything else to say."

A Coaching Adventure,

The boys received the reading of this singular epistle with
shouts of laughter.

'* Poor aunt," Tom said. " What does she think of us that
she can suppose that, upon our very first arrival, we should
come in like wild Indians, throwing stones at her pigeons, and
frightening her Minnie into fits. Did you ever hear such an
extraordinary idea, Doctor Jarvis ? "

" At any rate, boys," the doctor said, when the laughter had
ceased, "you may find your aunt ti little peculiar, but she
is evidently determined to do her duty to you, and you must
do yours to her, and not play more pranks than you can help.
As to you, Rhoda, you will evidently be in high favour, and as
you are fortunately a quiet little lady, you will, I have no
doubt, get on with her very well."

" I hope so," Rhoda said, smiling, " you see she means to
je kind, though she does write funny letters, and, at any rate,
there are Minnie and the pigeons; it sounds nice, you know.
Do you know what aunt's place is like. Dr. Jarvis, and how
to get there from here ? "

" No, my dear, I never was in that part of England. It is
close to Marlborough that she lives, a very pretty country, I
believe There is, of course, no way to go across from here.
You must go up to London by coach from here, and then to
Marlborough by the western coach. I will write to my
brother James in town, where you stopped a night as you
came through, boys, and I know that he will take you all in
for the night, and see that you go off right in the morning."

" You're very kind, indeed, Doctor Jarvis. I do not know
how to thank you for all you have done for us," Tom said
earnestly, and the others cordially echoed the sentiment.

The day before starting the doctor had a long talk with the
boys. He pointed out to them that their future now de-

The Young Buglers.

pended upon themselves alone. They must expect to find
many unpleasantnesses in their way, but they must take their
little trials pleasantly, and make the best of everything. " I
have no fear as to Rhoda," their kind friend said. " She has
thai happy, amiable, and quiet disposition that is sure to
adapt itself to all circumstances. I have no doubt she will
become a favourite with your aunt. Try to keep out of
scrapes, boys. You know you are rather fond of mischief,
and your aunt will not be able to understand it. If you get
into any serious difficulty write to me, you can rely upon
always finding a friend in me."

The journey to London was no novelty to the boys, but
Rhoda enjoyed it immensely. Her place had been taken
inside, but most of the journey she rode outside with her
brothers. She was greatly amazed at the bustle and noise of
London, and was quite confused at the shouting and crowd at
.he place where the coach drew up, for two or three other coaches
had just arrived from other directions. Mr. Jarvis had sent
his man servant to meet them, their luggage was sent direct
to the booking-office from which the coach starled for Marl-
borough, and the servant carried a small bag containing their
night things. It was evening when they got in, and Rhoda
could scarcely keep her eyes open long enough to have tea,
for the coach had been two days and nights upon the road.
The next day they stayed in town, and Mrs. Jarvis took them
out to see the sights of London— the Tower and St. Paul's,
and Westniinster Abbey, and the beasts at Exeter Change.
The boys had twice before spent a whole day in London,
their father having, upon two occasions, made his visits to
cown fit in with their going up to school, but to Rhoda it was
all new, and very, very wonderful.

The next day the coach started early for Marlborough. It

A Coaching Adventure.

was to take rather over twenty-four hours on the way. As
before, Rhoda rode outside with her brothers until the evening,
but then, instead of going inside, where there were five
passengers already, she said, as the night was so fine and
warm, she would rather remain with them. They were sitting
behind the coachman, there were two male passengers upon
the same seat with them, and another in the box seat by the
coachman. The conversation turned, as in those days it was
pretty sure to turn, upon highw2'men. Several coaches had
been lately stopped by three highwaymen, who worked together,
and were reported to be more reckless and desperate than the
generality of their sort. They had shot a coachman who
refused to stop, the week before on Hounslow Heath, they had
killed a guard on the great north road, and they had shot two
passengers, who resisted, near Exeter.

Tom and Peter were greatly amused by observing that the
passenger who sat next to them, and who, at the commence-
ment of the conversation, showed a brace of heavy pistols
with which he was provided, with much boasting as to what
he should do if the coach were attacked, when he heard of the
fate of the passengers who had resisted, became very quiet
indeed, and presently took an opportunity, when he thought
that he was not observed, of slipping his pistols under the
tarpaulin behind him.

" I hope those dreadful men won't stop our coach," Rhoda
said.

"They won't hurt you if they do, Rhoda," Tom said
assuringly. " I think it would be rather a lark. I say, Peter,"
he went on in a whisper, " I think we might astonish them
with those pistols that coward next to you has hid behind him.'*

" I should just think so," Peter said ; " the bargee at Eton
would be nothing to it."

The Young Buglers.

The hours went slowly on. Rhoda and the boys dozed
uncomfortably against each other and the baggage behind
them, until they were suddenly roused by a shout in the road
beside them : " Stand for your lives ! "

The moon was up, and they could see that there were
three horsemen. One galloped to the horses' heads, and
seized the rein of one of the leaders, the others rode by the
coach.

The first answer to the challenge was a discharge from the
blunderbus of the guard, which brought one of the highwaymen
from his horse.

The other, riding up to the side of the coach, fired at the
guard, ^nd a loud cry told that the shot had taken eff'ect.
In another moment the fellow was by the side of the coachman.

" Hold up ! " he said, " or I will blow your brains out 1 "

The coachman did as he was ordered, and indeed the man
at the leader's head had almost succeeded in stopping them.
The passenger next to the boys had, at the first challenge,
again seized his pistols, and the boys thought that he was
going to fire after all.

" Lie down at our feet, Rhoda, quick ! " Tom said, " and
don't move till I tell you." The fate of the guard evidently
frightened away the short-lived courage of the passenger, for,
as the coachman again pulled up, he hastily thrust the pistols
in behind him.

" Get down, every one of you," the highwayman shouted.

" Lie still, Rhoda," Tom whispered. " Now, Peter, get in
underneath the tarpaulin."

This was done as the passengers descended. The luggage
was not so heavily piled as usual, and the boys found plenty
of room beneath the tarpaulin.

** Now, Peter, you take one of these pistols and give me the

A Coaching Adventure.

other. Now peep out. The moon is hidden, which is a good
thing ; now, look here, you shall shoot that fellow standing
down below, who is swearing at the ladies inside for not
getting out quicker. I'll take a shot at that fellow standing
in front of the horses' heads."

" Do you think you can hit him, Tom ?"

" I have not the least idea, but I can '.ry ; and if you hit the
ether one, the chances are he'll bolt, whether I hit him or not.
Open the tarpaulin at the side so as to see well, and rest
the pistol upon something. You must take a good shot, Peter,
for if you miss him we shall be in a mess."

*' All right," Peter said, in a whisper, " I can almost touch
him with the pistol."

In loud and brutal tones the highwayman now began to
order the frightened ladies to give up their watches and rings,
enforcing his commands with terrible curses. When suddenly
a pistol flashed out just behind him, and he fell off his horse
with a ball through his slioulder.

Tom's shot, though equally well intended, was not so truly
aimed The highwayman had dismounted, and was standing
just in front of the leaders, so that Tom had a fair view of him
between them. The boys had both occasionally fired their
father's pistols, for, in those days, each householder in the
country always kept loaded pistols in his room, but his skill
was not sufficient to make sure of a man at that distance.
The bullet flew past at two feet to the left of his head. But
its effect was scarcely less startling than if it had actually hit
him, for, in its passage, it passed through the ear of the off
leader. The horse made a start at the sudden pain, and
then dashed forward. The rest of the team, already alarmed
by the shot, followed her lead ; before the startled highwayman
could get out of the way they were upon him, in another

TJie Young Buglers.

instant he was under their heels, and the coach gave a sudden
lurch as it passed over his body.

" Lie still, Rho(hi, a little longer; it's all right, but the horses
have run away," Tom exclaimed, as he scrambled forward,
and caught hold of the reins, which the coachman had tied to
the rail of the seat as he got down. " Catch hold of the
reins, Peter, and help me pull."

Peter did so ; but the united strength of the boys was
wholly unequal to arresting the headlong flight of the
horses.

Fortunately the highwaymen had chosen a low bottom be-
tween two hills, to arrest the coach, consequently the road was
up a hill of moderate steepness. The boys hoped that the
horses would stop when they got to the top ; but they went
on with redoubled speed.

" This is something like going it," Peter said.

" Isn't it, Peter ? They know their way, and we ain't likely
to meet anything in the road. They will stop at their stable.
At any rate, it's no use trying to steer them. Here, Rhoda
dear, get up ; are you very much frightened ? "

Rhoda still lay quite still, and Peter, holding on with
difficulty, for the coach quite rocked with the speed at which
they were going, climbed over to her, and stooped down.
" Shall I help you up, Rhoda ? "

" No, please, I would rather stop here till it's all over."

Fortunately the hill, up to the village where they made the
change, was a steep one, and the horses broke into a trot
before they reached the top, and, in another minute drew up
at the door of the inn. The astonishment of the ostlers at
seeing the horses covered with lather, and coach-box tenanted
only by two boys, behind whom a little white face now peered
out, was extreme, and they were unable to get beyond an

A Coaching Atlvcnture.

ejaculation of hallo ! expressive of a clci)th of incredulous
astonishment impossible to be rendered by words.

" Look here," Tom said, with all the composure, and much
of the impudence, which then, as now, characterized the young
Etonian, " don't be star ng like a pack of stuck pigs. You had
better ^^t the fresh horses in, and drive back to the bottom,
pbout four miles from here. There has been a regular row
with some fellows, and I expect two or three are killed. Now,
just put up the ladder ; I want to get my sister down.'*

Almost mechanically the men put the ladder up to the
coach, and the boys and Rhoda got down.

" Do you say the coach has been attacked by highwaymen
in Burnet bottom ? "

" I don't know anything about Burnet bottom," Tom said.
" It was a bottom about four miles off. There were three of
them. The guard shot one of them, and the others shot the
guard. Then we were stopped by them, and every one had
to get down. Then the horses ran away, and here we are."

''Then there are two of those highwayman chaps with the
passengers," one of the men said.

"You need not be afraid of them," Tom said carelessly;
" one got shot, and I don't know about the other, but the
wheel of the coach went over him, so I do not suppose he
will be much trouble. Now, if I were you, I should not
stand staring any more, but should make haste and take the
coach back."

" Hullo, look at this grey," one of the men exclaimed,
as, at last understanding what had taken place, they began to
busde about to change horses. " He's got blood all over the
side of his head. One of those scoundrels has shot him
through the ear."

Tom burst out laughing. **I am the scoundrel !" he said

The Young Biiglcrs,

" Peter, that explains why we went off so suddenly. I missed
the fellow, and hit the leader in the ear. However, it comes
to the same thing. By the way, we may as well take the
pistols."

So saying, he ran up the ladder and brought down the
pistols. By this time the fresh horses were in.

" I can't mako nought of it," one of the ostlers said, climbing
up into the coachman's seat. "Jump up. Bill and Harry.
It's the rummiest go I ever heard of in coaching."

" Landlady, can you get us some tea at once, please," Tom
said, going up to the landlady, who was looking on from the
door of the house with an astonishment equal to that of the
men at the whole affair j " as quickly as you can, for m)
sister looks regularly done up with fatigue, and then, please,
let her lie down till the coach is ready to start again. It will
be three quarters of an hour before it is back, and then, I
daresay, there will be a lot of talking before they go on. ]
should think they will be wanting breakfast. At any rate, an
hour's rest will do you good, Rhoda,"

Rhoda was too worn out with the over-excitement even to
answer. Fortunately there was hot water in order to make
hot grog for the outriders of the coach, some tea was quickly
made, and in ten minutes Rhoda was fast asleep on the
landlady's bed.

Tom and Peter expressed their desire for something sub-
stantial in the way of eating, for the morning had now fairly
broken. The landlady brought in some cold meat, upon
which the boys made a vigorous attack, and then, taking
possession of two benches, they dozed off until the coach
arrived.

It had but three horses, for one had been sent off to carry
Bill, the ostler, at full speed to the town at which they had

A Coaching Adventure. ,,

last changed horses, to fetch a doctor and the constnble. Th.
other two rnen had remained with the guard, who was shot in
the hip, and the highwayman, whose collar-bone was broken by
Peters shot. The fellow shot by the guard, and the other
one whom the coach wheels had passed over, were Loth
dead.

"There's the coach, Tom."

" What a nuisance, Peter, they'll all be wanting to talk now
and I am just so comfortably off. Well, I suppose it's no usJ
trymg to get any more sleep."

So saying, they roused themselves, and went out to the
door jus^ as the coach drew up.

There was a general shout of greeting from the passengers
^vhlch was stopped, however, by a peremptory orj.r from the
coachman.

He was a large, stout man, with a face red from the
effects of wind and exposure. "J.ck," he said, to a man
who was standing near, for the news of the attack upon the
coach had quickly spread, and all the villagers were astir to
see It come in. Jack, hold the leader's head. Thomas, open
the door, and let the insides out. Gents," he said solemnly
when tb.s was done, "I'm going to do what isn't a usuai
thmg by no means, in fact, I ain't no precedence for doin.
It; but then, I do not know any precedence for this here
busmess altogether. I never did hear of a coachman standing
up on his box to give a cheer, no, not to King George himself
but, there, Kmg George never polished off two highwaymen
all to himself, leastway, not as I've heard tell of Now these
two young gents have done this. They have saved my'coach
And my passengers from getting robbed, and so I'm .oin<r to
give em three cheers. I'll trouble you to help me up i„to"the
box seat, gentlemen."

The Young Buglers.

Assisted by the other passengers, the driver now gravely
climbed up into the box seat, steadied himself there by
placing one hand upon the shoulder of the passenger next
him, took off his low-crowned hat, and said, " Follow me,
gents, with three cheers for those young gents standing there ;
better plucked ones I never came across, and I've travelled a
good many miles in my day."

So saying, he gave three stentorian cheers, which were echoed
by all the passengers and villagers.

Then there was a momentary silence, and Tom, who, with
his brother, had been feeling very uncomfortable, although
rather inclined to laugh, seeing that he was expected to say
something, said, " Thank you all very much ; but we'd much
rather you hadn't done it."

Then there was a general laugh and movement, and a
general pressing forward of the passengers to shake the boys
by the hand. The driver was assisted down from his elevated
position, and got off the coach and came up to them. " That's
the first speech I ever made, young gentlemen, and, if I
know myself, it will be the last; but, you see, I was druv
to it. You're a good sort, that's certain. What will you
drink?"

The boys declared for beer, and drank solemnly with the
driver, >'mitating him in finishing their mugs at a draught, and
turning them topsy-turvy. There was now a great deal of
talking, and many questions were asked. Tom and Peter
modestly said that there was really nothing to tell. They saw
that the gentleman next to them intended to use his pistols ;
but, not seeing a good opportunity, put them down behind the
tarpaulin, and the thought occurred to them that, by slipping
behind it, they would get a good chance of a certain shot.
Accordingly, they had fired, and then the horse had run away,

A Coaching Adventure. jq

"At any rate, my boys, you have saved me from a loss o(
a coup e or undreri pounds which I had got hid in my boots
.ut wh,c those ..,ows would have been sure to hav d I'
covered," one of the passengers said.

There was a general chorus of satisfaction at many watches
and trmkets saved, and then the first passenger went ': - "

end J ^'^ '"'^ '"*■"' "^^' -■^'" «-e get to the

en^Jof our journey we make a subscription, accordmg to the

rntlelr r "r' ""' '"'" "-^ set each of these young
gentlemen a brace of the very best pistols that car .. bought
If they go on as they have begun, they wil, find tl,em use u, "'
ladl hrrir"^' -<='-^"-°f approva,, and one of he
^ i to'^a? 1 '"^"^^.P^-"Ser, said, "And f think

k .u , ^our^e, She had not so much to do ns h^r

coach just as they did " ^""^ "P^"' ^y 'he

their places, .hoda being carld J :; tiefpT ^ ll^
lady, and placed in the coach one of fh„ J ^'

getting out to make room forlt anH , '"f ' P'"""^^^'
on the seat, with her hLd j;^^ ^V:: ^J ^^'^^ "P.

until, to her astonishment, she was /ok ^ilVoM,;;:;^'?'
was m Marlborough. ^"^' ^^^

:?"

CHAPTER II.

TWO YOUNG PICKLES.

An old-fashioned open carriage, drawn by a stiff, old-fashioned
horse, and driven by a stiff, old-fashioned man, was in waiting
at the inn at which the coach drew up at Marlborough. Into
this the young Scudamores were soon transferred, and, after
a hearty good-bye from their fellow-passengers, and an im-
pressive one from the coachman, they started upon the con-
cluding part of their journey.

" How far is it to aunt's?" Tom asked.

" About six miles, young sir," the driver said gravely.

The young Scudamores had great difficulty to restrain their
laughter at Tom's new title ; in fact, Peter nearly choked him-
self in his desperate efforts to do so, and no further questions
were asked for some time.

The ride was a pleasant one, and Rhoda, who had never
been out of Lincolnshire before, was delighted with the beau-
tiful country through which they were passing. The journey,
long as it was— for the road was a very bad one, and the horse
had no idea of going beyond a slow trot — passed quickly to
them all ; but they were glad when the driver pointed to a
.quaint old-fashioned house standing back from the road, and
said that they were home.

Two Young Pickles. j,

"There are the pigeons, Rhoda, and there is Minnie asleep
on that open window-sill."

Very many times had .he young Scudamores talked about

hat^h , "' °' ''"'° nearly approached the truth,

hat he almost seemed to be an old acquaintance as she came
to the door as the carnage stopped. She was a tall, upright

tfoIa'r'lV ""'• '" ''''''''^^' face,and'ac*:rt'a
prim look about her manner ^d dress

"Well, niece Rhoda -...d nephews,' I am glad to see tint
you ave arnved safely," she said in a clear! distinct vl
WeIcon.e to the Yews. I hope that we shall get on very

whp Vru kno'T ^' "" ^'""^ "^"^'"'-^ "> -'^
lit Lm do s'r ' ^"^ ^°" ^^'^ '^^^''"^' '--"- - -

No, my lady, they never so much as asked »
^That is right," Miss Scudamore said, turning round and
shakmg hands w,th the boys, who had now got ou! of the car
nage and had helped Rhoda down. '< I am glad to hear what'
Joseph tells me, for I know that boys are generally fond :
funous dr,v,ng, and like lashing horses until they put t °

■ntoag^nopAndnowhoware you, niece Rhoda/ Gteme!
ktss. That ts nght. You look pale and tired, child ■ you
must have something to eat, and then go to bed. Girt can't
stand racketing about as boys can. You look quiet ani ce
chtld and I have no doubt we shall suit very well. It i, veTy'
creditable .0 you that you have not been spoilt by yo '
brothe.^ Boys generally make their sisters almost as noisy
and rude as they are themselves. " ^

with'alT'"' " "^ "°'^ ^""^ ™'^^' ^""'•" ^- -".

((

■T"

The Young Buglers.

" Oh, you don't, nephew ?" Miss Scudamore said, looking at
him sharply, and then shaking her head decidedly two or
three times. " If your looks do not belie you both sadly, you
are a])Out as hair-brained a couple of lads as my worst enemies
could wish to see sent to plague me ; but," she added to her-
self, as she turned to lead the way indoors, " I must do my
duty, and must make allowances ; boys will be boys, boys will
be boys, so they say at least, though why they should be is
more than I can make out. Now, Rhoda, I will take you up
with me. Your bedroom leads out of mine, dear. Hester," she
said to a prim-looking servant who had come out after her to
the door ; " will you show my nephews to their room ?
Dinner will be ready at two ; it is just a qua'-ter to the hour
now. I see that you have got watches, so that you will be
able to be punctual ; and I must request you, when you have
done washing, not to throw the water out of the window,
because my flower-beds are underneath."

Tom had great difficulty in keeping his countenance, while
he assured his aunt that his brother and himself never did
empty their basins out of the window.

" That is right," Miss Scudamore said doubtfully ; " but I
have heard that boys do such things."

Once fairly in their room and the door shut, the boys had
a great laugh over their aunt's ideas as to boys.

" There is one comfort," Tom said at last ; " whatever we do
we shall never surprise her."

" I think we shall get on very well with her," Peter said.
'* She means to be kind, I am sure. This is a jolly room, Tom."

It was a Iv w wainscoted room, with a very wide window
divided into three by mullions, and fitted with laticed panes.
They were open, and a delicious scent of flowers came in from
the garden. The furniture was all new and very strong, of

Two Yoinig Pickles.

«3

dark stamed wood, which harmonised well with the panellin.-
There were no window curtains, but a valance of white dimit°y
nung above the window. There was a piece of carpet between
the beds ; the rest of the floor was bare, but the boards were of
old oak, and looked as well without it. Several rows of pegs
had been put upon the walls, and there was a small chest of
drawers by each bed.

"This is very jolly, Peter ; but it is a pity that there .•■« bars
to the window."

When they came down to dinner they found that Rhoda
quite done up with her journey, had gone to bed

" You like your room, I hope, nephews," Miss Scudamore
said, after they had taken their seats.

." lu ' ^""': ""^ """''■ '^'^"'" '^ °"'y °"e drawback to it.
"What IS that, Thomas?"

" Oh, please aunt, don't call me Thomas; it is a dreadful
name; It is almost as bad as Tommy. Please call me Tom
I am always called Tom by every one."

•..t/ ^'" "°'.'°°'^ °^ "'"'' "'^''"^""es," Miss Scudamore said.

There is a flippancy about them of which I do not approve »

Yes. aunt, m nicknames ; but Tom is not a nickname • it

IS only a short way of speaking. We never hear of a man

being caUed Thomas, unless he is a footman or an archbishop,

or something of that sort."

" What do you mean by archbishop ?" Miss Scudamore asked
severely.

"Well, aunt, I was going to say footman, and then I thoucrht
of Thomas k Beckett ; and there was Thomas the Rhymer ^ I
have heard of him, but I never read any of his rhymes' 1
wonder why they did not call them poems. But I expect even
Thomas k Beckett was called Tom in his own family "

Miss Scudamore looked sharply at Tom, but he had a perfect

The Young Buglers.

command of his face, and could talk the greatest nonsense
with the most serious face. He went on unmoved with her
scrutiny.

" I have often wondered why I was not christened Tom.
It would have been much more sensible. For instance,
Rhoda is christened Rhoda, and not Rhododendron."

" Rhododendron ?" Miss Scudamore said, mystified.

" Yes, aunt, it is an American plant, I believe. We had
one in the green-house at home ; it was sent poor papa by some
friend who went out there. I don't see anything else Rhoda
could come from."

"You are speaking very ignorantly, nephew," Miss Scudamore
said severely. " I don't know anything about the plant you speak
of, but the name of Rhoda existed before America was ever
heard of. It is a very old name."

" I expect," Peter said, " it must have meant originally a
woman of Rhodes. You see Crusaders and Templars were
always having to do with Rhodes, and they no doubt brought
the name home, and so it got settled here."

" The name is mentioned in Scripture," Miss Scudamore said
severely.

*' Yes, aunt, and that makes it still more likely that it meant
a woman of Rhodes ; you see Rhodes was a great place then."

Miss Scudamore was silent for some time. Then she went
back to the subject with which the conversation had com-
menced. " What is the objection you spoke of to the room ?"

" Oh ! it is the bars to the window, aunt."

" I have just bad them put up," Miss Scudamore said calmly.

" Just put up, aunt ! " Tom repeated in surprise, "what for V*

" To prevent you getting out at night."

The boys could not help laughing this time, and then Peter
said, " But why should we want to get out at night, aunt?"

Two Youftg^ Pickles.

nly.
r?"

eter

" Why should boys always want to do the things they ought
not?" Miss Scudamore said. "I've heard of boys being let
down by ropes to go and buy things. I dare say you have
both done it yourselves."

" Well aunt," Tom said, " perhaps we have ; but then, you
see, that was at school."

" I do not see any difference, nephew. If you will get out
at one window, you will get out at another. There is mischief
to be done in the country as well as in towns ; and so long as
there is mischief to do, so long will boys go out of their way
to do it. And now I will tell you the rules of this house, to
which you will be expected to adhere. It is well to under-
stand things at once, as it prevents mistakes. We breakfast at
eight, dine at two, have tea at half-past six, and you will go to
bed at half-past eight. These hours will be strictly observed
I shall expect your hands and faces to be washed, and your
hairs brushed previous to each meal. When you come indoors
you will always take off your boots and put on your shoes in
the little room behind this. And now, if you have done dinner
I think that you had better go and lie down on your bed, and
get two or three hours' sleep. Take your boots off before you
get into the bed."

"She means well, Peter," the elder brother said, as they
went upstairs, "but I am afraid she will fidget our lives
out."

For two 01 hree days the boys wandered about enjoying the
beautiful walks, and surprising and pleasing their aunt by the
punctuality with which they were in to their meals. Then she
told them that she had arranged for them to go to a tutor, who
lived at Warley, a large village a mile distant, and who hud
some eight or ten pupils. The very first day's experience at
the school disgusted them. The boys were of an entirely

The Young Buglers.

different class to those wiih whom they had hitherto asso-
ciated, and the master was violent and passionate.

" How do you like Mr. Jones, nephews?" Miss Scudamore
asked upon their return after their first day at school.

" We do not like him at all, aunt. In the first place, he is
a good deal too handy with that cane of his."

" * He who spares the rod — ' "

" Yes, we know that, aunt, 'spoils the child,'" broke in Tom,
"but we would not mind so much if the fellow were a gentleman."

"I don't know what you may call a gentleman," Miss
Scudamore said severely. " He stands very high here as a
schoolmaster, while he visits the vicar, and is well looked up
to everywhere."

" He's not a gentleman fop all that," Tom muttered ; " he
wouldn't be if he visited the Queen. One does not mind
being thrashed by a gentleman ; one is used to that at Eton ;
but to be knocked about by a fellow like that ! Well, we
shall see."

For a week the boys put up with the cruelty of their tutor,
who at once took an immense dislike to them on finding that
they did not, like the other boys, cringe before him, and that
no thrashing could extract a cry from them.

It must not be supposed that they did not meditate ven-
geance, but they could hit upon no plan which could be
carried out without causing suspicion that it was the act of
one of the boys ; and in that case they knew that he would
question them all round, and they would not tell a lie to
screen themselves.

Twice they appealed to their aunt, but she would not listen
to them, saying that the other boys did not complain, and
that if their master was more severe with them than with others,
it could only be because they behaved worse. It was too

I \

Two Young Pickles.

len

id
irs.

■

loo

evident that they were boys of very violent disposition?, and
although she was sorry that their masler found it necessi ry to
punish them, it was clearly her duty not to interfere.

The remark about violence arose from Miss Scudamo^e
having read in the little paper which was published once a week
at Marlborough an account of the incident of the stopping of the
coach, about which the boys had agreed to say nothing to her.
The paper had described the conduct of her nephews in the
highest terms, but Miss Scudamore was terribly shocked. " The
idea," she said, " that she should have to associate with boys who
had taken a fellow-creature's life was terrible to her, and their
conduct in resisting, when grown-up men had given up the idea
as hopeless, showed a violent spirit, which, in boys so young,
was shocking."

A few days after this, as the boys were coming from school,
they passed the carrier's cart coming in from Marlborough.

*' Be you the young gentlemen at Miss Scudamore's ? " the
man asked. "Because, if you be, I have got a parcel for you."

Tom answered him that they were, and he then handed
them over a heavy square parcel. Opening it after the cart
had gone on, the boys, to their great delight, found that it
consisted of two cases, each containing a brace of very hand-
some pistols.

" This is luck, Peter," Tom said. " If the parcel had been
sent to the house, aunt would never have let us have them ;
now we can take them in quietly, get some powder and balls,
and practice shooting every day in some quiet place. That
will be capital Do you know I have thought of a plan which
will enrage old Jones horribly, and he will never suspect us ?"

" No J have you, Tom ? What is tiiat ? "

" Look here, Peter. I can carry you easily standing on my
shoulders. If you get a very long cloak, so as to fall well down

The Young Buglers,

on me, no one would suspect in the dark that there were two
of us ; we should look like one tremendously tall man. Well,
you know, he goes every evening to Dunstable's to sing with
Miss Dunstable. They say he's making love to her. We can
waylay him in the narrow lane, and make him give up that
new watch he has just bought, that he's so proud of. I
heard him say he had given thirty guineas for it. Of course,
we don't want to keep it, but we would smash it up between a
couple of big stones, and send him all the pieces."

" Capital, Tom ; but where should we get the cloak ? "

" There is that long wadded silk cloak of aunt's that she
uses when she goes out driving. It always hangs up in the
closet in the hall."

" But how are we to get in again, Tom ? I expect that he
does not come back till half-past nine or ten. We can slip
out easily enough after we are supposed to have gone to bed ;
but how are we to get back ? "

" The only plan, Peter, is to get in through Rhoda's window.
She is very angry at that brute Jones treating us so badly, and
if I take her into the secret I feel sure she will agree."

Rhoda was appealed to, and although at first she said it was
quite, quite impossible, she finally agreed, although with much
fear and trembling, to assist them. First, the boys were to buy
some rope and make a rope ladder, which Rhoda was to take
up to her room ; she was to open the window wide when she
went to bed, but to pull the blind down as usual, so that if her
aunt came in she would not notice it. Then, when she heard
her aunt come up to bed at half-past nine, she was to get up
very quietly, drop the rope ladder out, fastening it as they
instructed her, and then get into bed again, and go to sleep if
she could, as the boys would not try to come in until after
Miss Scudamore was asleep.

!1!

Two Young Pickles. jo

T«ro nights after this the schoolmaster was returning from
h.s usual v>s.t to Mr. Dunstable, when, to his horror, he saw a
gigantic figure advance fron, under a tree which overshadowed
the ^lawn. and heard a deep voice say. " Your money or your

Like all bullies, the schoohna.ter was a coward, and no
sooner d.<l he see this terrible figure, and his ears caught the
ommous click of a pistol which accompanied the words, than
h.s teeth chattered, his whole figure tren>bled with fear, and
he fell on his knees, crying, "Spare my life !-take all that I
nave, but spare my life I "

" You miserable coward ! " the giant said. " I do not want to
take your wretched life. What money have you ? "

'' I have only two shillings," he exclaimed ; " I swear to you
that I have only two shillings."

" What is the use of two shillings to me? -give them to the
first beggar you see."

I w'iir"' ''''" *' ''''°°''""^'«' ^'^■' "I swear to you that
" Give me your watch."

reerhrrdtrr tr "'^ ^™'"' ^"^' -"^-^ ^^- ^^

" There now, you can go , but see," he added, as the
schoolmaster turned with great alacrity to leave-" lo;k here."
X cSj sir*

'• Look here, and mark my words well Don't you go to
vhat house where you have been to-night, or it wHl be the
worse for you. You are a wretch, and I won't see that plor

c-ic?:ft sr ''^'"^'' "^^ "-'- - ^^^'" '^^ <""--

^rk

30 T/ie Young Buglers.

" Yes, yes, I swear it," he said hastily. " I wi)l give her up
altogether."

" You had jetter keep your oath," the giant said, " for if you
break it, if I hear you go there any more — I shall be sure to
hear of it — I will put an ounce of lead in you, if I have to do it
in the middle of your school. Do you hear me ? Now you
may go,"

Only too glad to escape, the schoolmaster walked quickly o(T,
and in a moment his steps could be heard as he ran at the top
of his speed down the .ane.

In a moment the giant appeared to break in two, and two
small figures stood where the large one had been.

" Capital, Peter. Now, I'll take the cloak, and you keep the
pistol, and now for a run home — not that I'm afraid of that
coward getting up a pursuit He'll be only too glad to get his
head under the bedclothes."

Rhoda had carried out her brother's instructions with great
exactness, and was in a great fright when her aunt came in
to see her in bed, lest she should notice that the window was
open. However, the night was a quiet one, and the cur-
tains fell partly across the blind, so that Miss Scudamore sus-
pected nothing, but Rhoda felt great relief when she ;aid
good-night, took the candle, and left the room. She had
had hard work to keep herself awake until she heard her
aunt come up to bed; and then, finding that she did not
again come into the room, she got up, fastened one end of the
rope ladder to a thick stick long enough to cross two of the
mullions, let the otiier end down very quietly, and then slipped
into bed again. She did not awake until Hester knocked at
her door and told her it was time to get up. She woke with
a great start, and in a fright at once ran to the window.
Everything looked as usual. The rope ladder was gone, the

Two Voting- Pickles. •!

window was closed, and Rhoda knew that her brothers must
have come in safely.

Great was the excitement in Warley next day, when ?t became
known that the schoolmaster had been robbed of his watch by
a giant fully eight feet high. This height of the robber was,
indeed, received with much doubt, as people thought that he
might have been a tall man, but that the eight feet must have
been exaggerated by the fear of the schoolmaster.

Two or three days afterwards the surprise rose even higher,
when a party of friends who had assembled at Mr. Jones' to
condole with him upon his misfortune, were startled by the
smashing of one of the windows by a small packet, which fell
upon the floor in their midst.

There was a rush to the door, but the night was a dark one,
and no one was to be seen ; then they returned to the sitting-
room, and the little packet was opened, and found to contain
some watchworks bent and broken, some pulverized glass, and
a battered piece of metal, which, after some trouble, the school-
master recognized as the case of his watch. The head-constable
was sent for, and after examining the relics of the case, he came
to the same conclusion at which the rest had already arrived
namely, that the watch could not have been stolen by an
ordmary footpad, but by some personal enemy of the
schoolmaster's, whose object was not plunder, but annoyance
and injury.

To the population of Warley this solution was a very agree-
able one. The fact of a gigantic footpad being in the neigh-
bourhood was alarming for all, and nervous people were already
havmg great bolts and bars placed upon their shutters and doors
The discovery, therefore, that the object of this giant was not
plunder, but only to gratify a spite against the master, was a relief
to the whole place. Every one was, of course, anxious to know

^i1

m
*r

''if

The Young Buglers.

who this secret foe could be, and what crime Mr. Jones
could have committed to bring such a tremendous enemy upon
him. The boys at the school assumed a fresh importance in the
eyes of the whole place, and being encouraged now to tell all
they knew of him, they gave such a picture of the life that they
had led at school, that a general feeling of disgust was aroused
against him.

The parents of one or two of the boys gave notice to take
tiieir sons away, but the rest of the boys were boarders, and
were no better off than before.

Miss Scudamore was unshaken in her faith in Mr. Jones, and
considered the rumour current about him to be due simply to
the vindictive nature of boys.

" Well, aunt," Tom said one day. after a lecture of this sort
ii'om her, " I know you mean to be kind to us, but Peter and I
have stood it on that account, but we can't stand it much longer,
and we shall run away before long."

" And where would you run to, nephew ? " Miss Scudamore
said calmly.

" That is our affair," Tom said quite as coolly, " only I don't
like to do it without giving you warning. You mean kindly, T
know, aunt, but the way you are always going on at us from
morning to night whenever we are at home, and the way in
which you allow us to be treated by that tyrannical brute, is
too much altogether."

Miss Scudamore looked steadily at them.

" I am doing, nephew, what I consider to be for your good.
You are wilful, and violent, and headstrong. It is my duty to
cure you, and although it is all very painful to me, at my time
of life, to have such a charge thrust upon me, still, whatever it
costs, it must be done."

For tho next month Mr. Jones' life was rendered a burden to

•i'

Two Young Pickles, ^

him. The chimney-pots were shut up with sods placed on them,
and the fireplaces poured volumes of smoke into the rooms
and nearly choked him. Night after night the windows of his
bedroom were smashed ; cats were let down the chimney ; his
water-butts were found filled with mud, and the cord of the bucket
of his well was cut time after time ; the flowers in his garden
were dug up and put in topsy-turvy. He himself could no^
stir out after dark without being tripped up by strings fastened
a few inches above the path ; and once, coming out of his door,
a string fastened from scraper to scraper brought him down the
steps with such violence that the bridge of his nose, which came
on to the edge of a step, was broken, and he was confined
to his bed for three or four days. In vain he tried every means
to discover and punish the authors of these provocations. A
savage dog, the terror of the neighbourhood, was borrowed and
chained up in the garden, but was found poisoned next morn-
ing.

Watchmen were hired, but refused to stay for more than
one night, for they were so harassed and wearied out that they
came to the conclusion that they were haunted. If they were
on one side of the house a voice would be heard on the other.
After the first it^ attempts they no longer dared venture to
run, for between each round strings were tied in every direc-
tion, and they had several heavy falls, while as they were
carefully picking their way with their lanterns, stones struck
them from all quarters. If one ventured for a moment from
the other's side his lantern was knocked out, and his feet were
struck from under him with a sharp and unexpected blow from
a heavy cudgel ; and they were once appalled by seeing a
gigantic figure stalk across the grass, and vanish in a little
bush.

At the commencement of these trials the schoolmaster had

■^

T/ie Yoiuig Buglers.

questioned the boys, one by one, if they had any hand in the
proceeding.

All denied it. When it came to Tom Scudamore's turn,
he said, " You never do believe me, Mr. Jones, so it is of
no use my saying that I didn't do it ; but if you ask Miss
Scudamore, she will bear witness that we were in bed hours
before, and that there are bars on our windows through which
a cat could hardly get."

The boys had never used Rhoda's room after the first night's
expedition, making their escape now by waiting until the house
was quiet, and then slipping along the passage to the spare
room, and thence by the window, returning in the same
way.

Under this continued worry, annoyance, and alarm, the
schoolmaster grew thin and worn, his school fell off more and
more ; for many of the boys, whose rest was disturbed by all
this racket, encouraged by the example of the boys of the
place who haa already been taken away, wrote privately to
their friends.

The result was that the parents of two or three more wrote
to say that their boys would not return after the holidays,
and no one was surprised when it became known that Mr.
Jones was about to close his school and leave the neighbour-
hood.

The excitement of the pranks that they had been playing
had enabled the boys to support the almost perpetual scoldings
and complaints of their aunt ; but school once over, and their
enemy driven from the place, they made up their minds that
they could no longer stand it.

On J day, therefore, when Rhoda had, as an extraordinary
concession, been allowed to go for a walk with them, they told
her-that they intended to run away.

iry
)ld

. Two Young Pickles.

Poor Rhoda was greatly distressed.

" You see, Rhoda dear," Tom said, " although we don't like
leaving you, you will really be happier when we are gone. It
is a perpetual worry to you to hear aunt going on, on, on —
nagging, nagging, nagging for ever and ever at us. She is fond
of you and kind to you, and you would get on quietly enough
without us, while now she is in a fidget whenever you are
with us, and is constantly at you not to learn mischief and bad
ways from us. Besides you are always in a fright now, lest we
should get into some awful scrape, as I expect we should if
we stopped here. If it weren't for you, we should not let her
oflf as easily as we do. No, no, Rhoda, it is better for us all
that we should go."

Poor Rhoda, though she cried bitterly at the thought of
losing her brothers, yet could not but allow to herself that in
many respects she should be more happy when she was freed
from anxiety, lest they should get into some scrape, and when
her aunt would not be kept in a state of continued irritation
and scolding. She felt too that, although she herself could
get on well enough in her changed life, that it was very hard
indeed for the boys, accustomed as they had been to the jolly
and independent life of a public school, and to be their own
master during the holidays, with their ponies and amusements,
and their freedom to come and go when they chose. Rhoda
was a thoughtful child, and felt that nothing that they could
go through could do them more harm or make them more un-
happy than they now were. She had thought it all over
day after day, for she was sure that the boys would, sooner
or later, come to it, and she had convinced herself that it
was better for them. Still it was with a very sad heart that
she found that the time had come.

For some time she cried in silence, and then, drying her

TAe Voting Buglers.

eyes, she said, trying to speak bravely, though her lips
quivered, —

" I shall miss you dreadfully, boys ; but I will not say a
word to keep you here, for I am sure it is very, very bad
for you. What do you mean to do ? Do you mean to go to
sea?"

" No, Rhoda ; you see uncle was in the army, and used
to talk to us about that ; and. as we have never seen the
sea, we don't care for it as some boys do. No, we shall try
and go as soldiers.'*

" But, my dear Tom, they will never take you as soldiers ;
you aje too little."

" Yes, we are not old enough to enlist at present," Tom said ;
" but we might go in as buglers. We have thought it all over,
and have been paying old Wetherley, who was once in the band
ot a regiment, to teach us the bugle, and he says we can sound
all the calls now as well as any bugler going. We did not like
to tell you till we had made up our minds to go ; but we have
gone regularly to him every day since the first week we came
here."

" Then you won't have to fight, Tom," Rhoda said joy-
fully.

" No," Tom said, in a rather dejected tone ; " I am afraid
they won't let us fight ] still we shall see fighting, which is the
next best thing."

" I heard in Warley yesterday that there will be a movement
of the army in Spain soon, and that some more troops will be
sent out, and we shall try anvi get into a regiment that is
going."

They talked very long and earnestly on their plans, and were
so engrossed that they quite forgot how time went, and got in
late for tea, and were terribly scolded in consequence. For

Tivo Young Pickles. ,-

r!h"°"! °\ """' '"'' '" ""•' ^'•'"" ' "^« boys exulted over
the thought that ,t would be the last scolding they would hT
to suffer; and Rhoda had difficulty in ga^pi^/d^t ."::
at he thought that ,t was the last meal that she would take
wuhjhem. fo. the, had settled that they would sUrt that Ill^y

CHAPTER III

ENLISTED.

It was a bright moonlight night when the boys, after a sad
farewell from Rhoda, let themselves down from the window,
and started upon their journey. Each carried a bundle on a
stick ; each bundle contained a suit of clothes, a kw shirts and
stockings, a pair of shoes, and a pistol. The other pistols
were carried loaded inside their jackets, for there was no
saying whom they might meet upon the road. They had put
on the oldest suit of clothes they possessed, so as to attract as
little attention as possible by the way. After they had once
recovered from their parting with Rhoda their spirits rose, and
they tramped along lightly and cheerfully. It was eleven
o'clock when they started, and through the night they did not
meet a single person. Towards morning they got under a hay-
stack near the road, and slept for some hours; then they
walked steadily on until they had done twenty miles since
their start They went into a small inn, and had some break-
fast, and then purchasing some bread and cold ham, went
on through the town, and, leaving the London road, followed
that leading to Portsmouth, and after a mile or two again took
Up their quarters until evening, in a haystack.

li is not necessary to give the details of the journey to

Enlisted.

le-
nt

Portsmouth. After the first two days' tramp, having no longer
any fear of the pursuit, which, no doubt, had been made for
them when first missed, they walked by day, and slept at night
in sheds, or under haystacks, as they were afraid of being
questioned and perhaps stopped at inns. They walked only
''hort distances now, for the first night's long journey had
galled their feet, and, as Tom said, they were not pressed for
time, and did not want to arrive at Portsmouth like two limp-
ing tK'.mps. Walking, therefore, only twelve miles a day
after the first two days, they arrived at Portsmouth fresh and
in high spirits. They had met with no adventures upon the
road, except that upon one occasion two tramps had attempted
to seize their bundles, but the production of the pistols, and
the evident determination of the boys to use them if necessary,
made the men abandon their intention and make off, with
much bad language and many threats, at which the boys laughed
disdainfully.

Arrived at Portsmouth, their first care was to find a quiet
little inn, where they could put up. This they had little diffi-
culty in doing, for Portsmouth abounded with public-houses,
and people were so much accustomed to young fellows tramp-
ing in with their bundles, to join their ships, that their appear-
ance excited no curiosity whatever. Tom looked older than
he really was, although not tall for his age, while Peter, if any-
thing, overtopped his brother, but was slighter, and looked
fully two years younger. Refreshed by a long night's sleep
between sheets, they started out after breakfast to see the
town, and were greatly impressed and delighted by the bustle
of the streets, full of soldiers and sailors, and still more by the
fortifications and the numerous ships of war lying in the
harbour, or out at Spithead. A large fleet of merchantmen
was lying off at anchor, waiting for a convoy, and a perfect

The Young Buglers.

fleet of little wherries was inlying backwards and forwards
between the vessels and the shore.

" It makes one almost wish to be a sailor," Peter said, as
they sat upon the Southsea beach, and looked out at the animated
ocean.

" It does, Peter ; and if it had b''fn ten years back, instead
of at present, I should have been ready enough to change our
plans. But what is the use of going to sea now ? The French
and Spanish navies skulk in harbour, and the first time our fel-
lows get them out they will be sure to smash them altogether,
and then there is an end to all fighting. No, Peter, it looks
tempting, I grant, but we shall see ten times as much with the
army. We must go and setde the thing to morrow. There is
no time to be lost if the expedition starts in a fortnight or
three weeks."

Returning into the own, the boys were greatly amused at
seeing a sailor's wedding. Four carriages and pair drove
along ; inside were women, while four sailors sat on each roof,
waving their hats to the passers-by, and refreshing themselves
by repeated pulls at some black bottles, with which they were
well supplied. Making inquiries, the boys found that the men
belonged to a fine frigate which had come in a day or two
before, with several prizes.

The next morning they went down to the barracks.
Several non-commissioned officers, with bunches of gay ribbons
in their caps, were standing about. Outside the gates were
some boards, with notices, "Active young fellows required.
Good pay, plenty of prize-money, and chances of promo-
tion!"

The boys read several of these notices, which differed only
from each other in the name of the regiment ; and then Tom
gave an exclamation of satisfaction as he glanced at a note at

Enlisted,

the foot of one of them, " Two or three active lads wanted as
buglers."

'* There we are, Peter ; and, oh, what luck ! it is Uncle
Peter's regiment 1 Look here, Peter," he said, after a pause,
"we won't say anything about being his nephews, unless there
is no other way of getting taken ; for if we do it won't be
nice. We shall be taken notice of, and not treated like otlier
fellows, and that will cause all sorts of ill-feeling and jealousy,
and rows. It will be quite time to say who we are when we
have done something to show that we shan't do discredit to
him. You see it isn't much in our favour that we are here as
two runaway boys. If we were older we could go as volun-
teers, but of course we are too young for that."

It should be mentioned that in those days it was by no
means unusual for young men who had not sufficient interest
to get commissions to obtain permission to accompany a
regiment as volunteers. They paid their own expenses, and
lived with the officers, but did duty as private soldiers. If they
distinguished themselves, they obtained commissions to fill up
vacancies caused in action.

" There is our sergeant, Tom ; let's get it over at once."

" If you please," Tom said, as they went up to the ser-
geant, "are you the recruiting sergeant of the Norfolk
Rangers?"

" By Jove, Summers, you are in luck to-day," laughed one
of the other sergeants ; " here are two valuable recruits for the
Rangers. The Mounseers will have no chance with the regi-
ment with such giants as those in it. Come, my fine fellows,
let me persuade you to join the 15th. Such little bantams as
you are would be thrown away upon the Rangers."

There was a shout of laughter from the other non-com-
missioned officers.

The Young Buglers.

Torn was too much accustomed to chaffing bargees at Eton
to be put out of countenance.

** We may be bantams," he said, "but I have seen a bantam
lick a big dunghill cock many a time. Fine feathers don't
always make fine birds, my man."

" Well answered, young one," the sergeant of the Rangers
said, while there was a general laugh among the others, for
the sergeant of the 15th was not a favourite.

" You think yourself sharp, youngster," he said angrily.
"You want a licking, you do; and if you were in the 15th,
you'd get it pretty quickly.'*

"Oh I I beg your pardon," Tom said gravely ; " I did not
know that the 1 5th were famous for thrashing boys. Thank
you ; when I enlist it shall be in a regiment where men hit
fellows their own size."

There was a shout of laughter, and the sergeant, enraged,
stepped forward, and gave Tom a swinging box on the
ear.

There was a cry of " shame " from the others ; but before
any of them could interfere, Tom suddenly stooped, caught the
sergeant by the bottom of the trousers, and in an instant he fell
on his back with a crash.

For a moment he was slightly stunned, and then, regaining
his feet, he was about to rush at Tom, when the others threw
themselves in between them, and said he should not touch
the boy. He struck him first, and the boy had only given
him what served him right.

The sergeant was furious, and an angry quarrel was going
on, when an officer of the Rangers came suddenly out of
barrack.

" Hullo, Summers, what is all this about ? I am surprised at
you. A lot of non-commissioned officers, just in front of the

Enlisted. .^

Ivirrack gates, quarrelling like drunken sailors in a pothouse
What does it all mean?"

" The flict is this, Captain Manley," the sergeant said

salutmg, "these two lads came up to speak to me, when

Sergeant Hillow chaffed them. The lad gave the sergeant as

good as he got, and the sergeant lost his temper, and hit

huTi a box on the ear, and in a moment the young one

tripped him up, and pretf, .-> stunned him ; when he got

up he was going at the boy, and, of course, we wouldn't have
It."

"Quite right," Captain Manley said. "Sergeant Billow, I
shall forward a report to your regiment. Chaffing people 'in
the street, and then losing yrur temper, striking a boy, and
causmg a disturbance. Now, sergeant," he went on, as the
others moved away, " do you know those boys ? "
" No, sir; they are strangers to me."

" Do you want to see the sergeant privately, lads, or on
somethmg connected with the regiment?"
^^ *'I see that you have vacancies for buglers, sir," Tom said
and my brother and myself want to enlist if you will take us »
Captain Manley smiled. - You young scamps, you have
got ' runaway from home ' as plainly on your faces as if it
was printed there. If we were to enlist you, we should be
havmg your friends here after you to-morrow, and get into a
scrape for taking you."

^ "We have no friends who will interfere with us, sir, I can
give you my word of honour as a gentleman." Captain
Manley laughed. "I mean," Tom said confused, «my word
of honour, as, as an intending bugler."

" Indeed we have no one to interfere with us in any way sir "
Peter put in earnestly. « We wouldn't tell a lie even to enlist
in the Rangers."

The Young Buglers.

V. ■

Captain Manley was struck by the earnestness of the boys'
faces, and after a pause he said to the sergeant, —

" That will do, Summers ; I will take these lads up to my
quarters and speak to them."

Then, motioning to the boys to follow him, he re-entered
the barracks, and led the way up to his quarters.

"Sit down," he said, when they had entered his room.
" Now, boys, this is a foolish freak upon your part, which you
will regret some day. Of course you have run away from
school."

" No, sir, we have run away from home," Tom said.

" So much the worse," Captain Manley said gravely. " Tell
me frankly, why did you do so ? No unkindness at home can
excuse boy^ from running away from their parents."

" We have none, sir," Tom said. " We have lost them both—
our mother many years ago, our father six months. Our only
living relation, except a younger sister, is an aunt, who con-
siders us as nuisances, and who, although meaning to do her
duty, simply drives us out of our minds."

Captain Manley could not resist a smile. " Do you not go
to school ?"

"We did go to a school near, but unfortunately it is
broken up."

Captain Manley caught a little look of amusement between
the boys. " I should not be surprised if you had something
to do with its breaking up," he said with a laugh. " But to
return to your coming here. There is certainly less reason
against your joining than I thought at first, but you are too
young."

" We are both strong, and are good walkers," Tom said.

" But you cannot be much over fifteen," Captain Manley said,
" and your brother is younger."

1 1

Enlisted,

" We are accustomed to strong exercise, sir, and can thrash
most fellows of our own size."

" Very likely," Captain Manley said, " but we can't take that
into consideration. You are certainly young for buglers for
service work ; however, I will go across with you to the orderly-
room, and hear what the colonel says."

Crossing the barrack-yard, they found the colonel was in and
disengaged.

'* Colonel Tritton," Captain Manley said, " these lads want
to enlist as buglers."

The colonel looked up and smiled. "They look regular
young pickles," he said. " I suppose they have run away from
school"

" Not from school, colonel. They have lost both parents,
and live with an aunt, with whom they don't get on well.
There does not seem to be much cnance of their being
claimed."

" You are full young," the colonel said, " and I think you
will be sorry, boys, for the step you want to take."
" I don't think so, sir," Tom said.

" Of course, you don't at present," the colonel said. " How-
ever, that is your business. Mind, you will have a rough time
of it ; you will have to fight your way, you know."

" I'll back them to hold their own," Captain Manley said,
laughing. " When I went out at the barrack-gate just now there
was a row among a lot of recruiting sergeants, and when I went
up to put a stop to it, I found that a fellow of the 1 5th had chaffed
these boys when they went up to speak to Summers, and that
they had got the best of it in that line ; and the fellow having
lost his temper and struck one of them, he found himself on
his back on the pavement. The boy had tripped him up in an
instant."

The Ycitng Buglers,

The colonel laughed, and then said suddenly and sharply to
Peter, " Where did you learn that trick, youngster?"

" At Eton," Peter answered promptly, and then coloured up
hotly at his brother's reproachful glance.

" Oh, ho ! At Eton, young gentlemen, eh 1 " the colonel
said. " That alters the matter. If you were at Eton your
family must be people of property, and I can't let you do such
a foolish thing as enlist as buglers."

" Our father lost all his money suddenly, owing to a black-
guard he trusted cheating him. He found it out, and it killed
him," Tom said quietly.

The colonel saw he was speaking the truth. " Well, well,"
he said kindly, " we must see what we can do for you, boys.
They are young, Manley, but that will improve, and by the time
that they have been a year at the depot — "

" Oh, if you please, colonel," Tom said, " we want to go on
foreign service, and it's knowing that your regiment was undei
orders for foreign service we came to it."

" Impossible ! " the colonel said shortly.

" I am very sorry for that, sir," Tom said respectfully, " for
we would rather belong to this regiment than any in the
service ; but if you will not let us go with it we must try
another."

" Why would you rather belong to us than to any other ? "
the colonel asked, as the boys turned to leave the room.

" I had rather not say, sir," Tom said. " We have a reason,
and a very good one, but it is not one we should like to
tell."

The colonel was silent for a minute. He was struck with
the boys' appearance and manner, and was sorry at the thought
of losing them, partly from interest in themselves, partly because
the sea service was generally so much more attractive to boys,

Enlisted.

that it was not easy to get them to enlist as buglers and
drummers. »

" You see, lads, I should really like to take you, but we shall
be starting in a fortnight, and it would be altogether impossible
for you to learn to sound the bugle, to say nothing of learning
the calls, by that time."

" We can't play well, sir," Tom answered, his spirits rising
agam, "but we have practised for some time, and know a good
many of the calls."

" Oh, indeed !" the colonel said, pleased; "that alters the
case. Well, lads, I should like to take you with the regiment,
for you look straightforward, sharp young fellows. So I will
enlist you. Work hard for the next fortnight, and if I hear a
favourable report of you by that time, you shall go."

" Thank you very much," the boys said warmly, delighted
to find their hopes realized.

" What are your names ? " the colonel asked.
" Tom and Peter,' Tom answered.
" Tom and Peter what ? " the colonel said.
The boys looked at each other. The fact that they would of
course be asked their names had never occurred to them and
they had not therefore consulted whether to give their own or
another name.

"Come, boys," Colonel Tritton said good-temperedly, "never
be ashamed of your names ; don't sail under false colours, lads
I am sure you will do nothing to disgrace your names "

Tom looked at Peter, and saw that he agreed to give their
real names, so ha said, "Tom and Peter Scudamore "

" Peter Scudamore 1 Why, Manley, these boys must be
relations of the dear old colonel. That explains why they
chose the regiment. Now. boys, what relation was he of
yours?"

■:^

T/ie Young Buglers.

" I do not admit that he was a relation at all, colonel," Tom
said gravely, " and I hope that you will not ask the question.
Supposing that he had been a relation of ours, we should not
wish it to be known. In the first place, it would not be alto-
gether creditable to his memory that relations of his should be
serving as buglers in his old regiment ; and in the second place,
it might be that, from a kindness towards him, some of the
officers might, perhaps, treat us differently to other boys,
which would make our position more difficult by exciting
jealousy among others. Should there be any relation between
him and us, it will be time enough for us to claim it when we
have shown ourselves worthy of it."

" Well said, boys," the officers both exclaimed. " You are
quite right," the colonel went on, " and I respect your motive
for keeping silence. What you say about jealousy which might
arise is very sensible and true. At the same time, I will promise
you that I will keep my eye upon you, and that if an oppor-
tunity should occur in which I can give you a chance of show-
ing that there is more in you than in other boys, be assured you
shall have the chance."

" Thank you very much indeed, colonel," both boys ex-
claimed.

" Now^ Manley, I shall be obliged if you will take them to
the adjutant, and tell him to swear them in and attest them in
regular form ; the surgeon will, of course, examine them.
Please tell the quartermaster to get their uniforms made without
loss of time ; and give a hint to the bugle-major that I should
be pleased if he will pay extra attention to them, and push
them on as fast as possible.*'

Captain Manley carried out these instructions, the boys were
duly examined by the surgeon and passed, and in half an hour
became His Majesty's servants.

Id
5h

Enlisted.

" Now, boys," Captain Manley said as he crossed with them
to the quarters of the bandmaster, " you will have rather a
difficult course to steer, but I have no doubt you will get
through it with credit. This is something like a school, and
you will have to fight before you find your place. Don't be in
a hurry to begin ; take ill good-natured chaff good-naturedly ;
resent any attempt at bullying. I have no doubt you will be
popular, and it is well thai you should be so, for then there will
be no jealousy if your luck seems better than that of others.
They will, of course, know that you are differently born and
educated to themselves, but they will not like you any the
worse for that, if they find that you do not try to keep aloof
from them or give yourselves airs. And look here, boys, play
any tricks you like with the men, but don't do it with the non-
commissioned officers. There is nothing they hate so much
as impudence from the boys, and they have it in their power
to do you a great deal of good or of harm. You will not
have much to do with the bandmaster. Only a portion of the
band accompanies us, and even that will be broken up when
we once enter upon active campaigning. Several of the
company buglers have either left lately, or have got their stripes
and given up their bugles, and I do not fancy that their places
will be filled up before we get out there. Now, your great
object will be to get two of these vacancies. I am afraid you
are too young, still there will be plenty more vacancies after
we are once in the field, for a bullet has no respect for buglers ;
and you see the better you behave the better your chance of
being chosen."

" What is the difference exactly, sir ? " Tom asked.

" The company bugler ranks on the strength of the company,
messes, marches, and goes into action with them ; the other
buglers merely form part of the band, are under the band-

The Young Buglers.

master, play at the head of the regiment on its march, and
help in the hospitals during a battle."

" Macpherson," he said as he entered the bandmaster's
quarters, where a number of men and a few lads were prac-
tising, " I have brought you two lads who have entered as
buglers."

The bandmaster was a Scotchman — a stiff-looking, elderly
man.

" Weel, Captain Manley, I'm wanting boys, but they look
vera young, and I misdoubt they had better have been at
school than here. However, I'll do my best with them ; they
look smart lads, and we shall have plenty of time at the depot
to get them into shape."

" Lots of time, Macpherson, lots of time. They say they
know a few calls on the bugle, so perhaps they had better stick
to the calls at present ; you will have plenty of time to begin
with them regularly with the notes when all the bustle is
over."

" Eh, ye know the calls, boys? Hardy and Graves, give
them your bugles, and let us hear them. Now for the ad-

vance.

Tom and Peter felt very nervous, but they had really practised
hard for an hour a day for the last four months, and could play
all the calls they knew steadily and well. The bandmaster
made no remark until they had sounded some half a dozen calls
as he named them, and then he said, " The lads have a vera
gude idea of it. Captain Manley. They are steadier and clearer
than mony a one of the boys already. Will ye begin at once,
lads, or will ye wait till ye get your uniform ? "

" We had rather begin at once," the boys answered to-
gether.

" Vera gude. Hardy, take two bugles out of the chest,

Enlisted. -

and then take these lads-\Vhafs your name, boys? Ehf
Scudamore? A vera gude name-take them over to
Corporal Skinner, he will be practising with the others on
the ramp."

With a word of grateful thanks to Captain Manley as he went
out before them, the boys followed their new guide out to the
ramparts A guide was hardly necessary, for an incessant
bu^g betokened the place, where, in one of the bastions
belund the barracks, seven or eight buglers were soundmg the
various calls under the direction of Corporal Skinner

The corporal was a man of few words, for he merely
nodded when the boy-who had not opened his lips on the
way mdeed, he was too busy wondering who these young
swells were, and what they had run away for, to say a word
-gave the bandmaster's message to the effect that the new-
comers knew some of the calls and were to be under his
tuifon for the present, pointed to them where to stand, and in
another mmute Tom and Peter were hard at work adding to
the deafenmg din. After half an hour's practice they were
pleased at seeing Captain Manley stroll up and call their
mstructor aside, and they felt sure that he was speaking to him
of them. This was so, for the officer was carrying out the
instructions he had received from Colonel Tritton

"Corporal," he said, " I want to say a word to you about
those boys who have just joined They seem to have a fair
idea of the calls."

" Yes, sir, they only know a few, but those they do know
they can sound as well as any of them."

" That is right, corporal. Now look here, what I am going
to say IS not to go farther, you understand."
" Yes, sir, I will keep my mouth shut."

"Very well. You can see the lads are not like most of our

T/ie Young Buglers,

band boys. They are a gentleman's sons who have got into
some scrape or other and run away from school."
" I was thinking as much, sir."

" The colonel believes that he knows their family, Skinner ;
but of course that will not make any difference in regard to
them. Still he would be pleased, I know, if they could
sound the calls well enough to go with the regiment. They
are most anxious to learn. Now I shall be glad if you can
get them up to the mark. It will, of course, entail a lot of
extra trouble upon you, but if you can get them fit in time, I
will pay you a couple of guineas for your extra time."

" Thank you, sir," the corporal saluted. " I think I can

manage it — at any rate if I don't it v/on't be for want of trying."

" Who are those nice-looking lads I saw with you,

Manley?" Major James asked as the captain came into the

mess-room to lunch.

" Those are two buglers in His Majesty's Norfolk Rangers."
There was a general laugh.

" No, but really, Manley, who are they ? I was quite struck
with them ; good style of boys."

"It is a fact, major. Harding will tell you so," and he
nodded to the adjutant.

" Yes, Manley is saying the thing that's right," the adjutant
answered. " The doctor passed them, and I swore them in."

" I am sorry for it," the major said. " There were three or
four of us standing on the mess-room steps and we all noticed
them. They were gentlemen, if I ever saw one, and a hard
life they will have of it with the band boys. However, they
are not likely to stay there. They have run away from
school, of course, and will be claimed. I wonder you enlisted
them."

"The colonel's orders, major," the adjutant said. " Manley

Enlisted.

into

>»

took them .0 him, I believe, and then brought them ,o

" I don't think you need feel anxious about them among
the boys, major," Captain Manley said. "I fancy they can
hold the,r own. I found them outside the gate where a row

of those boys had just tripped up a sergeant of the ,5th and
nearly broken his head."
There was a general laugh.

thoul^' V *' ''°^ ''° " ' 1 should not have

bait." "'°"' "°"''' '" "'^^^ "'^°^" ^ "- °ff his

said '"ThtMf """""' "'°"' " ^'"'""^rds," Captain Manley
n an , T 'u" °°' °' "'^ ''"^^ "^ ''°'' °» "-e ear, and

™ H '? ''°°'"'' '=='"«''' "'^ ^°°' -d pulled it

™ and up. The thing was done in a moment, and

the^jergeant was on his back before he knew ;hafs

do2t £:::-' '""' ™'^" '^'' "''^^' -" '"- '-^
"That is just where the boy said he learnt it," Captain

:s;i::?- "''- -^--^ -^^^ ^^ -^^->y - ^.

sa^!i^^'''^'''! !?'""' ^ °"S''' '° ''"°" "^^"V' the ensign

sa d. " I only left six months aga What are their namesf "

Their name is Scudaraore."

"By Jove they were in the same house with me. Un-

common y sharp little fellows, and up to no end of mis.

k th.t ,r '" '''"''^'' "'""^'^ "° °°« ^°"'d prove
^ that they were the boys who nearly suffocated the

'11

Ill I

The Yonug Buglers.

There was a roar of laughter.

" Tell us all about it, Carruthcrs."

" Well, there was not very much known about it. It seems
the fellow purposely upset a boat with four or five of our
fellows in it, and that night a dozen lighted crackers were
thrown down into the little cabin where the fellow was
asleep; the hatch was fastened and he was sent drifting
down stream with the crackers exploding all about him.
The smoke nearly suffocated the fellow, 1 believe. There
was a tremendous row about it, but they could not bring it
home to any one. We always put it down to the Scudamores,
though they never would own to it ; but they were the only
fellows in the boat who would have done it, and they were
always up to mischief."

" But what makes them come here as buglers ? " the major
asked.

" Their father was a banker, I believe, down in the Eastern
Counties somewhere. He died suddenly in the middle of the
half before I left, and they went away to the funeral and never
came back again."

" The fact is," Captain Mnnley said, "I fancy by what they
say, though they did not mention their father was a banker,
that he lost all his money suddenly and died of the shock. At
any rate they are alone in the world, and the colonel has no
doubt that they are some relation — nephews, I should imagine
— of Peter Scudamore, who was our colonel when I joined.
One of them is called Peter. They acknowledged that they
had a particular reason for choosing this regiment ; but they
would neither acknowledge or deny that he was a relation.
Now that we know their father was a banker, we shall find out
without difficulty— indeed 1 have no doubt the colonel will
know whether Peter Scudamore had a brother a banker."

Enlisted,

" What's to be done, Manley ? " Major James said. " I don't
like the thought of poor old Peter's nephews turning buglers.
All of us field officers, and the best part of you captains, served
under him, and a better fellow never stepped. I think between
us we might do something."

" I would do anything I could," Carruthers said, " and
there are Watson and Talbot who were at Eton too. Dash it, I
don't like to think of two Etonians in a band."

" You are all very good," Captain Manley said, " but from
what I see of the boys they will go their own way. They have
plenty of pride, and they acknowledge that their reason for
refusing to say whether they are any relation of the colonel
was that they did not want to be taken notice of or treated
differently from other boys, because it would cause jealousy,
and make their position more difficult. All they asked was that
they might accompany the regiment, and not remain behind at
•:he de; 5t ; and as, fortunately, they have both been practising
yith the bugle, and can sound most of the calls as well as the
others, the colonel was able to grant their request. Had they
been older, of course we could have arranged for them to go
with us as volunteers, we, who knew the colonel, paying their ex-
penses between us ; as it is, the only thing we can do for them
— and that is what they would like best — is to treat them just
like the other boys, but to give them every chance of dis-
tinguishing themselves. If they don't get knocked over,
they ought to win a commission before the campaign is
over."

In the meantime Tom and Peter had been introducing them-
selves to the regiment. The exercise over, they had returned to
dinner. It was a rough meal, but the boys enjoyed it, and
after it was over a number of the men of the band, with whom
they messed, crowded round to ask the usual questions of new-

The Young buglers

comers— their curiosity heightened in the present instance by
the fact that the boys dilfered so widely from ordinary
recruits.

" Loolc here," Tom said, laughing, " I can't answer you all
at once, but if you put me on the table I will tell you all about
us."

There was a general laugh, and many of the soldiers other
than the band sauntered up to see what was going on.

" The first thing to tell you," Tom said, " is our names.
We go by the names of Tom and Peter Scudamore, but I need
scarcely tell you that these are not our real names. The fact is —
but this is quite a secret— we are the eldest sons of Sir Arthur
VVellesley— "

Here Tom was interrupted by a shout of laughter.

" Sir Arthur," Tom went on calmly, " wished to make us
colonels of two of the Life Guard regiments, but as they were
not going on foreign service we did not see it, and have accord-
ingly entered the regiment which Sir Arthur, our father, in
speaking to a friend, said was the finest in the service — namely,
the Norfolk Rangers. We believe that it is the custoni, upon
entering a regiment, to pay our footing, and I have given a
guinea to Corporal Skinner, and asked him to make it go as far
as he could."

There was great laughter over Tom's speech, which was just
suited to soldiers, and the boys from that moment were con-
sidered part of the regiment.

" There's good stuff in those boys," an old sergeant said to
another, " plucky and cool. I shouldn't be surprised if what
Tom Dillon said was about right ; he was waiting at mess just
now, and though he didn't hear all that was said, he picked up
that there was an idea that these boys are related to the old
colonel. He was a good fellow, he was, and, though I say

Epilisted,

nothing against Colonel Tritton, yet we missed Colonel S( uda-
more terribly. Strict, and yet kind, just the sort of fellow to
serve under. If the hoys take after him they will be a credit
to the regiment, and mark my words, we shaVt see them in the
band many years."

CHAPTER IV.

A TOUGH CUSTOMER.

Like most boys who are fond of play, Tom and Peter Scuda-
more were capable of hard work at a pinch, and during the
three weeks that they spent at Portsmouth they certainly
worked with a will. They had nothing to do in the way of
duty, except to practise the bugle, and this they did with a
zeal and perseverance that quite won the heart of Corporal
Skinner, and enabled him to look upon Captain Manley's two
guineas as good as earned. But even with the best will and
the strongest lungs possible, boys can only blow a bugle a
certain number of hours a day. For an hour before break-
fast, for two hours before dinner, and for an hour and a half in
the evening they practised, the evening work being extra, alone
with their instructor. There remained the whole afternoon
to themselves. Their employment of those hours had been
undertaken at Peter's suggestion.

"Look here, Tom," he said, at the end of the first day's
work, "from what the Corporal says, we sha?l have from one
till about five to ourselves. Now, we are going to Spain, and
it seems to me that it would be of great use to us, and might
do us a great deal of good, to know something of Spanish. We
have got four pounds each left, and I don't think that we could

A Toiijrh Customer,

's
le
id

lilt

lay it out better than in getting a Spanish master and some books,
and in setting to in earnest at it. If we work with all our
might for four hours a day with a master, we shall have made
some progress, and shall pick up the pronunciation a little. I
dare say we shall be another ten days or a fortnight on the
voyage, and shall have lots of time on our hands. It will
make it so much easier to pick it up when we get there if we
know a little to start with."

" I think it is a capital idea, Peter ; I should think we are
pretty sure to find a master here."

There was no difficulty upon tiiat score, for there were a
large number of Spanish in England at the time ; men who had
left the country rather than remain under the French yoke,
and among them were many who were glad to get their living
by teaching their native language. There were two or three
in this condition in Portsmouth, and to one of these the boys
applied. He was rather surprised at the application from the
two young buglers— for the uniforms were finished twenty-four
hours after their arrival - but at once agreed to devote his
whole afternoons to them. Having a strong motive for their
work, and a determination to succeed in it, the boys made a
progress that astonished both themselves and their teacher,
and they now found the advantage of their grvyunding in Latin
at Eton. Absorbed in their work, they saw little of the other
boys, except at meals and when at practice.

One evening when at supper, one of the buglers, named
Mitcham, a lad of nearly eighteen, made some sneering re-
mark about boys who thought themselves above others, and
gave themselves airs. Tom saw at once that this allusion was
meant for them, and took the matter up.

"I suppose you mean us, Mitcham. You are quite mis-
taken i neither my brother nor myself think ourselves better

The You fig Buglers*

than any one, nor have we any idea of giving ourselves airs.
The fact is— and I am not surprised that you should think us
unsociable — we are taking lessons in Spanish. If we go with
the regiment it will be very useful, and I have heard it said
that any one who lands in a foreign country, and who knows
a little of the grammar and pronunciation, will learn it in half
the time that he would were he altogether ignorant of both. I
am sorry that I did not mention it before, because I can under-
stand that it must seem as if we did not want to be sociable.
I can assure you that we do ; and that after this fortnight is
over we shall be ready to be as jolly as any one. You see we
are altogether behindhand with our work now, and have got to
work hard to put ourselves on your level."

Tom spoke so good-temperedly that there was a general
feeling in his favour, and several of them who had before
thought with Mitcham, that the new-comers were not inclined
to be sociable, felt that they had been mistaken. There was,
however, a general feeling of surprise and amusement at the
idea of two boys voluntarily taking lessons in Spanish.
Mitcham, however, who was a surly-tempered young fellow,
and who was jealous of the progress which the boys were
making, and of the general liking with which they seemed to
be regarded, said, —

" I believe that's only an excuse for getting away from us."

" Do you mean to say that you think that I am telling a
lie?" Tom asked quietly.

"Yes, if you put it in that way, young 'un," Mitcham
said.

" Hold your tongue, Mitcham, or I'll pull your ears for
you," Corporal Skinner said; but his speech was cut short by
Tom's putting one hand on the barrack table, vaulting across
it, and striking Mitcham a heavy blow between the eyes.

■ 1

A Tough Customer, (Ji

There was a cry of "a fight !" among the boys, but the men
interfered at once.

'• You don't know what you are doing, young 'un," one said
to Tom ; " when you hit a fellow here, you must fight him.
That's the rule, and you can't fight Mitcham ; he's two years
older, at least, anj a head taller."

'' Of course I will fight him," Tom said. « I would fight him
if he were twice as big, if he cnlled me a liar."

"Nonsense, young 'un !» another said, "it's not possible.
He was wrong, and if you had not struck him I would have
licked him myself; but as you have done so, you had better
put up with a thrashing, and have done with it."

"I should think so, indeed!" Tom said disdainfully. "I
may get a licking; I dare say I shall; but it won't be all on
one side. Look here, Mitcham, we will have it out to-
morrow, on the ramparts behind the barracks. But, if you
will apologize to me for calling me a liar, I'll say I am sorry I
hit you." ^

"Oh, blow your sorrow!" the lad said. "I'll give vou the
heartiest licking you ever had in your life, my young cock."

"Oh, all right," Tom said cheerfully. "We will see all
about it when the time comes."

As it was evident now that there was no way out of it no
one interfered further in the matter. Quarrels in the army are
always settled by a fair fight, as at school; but several of the
older men questioned among themselves whether they ought
to let this go on, considering that Tom Scudamore was only
between fifteen and sixteen, while his opponent was two years
older, and was so much heavier and stronger. However, as it
was plam that Tom would not take a thrashing for the blow he
had struck, and there did not seem any satisfactory way out of
It, notlnng was done, except that two or three of tiiem went up

:?•

The Young Buglers.

to Mitchart), and strongly urged him to shake hands with Tom,
and confess that he had done wrong in giving him the lie. This
Mitcham would not hear of, and there was nothing further to
be done.

" I am afraid, Tom, you have no chance with that fellow,"
Peter said, as they were undressing.

"No chance in the world, Peter; but I can box fairly, you
know, end am pretty hard. I shall be able to punish him a
bit, and you may be sure I shall never give in. It's no great
odds getting a licking, and I suppose that they will stop it
before I am killed. Don't bother about it. I had rather get
knocked about in a fight than get flogged at Eton any day. I
would rather you did not come to see it, Peter, if you don't
mind. When you fought Evans it hurt me ten times as much
as if I had been fighting, and, although you licked him, it made
me feel like a girl. I can stand twice the punishment if I
don't feel that any blow is hitting you as well as myself."

Tom's prediction about the fight turned out to be nearly
correct. He was more active, and a vastly better boxer than
his antagonist, and although he was constantly knocked down,
he punished him very heavily about the face. In fact, the fight
was exactly similar to that great battle, fifty years afterwards,
between Sayers and Heenan. Time after time Tom was
knocked down, and even his second begged him to give in,
but he would not hear of it.

Breathless and exhausted, but always cool and smiling, he
faced his heavy antagonist, eluding his furious rushes, and
managing to strike a few straight blows at his eyes before
being knocked down. By the time that they had fought a
quarter of an hour half the regiment was assembled, and loud
were the cheers which greeted Tom each time he came up,
very pale and bleeding, but confident, against his antagonist.

Ill

TIIF. FKIHT.

PagL- 62.

A Tough Customer.

<53

At last an old sergeant came forward. "Come," he said
" there has been enough of this. You had better stop."
" Will he say he was sorry he called me a liar ? » Tom asked
'^No, I won't," Mitcham answered.

'Ihe sergeant was about to use his authority to stop it, when
Tom said to him, in a low voice,—

"Look, sergeant ! please let us go on another five minutes
I thmk I can stand that, and he can hardly see out of his eyes
now. He won't see a bit by that time."

The sergeant hesitated, but a glance at Tom's antagonisr
conymced him that what he said was correct. Mitcham had
at all times a round and rather puffy face, and his cheeks were
now so swollen with the effect of Tom's straight, steady hitting
that he eould with difficulty see.

It was a hard five minutes for Tom, for his antagonist, find-
ing that he was rapidly getting blind, rushed with fury upon him
trymg to end the fight. Tom had less difficulty in guarding the
blows, given wildly and almost at random, but he was knocked
down time after time by the mere force and weight of the rush
He felt himself getting weak, and could hardly get up from his
second's knee upon the call of time. He was not afraid of
bemg made to give in, but he was afraid of fainting, and of so
being unable to come up to time.

"Stick a knife into me; do anything!" he said to his
second, « if I go off, only bring me up to time. He can't hold
out much longer."

Nor could he. His hitting became more and more at
random, until at last, on getting up from his second's knee
Mitcham cried in a hoarse voice, " Where is he ? I can't see
him!"

Then Tom went forward with his hands down. " Look
here, Mitcham, you can't see, and I can hardly stand. I

i.K

The Young Buglers.

think we have both done enou^^h. We neither of us can give
in, well because —because I am a gentleman, you because you
are bigger than I am ; so let's shake hands, and say no more
about it."

Mitcham hesitated an instant, and then held out his hand.
" You are a good fellow, Scudamore, and there's my hand ;
but you have licked me fairly. I can't come up to time, and
you can. There, I am sorry I called you a liar."

Tom took the hand, and shook it, and then a mist came
over his eyes, and his knees tottered, as, with the ringing cheers
of the men in his cars, he fainted into his second's arms.

"What a row the men are making !" the major said, as the
sound of cheering came through the open window of the mess-
room, at which the officers were sitting at lunch. " It's a fight,
of course, and a good one, judging by the cheering. Does
any one know who it is between?"

No one had heard.

" It's over now," the adjutant said, looking out of the window,
" Here are the men coming down in a stream. They look
very excited over it. I wonder who it has been. Stokes," he
said, turning to one of the mess servants, " go out, and find
out who has been fighting, and all about it."

In a minute or two the man returned. *' It's two of the
band boys, sir."

" Oh, only two boys ! I wonder they made such a fuss over
that. Who are they ?"

" One was one of the boys who have just joined, sir. Tom
Scudamore, they call him."

" I guessed as much," Captain Manley laughed ; " I knew
they would not be long here without a fight. Who was the
other ? "

** Well, sir, I almost thought it must be a mistake when they

A Tough Customer,

told me, seeing they are so unequally matrbcd, but they all
say so, so in course it's truc-the other was Mitcham, the
bugler of No. 3 Company."

"What a shame!" was the general exclamation, while Caj).
tarn Manley got up and called for his cap.

"A brutal shame, I call it," he said hotly. "Mitcham's
nearly a man. It ought not to have been allowed. I will go
and mquire after the boy I will bet five pounds he was pretty
nearly killed before he gave in."

"He didn't give in. Captain Manley," the servant said.
" He won the fight. They fought till Mitcham couldn't see,
and then young Scudamore went up and offered to draw it,
but Mitcham acknowledged he was fairly licked. It was a
close thing, for the boy fainted right off; but he's come round
now, and says he's all right."

"Hurrah for Eton!" Carruthers shouted enthusiastically.
" Hurrah ! By Jove, he is game, and no mistake. He won a
hard fight or two at Eton, but nothing like this. I call it
splendid."

"The boy might have been killed," the major said gravely
while the younger ofificers joined in Carruthers's exclamation at
Tcm's pluck. « It is shameful that it was allowed. I suppose
the quarrel began in their quarters. Sergeant Howden is in
charge of the room, and ought to have stopped it at once.
Every non-commissioned officer ought to have stopped it. I
will have Howden up before the colonel to-morrow."

" I think, major," Captain Manley said, " if you will excuse
me, the best plan, as far as the boy is concerned, is to take no
notice of it. As it is, he must have won the hearts of all the
regiment by his pluck, and if he is not seriously hurt, it is the
very best thing, as it has turned out, that could have happened.
If any one gets into a scrape about it, it might lessen the effect

T/ie Young Buglers.

of the victory. I think if you call Hovvden up, and give him a
quiet wigging, it will do as well, and won't injure the boys.
What do you think?"

" Yes, you arc right, Manley, -as it has turned out ; but the
boy might have been killed. However, I won't do more than
give Hovvden a hearty wigging, and will then learn how the
affair begun. I think. Dr. Slathers, that it would be as well if
you went round and saw both of them. You had better, I
think, order them into hospital for the night, and then the boy
can go to bed at once, and come out again to-morrow, if he
has, as I hope, nothing worse than a few bruises. Please come
back, and tell us how you find thein."

The report was favourable, and the next morning Tom came
out of hospital, and took his place as usual, with the party upon
the ramparts — pale, and a good deal marked, but not much
the worse for his battle ; but it was some days before the
swelling of his adversary's face subsided sufficiently for him to
return to duty.

Tom's victory — as Captain Manley hxad predicted — quite
won the hearts of the whole regiment, and the nicknames of
"Sir Tom," and "Sir Peter"— which had been given to them
in jest after Tom's speech about Sir Arthur Wellesley — were
now generally applied to them. The conversation in the
mess-room had got about, and the old soldiers who had served
under Colonel Scudamore would have done anything for the
lads, although, as yet, they were hardly known personally ex-
cept to the band, as their devotion to work kept them quite
apart from the men.

It was just three weeks after they had joined before the
order came for embarkation, and a thrill of pleasure and excite-
ment ran through the regiment when it was known that they
were to go on board in four days. Not the least delighted

A Tough Cnsfoiner.

«f

were Tom and Peter. It had already been formally settled
that they were to accompany tlie regiment, and it was a [)roof
of tlie popularity that they had gained, that every one looked
upon their going as a matter of course, and that no comment
was excited even among those who were left behind. Three
days before starting they had met Captain Manley in the bar-
rack-yard, and after saluting Tom said, " If you please sir, we
wanted to ask you a question."

"What is that, lads?"

" If you please, sir, we understand that the boys of the band
have their bags carried for them, but the company buglers
carry knapsacks, like the men?"

" Yes, boys ; the company buglers carry knapsacks and
muskets."

" I am afraid we could not carry muskets and do much
marching, sir, but we have each a brace of pistols."

Captain Manhy smiled. " Pistols would not look the thing
on a parade-ground, boys ; but in a campaign people are not very
particular, and I have no doubt the colonel will overlook any
iittle breach of strict uniformity in your cases, as it is evident
you can't carry muskets. You can use your pistols, I hope,"
he said with a smile. " Hit a penny every time at twenty
paces ! "

*' No, sir, we can't do that," Tom said seriously. " We can
hit a good-sized apple nineteen times out of twenty."

" The deuce you can ! " Captain Manley said. " How did
you learn to do that?"

"We have practised twelve shots a day for the last six
months, sir. We were thinking of asking you, sir, if you would
like to carry a brace of them through the campaign. They are
splendid weapons ; and we shall only carry one each. They
would get rusty and spoil, if wc left them behind, and we

! I

The Young Buglers.

i i

should be very plcnsed to tliink they might be useful to you,
after your great kindness to us."

"It is not a very regular thing, boys," Captain Manley said,
"for a captain to be borrowing a brace of pistols from two ol
his buglers; but you are exceptional buglers, and there is
something in what you say about rusting. Besides, it is
possible you may lo£>e yours, so I will accept your offer with
thanks, with the understanding thai: I will carry the pistols,
and you shall have them again if anything happens to yours.
But how about the knapsacks ? "

"We were thinking of having two made of the regimental
pattern, sir, but smaller and lighter, if you think that it would
be allowed."

" Well, I think, boys, if you are allowed to carry pistols
instead of muskets, no great objection will be made as to the
exact size of the knapsacks. Yes, you can get them made
and I will speak to the colonel about it"

" Perhaps," he hesitated, " you may be in want of a little
money ; do not hesitate if you do. I can let you have five
pounds, and you can pay me," he said with a laugh, " out ol
your share of our first prize-money."

The boys coloured hotly.

"No, thank you, Captam Manley; we have plenty of
money. Shall we bring the pistols to your quarters ? "

" Do, lads, I am going in to lunch now, and will be in in
half an hour."

The boys at once went out and ordered their knapsacks.
They had just sold their watches, wh'ch were large, handsome,
and of gold, and had been given to them by their father
when they went to Eton. They were very sorry to jjart
with them, but they agreed that it would be folly to keep
gold watches when the twenty pounds which they obtained

A Tottirlt Customer.

lep
led

for thc'in would l)ity tao stout and useful silver watches
and would leave tlicni twelve |)ounds in money. 'I'liey then
returned to barracks, took out a brace of their pistols,
carefully cleaned them, and removed the silver plates upon
the handles, and then walked across to Captain Manley's
quarters.

Rather to their surprise and confusion they found five or
six other officers there, for Captain Manley had mentioned at
lunch to the amusement of his friends that he was going
to be unexpectedly provided with a brace of pistols, and
several of them at once said that they would go up with
him to his quarters, as they wanted to see the boys of whom
they had spoken so mu( h during the last fortnight. Tom and
Peter drew themselves up and saluted stiffly.

"You need not be buglers here, boys," Captain Manley
said. " This is my room, we are all gentlemen, and though I
could not, according to the regulations, walk down the street
with you, the strictest disciplinarian would excuse my doing as
I like here."

The boys flushed with pleasure at Captain Manley's kind
address, and as he finished Car rut hers stepped forward and
shook them warmly by the hand.

" How are you both ? " he said. *' You have not forgotten
me, I hope."

" I had not seen you before. I did not know you were in the
regiment, Carruthers," the boys said warmly, pleased to find
a face they had known before; and then breaking off: — "I
beg your pardon — Mr. Carruthers."

" There are no misters here as far as I am concerned,

Scudamore. There were no misters at Eton. This is a

change, isn't it ? Better than grinding away at Greek by a

long way. Well, I congratulate you on your fight. You

L^if

The Young Buglers.

showed there was some good in dear old Efr>n still. I wish
you had let me know it was coming off. I would have given
anything to have seen it — from a distance, you know. If it
had been the right thing, I would have come and been your
backer."

Tiiere was a general laugh, and then the officers all began
to talk to the boys. They were quiet and respectful in their
manners, and fully confirmed the favourable report which
Captain Manley had given o{ them.

"Where are the pistols, boys?" their friend asked pre-
sently.

" Here, sir," and the boys produced them from under theii
jackets. " We have no case, sir ; we were obliged to leave \\
behind us when we — "

" Ran away," one of the oflkers said, laughing.

" They are a splendid pair of pistols," Captain Manley said,
examining them ; " beautifully finished, and rifled. They look
quite new, too, though, of course, they are not."

" They are new, sir," Tom said ; " we have only had them
six months, and they were new then."

" Indeed," Captain Manley said surprised ; '♦ I thought, ol
course, they were family pistols. Why, how on earth, if it is
not an impertinent question, did you boys get hold of two
brace of such pistols as these? I have no right to ask the
question, boys. I see there has been a plate on the handles.
But you said you had no relations, and I was surprised into
asking."

The boys coloured.

"The question was quite nat\iral, sir; the pistols were pre-
sented to us by some people we travelled with once ; we took
the plates off because they made a great fuss about nothing
and we thought that it would look cockey."

'o>

, ij.

A Tough Customer, ^j

There was a laugh among the officers at the boys' confusion,
"No one would suspect you of being cockey, Scudamore "

Captain Manley said kindly; "come, let me see the

plates."

The boys took the litde silver plates from their pockets and
handed them silently to Captain iManley, who read aloud, to
the surprise of those around him,—'' ' To Tom ' and ' Peter,'
they are alike except the names. ' To Tom Scurlamore,
presented by the passengers in the Highflyer coach on the 4th
of August, 1808, as a testimony of their appreciation of his
gallant conduct, by which ll.eir property was saved from
plunder.' Why, what is this, you young pickles, what were
you up to on the 4th of August last year ? "

" There was nothing in it at all, sir," Tom said ; "we were
on the coach and were stopped by highwaymen. One of the
passengers had pistols, but was afraid to use them, and hid
them among the boxes. So when the passengers were ordered
to get down to be searched, we hid ourselves, and when the
highwaymen were collecting their watches, Peter shot one, and
I drove the coach over another. The matter was very simple
indeed ; but the passengers saved their money, so made a
great fuss about it"

There was n.^uch laughter over Tom's statement, and then
he had to give a detailed account of the whole afair, which
elicited many expressions of approval.

"It does you credit, boys," Captain Manley sav-\ "and
shows that you are cool as well as plucky. One qi-ality is as
valuable as the other. There is every hope that you will do
the regiment credit, boys, and you may be sure that we shall
give you every chance. And now good-bye for the pre-
sent." ^

"Good-bye, sir;" Tom and Peter again drew themselves

/ i

The Voting Bjiglers.

up, gave the military salute and went oft to their com-
rades.

For when the order came to prepare for the embarkation,
both Spanish and buglnig were given up, and the boys entered
into the pleasure of the holiday with immense zest. Tliey had
no regimental duties to perform beyond being present at
parade. They had no packing to do, and fewer purchases to
make. A ball or two of stout string, for, as Peter said, string
is always handy, and a large pocket-knife, each with a variety
of blades, were the principal items. They had a ring put to
the knives, so that they could sling them round the waist.
They had, therefore, nothing to do but to amuse themselves,
and this they did with a heartiness which astonished the other
boys, and proved conclusively that they did not want to be
unsociable. They hired a boat for a sail and took five or six
other boys across to Ryde, only just returning in time for
tattoo, and they played such a number of small practical
jokes, such as putting a handful of peas into the bugles and
other wind instruments, that the band-master declared that he
thought that they were all bewitched, and he threatened to
thrash the boys all round, because he could not find out who
had done it.

Especially angry was the man who played the big drum.
This was a gigantic negro, named Sam, a kind-hearted fellow,
constantly smiling, except when the thought of his own im-
portance made him assume a particularly grave appearance.
He was a general favourite, although the boys were rather
afraid of him, for he was apt to get into a passion if any jokes
were attempted upon him, and of all offences the greatest was
to call him Sambo. Now none of the men ventured upon
this, for when he first joined, Sam had fought two or three
desperate battles on this ground, and his great strength and the

A Tough Customer,

insensibility of his head to blows had invariably given him the
victory. But, treated with what he conceived proper respect,
Sam was one of the best-tempered and best-natured fellows in
the regiment ; and he himself, when he once cooled down, was
perfectly ready to join in the laugh against himself, even after
he had been most put out by a joke.

The day before the regiment was to embark, the officers
gave a lawn party ; a large number of ladies were present, and
the band was, of course, to play. The piece which the band-
master had selected for the commencement began with four
distinct beats of the big drum. Just before it began, Captain
Manley saw Tom and Peter, who with some of the other boys
had brought the music-stands into the ground, with their faces
bright with anticipated fun.

" What is the joke, boys? " he asked good-humouredly, as
he passed them.

" I can't tell you, sir," Tom said ; " but if you walk up
close to the band, and watch Sam's face when he begins, you
will be amused, I think."

"Those are regular young pickles," Captain Manley said to
the lady he was walking with ; '* they are Etonians who have
run away from home, and are up to all kinds of mischief,
but are the pluckiest and most straightforward youngsters
imaginable. I have no doubt that they are up to some trick
with our black drummer."

On their way to where tlie band was preparing to play.
Captain Manley said a word or two to several of the other
officers, consequently there was quite a little j)arty standing
watching the band when their leader lifted his baton for the
overture to begin.

There was nothing that Sam liked better than for the big
drum to commence, and with his head thrown well back and

The Young Buglers,

an air of extreme importance, he lifted his arm and brought it
down with what should liave been a sounding blow upon the
drum. To his astonishment and to the surprise of all the
band, no deep boom was heard, only a low muffled sound.
Mechanically Sam raised his other arm and let it fall with a
similar result. Sam looked a picture of utter astonishment
and dismay, with his eye"^ opened to their fullest, and he gave
vent to a loud cry, which completed the effect produced by
his face, and set most of those looking on, and even the band
themselves, into a roar of laughter. Sam now examined his
sticks, they appeared all right to the eye, but directly he felt
them his astonishment was turned into lage. They were
perfectly soft. Taking out his knife he cut them open, and
found that the balls were merely filled with a wad of soft
cotton, the necessary weight being given by pieces of lead
fastened round the end of the stick mside the ball with waxed
thread.

Sam was too enraged to say more than his usual exclama-
tion of astonishment, " Golly ! " and he held out bis drum-
sticks to be examined with the face of a black statue of
surprise.

Even the band-master was obliged to laugh as he took the
sticks from Sam's hand to examine them.

'* These are not your sticks at all, Sam," he said, looking
closely at them. " Here, boy," he called to Tom, who might
have been detected from the fact of his being the only person
present with a serious face, " run to the band- room and see it
you can find the sticks."

In a few minutes Tom returned with the real drumsticks,
»vhich, he said truly, he had found on the shelf where they
were usually kept. After that things went on as usual; Sam
played with a sulky fury. His dignity was injured, and he

i 1 1

A Tough Customer

declared over and over again that if he could " tind de rascal
v'ho did It, by jingo, I pound him to squash ! " and there was
no doubt from his look that he thoroughly meant what he
said. However, no inquiries could bring to light the author of
the tricls.

v'i

CHAPTER 7.

OVERBOARD.

There were no lighter hearts than those of Tom and Petei
Scudamore on board the transport " Nancy," as, among the
hearty cheers of the troops on board, and the waving of hats
and handkerchiefs from friends who had come out in small
boats to say good-bye for the last time, she weighed anchor,
and set sail in company with some ten or twelve other tran-
sports, and under convoy of two ships of war. It would be
difficult to imagine a prettier scene. The guns fired, the
bands of the various regiments played, and the white sails
opened out bright in the sun as the sailors swarmed into the
rigging, anxious to outvie each other. Even the soldiers
pulled and hauled at the ropes, and ran round with the
capstan bars to get the anchors apeak. Tom and Peter, of
course, had, like the other boys, got very much in the way in
their desire to assist, and, having been once or twice knocked
over by the rush of men coming along with ropes, they wisely
gave it up, and leaned over the side to enjoy the scene.

" This is splendid, Tom, isn't it ? "

"Glorious, Peter; but it's blowing pretty strong. I am
afraid that we sha'n't find it quite so glorious when we get out
of the shelter of the inland"

Overboard.

Peter laughed. "No; I suppose we sha'n't all look as j lly
as we do now by night-time. However, the wind is nor-westerly,
which will help us along nicely, if, as I heard one of the
sailors say just now, it does not go round to the south."

** Bugler, sound companies one, two, and three to break-
fast."

The order interrupted the oor.versatlon, and, for the next
liour, the boys had little time for talk. Half the regiment
was on board the *' Nancy," and, after breakfast, the men
were divided into three watches, of which one was always to
be on deck, for the sliip was very crowded, and there was
scarcely room for all the men to be below together. The
boys were in the same watch, for the day previous to starting
Tom had been appointed bugle . to the 2nd Company, Peter
to the 3rd. The ist Compary, or Grenadiers, were in tlie
watch with the band, the 2nd and 3rd Companies were to-
gether, and the 4th and 5th.

Tom was very ill for the first two days of the voyage, while
Peter did not feel the slightest effects from the motion.
Upon the third day the wind dropped suddenly, and the
vessels rolled heavily in the swell, with their sails llajjping
against the masts. Tom came up that morning upon deck
feeling quite well again, and the boys were immensely amused
at seeing the attempts of the soldiers to move about, the
sudden rushes, and the heavy falls. A parade iiad been
ordered to take place; but as no one could have stood
steady without holding on, it was abandoned as impossible.
The men sat about under the bulwarks, and a few amused them-
selves and the rest by trying to play various games, such as
laying a penny on the deck, and seeing which would pitch
another to lay nearest to it, from a distance of five yards.
The difficulty of balancing oneself in a heavily rolling vessel.

r^'

T/ie Young Buglers.

and of pitching a penny with any degree of accuracy, is great,
and the manner in which the coins, instead of coming down
fiat and remaining there, rolled away into the scuppers, the
throwers not un^ :quently following them, produced fits of
laughter.

Tom was still feeling weak from his two days* illness,
and was not disposed actively to enter into the fun ; but Peter
enjoyed the heavy rolling, and was all over the ship. Pre-
sently he saw Sam, the black drummer, sitting in a dark
corner below quietly asleep ; his cap was beside him, and the
idea at once occurred to Peter that here was a great oppor-
tunity for a joke He made his way to the caboose, and begged
the cook to give him a handful of flour. The cook at first
refused, but was presently coaxed into doing so, and Peter
stole to where Sam was asleep, and put the flour into
his cap, relying that, in the darkness, Sam would put it
on without noticing it. Then, going up to the deck above,
Peter put his head down the hatchway, and shouted loudly,
" Sam ! "

The negro woke at the sound of his name. *' What is it ? '
he asked. Receiving no reply, he got on to his feet, muttering,
" some one call Sam, that for certain, can't do without Sam,
always want here, want there. I go up and see."

So saying, he put on his cap, and made his way up to the
upper deck. As he stood at the hatchway and looked round,
there was, first a titter, and then a roar of laughter from the
men sitting or standing along by the bulwarks. In putting on
his cap some of the flour had fallen out, and had streaked his
face with white. Sam was utterly unconscious that he was
the object of the laughter, and said to one of the men nearest
to him, " Who call Sam ? "

The man cqmI^ \^o\ \^\\y > l^Ul Torn, who was sitting close

> I

Overboard.

by, said, " It was no one here, Sam, it must have been the
bandmaster; there he is, close to the quarter-deck."

Sam made his way along towards the point indicated, and
as he did so some of the officers upon the quarter-deck caught
sight of him. '* Just look at Sambo," Carruthers exclaimed,
** somebody has been larking with him again. Look how all
the men are laughing, and he evidently has no suspicion of
the figure he is."

The sergeant, who, the bandmaster having remained at the
depot, was now acting as chief of the band, did not see Sam
until the latter was close to him. " You want me, sergeant ? "

Sergeant Wilson looked up, and was astonished. " What
on earth have you been doing to youroclf, Sam ? " he asked.

" Me been having little nap down below," Sam said.

" Yes ; but your face, man. What have you been doing
to your face ? "

Sam, in his turn, looked astonished. " Nothing whatsom
eber, Sargeant"

" Take off your cap, man, and look inside it." Sam did
as ordered ; and as he removed the cap, and the powder fell
from it all over his face and shoulders, there was a perfect
shout of laughter from the soldiers and crew, who had been
looking on, and the officers, looking down from the rail of the
quarter-deck, retired to laugh unnoticed.

The astonishment and rage of Sam were unbounded, and
he gave a perfect yell of surprise and fury. He stamped
wildly for a minute or two, and then, with a sudden movement
rushed up on to the quarter-deck with his cap in his hand.
The colonel, who was holding on by the shrouds, and talking
with the major, in ignorance of what was going on, was per-
fectly astounded at this sudden vision of the irate negro, and
neither he nor the major could restrain their laughter.

Mtm

T/ic Young Bugkrs.

" Sense me, colonel, sah, for de liberty," Sam burst out ;
" but look at me, sah ; is dis right, sah, is it right to make
joke like dis on de man dat play de big drum of de regi-
ment ? "

" No, no, Sam ; pot at all right," the colonel said, with
difficulty. "If you report who has played the trick upon you,
I shall speak to him very seriously ; but, Sam, I should have
thought that you were quite big enough to take the matter in
your own hands."

" Me big enough, Massa Colonel, me plenty big ; but me
not able to find him."

*' Well, Sam, it is carrying a joke too far ; still, it is only a
trick off duty, and I am afraid that it is beyond my power to
interfere."

Sam thought for a moment, and, having by this time cooled
down from his first paroxysm of rage, he said, " Beg pardon,
massa, you quite right, no business of any one but Sam ; but
Sam too angry to 'top to think. Scuse liberty, colonel," and
Sam retired from the quarter-deck, and made a bolt below
down the nearest hatchway, when he plunged his head into
a bucket of water, and soon restored it to its usual ebony
hue.

Then he went to the cook and tried to find out to whom
he had given flour, but the cook replied at once, " Lor, I've
given flour to the men of each mess to make puddings of,
about thirty of them," and Sam felt as far off as ever.

Presently, however, a big sailor began to make fun of him,
and Sam retorted by knocking him down, after which there
was a regular fight, which was carried on under the greatest
difficulty, owing to the rolling of the ship. At last Sambo
got the best of it, and this restored him so thoroughly to a
good temper that he was able to join in the laugh at himselfj

Overboard.

reserving, liowevcr, his right to *' knocic de rascal who did it
into a squash."

The following day the weather changed, a wind sprang up
nearly from the north, which increased rai)idly, until toward
afternoon it was blowing half a gale, before which the whole
fleet, with their main and topsails set, ran southward at
great speed. A heavy cross sea was running, the waves raised
by the gale clashing with the heavy swell previously rolling
in from the westward, and so violent and sudden were the
lurches and rolls of the ** Nancy " that the master feared that
her masts would go.

" How tremendously she rolls, Tom."

" Tremendously ; the deck seems almost uprigln, and the
water right under our feet each time she goes over. She feels
as if she were going to turn topsy-turvy each roll. It's bad
enough on deck ; but it will be worse down below."

" A great deal worse, Peter, it's nearly dark already ; it will
strike eight bells in a minute or two, and then we shall have to
go down. There's no danger, of course, of the ship turning
over, but it won't be pleasant dowu below. Look out,
Peter ! "

The exclamation was caused by an awful crash. The
ship had given a tremendous lurch, when the long boat,
which was stowed amidships, suddenly tore away from its
fastenings and came crashing down. It passed within three
feet of where the boys were sitting, and completely tore
away the bulwark, leaving a great gap in the side, where it
had passed through. " Look Tom, Sam's overboard 1 " Peter
exclaimed.

Sam had been sitting on the bulwark, a few feet from them,
holding on by a shroud, when the boat came down upon him ;
with a cry he had let go of the shroud and started back, falling

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TAe Young Buglers,

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into the water just as the boat struck the bulwark. "There
he is, Tom," Peter said, as he saw the black only a few yards
from the side. " He is hurt, come on," catching up the end
of a long rope coiled up on the deck close to their feet, the
boys jumped overboard together. A dozen strokes took thv'jm
up to Sam ; but the black hull of the ship had already glanced
past them. They could hear loud shouts, but could not
distinguish a word.

" Quick, round him, Peter ! " and, in a moment, the boys
twisted the rope round the body of the black, and knotted it
just as the drag of the ship tightened it. Thus Sam's safety
was secured, but the strain was so tremendous as they tore
through the water, that it was impossible for the boys to hold
on, and, in a moment, they were torn from their hold.

" All right, Peter," Tom said cheerily, as they dashed the
water from their eyes, " there is the boat."

The remains of the boat were not ten yards distant, and in
a few strokes they had gained it. It was stove in and broken,
but still held together, floating on a level with the water's
edge. With some trouble the boys got inside her, and sat
down in the bottom, so that their heads were just out of
water.

Then they had time to look round. The ship was already
disappearing in the gathering darkness.

" This boat will soon go to pieces, Tom," was Peter's first
remark.

" I expect it will, Peter ; but we must stick to its pieces.
We had better get off our boots. The water is pretty warm,
that's one comfort."

" Do you think the ship will come back for us, Tom ? "

" I don't think she can, Peter ; at any rate, it is certain she
can't find us, it would take a long time to bring her round,

Overboard.

and then, you see, she could not sail straight back here against
the wind."

" Look here, Tom, I remember when I climbed up to look
into the boats yesterday that there were some little casks
lashed under the r^e^ts., and a sailor told me they were always
kept full of water in case the boats were wanted suddenly. If
they are stil' there we might empty them out, ond they could
keep us afloat any time."

"Hurrah ! Peter, capital, let's see."

To their great delight the boys found four small water-kegs
fastened under the seats. Three of these they emptied,
and fastened one of them to that which they had left full,
and then each taking hold of one of the slings which were
fastened to the kegs for convenience of carriage, they waited
quietly. In less than ten minutes from the time when they
first gained their frail refuge, a great wave broke just upon
them, and completely smashed up the remains of the boat.
They had cut ofif some rope from the mast, which they found
with its sail furled ready for use in the boat, and now roughly
lashed themselves together, face to face, so that they had a
keg on each side. They had also fastened a long piece of
rope to the other kegs, so that they would float near
them.

It was a long and terrible night for them, generally their
heads and chests were well above the water, but at times a
wave would break with its white crest, and, for a time, the
foam would be over their heads. Fortunately the water was
warm, and the wind fell a good deal. The boys talked
occasionally to each other, and kept up each other's courage.
Once or twice, in spite of the heavy sea, they were so much
overcome with exhaustion that they dozed uneasily for a while,
with their heads upon each other's shoulders, and great was

, ^

The Young Buglers,

their feeling of relief and pleasure when morning began to
break.

" It is go'ng to be a splendid day, Peter, and the wind is
dropping fast. '

" Look, Tom," Peter said, ** there are some of the planks of
the boat jammed in with the kegs."

It was as Pcccr said ; the two kegs, one empty and the other
full, were floating about ten yards off, at the length of the
rope by which they were attached to the boys, while with
them was a confused mass of wreckage of the boat. " That
is capital, Peter, we will see if we can't make a raft presently."

As the sun rose and warmed the air, the boys' strength and
spirits revived, and in a few hours they were so refreshed
that they determined to set about their raft. The wind had
now entirely dropped, the waves were still very high, but
they came in long, smooth, regular swells, over which they rose
and fell almost imperceptibly.

'* They must be rolling a good deal more in the * Nancy '
than we are here, Peter. Now, the first thing is to have a drink.
What a blessing it is we have water." With their knives they
soon got the bung out of the water-keg, and each took a long
drink, and then carefully closed it up again.

" There, Peter, we have druhk as much as we wanted this
time ; but we must be careful, there is no saying how long we
may be before we are picked up. Hurrah, Peter, here are the
masts and sails, so we shall have plenty of ccid."

It took the boys nearly three hours to complete their task
to their satisfaction. When it was concluded they had the
three empty kegs lashed in a triangle about five feet apart,
while two planks crossing the triangle, assisted to keep all
firm and tight ; floating in the centre of the triangle was the
keg of water. " There, I don't think v/e can improve that,

Overboard.

Peter," Tom said at last, now, let us get on and try it" They
did so, and, to their great delight, found that it floated a few
inches above water. " We may as well get the masts on
board, Peter, and let the sails tow alongside. They may
come in useful ; and now the first thing is to dry ourselves
and our clothes."

The clothes were soon spread out to dry, and the boys
luxuriated in the warmth of the sun.

" What great, smooth waves, these are, Tom, sometimes
we are down in a valley which runs miles long, and then we
are up on a hill."

" Here we lay, ail the day, in the bay of Biscay, oh I "
Tom laughed. " I only hope that the wished-for morrow may
bring the sail in sight, Peter. However, we can hold on for
a few days, I suppose. That is a four-gallon keg, so that we
have got a quart of water each for eight days, and hunger isn't
so bad to bear as thirst We have pretty well done for our uni-
forms, our bugles are the only things that have not suffered."

For the boys' companies being on deck at the time of the
accident, they both had their bugles on when they jumped
overboard.

" Our last upset was when that bargee canted us over at
Eton, rather a different business that, Peter."

" My shirt is not dry yet, Tom ; but I shall put it on again,
for the sun is too hot to be pleasant."

Tom followed Peter's example.

" Do you think, Tom, that we had better try to get up a
sort of sail and make for land, or remain where we are ? "

" Remain where we are, Peter, I should say. I suppose we
must be a hundred miles from the French coast, and even if
the wind blew fair we should be a long time getting there, and
with the certainty of a prison when we arrived. Still, if there

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The Voting Buglers.

were a strong west wind, I suppose it would be our best way j
as it is we have nothing to do but to wait quietly, and hope
for a ship. We are in the right line, and there must be lots
of vessels on their way, besides those which sailed with
us, for Portsmouth. So we must keep watch and watch.
Now, Peter, you lie down on that pkink, it is just about long
enough, you shall have two hours' sleep, and then I'll have
two, after that we will have four hours each."

" How are we to count time ?" Peter said laughing.

" I never thought of that," Tom said, looking at his watch.
"Of course it has stopped. We must guess as near as we can ;
at any rate, you go to sleep first, and, when I am too sleepy
to keep watch any longer, I will wake you up."

So passed that day and the next night A light breeze
sprung up from the south-west, and the sun again shone out
brightly.

" I feel as if I wanted breakfast horribly," Peter said, with an
attempt at a smile. " Do you think that there is any pos-
sibility of catching anything?"

" We have nothing to make hooks with, Peter, and nothing
to bait them with if we had."

" There are lots of tiny fish swimming all about, Tom, if we
could but catch them."

Tom was silent for awhile ; then he said, " Look here,
Peter. Let us cut a piece off the sail about five feet long,
and say three feet wide, double it longways, and sew up the
ends so as to make a bag ; we can unravel some string, and
make holes with our knives. Then we can sink it down two or
three feet, and watch it ; and when we see that some little fish
have got in it, we can draw it up very gently, and, by raising
it gradually from the sea, the water will run out, and we shall
oatch the fish."

Overboard.

Peter agreed that at any rate it was worth trying ; for, even if
it did not succeed, it was better for them to be doing something
than sitting idle. The sail and the floating wreckage were
pulled alongside, and the boys set to work. In three hours a
large and shallow bag was made, with some improvements
upon Tom's original plan. The mouth was kept open by two
crossed pieces of wood, and four cords from the corners
were attached to the end of the oar which formed their fislang-
rod. At last it was finished, and the bag lowered.

To the horror of the boys, it was discovered that it would
not sink. They were ready to cry with vexation, for the want
of food had made them feel faint and weak.

" What have we got that is heavy ?" Tom asked in despair.
" I have got fourpence in halfpence, Tom, and there are
our kniv<.s and watches."

Their pockets were ransacked, and the halfpence, knives,
and watches were placed in the bottom of the bag and
lowered. Still the wood-work kept afloat.

" Thrre are the bugles, Tom," Peter cried in delight. These
had been fastened to the raft, and were now hastily untied
and placed in the canvas bag.

It sank now, and the boys lowered it five or six feet, so that
they could partly see into it. "There are lots of little fish
swimming about, Tom," Peter said in a whisper. « Some are
almost as long as one's hand. Do you think that they will go
in, Tom?"

"I hope the glitter of the bugles and watches will attract
them, Peter."

"There, Tom, there— I saw a whole swarm of little ones
go in."

" Wait a minute or two, Peter, to let them get weU down,
and then draw up as quietly as possible."

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T/tf Young Buglers,

Very ciutiously the boys raised the point of th^ir rod until
the top of the square-mouthed bag was level with the surface ;
frhen they brought it close to them and looked in, and as they
did so gave a simultaneous cheer. There, in the bottom of
the canvas, two feet below them, were a number of little fish
moving about. Raising the rod still higher, they gradually
lifted the net out of the sea, the water running quickly off as
they did so, and then they proceeded to examine their prize.

" We will take out one and one, Peter ; give them a nip as
you take them up, that will kill them." There were two fish of
about three inches long, another three or four of two inches,
and some thirty or forty the r,ize of minnows. It was scarcely
more than a mouthful each, but it was a stay for a moment to
their stomachs, and no one ever said a thanksgiving with
deeper feeling and heartiness than did the boys when they had
emptied their canvas net.

" We need not be anxious about food now, Peter ; if we can
catch these in five minutes, we can get enough each day to satisfy
us. They quench the thirst too. We must limit ourselves to
half a pint of water a day, and we can hold on for a fortnight.
We are safe to be picked up before that."

All the afternoon and evening the boys continued to let
down and draw up their net, sometimes bringing in only a
few tiny fish, sometimes getting half a dozen of the larger kind.
By nightfall they had satisfied the cravings of hunger, and felt
stronger and better. One or two sail had been seen aaring
the day, but always at such distances that it was evident at
once that they could not pass within hail. That night,
fatigued with their exertions, both laid down and went to
sleep until morning, and slept more comfortably than before ;
for they had f-^stened a piece of the sail tightly on the top
of the raft, and lay softly suspended in that, instead of being

»tt

THE BOYS AXXIOnsi.Y WATCHED TIFK . . . VESSEL.

Vtvje 89.

Overboard,

balanced upon a narrow and uncomfortnhle plank. They felt
new creatures when they woke, pulled up their net, had a
mouthful of raw fish, took off their clothes, and had a swim,
and then set to earnestly to fish. The suu was brighter,
and the fish in consequence kept deeper than upon the pre-
ceding day ; still by evening they had caught enough to take
the edge off, if not to satisfy, their hunger. The fishing, how-
ever, during the last hours of daylight was altogether neglected,
for behind them they could see a sail, which appeared as if
it might possibly come close enough to observe them. There
was still the long, steady swell coming in from the Atlantic,
and a light breeze was blowing from the north. The boys had
been so intent upon their fishing, that they had not noticed her
until she was within nine or ten miles of them. " She will not
be up for an hour and a half, Peter," Tom said, " and the sun
will be down long before that. I fear that the chance of their
seeing us is very small indeed. However, we will tiy. Let
us get the net out of the water, and hold it and the oar up.
It is possible that some one may see the canvas with a tele-
scope before the sun goes down. Take the things out of the
net."

The oar with the canvas bag was elevated, and the boys
anxiously watched the course of the vessel. She was a large
ship, but they could only see her when they rose upon the top
of the long smooth waves. " 1 should think that she will pass
within a mile of us, Peter," Tom said, after half an hour's
watching ; " but I fear that she will not be much closer. How
unfortunate she had not come along an hour earlier. She
would have been sure to see us if it had been daylight. I
don't think that there is much chance now, for there is no
moon. However, thank God, we can hold on very well now,
and next time we may have better luck."

89.

(

J I

The Young Bt(i:;lcrs.

The sun had set more than iialf an hour before the ship
came abreast of them. They had evidently not been
seen.

" Now, Peter," Tom said, " let us both hallo together ; the
wind is very light, and it is just possible they may hear
us."

Again and again the boys shouted, but the ship sailed
steadily on. Peter dashed the tears aside, and Tom said, with
a quivei; in his voice, "Never mind, Peter; better luck next
time, old boy. God has been so good to us, that I feel quite
confident we shall be saved."

" So do 1, Tom," Peter said. " It was only a disappointment
for a minute. We may as well put the oar down, for my
arm and back ache holding it."

" Mind how you do it, Peter. If we let the end go through
the canvas, we shall lose our watches and bugles, and then we
shall not be able to fish."

"Oh, Tom, the bugles !"

" What, Peter ? " Tom said, astonished.

" We can make them hear, Tom, don't you see ? "

" Hurrah, Peter ! so we can. What a fool I was to forget
it 1 "

In a moment the bugles rang out the assembly across the
water. Again and again the sharp, clear sound rose on the
quiet evening air.

" Look, Peter, there are men going up the rigging to look
round. Sound again ! "

Again and again they sounded the call, and then they saw
the ship's head come round, and her bow put towards them,
and then they fell on their knees and thanked God that they
were saved.

In ten minutes the ship was close to them, thrown up into

Overboard.

the
the

saw
em,
;hey

into

the wind, a boat was lowered, and in another minute or two
was alongside.

" Hallo ! " the officer in charge exclaimed, " two boys, all
alone. Here, help tlicm in, lads — that's it ; now pull for the
ship. Here, boys, take a little brandy from this flask. How
long have you been on that raft ? "

" It is three days since we went overboard, sir ; but we
were in the water for about eighteen hours before we made
the raft."

Tom and Peter drank a little brandy, and felt better for it ; but
they were weaker thar Hiey thought, for they had to be helped
up the side of the ship. A number of officers were grouped
round the gangway, and the boys saw that they were on board
a vessel of war.

" Only these boys ? " asked the captain in sururise of the
officer who had brought them on board.

" That is all, sir."

" Doctor, you had better see to them," the captain said.
** If they are strong enough to talk, after they have had some
soup, let them come to my cabin j if not, let them turn in in
the sick bay, and I will see them in the morning. One ques-
tion though, boys. Are there any others about - any one for
me to look for or pick up ? "

"No one else, sir," Tom said, and then followed the
doctor aft. A basin of soup and a glass of sherry did won-
ders for the boys, and in an hour they proceeded to the cap-
tain's cabin, dressed in clothes which the doctor had bor-
rowed from two of the midshipmen for them, for their
own could never be worn again ; indeed, they had not
brought their jackets from the raft, those garments having
shrunk so from the water, that the boys had not been
able to put them on again, after first taking them ofl to dry.

^.i

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92 7Vie Young Buglers,

The doctor accompanied them, and in the captain's cabin
they found the first lieutenant, who had been in charge of the
boat which picked them up.

" I am glad to see you looking so much better," the captain
said as they entered. " Sit down. Do you know," he went
on with a smile, " I \o not thmk tliat any of us would have
slept had you not recovered sufficiently to tell your story to-
ijight. We have been puzzling over it in vain. How you two
boys came to be adrift alone on a raft, made up of three water-
kegs, as Mr. Armstrong tells me, and how you came to have
two bugles with you on the raft, is altogether beyond

us,

" The last matter is easily explained, sir," Tom said. " My
brother and myself are buglers in H.M.'s Regiment of
Norfolk Rangers, and as we were on duty when we went over-
board, we held our bugles slung over our shoulders."

" Buglers ! " the captain said in surprise. " Why from your
appearance and mode of expressing yourselves, I take you to
be gentlemen's sons."

" So we are, sir," Tom said quietly, " and I hope gentlemen
— at any rate we have been Etonians. But we have lost our
father, and are now buglers in the Rangers."

" Well, lads," the captain said after a pause, " and now tell
us nov.' you came upon this little raft ? "

Tom related modestly the story of their going overboard
from the " Nancy," ct the formation of the raft, and of their
after proceedings. Their hearers were greatly astonished at
the story ; and the captain said, " Young gentlemen, you
have done a very gallant action, and have behaved with a
coolness and bravery which would have done credit to old
sailors. Had your father been a^ive he might have been
proud indeed of you. I should be proud had you been my

Overboard.

tell

1 at

lold

sons. If you are disposed to change services I will write
directly we reach the Tagus to obtain your discharge, and will
give you midshipmen's berths on board this ship. Don't
answer now ; you can think it over by the time we reach
Portugal. I will not detain you now; a night's rest will set
you up. Mr. Armstrong will introduce you to the midshipmen
to-morrow ; you are passengers here now, and will mess with
them. Good-night."

It was not many minutes before the boys were asleep in their
hammocks. If people's ears really tingle when they are being
spoken about, Tom and Peter would have had but little sleep
that night. The first lieutenant related the circumstances to
the other lieutenants ; the second lieutenant, whose watch it
was, told the gunner, who related it to the petty officers ; the
doctor told his mates, who retailed the story to the midship-
men ; and so gradually it went over the whole ship, and officers
and men agreed that it was one of the pluckiest and coolest
things ever done.

The boys slept until nearly breakfast time, and were just
dressed when Mr. Armstrong came for them and took them to
the midshipmen's berth, where they were received with a warmth
and heartiness which quite surprised them. The midshipmen
and mates pressed forward to shake hands with them, and the
stifiingly close little cock-pit was the scene of an ovation. The
boys were quite glad when the handshaking was over, and they
sat down to the rough meal which was then usual among mid-
shipmen. As the vessel had only left England four days before,
the iure was better than it would have been a week later, for
there was butter, cold ham and tongue upon the table. After
breakfast they were asked to tell the story over again, and this
they did with great modesty. Many questions were asked, and
U was Kenerally regretted that they were not sailors. Upon

^WTL

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The Young Buglers.

going up on deck there was quite an excitement among the
sailors to get a look at them, and the gunner and other petty
officers came up and shook hands with them heartily, and the
boys wished from the depths of their hearts that people would
not make such a fuss about nothing ; for, as Tom said to Peter,
" Of course we should not have jumped overboard if we had
thought that we could not have kept hold of the rope."

That day they dined in the cabin with the captain, who, after
the officers present had withdrawn, asked them if they would
tell him about their past lives. This the boys did frankly, and
took the opportunity of explaining that they had chosen the
a/rny because the enemies' fleet having been destroyed, there
was less chance of active service in the navy than with the
army just starting for Lisbon, and that their uncle having com-
manded the regiment that they were in, they had entered it, and
had received so much kindness that they had fair reason to
hope that they would eventually obtain commiss.ons. Hence,
while thanking him most warmly for his offer, they had decided
to go on in the path that they had chosen.

The captain remarked that, after what they had said,
although he should have been glad to have them with him, he
thought that they had decided rightly.

The next morning, when the boys woke, they were surprised
at the absence of any motion of the vessel, and upon going on
deck they found that they were running up the Tagus, and that
Lisbon was in sight.

CHAPTER VI.

PORTUGAL.

The boys were delighted with the appearance of the Tagus,
covered as it now was with a fleet of transports and merchant-
men. As they were looking at it, the officer commanding the
marines on board, who had talked a good deal to them upon
the preceding day, came up to them. "I thought that you
would be in a fix about clothes, my lads," he said. '' You could
not very well join in these midshipman's uniforms, so I set the
tailor yesterday to cut down a couple of spare suits of my corps.
The buttons will not be right, but you can easily alter that when
you join. You had better go below at once and see if the
things fit pretty well. I have told the tailor to take them
to the cockpit, and if they do not fit they can alter them at
once."

Thanking the officer very much for his thoughtful kindness,
and much relieved in mind— for they had alieady been won-
dering what they should do— the boys ran below, and found
that the tailor had guessed their sizes pretty correctly, aided as
he had been by the trowsers they had worn when they came on
board. A few alterations were necessary, and these he promised
to get finished in a couple of hours. They had scarcely gone
on deck again when the anchor was let fall, and a boat was

The Young Buglers.

lowered, in order that the captain might proceed to rnore with
he despatches of which he was tiie bearer.

Just as he was upoii the point of leaving the deck, his eye
fell upon the boys. " I shall be back again in an hour or two,"
he said ; " do not leave until I return. I will find out where
your regiment is, and if it has marched I will give you a
certificate of how I picked you up, otherwise you may be
stopped on the way, and get into a scrape as two boys who
have strayed away from their regiment."

So saying, the captain got into his boat and rowed to
shore. It was one o'clock before he returned. The boys
had dinner with the gunroom officers, then changed their
dress, and had now the appearance of buglers in the
marines.

The captain at once sent for them. " Your regiment went
on yesterday with the rest of the division. It halts to-day ten
miles out of the town. There is the certificate I spoke of.
Mr. Armstrong is just going off with two boats' crew to assist
in unloading stores ; I have asked him to hand you over to the
charge of some officer going up with a convoy. And now
good-bye, lads. I wish you every luck, and hope that some day
or other you may win your epaulets."

With renewed thanks for his kindness, the boys went up on
deck. There they shook hands and said good-bye to all the
officers and midshipmen. As they were waiting while the
boats were being lowered, two of the sailors went aft to the
captain, who had con::e up from below and was walking alone
on the quarter-deck, and, with a touch of the hat, the spokes-
man said, " Your honour, we're come to ax as how, if your
honour has no objection, we might just give a parting cheer
to those 'ere youngsters."

'* Well, Jones," the captain said, smiling, " it's rather ^n

Poitusral.

unusual thing for the crew of one of His Majesty's ships to
cheer two young soldiers."

" It is unusual, your honour, mighty unusual, because soldiers
ain't m general of much account at sea ; but you see, your
honour, this ain't a usual circumstance, nohow. These here
boys, which ain't much more than babbies, have done what
there am't many men, not even of those who are born and bred
to the sea, would have done; and we should just like to give
them a bit of a cheer foi good luck."

" Very well, Jones, tell the men they can do as they like "
Accordingly, as the boys took their seats in the boat they
were surprised at seeing the crew clustering to the side of the
ship, while some of the men ran up the rigging.

" What can the men be up to ?" Tom asked Mr. Armstrong
in surprise.

The lieutenant smiled, for he knew what was coming
" Sheer off, men," he said, and as he did so the boatswain
of the ship gave the word, "Now, lads, three cheers for them
boys; may they have the luck they deserve."

Three thundering cheers burst from the whole crew, the men
in the boats tossing their oars in the naval ftshion of acknow-
ledgment of the salute. Tom and Peter, astonished and
affected, stood up, took off their caps, and waved their hands
m thanks to the crowd of faces looking down upon them, and
then sat down again and wiped their eyes.

" Row on," the lieutenant said, and the oars fell in the water
with a splash ; one more cheer arose, and then the boats rowed
for the landing-place. The boys were too much affected to
look up or speak until they reached the shore, nor did they
notice a boat which rowed past them upon its way to the vessel
they had left, just after they had started. It rontamed an officer
in a general's uniform. The boat steered to the ship's side,

The Young Buglers,

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1 4^^ -'j«vj

and the officer ascended the ladder. The captain was on
deck. " Ah, Craufurd," he said, *' this is an unexpected plea-
sure."

" I have just come back from my division for a few hours,
Merivale ; there are a lot of stores which are essential, and
some of my artillery is not landed, so I thought I could hurry
things up a bit. My spare charger, and most of the chargers
of my staff, are being landed, too ; the ship they came in was
a day or two late ; and as I had to confer with the Portuguese
Minister of War, I am killing a good many birds with one stone.
I heard you had just come in, and as I was on board the
" Clio " about my charger, I thought it would not be
much out of my way tr> run round and shake hanos with
you."

" I am very glad you did. Come into my cabin : you can
spare time to take some lunch, I hope."

While they were at lunch General Craufurd remarked, " So
you have just lost one of your officers, I see ; promoted to
another ship, eh ? "

" Lost an officer ! " Captain Merivale said in surprise. " No,
not that I have heard of What makes you think so ? "

" I thought so by the cheering the ship's crew gave that boat
that left the ship just before I came up. There was only a naval
lieutenan' m her, and I supposed that he had just got his
ship, and I thought by the heartiness of the cheering what a
good fellow he must be."

" But it was not the lieutenant the men were cheering,"
Captain Merivale said with a smile.

" No ! " General Craufurd said, surprised. " Why, there
was no one else in the boat. I looked attentively as I passed.
There was only a lieutenant, a midshipman who was steering,
the men rowing, and two little marine buglers, who had their

Portugal. ftQ

handkerchiefs up to their faces. So you see I took a very
minute survey."

" You did indeed," Captain Merivale said, laughing. " Well
It was just these little buglers that the crsw of the^hip were
cheering."

General Craufurd looked up incredulously. « You're joking
Merivale. The crew of His Majesty's frigate " Latona » cheer
two buglers of marines ! No, no, that won't do."

" It is a fact, though, Craufurd, unlikely as it seems, except
that the buglers belong to the Norfolk Rangt-rs, and not to the
Marines."

" The Rangers ! They are in Hill's division. What is it all
about ? There must be something very strang^^ about it."

" There is indeed," Captain Merivale said, "very strange."
And he then related the whole story to his visitor.

" They are trumps indeed," the general said when the
narrative was ended, « and I am very glad that I happened to
hear it. I will speak to Hill about it, and will keep my eye
upon them. Be assured they shall have their epaulets as soon
as possible-that is, if their conduct is at all equal to their
pluck. It is the least we can do when, as you say, they
have refused midshipmen's berths to stick to us. And now I
must be off."

The boat landed General Craufurd at the same landing-
place at which Tom and Peter had disembarked half an hour
before. Lieutenant Armstrong had spoken a few words to the
officer who was superintending the landing of stores and horses,
and he, being far too busy to stop to talk, briefly said that the
boys could go up to join their regiment with a convoy of
stores which would start that night.

After saying good-bye to their friend the lieutenant, the boys
sat down upon some bales, and were watching with much
•3

mm.

. ; I

' i

• I

100

T/ie Young Buglers,

amusement and interest the busy scene before them. As
General Craufurd passed they rose and saluted.

" You are the boys from the * Latona,' are you not ? "

" Yes, sir," the boys answered in surprise.

" Can you ride ? "

" Yes, sir."

" Follow me, then."

Much surprised, the boys followed the general until he made
his way through the confusion to a group of newly landed hoises.
Near them were a couple of mounted Hussars, who, at the
sight of the general, rode forward with his charger. He made a
sign to them to wait a moment, and walked up to the men who
were holding the newly landed horses.

" Which of you have got charge of two horses?"

Several of the men answered at once.

" Which of you are servants of officers on my staff ? "

Throe of those who had answered before replied now.

" Very well ; just put saddles on to two of them. These lads
will ride them ; they are going out with me at once ; they will
hand them over to your masters."

In another five minutes Tom and Peter, to their surprise and
delight, were clattering along through the streets of Lisbon upon
two first-rate horses in company with the two Hussars, while
twenty lengths ahead, trotted General Craufurd with two officers
who had been down to Lisbon upon duty similar to his own.
Once outside the: town, the general put his horse into a gallop,
and his followers of course did the same. Once or twice General
Craufurd glanced back to see how the boys rode, for a doubt
had crossed his mind as to whether he had been wise in putting
them upon such valuable horses, but when he saw that they
were evidently accustomed to the work, he paid no further
attention to them.

Portugal.

101

I made
hoises.
at the
made a
en who

ese ladv)
;hey will

rise and
on upon
s, while
officers
lis own.
gallop,
General
a doubt
putting
fhat they
further

The officers riding beside him, however, looked back several
times.

" What luck we have, to be sure, Tom," Peter said, " and 1
can't understand this a bit. How could the general know that
we came from the * Latona ;* as he evidently did, and by the
way these officers have looked back twice, I can't help
thinking that he is talking about us."

Tom was as puzzled as Peter, l-ut they soon forgot the subject,
and engaged in an animated conversation with the Hussars as
to the situation and position of the army, and .he supposed
strength and locality of the French, concerning which they were,
of course, in complete ignorance. An hour and a half's sharp
riding took them to Torres Vedras, a small town which after
wards became celebrated for the tremendous lines which
Wellington erected there. The troops were encamped in its
vicinity, the general having his quarters at the house of the
Alcalde, or Mayor.

" Your regiment is a mile and a half distant, lads," General
Craufurd said as they drew up at his quarters ; " you will have
difficulty in finding it this evening. Sergeant, take these lads
round to 'he house where my orderlies are quartered, and give
them some supper. They can join their regiment in the morn-
ing. I have heard of you, lads, from Captain Merivale, and
shall mention your conduct to General Hill, and be assured I
will keep my eye upon you."

The boys were soon asleep upon a heapof straw, and at six next
morning were upon the road, having already had some coffee
and bread for breakfast They had no difficulty in finding their
day, for orderlies were already galloping about, and the bugle
calls came sharp upon their ears. The division was to march at
seven. The Rangers happened to be the first in advance, so that
they passed through the other regiments to arrive at theirs.

102

The Yoiini^ Buglers*

The tents were clown when they arrived, and packed in rea-
diness for the bullock carts which stood by. The boys paused
a little distance oft", and looked on with delight at the busy
scene. At a note on the bugle the tents and other baggage
were stowed in the carts, and then the men hitched on their
knapsacks, unpiled arms, and began to fiill into rank.

No one noticed the boys as they passed between the groups
and approached the band, who were mustering by the colours,
which were as usual jHaced in front of the guard tent.

" There's Sambo," Tom said ; " I am glad they got him safe
on board."

The negro was the first to perceive the boys as they came
close up to him. As he saw them he gave a sudden start, his
eyes opened wider and wider until the whiles showed all round,
his teeth chattered, the shiny black of his face turned to a sort
of dirty grey, and he threw up his hands with a loud cry, " Oh.
golly, here's dose boys' spirits ! "

He stepped back, heedless that the big drum was behind
him, and the next moment went back with a crash into it, and
remained there with his knees doubled up and his face looking
out between them, too frightened and horror-struck to make
the least movement to extricate himself.

For a moment no one noticed him, for at his cry they had
all turned to the boys, and stood as if petrified at seeing those
whom they believed had been drowned before their eves a
week before. The silence did not last long, the boys bursting
into a shout of laughter at Sam's appearance.

" Spirits 1 Sam," Tom said ; " not by a long way yet, man.
How are you all ? Come, get out of that, Sam, and shake
hands." And as the band with a shout crowded round them,
the boys helped Sam, who was trembling all over from the shock
and fright, from the drum.

rea-
lused
busy
?gage

their

;roups
)lours,

safe

came
irt, his
rountl,
D a sort
, " Oh,

behind
it, and
ooking
o make

hey had
ig those
eves a
bursting

et, man.
d shake
id them,
e shock

'«

QH COLLV, 11I:kk"s DOSK ];OVs' Sl'IKI'i-, !"

Ta-o :,

**■ ;

V I

1 i.'

!l !

' I :,

; f 1

ill

• |!

I '

Portugal.

103

For a moment the boys were quite confused and bewildered,
for as they hauled Sam to his feet their comrades of the band
pressed round them cheering, every one trying to shake them by
the hand.

The news spread like wildfire am mg the troops, and there
was at once a general rush to the spot. The boys were
seized in an instant, and each raised on the shoulders of two
of the grenadiers, and as they made their appearance above the
heads of the crowd a tremendous cheer broke from the whole
regiment

** What can be the matter ? ** was the general exclamation ol
the colonel and officers, who were just finishing their breakfasts
in a cottage which stood close behind the spot where their tents
had been pitched in the rear of the regiment. " What can be
the matter ? " — and as the cheering continued there was a gene-
ral rush to the door. There, they stood astonished at seeing the
whole of the men clustered in one spot, shouting and waving
their caps.

" What can be the matter ? " the colonel said again ; " the
whole regiment seems to have gone mad."

" We shall know in a minute," Captain Manley said ; " they
are coming in this direction."

" Look at that fellow Sambo," exclaimed Carruthers; ** he
looks madder than all the rest."

In spite of the intense surprise which all were feeling, there
was a general laugh, for the black was performing antics like
one possessed ; his cap was gone, he jumped, he yelled, he
waved his arms, with a drumstick in each hand, wildly over his
head, he twisted round and round ; he seemed really out of his
mind. Suddenly he left the crowd, and rushed on ahead
at full speed towards the group of officers, still leaping and
yelling and waving his drumsticks.

{ I

104

The Young Buglers,

.1 ill

I f!

The officers instinctively drew together as he approached,
for they thought that the gigantic negro was really out of his
mind. He stopped suddenly as he came up to them, and
tried to fall into his usual attitude of attention.

*' Oh, Masso Colonel," he said in hoarse, sobbing tones,
" only to think, only to think. Scuse Sam, sar, but Sam feel
he's going to bust right up wid joy, massa. Dat no matter, but
only to think. Bress de Almighty, sar ! only to think J"

None of the officers spoke for a minute in answer to these
disjointed exclamations. They were affected at the man's great
emotion. His black skin was still strangely pale, his eyes
were distended, his lips quivered, tears were rolling down his
cheeks, and his huge frame was shaken with sobs.

" Calm yourself, Sam— be calm, my man," the colonel
said kindly. " Try and tell us what has happened. What
are the men so excited about? What is the matter with
them?"

" Oh, Massa Colonel," Sam said, " me try tell you all 'bout

.. Only to think, sar, dose boys cum back again ; dose boys,

sar, bress dem, dat jumped intodewata and got drowned just

to save dis poor niggar, sar. Dey cum back again j only tink

ob dat I "

The officers looked at one another in surprise.

" I do believe he means the Scudamores 1 colonel," Captain
Manley exclaimed ; " but no, it is impossible ; no one could
have lived five minutes in that sea, and we know that they
could not have been picked up, for we were the last ship in
the fleet."

" Yes, yes, sar, dat's dem, dey cum back sure enuff," Sam
said.

Then Carruthers exclaimed, " I do believe it is so ; there
are a couple of boys on the shoulders of the men in the middle

t-i

:hed,
»f his
, and

:ones,
nfeel
;r, but

I these
s great
s eyes
wn his

colonel

What

er with

II 'bout
e boys,
ed just

ly tink

'a]^tain
could
lat they
I ship in

," Sam

; there
middle

Portugal.

105

of the crowd. Yes, and, by Jove, it is the Scudamores,
Hurrah ! I am glad."

There was a general exclamation of pleasure from the whole
group, for the regret for the boys, who had, as was believed,
perished in the performance of such a gallant action, had been
general and sincere, and Captain Manley lifted his cap and
said reverently, "Thank God, these gallant lads are saved;"
and those around, although some of them were but little
addicted to prayer, repeated the words and imitated the action.

Carruthers would have stepped forward in his eagerness to
greet his former school-fellows, but Captain Manley laid his
hand quietly on his sho..lder and said in a low tone, " Wait,
Carruthers, let the colonel welcome them."

And now the crowd came up to the cottage, those in front
falling back as they approached, so as to let the grenadiers
come forward with their burden. The boys were lowered to the
ground, and stood at once at attention ; their faces were both
flushed with excitement, and their eyes swollen with tears, so
much were they both moved by the welcome which had greeted
them.

There was a de-id silence for a moment, and then Colonel
Tritton said in a loud, clear voice, which was heard all over
the throng of men, " I am glad, lads, to see you back again.
I never expected to have seen you again after we caught a
glimpse of you as the sea washed you away. You have seen
how the m3n have welcomed you, and I can assure you thai
the pleasure of the officers that two such gallant young fellows
should have been saved is no less than that of your comrades.
A braver act than that which you performed was never done.
I shake hands with you, and congratulate you in the name of
the whole regiment." And, suiting the action to the words,
Colonel Tritton stepped forward and shook the boys warmly

■I 'I

io6 ne Young Buglers.

by the hand, amidst a great cheer upon the part of the whole
regiment. Then he held up his hand for silence again.
« Bugler, sound the assembly; fall in, my lads, or we shall be
late Come in here, boys ; you can get something to eat, and
tell us in a few words how you were saved, for. even now that I
see you, it seems almost impossible.

: I : I 1 1

«iu

whole
again,
all be
t, and
that I

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Enjl'sh 7.'rtio;)8 ^
English Cavalry^
prtnch Ti-oops b=
Preiiah Cavnlryli

THE P

ASSAGE OF THE RIVER DOURO. ^^^^ ^^^

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Barca de

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Page 107

wnm

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-^'iiM>'v^>vim!i^

^vijliill^!^

iiS^^w^

i'l

THE PASSAGE OF Tl

i-l

CHAPTER VII.

THE PASSAGE OF THE DUORO— TALAVERA.

Very severe was the drill and discipline, and not very abun-
dant was the food, and there was a general feeling of pleasure
when, by the general concentration of the army at Coimbra, it
was evident that active operations were about to commence.
On the 5 th of May 9000 Portuguese, 3000 Germans, and
13,000 British troops were assembled. Sir Arthur was already
there, and upon the 6th General Beresford marched with 10,000
men, and orders were issued for the rest of the army to mlrch
out early the next day.

The Norfolk Rangers were in high glee that night, and
many were the tales told by the old soldiers of former en-
gagements in which they had taken part. Next morning, at
daybreak, the tents were struck, the baggage packed, and the
waggons loaded. The people of Coimbra came out in crowds
to see the troops march, and many were the blessings and
good wishes poured out as the long line wound through the
streets of the city.

Hill's division was the last, and the rain was pouring down
with great force by the time they started. The march, how-
ever, was not a very long one, for Bercsford's ' divi
sion, which was ^o operate upon the Upper Duoro, had a

Ill i

io8

The Young Buglers,

i !

■ (

i' I

long distance to make, and it was necessary that all should be
ready for simultaneous action. For this purpose the army
halted the next day, and upon the 9th marched to Aveiro on
the River Vonga. Here a large flotilla of boats was found,
and the Norfolk Rangers with two other regiments were ordered
to embark at once. The Portuguese fishermen entered heart
and soul into the business, and in perfect silence the little flats
were rowed up the lake of Ovar.

The soldiers were greatly crowded in the boats, and were
glad, indeed, when just as morning dawned they landed at
the town of Ovar.

By this movement they were placed upon the right flank of
Francheschi, the general who commanded the advanced divi-
sion of the French army. Soon after they had landed the
French were attacked in front, and finding their flank turned,
and the whole British force, which they had believed to be seven
days' march away, in their front, they fell back hastily.

To their great disappointment, the Rangers took no share in
this the first skirmish of the war. But Hill's orders were not
to press on the enemy's rear. Three days more of marching and
skirmishing brought them close to the Duoro on the evening
of the nth. The enemy crossed that evening and destroyed
the bridge, and during the night the British troops were all
brought up, and massed behind a hill called the Serra. This
hill stood upon a sharp elbow which the river makes just above
the town of Oporto, and the British were here completely
hidden from Marshal Soult, who had no idea that they
were so close at hand. Indeed, knowing that the bridge was
broken and that all the boats had been carefully taken over to
that side of the river, the Marshal dreamt not that Sir Arthur
would attempt to cross, but imagined that he would take boats
lower down near the mouth of the river and there endeavour

The Passaic of the Dmno — Talavera.

109

re all
This
Ibove
[etely
they

was
^er to
[rthur
Iboats

Lvour

to cross. To prevent such an attempt Souk had massed his
army below Oporto.

The troops were ordered to pile arms, and eat their break-
fast, but to keep in position. " I wonder how we are to cross the
river, Tom ?" Peter said, " It is three hundred yards across,
with a rapid current, no man in the world could swim that,
and carry his musket and ammunition across."

*' I expect Sir Arthur is reconnoitring, Peter; I saw him go
up the hill to that convent there : he must be able to see from
there right over Oporto."

An hour passed, and then two or three officers were seen
coming down from the hill ; one went up to General Hill, who
happened at the moment to be talking to Colonel Tritton.
"You are to prepare to cross, sir, Colonel Waters has dis-
covered a small boat brought across by a Portuguese in the night.
They are going to cross to that great convent you see upon the
other side. They will bring back boats with them, and you
will cross at once, take possession of the convent, and hold it
against any force that may be brought against you until re-
inforcements arrive."

Very quickly were the orders passed, and with a smile of
satisfaction the men took their arms and fell in. They were
moved near the river, and kept under shelter of some houses.

" Keep near me," Colonel Tritton said to Tom and Peter,
" I may want you to cary messages, there will be no sounding
of bugles to-day."

Keeping under the shade of some trees so that they could
command a view of the river without being seen from the
opposite side, Colonel Tritton with two of his officers and his
two buglers, watched what was going on. A few paces ahead
of them were Generals Paget and Hill, like themselves, watch-
ing the daring experiment. Behind, under shelter of the

The Young Buglers.

\ I

houses, were the troops in dense masses. The Rangers, as the
first regiment in General Hill's division, were in front, and would
naturally be the first to cro^s. It was a most anxious moment,
as Colonel Waters and two Portuguese pushed the tiny boat
from shore and pulled across btrcam. The bulk of the Serra
Hill hid the river at this point, and even the convent opposite,
from the siglu of the French army formed uj) below the town,
but there were no doubt stragglers all over the city, and the
whole baggage of the French army was in retreat by the road
to Valarga which ran at a short distance behind the con-
vent

Most anxiously their eyes were strained upon the opposite
bank, from which they expected to see the flash of musketry,
as the little boat neared the convent. All, however, was as
still as death. Behind them they heard a rumble, and looking
round saw eighteen guns on their way up the hill. From this
eminence they could command the ground around the Seminary,
as the convent across the water was called, and thus afford some
aid to the troops as they crossed.

There was a murmur of satisfaction as the boat neared
the opposite shore, and after lying still for a moment to re-
connoitre the convent, pulled boldly up to the landing-place,
where its occupants disembarked and entered the Seminary.
Their absence was not long. In a few minutes they reappeared
with eight or ten men, and then at once enterea and cast off
three large boats moored alongside.

The boys could hardly repress a cheer as they saw them
fairly under weigh. An officer now left the sid'^ of the General,
and came to Colonel Tritton, " You will get your first com-
pany in readiness to embark, sir; do not let them show them-
selves until the last moment."

Colonel Tritton joined his men. "Captain, Manley take

The Passage of the Duoro— Taiavera.

Ill

ired

(hem

leralj

:om-

lem-

Itake

your company forward, when the first boat touches the shore
embark. Let there be no noise or confusion."

" God bless you, Peter," Tom said, as they separated ; " your
company won't be many minutes after us ;" for the bugler of the
first company was ill, and Tom was ordered to take his place.

As the boat touched the shore Captain Manley ordered the
leading files of his company to come from under cover and
take their place in the boat. Twenty-four men entered, and
when the other boats were also full Captain Manley took his
place, followed by his bugler, and the boats pushed off
again.

There was a dead silence in the boat, broken only by the
sound of the oars as the Portuguese tugged manfully at them,
each oar being double-banked by a soldier. 'I'he rest sat with
their muskets in their hands, their pouches open ready for use,
and their eyes fixed upon the shore. All was quiet, and with a
sigh of relief, and a hearty hurrah muttered under their breath,
the men leapt from the boat and ran up to the Seminary.

It was a large building with a flat roof, and the enclosure
around it was surrounded by a high wall which swept round to
the water's edge on either side. The only entrance was through
a stout gate studded with iron. This was already closed and
barred ; the captain at once distributed his men at the upper
windows of the Seminary, with orders not to show themselves
until the alarm was given.

They had scarcely taken their places when they were joined
by the occupants of the second boat, while those of the third,
in which General Paget himself crossed, were but a minute or
two later. Just as they touched the shore, however, there was
a sudden shout heard, this was followed by others, and in five
minutes a wild hubbub was heard in the town. Drums beat to
arms, and it was evident that the enemy were at last awake to

ri2

The YoHug Buglers.

V I

the fact that the British had effected a lodgment upon theii
side of the stream.

" We shall have it hot presently," Captain Manley said to
Tom. " They will be a quarter of an hour before they
can get round here, and we shall have the three boats back
by that time. The one we came in is half-way across
ilready."

Seven or eight minutes later a heavy column of men was
seen pouring out of the upper gate of the town. As they got
into the open ground, they threw out clouds of skirmishers,
and pushed down towards the convent A heavy fire was at
once opened upon them by the English guns upon the Serra
Hill. There was no longer any need for concealment. The sol-
diers in the convent took their places at the windows, and as
they did so could hear the loud hurrahs of their comrades
as they crowded down to the bank upon the other side of the
river to await their turn to embark. Before the enemy were
within musket-shot, three boat loads more had been landed,
and there were, therefore, 150 men now in the convent. From
the gates of the city the French artillery came pouring out,
and, taking up a position upon an eminence, opened fire upon
the convent just as the infantry had got within musket-range.

So suddenly did the noise of the enemy's cannonade, the
crashing of the balls against the thick walls of the Seminary,
the rattle of the enemy's musketry, and the louder roar of the
muskets of the defenders, blended on both sides with shouts
and cheers, break out, that for a minute or two Tom felt almost
bewildered. He had no time, however, to think, for an oflficer
came up to Captain Manley. "The general is up on the roof;
he wants a bugler sent up to him."

Captain Manley nodded to Tom, who followed the aide-de-
camp on to the roof. Here he could see all that was passing,

iiU^

The Passos^c of the Duoro — Talnvera.

1*3

the

Ue-
5ing,

and nn exriting sipht it was. Crowds of P'rcnch soldiers were
apj)roaching the wall, keeping up a tremendous musketry fire,
whilst behind them three batteries of field-guns were sending
their messengers of death From every upper window of the
convent the answering flashes came thick and fast, while over-
head hummed the shot from the British guns, on the Serra
Hill. Oporto Itself was in a state of uproar. Drums were
beating, trumpets sounding, bells clanging, while from the
house-tops the population, men and women, were waving their
handkerchiefs to the English, gesticulating and making all
sorts of pantomimic expressions of joy.

Looking at the river behind, '1 om saw with pleasure that
some more boats had been obtained, and that strong reinforce-
ments would soon be across. The whistling of the bullets and
the hum of the round shot were incessant, and 'J'om acknow-
ledged to himself that he felt horribly uncomfortable — much
more uncomfortable than he had an idea that he should feel
under fire. Had he been actively engaged, he would have
hardly experienced this feeling ; but to stand impassive under
a heavy fire is trying to the nerves of the oldest soldier. He
was angry with himself that he was not more indifferent to the
whizzing of the balls ; but the sensation of discomfort under
fire is beyond the control of the will, and it is no unusual thing
to see a young soldier who, later in the day, may display an
almost reckless courage, yet at first flinch whenever balls hiss
close by him, in spite of all his efforts to the contrary. Tom
was able, however, to control any outward manifestation of
his feelings, and took his place a few paces behind General
Paget, who was standing with one of his officers by his side,
watching the force which, momentarily increasing, was, in spite
of the British fire, making its way onward towards the gate.

It was evident that the general considered the danger to be

^SHBXS

114

The Youug Buglers.

(

pressing, as he once or twice looked back to see how quickly
the reinforcements were crossing the river. The first time
that he did so, his e> j fell on Tom. " Get behind those
big chimneys, lad. There is no use in exposing yourself un-
necessarily."

Tom obeyed the order with alacrity, and, once in shelter,
wc"? soon able to bring his nerves under control, and to look
round the corner of his shelter without flinching when the
bullets sang past. In five minutes General Hill joined Paget
on die roof, and just as he did so the latter was severely
wo inded and fell.

Tom ran forward to assist him, and, kneeling beside him,
partially supported him until four men came up and carried
him below. The position of the little garrison was now very
precarious, the artillery fire concentrated upon them was heavy,
and the French swarmed up to the wall, which they in vain
endeavoured to climb The English kei)t up a tremendous
fire upon them, cheering constantly as fresh reinforcements
arrived, or as the enemy was momentarily repulsed.

Tom had now lost all nervousness, and was standing eagerly
watching the fight, when a ball knocked his shakoe off. The
generai happened to turn round at the moment " That was
a narrow escape," he said with a smile. " What is your name,
lad?"

'* Scudamore, sir," Tom answered.

"Scudamore — Scudamore. Yes, I remember the name
now. You are one of the lads General Craufurd spoke to me
about. I want to see you. Come to me to-morrow with your
brother. Go down now and join your company; I do not
want you here."

Tom gladly went down, for he longed to be doing some-
tiiing. He soDU found his company, and, taking up a firelock

The Passage of the Duoro - Talavera. ^ , 5

of one of the men who had fallen, was .soon hnr<l at work
loading and hring into the assailants. For an hour the strife
contmued. Fortunately General Murray ha,l found son.e
boats three miles higher up the stream, and had crossed, thus
menaang the enemy's line of retreat. Suddenly a great pealing
of bells was heard in Oporto, with shouting and eheering, and
he house-tops were covered with people waving their hand-
kerchtefs. The French were evacuating the town. The in-
habitants at once took across some large barges to Villa Neva,
a subtn-b lymg across the river, and just below the Serra Hdl.
Here Sherbrooke began to cross.

It was now the time for the English to take the offensive
I here were now three battalions in the seminary, and as the
French drew sullenly off to join the column now flowing
steadily out from Oporto along the Valonga road, the gates
were thrown open, and the English passing out formed out-
s>de the walls, and poured volley after volley into the retreating
foe. Had Murray fallen upon their flank, the disaster of the
French would have been complete ; but this general feared that
the enemy would turn upon him, and destroy his division be-
fore assistance could arrive, and he therefore remained in-
aetive, and allowed the long column of fugitives to pass un-
molested. ^

For the next eight days the English army followed hotly in
pursuit, and several skirmishes occurred ; but Soult effected a
most masterly retreat, saving his army, when it seemed 'upon
the brink of destruction, by leaving his guns and baggage
behind him, and leading his men by paths over mounts,',
supposed to be impassable for any large body of men. He
lost altogether 6000 men in this short campaign. This in-
eluded 3600 . risoners either captured in action or left behind
m the hospitals, and .400 killed. The number of guns left

{■n

ii6

TJic Young Buglers,

i\ ^

' .1

behind was fifty-eight. The English had only 300 killed and
wounded.

Sir Arthur's plans for the invasion of Spain were not yet
complete, and h<; accordingly halted his army to await sup-
plies and reinforcements. During this time the young buglers
had no opportunity of calling upon Major-General Hill. The
transport supplied by the Spanish Government had failed
grossly, and the troops were badly fed at a time when, taking
long marches, they most required support. The first day after
they halted the boys determined that they would, as soon as
they were off duty, call upon General Hill. While parade was
going on, however, they saw the general ride up to Colonel
Tritton, and enter into conversation with him. The bugler,
who was standing near, was ordered to sound the call for the
ofiicers to assemble in front ; and when they did so. Colonel
Tritton left the general's side and spoke a few words with
them. There was a short conversation, and then the colonel
rejoined the general's side, and the officers returned to theii
places. The colonel now rode forward to the centre of the
line, and said in loud tones, " Men, I have a piece of news to
tell you which 1 think that you will be glad to hear. Upon my
arrival at Lisbon I reported the gallant conduct of Tom
and Peter Scudamore in rescuing one of their comrades
when washed overboard in the Bay of Biscay. Captain
Merivale, of the " Latona," also reported it, and General Hill,
when he heard the circumstances, was also good enough
to send home a report recommending them for promotion.
He has received an answer from the Commander-in-Chief
announcing that they are both granted commissions in this
regiment as a reward for their act of distinguished gallantry.
The regiment i-^ dismissed."

As the men fell out they gave a loud and general cheer, and

I < i.i

liL.

The Passage of the Duoro — Tatavera,

117

;r, and

Tom and Peter were surrounded by their comrades, who
shook them by the hand, and congratulated them upon
their promotion. The boys were too much surprised and affected
to speak, and they had scarcely recovered from their bewilder-
ment, when Carruthcrs came up to them, and led them to the
colonel Here General Hill first, and then all the officers,
warmly shook hands with them. The boys were much touched
by the warmth with which they were received, and were soon
hurried off to the tents of the officers. Several of the ensigns
were slight young men, and they insisted upon rigging the boys
out in uniform, and the boys had the less scruple in accepting
the kind offer, inasmuch as they expected every day to
enter Spain, when the baggage would be cut down to the
smallest possible proportion, and the officers as well as the men
be obliged to leave almost everything behind thera. Sam was
delighted at the promotion of his friends, and asked to be
appointed their servant, a request which was at once acceded to.
The regiment had now been three months in Spain, and the
boys had continued to work hard at Spanish, devoting several
hours a day to its study, and talking it whenever they could
find an opportunity — no difficult matter, as Portugal was full
of Spanish, who had crossed the frontier to avoid the hated
yoke of the Frcncli.

The delay in invading Spain was caused partly from want
of trans|)ort, but more by the utter incapacity of the Spanish
Junta or government, and by the arrogance and folly of
Cuesta, the Spanish Commander-in-Chief, who was always
proposing impracticable schemes to Wellington, and, inflated
with Spanish pride and obstinacy, believed that his own
worthless troops were fully a match for the French, and
was jealous in the highest degree of the British general.

At last, on the 27th of June, the British army advanced.

The Young Buglers,

Scarcely had they made a da} s march, however, when the
utter faithlessness of the Spaniards became manifest. The
{provisions and transport promised were not forthcoming, and
from the very day of their advance the British were badly
fed, and indeed often not fed at all ; and so great were
their sufferings during the campaign — sufferings caused by the
iieartlessness of the people whom they had come to deliver
from a foreign yoke, that the British soldiers came to cherish
a deep and bitter hatred against the Spanish -, and it was this
intense feeling of animosity which had no little to do with the
cruel excesses of the English soldiery upon the capture of
Burgos and San Sebastian.

After many delays from these causes, the British army
reached Oropesa upon the 20th July, and there formed a
junction with Cuesta's army. Upon the 22nd the allied armies
moved forward, and upon the same day the Spaniards came
in contact with the Frrrch, and should have inflicted a 9e\ere
blow upon them, but the ignorance and timidity of the Spanish
generals enabled the enemy to draw off and concentrate without
loss.

The British troops had now been for many days upon half
rations, and Sir Arthur gave notice to the Junta, that unless
his requisitions were complied with, he should retire from
Spain. Cuesta, however, believing that the French were re-
treating in haste, pushed his army across the river Alberche,
with the vain idea of defeating them, and entering Madrid in
triumph. Sir Arthur, seeing the fatal consequences which
would ensue, were the Spaniards attacked alone, laid aside his
previously-fo'-med resolution, and put his army in motion
across the Alberche. The position of the allied armies was
now most dangerous — far more so, indeed, than the English
general supposed. Badly informed by the Spanish, he greatly

The Passage of the Duoro -- Talavcra.

tic)

:n the
The
g, and
badly
; were
by the
deUver
cherish
/as this
ith the
dure of

li army
irmed a
\ armies
ds came
a severe
Spanish
without

Don half
Lt unless
ire from
were re-
Mberche,
ladrid in
es which
aside his
n motion
mies was
English
le greatly

underrated the enemy's forces. Taking advantage of the
delay caused by the want of provisions and carriage, Soult,
Victor, and Ney were marching their forces from various points,
and concentrating to crush the invading army. Upon the 26th
the French met the Spanish arniy. General Zayas, who com-
manded the Spanish advance of 4000 infantry and 2000
cavalry, scarcely offered any resistance, his men broke and
fled in disorder, and the panic would have spread to the whole
Spanish army, had not General Albuquerque brought up 3000
more cavalry and held the French at bay, while Cuesta
retreated in great disorder. The Spanish loss by dispersion
and flight was no less than 4000 men, and the whole army
would have been broken up, had not General Sherbrooke
advanced with his division, and placed it between the French
and the flying Spaniards.

The allies now recrossed the Alberche and took up a position
to cover Talavera. Sir Arthur chose a strong defensive posi-
tion, as it was evident that the Spanish were v;orse than useless
in the open field. The Spaniards were placed with their right
resting upon Talavera, their left upon a mound whereon a large
field-redoubt was constructed. Their front was covered by a
convent, by ditches, stone walls, breastworks, and felled trees;
and thus, worthless as were the troops, they could scarcely be
driven from a position almost impregnable.

The line beyond the Spanish was continued by Campbell's
division, next to which came that of Sherbrooke, its left
extending to a steep hill. Mackenzie and Donkin had not yet
fallen back from the Alberche. Hill was in rear. The British
troops, including the German legion, were 19,000 strong, with
thirty guns. The Spaniards had 33,000 men and seventy guns.
The Spanish contingent could, however, be in no way relied
upon, and were, indeed, never seriously engaged. The real

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120

The Young Bugtcrs*

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battle was between the 19,000 British troops and 50,000
French. The French attacked the British outposts with great
impetuosity, and Mackenzie and Donkin were driven in with
a loss of 400 men. The latter took up his position with his
brigade on the hill, on Sherbrocl'e's left ; the former took post
with Campbell's division, to which he belonged. The French
cavalry now galloped up towards the portion of the line held
by the Spanish, and discharged their pistols at them, where-
upon 10,000 Spanish infantry and the whole of their artillery
broke and fled in wild confusion. For miles they continued
their flight, but in the evening the Spanish cavalry were sent
round in pursuit, and drove some 4000 of these cowards
back to their lines. Seeing the wild confusion which was
raging on the allies' right, Victor resolved, although evening
was at hand, to make a sudden dash upon the hill upon
their left, which, held only by Donkin's brigade, was the
key of the position. The hill was very steep upon the
front, or French side, while towards the rear it sloped
gradually. Rufiin's division was ordered to the attack, fol-
lowed by Vilette in support, while Lapisse was ordered to
engage the German legion, which was on the left of Sher-
brooke's division.

Hill's division was lying down behind the hil when Ruffin's
troops advanced to the attack. There was no expectation of an
attack that evening, and the woods and increasing darkness
covered the movements of the French troops. Weary ana
hungry, the English soldiers, disgusted at the inhuman neglect
of the Spaniards, and furious at their cowardice, were chatting
over the events of the day and discussing the chances, by no
means bright, of the expected battle to-morrow. All that day
they had had no food whatever save a small portion of grain,
served out raw and u-iground. Tom and Peter had been

1J.U.,

5o,ooo
1 great
n with
ith his
)k post
French
le held
where-
Lrtillery
itinued
ire sent
towards
ch was
evening
1 upon
'as the
ton the
sloped
Lck, fol-
ered to
)f Sher-

Ruffin's
on of an
iarkness
ary ana
I neglect
chatting
s, by no
that day
of grain,
id been

TJie Passage of the Diioro - Talavcra. 1 2 1

chatting with the officers, who were grouped under a tree, when
Sambo came up to them and beckoned them aside.

" Look here, Massa Tom, here six eggs ; tree for you, tree
for Massa Peter."

"Thank you, Sam, that is capital; but you kno.v you will
get into a row if you get caught taking things."

"Me no take 'em, massa. Old hen give them to
me."

Tom laughed

"How was that, Sam?"

" Well, massa, me saw her sitting on nest Me went up and
said to her, 'Give me some eggs, old girl.' She say 'Cluck.'
I says, 'Cluck means yes, I suppose?' She say 'Cluck'
again. Clear 'nuff that, so me take eggs, eat tree, bring six.
young massa."

"I am afraid, Sam," Tom said, laughing, "your story would
hardly save you from the triangles, if you had been caught.
However, as it is rude to return a present, of course you
cannot take them back to the hen. I suppose they are raw?"

"Yes, massa; no good make fire; make hole bofe ends
suck 'em." *

^ " All right, Sam ; it is not the nicest way, but, under the
circumstances, perhaps it is the best ; at any rate, I am too
hungry to wait tiM we can get a fire lighted."

So saying, the boys sucked the raw eggs, and then joined
the men, when, just as they did so, first a dropping rifle shot
and then a perfect roar of musketry broke out upon the hill
above them. It needed no order to be given. The men fell
into their places and prepared to climb the hill and assist
Donkin's brigade, which was evidently unable alone to resist
the attack. Knapsacks were thrown off, firelocks tightly
grasped, and the regiment impatiently awaited orders to

5 m

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122

The Young Buglers.

advance. None were more impatient than the colonel, who
after a few minutes, seeing by the fire that the Englisli were
falling back, and that the French had gained the crest of the
hill, waited no longer for orders, but gave the word for the
regiment to advance. They were but half-way up the hill when
General Hill himself galloped down to meet them, and then
turning, led the way beside Colonel Tritton.

General Hill had had a narrow escape. Donkin had repulsed
the French who attacked him in front, but his force was
insufficient to guard the whole crest of the hill. Consequently,
the enemy had come up round his flank, and were now in
actual possession of the crest. General Hill, ignorant of this,
had ridden with his brigade-major right into the midst of the
French before he found out his mistake. His b gade-major,
Fordyce, was killed, his own horse wounded, and his bridle
seized by a French grenadier. He had, however, broken
away, and had ridden off under a storm of bullets.

With a cheer the Norfolk Rangers followed their gallant
leader. They reached the crest, poured a tremendous volley
into the enemy, and diargcd with the bayonet. The French,
of whom but a small portion had as yet gained the crest, were
unable to resist the impetuous onslaught, and at once gave
way.

The Rangers were now joined by the 48th and the 29th, so
that these, with Donkin's brigade, formed a strong body of
troops. The French, who had fallen back, now united with
their main body, and the attack was renewed with all the force
of Ruflin's division. The heavy mass pressed upwards, in spite
of the destructive fire of the British, and were within twenty
yards of the crest, when, with a hearty cheer, the English troops
rushed upor. them with the bayonet, and the French again fell
back, broken and disheartened.

jga

21ie Passage of tJie D novo— Talavera. 123

This ended the fighting on the 27th of July. Long lines of
bivouac fires soon blazed upon either side. The wounded were
carried down the hill to the field-hospital, which had been
erected under its cover, and the men, eating their scanty
supper, wrapped themselves in their great-coats, and were soon
asleep. The officers chatted for a short time longer, but as all
were tired, and the next day was sure to be a severe one, they,
too, soon lay down by their fire.

When morning broke, it was seen that the enemy had massed
a large force of artillery upon a hill just opposite to the one
held by the English. Soon afterwards Ruffin's division, as
before supported by Villette, advanced to the attack, covered
by the tremendous fire from his artillery. The British had no
adequate force of artillery to reply to the iron storm, and the
balls swept through their lines, mowing down their ranks, and
causing great loss. The regiments in reserve lay down to avoid
the iron shower, while the Rangers and 48th prepared to resist
the French when they came within fighting distance.

As their men approached the summit of the hill, the French
artillery was obliged to cease playing in that direction, and
turned its attention to the British centre, while a fierce musketry
contest took place between the French and Hill and Donkin's
men.

The ground was rough, and the troops on both sides, broken
up into small bodies, fought desperately. Cleneral Hill was
wounded, and the British troops fell fast. The French, how-
ever, suffered even more, and, as Hill brought up his reserve,
the English gained ground foot by foot, until they drove them
again down the steep sido of the hill. As the French
retired, their artillery once more opened fire to cover their
retreat.

A pause now ensued ; the French in this brief contest had

I! I

124

The Young Buglers.

■!■

lost 1400 men, and the British had suffered severely. The
French then held a council of war, and determined to attack
along the whole line in force. Hours passed away; the
English munched their corn, smoked their pipes, and watched
the enemy scattered over the plain. The weather was very
hot, and the men of both sides went down to a little stream
which divided their positions, drank, and filled their water-
bottles in perfect amity. Some of the officers who spoke
French conversed with the French officers, exchanged cigars
for brandy, and joked and laughed as if they had been the best
of friends.

At one o'clock the French drums were heard to beat, and
the men were scon formed in order. Tom and Peter stood
with a group of ofliccrs on the brow of the hill. Nothing could
be finer than the siglit. Fur away the view stretched over the
country, thickly wooded, and \\ ith chateaux and farm-houses
scattered here and there. Through the trees the dense masses
of the French could be seen, as they moved in columns towards
the positions from which they were to attack. Upon an
eminence, nearly opposite to their position, the boys could see
a long line of the French artillery. Far away, to the right, rose
the churches of Talavera, while behind the hill were the British
and Spanish cavalry, ready to charge should the French
endeavour to turn the British left by pushing round its foot.
Fifty paces from the officers of the Norfolk Rangers sat
Sir Arthur Welleslcy, on horseback, watching attentively
through a field-glass the movements of the enemy, and at a
short distance behind him were his staff. The British troops
were standing in easy order, a little behmd the crest of the
hill, so as to be sheltered from the artillery fire with which the
French were sure to cover the advance of their column of
attack.

The Passage of the Diioro — Talavera.

125

*' This is a grand sight, Peter," Tom said, " but I wish they
would begin ; it makes one fidgety waiting for it."

Scarcely had Torn spoken when, as if in answer to his wish,
a series of jets of white smoke puffed out from the opposite
hill, and two or three seconds later came the thunder of eighty
guns, and the whizzing sound of as many balls. Instinctively
the group drew back a pace, but it was not upon them that
this tremendous fire was opened. It was directed against the
right of the British line, and almost at the same moment a
cloud of skirmishers appeared among the trees, followed by the
dark columns of Sebastiani's division.

Upon these the English guns at once opened fire; but
rushing forward with their usual impetuosity, they cleared
away the obstacles which had been raised across the British
front, and charged with fury against the British position.
Campbell's division, however, assisted by Mackenzie's brigade
and two Spanish battalions, stood firm, and driving back the
skirmishers, advanced in line, cheering loudly. The head of
the French column withered away under their tremendous fire,
and, pushing forward, they overlapped it, and drove them
back with terrible loss, capturing ten guns. Then Campbell
prudently recalled his men to their first position, and the
British artillery, which had necessarily been silent while friend
and foe were mingled together, opened furiously upon the
French as they tried to re-form u{on their supports. A
Spanish cavalry regiment dashed down upon their flank, and
they retired again in great disorder.

Every incident of the fight could be seen from the British
position on the hill, and the troops almost held their breath
with excitement as the British lines clashed against the head of
the French column, and a loud shout of triumph burst out
spontaneously as the French broke and fled.

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126

The Young Buglers.

But it was now the turn of the left. Already Villette's
division, preceded by the Grenadiers and supported by Ruffin's
division, was advancing, and the British cavalry were ordered
to charge them. The ground was, however, quite unfit for
cavalry. Colonel Arentschild, a very experienced officer, who
commanded the German Hussars, drew up his regiment at the
edge of a deep cleft which crossed their front, and refused to
take his men to certain destruction. The 23rd Dragoons,
however, dashed into the ravine. Men and horses rolled over
in all directions ; still, they got across, and, charging furiously
between the French infantry regiments, which poured in a
terrible fire, fell upon a brigade of Chasseurs in their rear
Victor sent up his Polish lancers and Westphalian light horse
to the assistance of the Chasseurs, who already outnumbered
the 23rd, and this gallant regiment was completely broken, the
survivors escaping to the shelter of Bassecourt's Spanish
division, which lay beyond the hill, having lost 257 men and
officers.

Tom and Peter did not see this disastrous affair, for
on the approach of the enemy's column they fell into
their places in the ranks. It was, however, in vain that
the French tried to gain the crest of the hill, their efforts at
this point being indeed far more feeble than they had been
either in the morning or upon the previous night. It was in
the centre that their great effort was made. Here Lapisse
threw his division against that of Sherbrooke, and, covered by
his own artillery and by the guns upon the hill, charged right up
to the position. The British, however, repulsed them, and the
Guards, carried away by the excitement of the moment, fol-
lowed them with reckless ardour. The French reserves of
infantry and cavalry came up, the artillery plied the British
with shot and shell, the fugitives rallied and again came to the

,ii'-

The Passage of the Ditoro — Talavera.

127

r, for
into
that
rts at
been
as in
ipisse
id by
|ht up
id the
fol-
tes of
Iritish
to the

attack, and the Guards fell back in confusion. The Germans
next to them, severely pressed, began to waver, and for a time
it seemed that the British, victorious upon bot'.i flanks, were
yet to lose the battle by being broken in the centre.

Now, however, the 48th, which Sir Arthur had ordered down
from the hill when he saw the rash advance of the Guards,
was seen advancing in line through the disordered masses.
Wheeling back, it allowed the retreating regiments to pass
through it, and then again formed and fell upon the flank of
the victorious French column. TKj French paused in their
advance, the Guards and Germans rallied and came back
again to the fight, the shots of the British guns ploughed
lines in the column, the French wavered, and, as the British
light cavalry trotted up with the intention of charging them,
fell back, and drew off to their first position amidst shouts of
victory along the whole length of the British line.

Thus the battle ceased, each party occupying the ground it had
held in the morning. The British loss in killed, wounded, and
missing, in the two days' fighting, was 6200 ; that of the French
7400. Had the British been in a condition to have sallied
from their position and pursued the retiring enemy, the victory
would have had far greater results ; but, exhausted and half-
starved, the British were incapable of following up their
advantage.

The next morning, at daybreak, the French army quitted its
position, and, retiring across the Alberche, formed line of
battle there, and awaited the attack, should the English take
the offensive. This they were in no position to do, although
in the course of the day Craufurd had come up with the 43rd,
52nd, and 95th Regiments. These three regiments had heard
of the first day's fighting from the Spanish fugitives, and had
marched w ith all speed to the assistance of their friends. They

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128

The Young Buglers.

had, carrying their kit and ammunition, weighing from 5olb.
to 6olb., actually marched s xty-two miles in l,venty-six hours
in the hottest season of the year, one of the greatest feats
recorded in military history.

Th(2 Rangers had suffered heavily, and in the two days'
fighting had lost thirty-eight killed and 109 wounded. Among
the former were two officers, while several others were wounded.
The Scudamores had, f. 'tunately, both escaped without a
scratch. The inhumanity of the Spaniards was now more
markedly shown than ever. Although both in Cuesta's army,
and ir. the town of Talavera provisions were abundant, yet the
inhabitants carefully concealed them, while both the wounded
and fighting men of the British army were in want. So great
was the misery and indignation of the soldiers at his shameful
treatment, from those for whom they were doing so much, tha
they would willingly have attacked the Spanish army and
plundered the town ; and from this period to the end of the
war the British hated the Spanish with a deep and bitter
hatred

Wellesley now received news that Soult had crossed the
mountains, through the pass of Banos, which had been left
undefended by the Spanish, and was marching upon his rear.
Believing that Soult had only 13,000 men with him — whereas
in fact, he had 50,000 — Sir Arthur left the Spanish army at
Talavera in charge cf the hospitals, with 6000 sick and
wounded, and retraced his steps, with the intention of giving
battle to this new enemy.

Upon the 3rd, however, he learned the real strength of
Soult's army, and upon the same day heard that General
Cuesta had basely retreated from Talavera, without having
provided any transport whatever, according to his promise,
for the British sick and wounded. All of these who had

The Passage of the Duoro- Talavera. , 29

strength to crawl rejoined the British army, but ,500 who
were unable to walk were left behind, and fell into the ad
of the French, by whom they were treated with far greater kind
ness and attention than they had been by the Spanish Upo„
.he 4th Cuesta jomed Sir Arthur, and at si. o'clock ne.t
mornmg the only possible course for safety was adop ^
Victor was advancing from Talavera, Soult was hurrying from

Sir A, thur fell back upon Arzobispo, on the Tan.s

The art,llery, the baggage and wounded, fi^st crossed the
bndge, and at two o'clock the entire army was across. So
great was the hunger of the men that a herd of swine
liappenmg to be seen close to the line of march, the soldiers
ran upon them, shot and bayoneted them, and devoured them
raw. Takmg up a strong position, guarding the bridges of the
Tagus, the Bnfsh army remained quiet until the end o
August. During this time they became so weakened by star
vatton that they could scarcely walk ; a great portion of the
cavalry horses, and nearly all the baggnge animals died of
hunger, and at last. Sir Arthur, finding that no remonstrances
ava, ed w,t the Junta, fell back again .0 the Portugue^
rentier by slow marches, for the army was so utterly enfeSl^
that It resembled a vast body of invalids, rather than an army
of unbeaten soldieris, ^

ij I

ii.

CHAPTER VIII.

A PAUSE IN OPERATIONS.

:1 i^

1 is

:■;

I I

Talavera was fought in July, 1809, and for four months
longer Sir Arthur Wellesloy kept his troops on the Spanish
frontier, where his presence served as a check against any in-
vasion, even by a very formidable army, of Portugal. After
the utter bad faith and cowardice shown by the Spanish, the
great commander was determined never again to trust in their
promises, or to undertake any movement dependent for success
upon their co-operation. The Junta then declared that the
Spaniards would alone and unaided sweep the French be-
yond the Pyrenees, and a Spanish army of 45.000 infantry,
7000 cavalry, and 60 guns advanced in November against Madrid.
It was met by a French army of 24,000 infantry, 5000 cavalry,
and 50 guns. The battle began at eleven in the morning, and
by three the French, with a loss of only 1700 killed and
wounded, had utterly routed the Spanish, with a loss of 5000
killed and wounded, 45 guns, and 26,000 prisoners ! After
this signal and disgraceful defeat. Lord Wellington — for he had
now been raised to the peerage — felt that nothing whatevei
could be done at present in Spain, and so fell back into Por-
tugal, where for many months he occupied himself in preparing
to meet the storm which would, he knew, fall ere long upon

A Pause in Operations. , ^,

that country. The Portuguese authorities were as incan.M
as untrustworthy, and as intractable as were hose ofT'
but here, happily, Lord Wellington had mor po^T ^^'"i
was payng large subsidies towards keepi„^!,nl p ^ "^
army, which was commanded by Lord b2 L , '"'"'''
him many.British officer, TK p ^"^''^°"^' '"""S under

obedient,'and Lt^ tll tL'sT^^rT ''"' '''''•
often arose in keemnrfhr SP^"'"ds; but d.fficulties

tuguese Governn „T a th inir;"' '""^^ '"^ ^"-

cipal expenses of the am yl'i"h"'' n''"' "' ''™-
Uept them for months wi.l^" ^n:;;^;'^;;' -<^ °^'-

remonstrances, and by the ofL^eat h:rth ^r^M
embark the British troops, and abandon P ^ ' , al o.Th
unless these and other abuses were dn„. ^ ! *"°8""'^'-'

Wellington succeeded in T! . '^ ^""'' "'='' ^ord

Government ritl '"' ">- '"-P^ble and insolent

Reinforcements arrived but slowlv fr^m it i ^ ,
siderable portion of the J.^' ^^T'^'^'; ^°"-
frittered away in holding Cadi^ ard „ "'^^'^"Sland were

„f K • r r '■''^ ^8"'"=' 'he French insteari

of bemg forced to ren.ain in Portugal for upwards of a ^ wUh
out dtschargmg a single shot against the enemv T i

Peter Scudamore, however, „ J „ot destine To remat

IT t "^^^^ "-^"^^ -""^^- One day in Novembe i t"
before the army fell hack from the Spanish frontier, GeVe
Hill was dinmg at mess with the regiment • for r. '/'^""*'
the accommodation, the officers had^^ed ^i ^^1::
a general mess. The conversation turned upon th ScuUy
ofd,scovermg what force the various French generals had ^^
.he.r disposal, the reports received by the Commnderin

'I(f

' I

ll^ ^'

I i

132

77ie Young' Buglers.

Chief being oflen ridiculously incorrect. There was also an
immense difficulty in communicating with the guerilla chiefs,
who, almost always beaten when they came to blows with any
considerable bodies of the French, yet managed to harass them
terribly by cutting off convoys, falling upon small parties, and
attacking outposts and bands of foragers. Knowing every
mountain pass and road, these men could, if they would, keep
Lord Wellington informed of every considerable movement of
the enemy, and might in return receive instruction for acting,
when required, in concert before the communication of an
advancing army, or might create a diversion by uniting their
bands, and threatening some important post.

The next day the boys went to Colonel Tritton's quar-
ters, and, referring to the conversation of the day before,
said that they were willing to carry any messages that the
general might require sent, and to obtain any information
wanted.

" Nonsense, boys, you would be hung as spies before you
had been gone a week."

** I don't think so, sir," Tom said ; " we have had very little
to do during the six months we have been out here except to
learn the language of the country, and I think now we could
pass very well as Spanish boys. Besides, who would suspect
boys ? We are quite ready to chance detection if we can be
allowed to go."

" I don't like it, boys ; you are too young. Well, if not
too young," he said, in answer to a movement of Tom's
to speak, " we all like you too well to run the risk
of hearing you have been hung like a couple of young
puppies."

" You are very kind, colonel ; but you know you promised to
give us a chance if you could, and having a chance of course

.t--

^ Pause in Operations. j

and win mention it .^o!:^:: ^''""^r ''''''''''''''^
officers in the army who soeak t t\ ' ""■" ^"-^ '"^'^^

boys wouM, as ,o: i^ ^r s Sn r.Vt" "" ^^.'r

that I hope General Hill will o. r ^" ^'^^ ^^"'^3'

"ThanVvou::?;;':;:;rt:;;:--^^^

could ask you to do." °"'^ "'"' '' ^" ''«

the Rangers were encatnper A 1!/'"''^'' """' '^•'''^'^
General Hill came out fLm hf d , ^ "' '° "' '°""'
officer, who had the day beL Lth, f"'"^, '^ ^ ^P^"'^"
one orthe Spanish genesis '^S;^^^^'' '""^

or the Spanish army o" tdH^w r: tl't^T
P ace. As thev Hiri c^ f " J"^^ taking

leiess ind^mr ::?, z5 :r Zd' r '" ^-

General Hill shook his head and tLT " '° '•'^•

motioned them away ^P'"'"'' ""patiently

-^i-led 'our Jhers :„d mler'w f'"'" "" '°''''' ^'"^
I'amor de Dios ! - """'^ers-we are starving. -Por

SpIS'"'^ ^°°^ ""'^ '^^^^^ -^ ' " «-ral HilUsked the

The usual story-house burnt, fath

starving. I dare say it's all a lie

»>

er and mother killed.

■^

) ,'

ll "

134

T//e Young Buglers.

** Where did you live ?" he asked in Spanish

" In the village of Oros, near Valencia."

"And how did you come here ?"

"The French burnt the village because the guerillas had
killed a party of theirs in it, and they killed all the people,
and then carried off the mules and horses, and took us to drive
some of them. That was four months ago. We had to drive
till the other day at Tamanes, when our men beat the French ;
our mules were taken, and, as they did not want us as drivers
we had nothing to do but to come on in hopes that the kind
English would give us food."

The Spanish officer translated what the boy said, and
General Hill remarked, "Yes, that was a brilliant affair of the
Duke del Pasque's. "Here," he called to an orderly, "give
these boys some bread. I will see what can be done for them
afterwards. I am afraid nothing. Poor little wretches ! their
story is a very common one."

The boys received the bread with a great show of thankful-
ness, and, sitting down by the roadside, began to munch it with
great appetite. The Spanish officer now mounted his horse
and rode off, while General Hill and Colonel Tritton remained
standing where he had left them. Colonel Tritton then told
General Hill of the Scudamores' request to be allowed to
penetrate into Spain as spies or with despatches.

" The young pickles ! " General Hill laughed. " What will
they be wanting to do next ? Pooh, pooh 1 it would be out of
the question."

" I believe they do really speak Spanish exceedingly well,"
Colonel Tritton said. " They generally act as interpreters for
us, and none of the officers speak Spanish with anything likt'
the same fluency."

" As far as the language goes, they might get on, perhaps,

,t'^

A Pause in Operations. 135

General Hill said; "but they look as thorough English boys
as you could see. They would be detected at once."

"Yes," Colonel Tritlon said, -they are both thorough Eng-
lish boys ; I should know them anywhere. What a contrast
to the miserable, limping, hang.dog lads there! Poor little
chaps! Why, upon my word, I believe the fellows are
laugh mg."

General Hill looked sharply at them, and, as he looked from
one to the other, he said sarcastically, " Poor little chaps in-
deed ! You said that very naturally, Tritton. It really does
you credit as an actor."

Colonel Tritton looked at the general with an expression of
blank astonishment.

" What," said the general, " were you really taken in too ? »
' Taken m ?" repeated Colonel Tritton vaguely.
"Don't you see, Tritton, those poor little chaps you are
pitymg so are those two young scamps we were talking about "
Colonel Tritton stared in astonishment at the boys, and then
as he recognized them, he joined the general in a shout of
laughter, while the two boys stood up and saluted with an
attempt at gravity which was only panially successful, so
amused were they at the astonishment of their colonel, as well
as pleased at the success of their disguise.

Just at this moment there was a sound of tramping horses
and directly afterwards an officer rode up, followed by four or
five others, and at a short distance in the rear by an escort of
ordcrhes. The boys needed not the exclamation of General
Hill, " Here is Wellington." They knew who the rider was, whc
checked his horse as he reached the gate, for they had often
seen him as he rode through the camp. A slight man, very
careful and neat in his dress, with an aquiline nose and piercing
eyes. Peter was rising as he drew up his horse, when Tom

\tm\

136

T/ic Voiiug Buglers.

' I

- ■ f

said, " Don't get up, Peter ; go on with your bread. It would
look absurd for us to salute now, and would draw attention to
us," he went on, as Lord Wellington dismounted, threw the
bridle off his horse to an orderly, and saying to General Hill,
"I wanted to see you; come in." Colonel Tritton went into
the house, followed by the two officers. " We'll stop here till
they come out again, Peter. Perhaps General Hill may speak to
him about us. At any rate, we will keep up our disguise till
they've gone. Let us play at odd and even." It was a game
of which Spanish boys are very fond, and they may be seen in
any of the Spanish towns sitting by the houses on door-steps
in the sun playing. It was half an hour before the general
came out again. He was about to mount his horse, when he
glanced at the boys, who were sitting against the wall a few
paces off, seemingly absorbed in their play, and paying no
attention whatever to him. Suddenly he changed his mind,
dropped his rein, and walked up to them.

" What are you playing for?" he asked abruptly in Spanish,

" Reals, senor," Tom said, looking up, but not moving.

" You are poor ; how can you pay ?" asked the general.

" Oh ! we don't pay." Tom laughed. " We keep count
I owe him twelve thousand now. 1 will pay when I get rich.
He can wait." And he held out his closed hand again for
Peter to guess the number of stones it contained.

" Come inside," Lord Wellington said abruptly, and, turn-
ing, led the way into the house again, followed by General
Hill, Colonel Tritton, and the two boys.

"It is not often I change my mind," he said to General
Hill ; " but for once I do so now. When you told me about
these lads, I refused to employ them on such dangerous ser-
vice, even when you told me of the courage and coolness
which they exhibited on the voyage. Now I have tried them

ItL'-

A Pause in Operations. ,,.

■nyself, I see that they will da If ,hey could keep up their
d^se when I spoke to them suddenly, and answer witf.out
hesitafon or any excitement which could have shown that
h^ were not what they pretended to be. they can do so with
a French general. I am no judge of the purity of their
Spanish; but as you tell me they deceived a Spanish officer
just now, they will be able to ni.<! »:th v u .7

l-,Hc''i,« . ""- Z'™^ '° pass with Frenchmen. Now,

lads, he wen, on, tummg to them, "you have thought over
o course, the risks you are going to run, an,, are prepared, ii
detected, to be hung like dogs." The boys bowed

Tritton" ;"' /^^^'^^.''^'^"'^d i^'^ctions through Colonel
Trmon, together w»h such despatches as I may wish sent
They w,l be wruten as small as possible. You will not go
for a week ; devote all your time to studying the map. The
argests.zewe have shall be sent to your c'olone. th^ after!
noon. Of course you will be supplied with money, and for

Colonel Tntton. You are beginning well, young sirs. If you
'.ke.you ought to make a noise in the world. Now Hill I
must be oif." ' » ^

And the general left the room with the officers, while the
boys were stammering out their thanks

"Where did you dress up, boys?" Colonel Tritton asked
them after the general had ridden off "You did nnt
out from camp like this I hope ?" °' """'

'; No colonel; we changed in that little wood there."
What have you coloured your skins with?"
We got some iodine from the doctor sir ,n^ ■ a ■
«h water till it was just thick enough to 'tige our ^ It
wa. wash pretty well off with plenty orscrubbin' bu w mean
to use walnut ju ce when we stnrt -in . , ,

a better brown." ' '"' '""''' '°"S^'' '"^ i»

*'! I

138

TJie Young Buglers.

\ \

" I am not sure, l)oy3, that you had not better leave your faces
alone, they and your hands are so sunburnt that you would pass
well enough, though you must dye your arms and legs. Fortu-
nately, your hair is pretty dark, for you can't well carry dye.
Think well over all these things, tor your lives may depend on
some trifle of this kind. I shall see you at mess."

So saying. Colonel Tritton walked on, leaving the boys to
follow at their leisure. Just as they were about to turn off to
make for the wood they saw a soldier coming along the road.

" That's Sam, if I am not mistaken, Peter, we will have '
some fun with him. We can trust him to say nothing in the
regiment about meeting us like this."

The two boys accordingly sat down by a low wall by tht
road-side, and as Sam came up talked away to each other in
Spanish. He passed without paying any attention to them.
After he had gone a few yartls, Tom said in a dee}) loud voice,
" Sambo." The black halted suddenly, and turned round.
First he looked angrily at the boys, then he went to the side of
the road and looked over the wall. Then with a very perplexed
air he looked up and down the road.

" Who diti; have impudence to call dis coloured gentleman
Sambo," he said to himself. " Some fellow did, dat for sartin,
not dose little Spanish trash, dey not know Sam's name, some
rascal in regiment; he's hid somewhere. I pound him to squash
when I find him."

Muttering thus he turned to proceed on his way, but before
he had gone twenty yards, he again heard a deep shout, " Here
you Sambo."

The black jumped as if he was shot, " My golly," he ex-
claimed, and then walked back to the boys, who were talking
together, shook his head and again looked over the wall. Then
he stooped down to the boys, and shook his fist in their faces,

>ty-

A Pause in Operations. 139

"You little dcbils, you call Sambo, I pound you to squash."
The boys both leapt to their feet with an air of intense surprise
and alarm, and began to cry out in Spanish.

" No, can't be you," Sam said, *' dis chile must be witched,
no place for men to hide, sartin not dem boys. Stone wall
can't call Sambo all by self, Sam's going out of mind. Oh !
Lor, dis berry bad affair," and Sam sat down by the road-side
with a face of such perfect bewilderment and dismay that the
boys could stand it no loi.ger, but went off together into a
scream of laughter, which caused Sam to jump to his feet again.
" What you larf for, what you larf for, you little rascals, you play
trick, eh ? you call Sambo, who taught you dat name ?" and he
seized the two boys and shook them furiously.

" Oh ! Sam, Sam, you will kill us with laughing," Tom
got out at last. " Do leave go, man, or we shall choke," and
as Sam, astonished, loosed his hold, the boys sat down and
laughed till th' t sides ached.

" Golly," exclaimed the negro, as he looked at them, " Dose
boys again. What on earth you do, Massa Tom, Massa Peter,
in dose ragged close, what you dress up like two beggars for?
Lor ! how you take in dis chile, me tink you little Spanish
trash, sure enuff." It was some time before the boys could com-
pose themselves, and then Toin made Sam sit close by his side.

"Look here, Sam, this isn't a joke, this is a serious
business, and before I tell you anything about it, you must
promise to keep the secret strictly, as it would do us a great
deal of harm if it was known." Sam declared at once that if
tiiey tore him to pieces with wild horses he would say nothing.
Tom then explained the whole thing to him, and Sam at once
declared that he would go too.

"Quite impossible, Sam. You do not speak a word of
Spanish, and although at any of the seaport towns you could

,.!■' I

,fe-/

140

The Young Bugler s.

pass as a run-away sailor, there could be no possible reason for
your wandering about the country with two Spanish boys."

Sam thought for some time. " Now dat bery unlucky,
M .jsa Tom, dat Sam play big drum. Big drum fine music,
hut big drum not go well by self. If Sam had played fiddle,
Sam could go, but Sam couldn't go nowhow with big drum."

" I should think not Sam, with the name of the regiment
painted on it. No, no. you must stay behind. There won't be
any fighting now till the spring, and by that time we shall be
back with the regiment.

" But what you do without Sam, who black Massa's boots,
who brush his clothes?"

Tom laughed "These clothes would fall all to pieces, if
they were brushed much, Sam, and at present we have no boots
to be blacked."

" Where you get dose clothes, Massa Tom," Sam asked,
examining with great disgust the rags the boys had on.

" We bought some peasant's clothes about our size, and the
first beggar boys we saw we offered to exchange. You should
have seen their faces of astonishment. When we got the clothes
we made them into a bundle, and took them to the bakehouse,
and got the baker to put them into the oven for a few hours to
kill anything there might be in them. Now, Sam, it is time for
us to be going. It will take us an hour's scrubbing to get the
colour off us. Be sure you keep our secret."

CHAPTER IX.

WITH THK GUKRILLAS.

Ft was on a tine morning at the end of March that a rortdge
of muleteers and mules left the little town of Alonqua. It was
now four months since the Scudamorcs left the army, and in
the intervening time they had tramped through a large portion
of Spain. They had carried with them only a dozen or so
little despatches done up in tiny rolls of the length and about
the thickness of a bodkin. These were sewn inside the lining
of their coats, in the middle of the cloth where it was doubled
in at the seams, so that, even were the clothes to be examined
carefully and felt all over, the chances of detection were slight
indeed. They had each, on starting, half a dozen pieces of
Spanish gold coin sewn between the thicknesses of leather of
the soles of each of their shoes, for they did not start in the
beggar clothes in which they had first disguised themselves.
TLeir clothes were, indeed, worn and somewhat patched, but
were of stout material, and they wore shoes, but no stockings.
They had, indeed, the appearance of Spanish boys of the
peasant class. The weather in the north of Spain is often
very cold in winter, and the boys felt that, with rags and bare
feet, they should suffer severely. All that they had to say and
do had been learned by heart. The names and addresses of

142

The Young Buglers.

the agents of the British Government at every town had been
laboriously learned before starting, and, as Peter said ruefully, it
was worse than a dozen Greek impositions.

At each place of any importance they would find the person
to whom they were instructed to apply, would accost him with
some password, and would be put up by him while they remained
there. When they had gained the intelligence they required —
of the number of French troops in the place and its neighbour-
hood, a knowledge always obtained by going round, counting
the men on parade, or, in the case of small villages, finding
out easily enough from a peasant the number quartered there,
they would write a report on the number, the intentions as far
as they could learn them, the amount of food in store, and the
sentiments of the population, would enclose the despatch in
a goose-quill and give it to their host, who was responsible for
forwarding it.

In a great number of cases, indeed, the man to whom they
were accredited was a muleteer. These men hated the French
with a hatred even more deep and deadly than that of other
Spaniards, for, in addition to the national causes of hatred,
their mules were constantly being requisitioned or seized by
the roops, and they themselves forced to accompany the army
for long distances at a nominal rate of pay for themselves and
their animals. Then, too, they were in close connexion with
the guerillas, for whom they carried goods up into the raoun-
tains from the towns, and when the chance came would leave
their animals in the mountains and join in cutting off an
enemy's convoy. They acted as messengers and spies too, and
took their friends in the hills early news of intended movements
of the enemy. Many a day had the boys travelled in the com-
pa ly of these muleteers, merry, careless fellows, singing and
talking to their mules, apparently the best-natured of men.

ifcy-

With ike Guerillas.

until something would be said which would recall the hated foe,
and then their black eyes would flash, their fingers clutch their
knife-handles, and they would pour out long strings of deep
Spanish oaths. Great was the surprise of these men on re-
ceiving the password from two boys, but they never hesitated
an instant in taking them in, in giving them hospitality as long
as they remained, and in either accompanying them to the next
town, or handing them over to the charge of some comrade
going in that direction. Not even to them did the Scudamores
ever betray that they were not what they were taken to be, two
Spanish boys employed by the English commander as messen-
gers. Often they were questioned how the English had come to
entrust important communications to two boys, and their reply
always was that their father and mother had fled to Portugal
from the French, aiid were living there near the English lines
and that they had oficrcd their lives in case of their sons'
treachery.

This system of hostages seemed probable enough to their
questioners, and if the boys' fare was rather harder, and their
treatment more unceremonious than it would have been had
they said that they were British officers in disguise, they ran far
less risk of detection from an accidental word or sign. Indeed it
would have been next to impossible for them, had they de ired
It, to convince any one of their identity. There was no fear now
of their accent betraying them. Since they had left the army
they had never, even when alone together, spoken in English
They made the rule and kept to it for two reasons, the one
being that they found that if they did not get into this habit of
always speaking Spanish, they might inadvertently address each
other in English, and thus betray themselves; the second, th.t
they wanted to learn to speak absolutely like natives. This
they had m the four months thoroughly learned to do. At f^rst

J .

14 ^

The You7ig Buglers.

their proniincmtion and occasional mistakes excited curiosity
when asked questions as to the part of Spain from which they
had come, but their constant communication with their muleteer
friends had quite removed this, and for the last two months not
a single person had doubted that they were not only Spanish,
but that they came from the northern provinces.

Hitherto they had journeyed principally between large towns
and over country held by the French, but that part of their work
was finished ; they had accurately computed the number of the
army with which Massena was to advance shortly to besiege
Ciudad Rodrigo, and they had now to carry the despatches to
the guerilla leaders. Hitherto they had not in a single instance
excited suspicion. Not a Frenchman had asked them a ques-
tion, and no adventure of anything like an exciting nature had
taken place. They were now, however, entering into a country
entirely different from that which they had hitherto traversed.
The north-east of Spain is wild and mountainous, and offers
immense natural facilities for irregular warfare. Through the
various passes of the Pyrenees lead all the roads from France,
whether to Vittoria on the great road to Madrid, or through
Navarre to Catalonia. Here and there fortified towns still held
out against the French, and the town of Gerona, in Catalonia,
had only fallen after a six months' regular siege, and a desperate
defence which fully rivals that of Saragossa. It is not a little
singular that the Spaniards, who in the open field were, with a
few remarkable exceptions, absolutely contemptible, yet fre-
quently defended towns with wonderful fortitude, courage, and
desperation. It may, indeed, be said that in every siege where
the Spaniards were commanded by brave and resolute chiefs
they behaved admirably. This great range of hill country was
the stronghold of the guerillas, and every convoy from France
had to be protected by a large force, and even then often

,t'-

IVtf/i the Guerillas.

145

suffered greatly from the harassing attacks of their active
enemies.

The bands of the guerilla chiefs differed greatly in strength,
varying from merely ten or a dozen men to three or four
thousand, and indeed each band varied continually. The men,
when not required, would scatter to their homes, cultivate their
little patches of ground, and throw down the spade and take up
the rifle again when they heard of a convoy to cut off, or an
invading column i beat back. The bands, too, would vary in
proportion to the renown ui their chiefs. An energetic man,
who, at the head of a handful, had performed some daring
feats, would find himself a week afterwards the leader of many
hundreds, while a chief who was slow and dilatory would find
his band melt away like snow in summer.

The character of the warfare depended much upon the charac-
ter of the French generals. A few of these kept the troops under
their command sternly in hand, would permit no plundering, and
insisted upon their fair treatment of the Spaniards. These in
turn wanted nothing better than to remain quietly in their homes,
and the guerilla bands would melt away to nothing. Other
generals, furious at the savage nature of the warfare, and the
incessant toil and loss entailed upon their troops, allowed the
latter to do as they pleased, and burning houses and dead
bodies marked their course. Then the peasantry, now turned
guerillas, retaliated as savagely, giving no quarter, sacrificing
all prisoners, and putting the wounded to death, sometimes
with torture. On both sides horrible atrocities were com-
mitted.

The guerillas were armed partly with rifles and carbines, partly
with muskets landed on the coast by the British Government,
who also, from time to time, sent powder and money to assist
them to continue their resistance to the French. Although no-
il

146

The Young Buglers,

where really formidable, yet, being scattered over a great extent ol
country, these bands occupied very large bodies of French troops,
who would otherwise have been disposable for general ope-
rations in the field. The English commander-in-chief had, of
course, no shadow of authority over the guerillas, or, indeed,
over any of the Spanish troops, and his communication to
them simply asked what arms and ammunition they required,
and begged fh*;m to send him a list of the number of men they
could each throw on the French communications and lines of
retreat in case he should find himself in a position to make
a general advance against them. He also recommended most
strongly the bearers of the despatch to their care. It was to the
chief known as Nunez that they were now bound. The mule
train was nominally destined for Vittoria, to which town the
leader had got a pass, specifying the number of mules and the
nature of the goods they carried, from the French commandant at
Alonqua, for no one was allowed to take goods about the country
without a pass, in order to prevent supplies being forwarded to
the mountains. This pass, however, only mentioned twelve
mules with four drivers, and tliis was the number which started
from Alonqua. Another score of mules, however, joined them at
a short distance from tlic town where a by-road turned off. Some
of these had gone out from the town unloaded, as if taken out
to graze, others had not entered the town, but had come direct
from the sea-coast by by-paths with powder, and had been
awaiting the departure of Garcias, the name of the leader of
the party. They had eight men with them, all armed to the
teeth.

*' Is it all right, Garcias?"

" All right," the leader said ; " they have sent out their
squsidronson the other road, so I think we are safe for to-day."
What bovs have you go? there with you?"

,ii*-

IVif/i the Guerillas.
''They have business with Nunez; letter from

U7
the

coast.

The cavalcade was now in motion again, and wound
gradually up into the hills. Presently they came to a point
where four roads met. A clump of trees grew hard by, and
the boys gave a start of horror at seeing the bodies of six
French soldiers swinging from them. "Ay, that's Nunez's work,
I expect," Garcias said coolly. « There were three of his men
swinging there last week, so as a lesson he has hung up six
of the French. He is a rough boy to play with is Nunez."

At sunset the party slept in a small farm, and at daybreak
continued their journey. They were now in the heart of the
mountains, and their path lay sometimes up deep ravines,
sometimes along rocky ledges. At last, about midday, they
entered a valley in which stood a small village. "That's
Nunez's head-quarters to-day," Garcias said ; " to-morrow he
may be no one knows where."

" But does he have to sally out by the wretched road by
which we have come ?" Tom asked.

"No, no," Garcias replied; "he would not catch much prey
that way. There are three other ways out of the valley. That
winding path you see there leads up to Santona. That road
on the other side leads out on to the plain, and thence to
Vittoria; while the footpath over the brow opposite leads
right down into the wide valley throu^^h which the main
north road runs. So you see this is a handy spot. Frora that
brow we can see the convoys going to and from France, and
can pour down upon them if they are weak ; while, if a column
is sent in search of us, we can vanish away long before they can
catch us. Nunez does not use the direct road over the brow
for his attack, but follows the Santona or Vittoria road for
a while, and then makes a swoop round. He does not want

143

The Young Buglers.

? !■

I ,

to bring the French up to this village, for his family and the
families of many of the men live here."

As they approached the village, they found that there was a
good deal of bustle going on. Armed men were coming out
of the cottages, and gathering in a group round a rough stone
cross, which stood in the centre of a sort of green. " We are
just in time," Garcias said ; " Nunez is starting on some expe-
dition or other."

When they reached the spot there were nearly two hundred
men assembled. They greeted Garcias with shouts of welcome
as he arrived. " Ah, ha I Garcias, just in time. Our last skin
of wine was emptied last night; we will 'jring some more up
to-morrow ; but if you had not come we should have had to
start thirsty, and that's unlucky besides being unpleasant"

"Where is Nunez?" Garcias asked.

** Here he comes," was the reply ; and the boys turning saw
a figure approaching, which by no means answered to the ex-
pectation of the celebrated guerilla chief. He was small and
almost hump-bodied, but very broad. His head seemed too large
for his body, and a pair of fierce eyes gleamed out from beneath
his shaggy eyebrows. His moustache was thin and brisdy,
and his mouth wide, but with thin lips. The boys could un-
derstand the reputation for cruelty and mercilessness which
attached to this sinister-looking figure, but there was none of
the savage power which they had expected to see in so cele-
brated a leader.

'*Any news, Garcias?" he asked shortly, as he came up.

" None, captain, except that these boys have brought some
despatches for you from the English Lord."

Nunez looked sharply at them, and held out his hand with-
out speaking. Tom gave him the little quilL

The guerilla opened it, read the contents, and, saying

f'^

With the Guerillas.

149

ind the

e was a
ling out
h stone
We are
le expe-

inndred
'^elcomc
ast skin
nore up
\ had to
nt"

ing saw
the ex-
lall and
00 large
beneath
bristly,
5uld un-
s which
none of
so cele-

; up.
ht some

id with-

, saying

briefly, " An answer to-morrow," strode on to his men, and in
a few minutes they were defiling out at the end of the valley.

"That hardly seems a strong enough body to attack a
French convoy, Garcias," Tom remarked.

" No, it would not be, but there is only a part of his band
here; the rest will join him at some place agreed on—
perhaps ten miles from here. I believe he has about a thousand
men under his orders. Now come along; we shall be none
the worse for dinner," and, leaving his men to unload the
mules, he led the way into the little posada, or inn.

" Ah ! Mother Morena," he said to an old woman who was
crouching near a blazing wood tire, " warming yourself as usual ;
it's well you've a good fire, for you will be able to get us
some dinner all the more quickly. Twelve of us altogether,
and all as hungry as wolves."

" Ah ! " exclaimed the old woman crossly; « it seems as if I
were never to have an hour's quiet, just as all that roaring,
greedy lot, with their Mother Morena here and Mother Morena
there, and their grumbling at the olla, and their curses and
their quarrels are off, and I think I am going to have a quiet
afternoon, then you come in with your twelve hungry wolves."
"Ah! mother, but wolves don't pay, and we do, you see."
The frugal supper over, the boys laid down on the benches,
and were soon asleep. The next day passed slowly, for the
band were not expected to return until late at night -perhaps
not until the next morning, as the pass where the attack would
be made was some fifteen miles off, and the convoy might not
pass there until late in the afternoon. The boys soon made
friends with someof the womenand childrenof the place, to whom
they told stories of the great cities of the plain, and of the great
water which washed the shores of Spain. The greater portion
of the Spanish peasantry are incredibly ignorant, and very few

ISO

The Young Buglers.

M \

\ I

f i

of the inhabitants of this village had ever gone beyond tlie
mountains. Walking about in the village, but apparently
mixing but very little in the games of the other children, were
two little girls, whose gay dress of rich silk seemed strangely
out of place in such a spot.

Tom asked one of the women who they were, and she re-
plied, with a toss of the head, " They are the captain's chil-
dren. The last time the band went out they found among
the baggage and brought up here the dresses of the children of
some fine lady, and the captain kept them all as part of his
share, just as if there were no children in the village whom it
would become a great deal better than those stuck-up little
things. Not," she said, softening a little, " that they were
not nice enough before they got these things ; but since
they came their heads have been quite turned by the finery,
and they are almost too grand to speak to their old play-
fellows."

" Is their mother alive?"

" No, poor thing, she was killed by the French when tne
village she lived in was burnt by them, because some of
them were found hung in the neighbourhood. The captain
was away at the lime, and the children were out in the
woods. When he came back he found them crying by the
side of their mother's body, in the middle of the burning vil-
lage. So then he took to the mountains, and he never spares
a Frenchman who falls into his hands. He has suffered, of
course, but he brought it upon himself, for he had a hand in
hanging the French soldiers, and now he is a devil. It will
be bad for us all ; for some day, when the French are not
busy with other things, they will rout us out here, and then
who can blame them if they pay us for all the captain's deeds?
Ah 1 me, they are terrible times, and Father Pedro says he

IHm-.

tVti/i the Guerillas,

151

,'ond tlie
^patently
ren, were
strangely

id she re-
lin's chil-
d among
hildren of
art of his
i whom it
:-up little
;hey were
)ut since
he finery,
old play-

when tne

some of

e captain

It in the

ng by the

irning vil-

ver spares

uffered, of

hand in

n. It will

I are not

and then

n's deeds?

o says he

thinks the end of the world must be very near. I hope it will
come before the French have time to hunt us down."

The boys had a hard struggle not to smile, but the woman
spoke so earnestly and seriously, that they could only shake
their heads in grave commiseration for her trouble; and
then Tom asked, " Is the captain very fond of the children ?"

" He worships them," the woman said ; " he has no heart and
no pity for others He thinks no more of blood than I do of
water ; but he is as tender as a woman with them. One of them
was ill the other day— a mere nothing, a little fever — and he sat
by her bedside for eight dc.ys without ever lying down."

" I suppose," Tom said, " they never bring prisoners up
here?"

" Yes, they do," the woman said ; " not common soldiers ;
they kill them at once ; but sometimes officers, if they want to
exchange them for some of ours who may have been taken, or
if they think they are likely to get a high ransom for them.
But there, it always comes to the same thing ; there, where you
see that mound on the hill-side, that's where they are. They
blindfold them on their way up here, lest they might find their
way back after all. Only one or two have ever gone down agair^.
I wish they would finish with them all down below ; they are
devils and heretics, these French ; but I dcn't care about seeing
them killed Many of us do, though, and we have not many
diversions up here, so 1 suppose it's all for the best."

" I wish that fellow had given us our answer before he went
away," Tom said to Peter when they were alone. ** I hope
he won't bring any prisoners up here ; these massacres are
frightful, and one side seems as bad as the other. Well, in
another month we shall have finished with all this work, and
be making for the frontier again. Shan't I be glad when we
catch sight of the first red-coats I "

'I \

T52

T/te Youftg Bttgtcrs,

In the middle of the night the boys were roused by a general
bustle, and found that a messenger had just arrived, saying
that the expedition had been successful, that a portion of the
enemy had been cut off, their rear-guard destroyed, and that
the wliole band would be up soon after daylight. The village
was astir early, but it was not until nine o'clock that the
guerilla bantl arrived. The boys saw at a glance that they
were stronger in numbers than when they started, and that
with them were some twenty or thirty baggage animals.

The women flocked out to meet them with shrill cries of
welcome. Tiie booty taken was not of any great value in
money, but was more valuable than gold to the guerillas.
Each one of the band carried, in addition to his own piece, a
new French musket, while in the barrels on the mules were
powder and ball ; there were bales of cloth, and some cases of
brandy and champagne, and a few boxes and portmanteaus of
oflicers' baggage. In the rear of all, under a strong guard,
were two French officers, both wounded, a lady and a child of
some seven or eight years old.

After a boisterous greeting to their wives, the band broke
up, and scattered over the village, three or four men remain-
ing to guard the captives, who were told to sit down against
a wall.

The whole band were soon engaged in feasting, but no
one paid the least attention to the prisoners. The lady
had sunk down exhausted, with the little girl nestled close to
her, the officers, faint and pale from loss of blood, leaned
against the wall. One of them asked the guards for some
water, but the men paid no attention to the request,
answering only with a savage curse. Tom and Peter, who
were standing by, immediately went to the inn, filled a jug
with water, and, taking a drinking horn and some bread.

iH>k-.

m/Zi the Guerillas.

153

went hack. One of the giiiinTs angrily ordered them l)ark as
tlicy approached.

"I am not goin;,' to free them," Tom said, soothingly;
*• there can be no reason why they should die of thirst, if they
are enemies."

"I am thirsty myself," one of the guard said, "and it does
us good to see them thirst."

"What, has no one brought you anything to drink? "Tom
said, in a tone of surprise. " Ikre, IVter, you give this bread
and water to these prisoners ; I will run to Mother Morena's
and bring some wine for the guard"

The guard would not allow Peter to approach the captives
until Tom arrived with a large jug of wine, and a cold fowl,
which he had obtained at the inn. 'l^iese the Spaniards
accepted, and allowed the boys to give the water to the
prisoners. All drank eagerly, with every expression of thank-
fulness, the lady seizing Peter's hand and ki.sing it as he
handed the horn to the child. The lady was a very bright,
pretty woman, though now pale and worn with fatigue aud
emotion, and the child was a lovely little creature.

The boys, on leaving the prisoners, hurried to Garcias.
" What are they going to do with the prisoners, Garcias?"

"They have brought them up here to exchange for Nunez's
lieutenant, who was taken last week. One of the men went
off last night to Vittoria with a letter to offer to exchange.
One of the officers is a colonel, and the young one a captain.
The lady is, they say, the wife of General Reynier."

♦' Then they are safe," Tom said joyfully, " for, of course, the

French would exchange a guerilla against three such prisoners."

"Yes," Garcias said, "they are safe if Vagas has not been

shot before the messenger gets to Vittoria. The messenger

will hear directly he gets there, and if they have finished

M»l

U i

': :f

154

T/ie YoHfig' Buglers,

Vagas, he will come straight back, for his letter will he of no
use then."

*' But the French would pay a ransom for them.'*

"Yes; but the captain is never fond of ransoming, and
if the news comes that Vagas is shot it is all up with
them."

" But they will never murder a woman and cli'ld in cold
blood ! •* Tom said, in tones of indignant liorror.

" Women are killed on both sides," the muleteer said,
placidly. " I don't hold to it myself, but I don't know, after
all, why a woman's life is a bit more precious than a man's.
Vagas's wife and children are here, too, and if the news comes
of his death, she would stir the band up to kill the prisoners
even if the captain wanted to save them, which he certainly
will not do."

" When is the messenger expected back ? "

"If he goes to Vittoria and finds Vagas is alive, and
arranges for the exchange, he won't be back till late to-night,
perhaps not till to-morrow; but, if he hears, either on the
way or directly he gets there, that he is dead, he may be back
this afternoon." Soon after this conversation Garcias was sent
for to the chief, and returned with a small note, which he
handed to the boys as the answer to the despatch, and urged
them to go at once. The boys said that they could not leave
until they saw the end of this terrible drama which was pass-
ing before their eyes. It was early in the afternoon when a
man was seen coming along the path from Vittoria. A
hundred eager eyes examined him, and ere long it was de-
clared as certain that it was the messenger. The boys' hearts
sank within them as they saw the fierce looks cast by the
Spaniards in the direction of the prisoners, for every one in
the village was well aware of the meaning of this early

m-. ! 1

With the Guerillas.

155

return. The boys had arranged upon the course they would
pursue, and they at once hurried to Garcias.

"Please come with us at once to Nunez. We want to see
him before the messenger arrives."

" I will come with you," Garcias said ; " but if you think
that any calking of yours will persuade Nunez to move out of his
way, you are mistaken. It is more likely to cost you your own
lives, I can tell you; however, I gave you the promise I would
do my best for you when you started with me, and I will go
with you now, though what you want to interfere for here is
more than I can make out. Pshaw I what matters two or
three of these accursed French, more or less?"

Ae ♦ihey neared the chiefs house they saw him coming
towards them. His brow was as black as thunder, he
was evidently prepared for the news of his lieutenant's
death.

" These messengers want to speak to you for a moment,"

Garcias said.

The chief stopped with an impatient gesture.

"Senor," Tom said, with a dignity which surprised the chief;
" we are not what we seem. We are two English officers,
and we have come to beg of you, to implore you, not to
tarnish the cause for which you fight by shedding the blood of
women and children."

The boys had agreed tliat it would be altogether hopeless to
try to save the French officers.

" British officers, indeed," exclaimed Nunez, "a likely story.
Do you know them as such, Garcias ? "

" No," Garcias said bluntly, " I never guessed at it , but now
they say so, I think it's likely enough, for tliey don't seem to
see things in the same way as other people."

"1 can give you proof of it," Tom said, calmly, pulling up

■n

;

156

The Young Buglers.

the sleeve of his coat, and showing a cicatrix in his forearm.

Taking a knife from his pocket, he cut into the skin, and drew
forth a tiny silver tube. This he opened, and handed to
Nunez a paper signed by Lord Wellington, declaring the
bearers to be British officers, and requesting all loyal Spaniards
to give them every assistance.

The captain read it through, and flung it down. "You
maybe officers," he said contemptuously; **but if you wore
Lord Wellington himself, I would not spare these accursed
French. Listen ! " and as he spoke a howl of rage ran from
the other end of the villnge, and told too plainly the nature
of the tidings the messenger liad brought.

"I again protest," Tom said firmly. "I protest, as a
British officer, and in the name of humanity, against this cold-
blooded murder of a woman and child. It is a disgrace to
Spain, a disgrace to the cause, it is a brutal and cowardly
act."

The Guerilla furiously drew a pistol ; but Garcias placed him-
self between him and Tom. " I ha^e promised him a safe
conduct," he said, " and have given my word for his safety.
He is only a boy, and a young fool ; don't trouble with
him."

Fortunately at this moment, for the guerilla was still irre-
solutely handling his pistol, a crowd was seen coming towards
them, headed by a woman who seemed frantic with rage and
grief. All were shouting, " Death to the assassins ! death to
the French ! " The chief at once moved forward to meet
them.

Tom and Peter gave a significant glance towards each other,
and then Tom turned to go back towards the house which
Nunez inhabited, while Peter hurried towards the spot where
the prisoners were kept. Already a crowd was assembling who

' -A- ^

JVttk the Guerillas.

-^^^7

were talking threateningly at the French officers. Peter made his
way through them until he stood by the lady, who, with her
child clinging to her neck, looked in terror at the angry crowd,
whose attention, however, was directed to the officers, who
stood looking calmly indifferent to their threats and in-
sults.

" Do you speak Spanish, madam ? " Peter asked, leaning
over her.

She shook her head.

" Do you speak English ?" he asked, in that tongue.

"Yes, yes, a little," the lady said, eagerly ; " who are you ?
what is this fierce crowd about ? "

" Hush ! " Peter said. " I am a friend. Listen. In a
few minutes they are going to shoot you all." The lady gave a
stifled cry, and pressed her child close to her. «' Remember,
when they come to you, ask for a priest; gain a few minutes^
and I hope to save you and the child."

So saying, he slipped away into the crowd again. He had
scarcely done so when Nunez arrived, accompanied by many
of his men. The crowd fell back, and he strode up to the
French officers. '' French dogs," he said, " you are to die. I
spared you to exchange, but your compatriots have murdered
my lieutenant, and so now it's your turn. You may think
yourselves lucky that I ohout you, instead of hanging you
Take them to that w,ill/^ he said, pointing to one some
twenty yards off.

The Frenchmen understood enough Spanish to know
that their fate vas sealed. Without a word they took each
other's hands, and marched proudly to the spot pointed out.
Here, turning round, they looked with calm courage at the
Spaniards, who formed up with levelled muskets at a few
paces distance. " Vive la France 1 Tirez," said the. elder, in a

158

The Young Buglers.

!:
\ \

firm voice, and in a moment they fell back dead, pierced with
a dozen balls.

Peter had turned away when Nunez appeared on the scene,
to avoid seeing the murder, and with his eyes fixed in the
direction in which Tom had gone, he listened almost breath-
lessly to what should come. The French lady had sat \\>
movable, cowering over her child, while her countrymen were
taken away and murdered. As Nunez passed where she
crouched, he said to two of his men, " Put your muskets to
their heads, and finish them ! " As the men approached, she
lifted up her face, pale as death, and said, —

" Un pretre, uno padre !"

** She wants a priest," the men said, drawing back ; " she
has a right to absolution."

There was a murmur of assent from those around, and two
or three started to the priest's house, situated only a few yards
away, being one of the end houses of the village. The priest
soon appeared, came up to the spot, and received orders to
shrive the Frenchwoman. He attempted a remonstrance, bu«
was silenced by a threat from Nunez, and knowing from expe
rience of such scenes that his influence went for nothinj^
with Nunez and his fierce band, he bent over her, and
the crowd drew back, to let them speak unheard. At thli
moment, to Peter's intense relief, he saw Tom approach-
ing with the captain's two children walking beside him.
Absorbed in what was passing before them, no one else
looked round, and Peter slipped away and joined his bro-
ther. They came within twenty yards of the crowd, and then
paused.

"Wait a minute," Tom said to the children, "your father is
busy."

Jn another minute Nunez shouted roughly, "There, that

that

r--

«' c-ro'. I

p., ,,

i;v iii:a\'kn' tiif.rI'. wiit. be four vk'IIMs instkak
(■;■ Twi I."'

I'll

^i^;-

IVit/i the Giurillas.

159

;a;>

will do ; finish with it and have done ! I want to be off to my
dinner."

Tom and Peter simultaneously drew out a large Spanish
knife, and each took one of the children firmly by tiie
shoulder.

"Stop I Senor Nunez!" Tom shouted in a loud, clear tone.
" Stop ! or by heaven there will be four victims instead of
two 1 Let one of you lift a finger against these captives — let
one of you come one step nearer to us — and, by the Holy
Virgin, we will drive our knives into these children's hearts!"

A cry of abtonishment broke from the crowd, and one of
agony and rage from Nunez, who tottered against a wall in
horror at the danger in which his daughters were placed.

" Listen ! all of you," Tom said, " we are English officers ,
9re have shown our papers to Nunez, and he knows it is so.
We will not suffer this murder of a mother and her child If
they are to die, we will die with them ; but these two children
shall die too ! Now, what is it to be ?"

A dozen of the guerillas levelled their guns at the two daring
boys.

-'No! no!" Nunez shrieked; "lower your guna. Don't
hurt the children, scnors. The captives shall not be hurt; I
swear it ! They shall go free. Give me my children."

" Not if I know it," Tom said ; " Do you think I could
trust the word of a man who would murder women and
children in cold blood ? No ; these girls shall go with us as
hostages, till we are safe under French guard."

"They will tell them the way up here," said one of the
women in the group, "and then we shall be all killed."

"No," Tom said; "the lady shall swear not to tell the way

up here. She shall swear on your priest's crucifix. We will

give you our words as British officers."
12

1 60

The Young Buglers,

" But how are tlie children to get back here again ?** another
asked, for Nunez was so paralyzed that he could only gaze on
the children, who were crying bitterly, and implore them to
stand quiet, and not try to get away. After some more
parleying the arrangements were completed. The crowd fell
back on either side, so as to leave a large space round the
French lady. Torn and Peter then went up to them with the
little girls. The lady was sobbing with joy and excitement at
this unexpected relief.

"Can you walk?" Tom asked her in English.

"Yes," she said, getting up hastily, but almost falling
again.

" Garclas will go first, as guide. The priest will give you his
arm," Tom went on, " these two young women will go with
you and carry your child if necessary. You will walk on,
twenty yards ahead of us. We follow with these girls. No
one is to follow us, or accompany us. We are to go on like
that till we come upon your outposts, and then the priest and
the two women will bring back Nunez's children."

" You will send them safe back, you swear?" asked Nunez,
in tremulous tones.

"Psha !" Tom said contemptuously, "you don't suppose we
are child-murderers, like yourself."

" Remember 1" the guerilla said, in a sudden burst of
passion, " if you ever cross my path again, I will " —

"Do terrible things, no doubt," Tom said scornfully; "and
do you beware, too. It is wild beasts like yourself who have
brought disgrace and ruin on Spain. No defeat could dis-
honour and disgrace her as much as your fiendish cruelty. It
is in revenge for the deeds that you and those like you do, that
the French carry the sword and fire to your villages. We may
drive the French out, but never will a country which fights by

Wtt^: ihe Guerillas. i6i

murder and treachery become a great nation. Are you ready,
Garcias?"

" I am ready," the muleteer said, stepping forward from the
silent and scowling throng.

"We can trust you," Tom said heartily; "take us the short
way straight down into the valley; we may have the luck to
come upon a passing French troop in an hour. Think of that,
madam," he said to the French lady, "let that give you
strength and courage."

So saying, the procession set out in the order Tom had
indicated, amidst the curses of the guerillas, who were furious
at seeing themselves thus bearded. At the brow of the hill
Tom looked back, and saw that the guerillas were still stand-
ing in a group, in front of which he could distinguish the
figure of Nunez. Taking off his hat, he wived an ironical
farewell, and then followed the narty do'.va the hillside into
the broad valley below. They could see the road stretching
like a thread along it, but, to their disappointment, not a
figure was visible upon it. Now that there was no longer
danger of treachery, the party closed up together.
"How far is it to Vittoria, Garcias?"
"Twenty good miles, senor."

"But we shall never get there," Tom said in dismay. "I
am sure the lady could not walk another five miles; she is
quite exhausted now."

"You will not have to go five miles, senor. There is a body
of four or five hundred French in that large village you see-
there; it is not more than three miles at most."

It was a weary journey, for the French lady, exhausted by
fatigue and excitement, was often obliged to stop and sit down
to rest, and, indeed, could not have got on at all had not
(}ar<:ias on one side and the padre on the other helped her on,

The Young Buglers.

i .'

At last, just as the sun was setting, they approached the village,
and could see the French sentries at its entrance. When
within a hundred yards they paused.

" We are safe now," Tom said ; " it is not necessary for you
to go farther. Good-bye, little ones; I am sorry we have
given you such a fright, but it was not our fault. Good-bye,
padre; I know that you will not grudge your walk, for the
sake of its saving thel ivcs of these unfortunates. Good-bye,
Garcias ; thanks for your kindness and fidelity. I will report
them when I return, and will, if I get a chance, send you a
remembrance of our journey together."

"Good-bye, senors," Garcias said, shaking them by the
hand; "you English are different to us, and I am not sur-
prised now at your General holding Portugal against all the
French armies." Then he lowered his voice, so that the
Spanish women standing by could not hear him, " Be on your
guard, senors ; don't move on from the village without a
strong convoy is going on ; change your disguise, if possible ;
distrust every one you come across, and, in heaven's name, get
back to your lines as soon as possible, for you may be assured
that your steps will be dogged, and that you will be safe
nowhere in Spain from Nunez's vengeance. The guerillas
communicate with each other, and you are doomed if you fall
into the hands of any, except, perhaps, one or two of the
greater chiefs. Be always on your guard; sleep with your
eyes open. Remember, except in the middle of a French
regiment, you will never be really safe."

"Thanks, Garcias 1" the boys said earnestly, "we will do
our best to keep our throats safe. At any rate, if we go down,
it shall not be for want of watchfulness !"

Another shake of the hands, and the party separated. The
Spanish woman who was carrying the sleeping French child

Wif^ the Guerillas.

'63

hrxnded her over to Tom, who took her without waking her,
v/hile Peter lent his arm to the French lady.

"Madam," Tom said in English, "you will soon be among
your friends. I know that you will keep your promise not to
divulge the situation of the village you have left. I must ask
you, also, to promise me not to say that we speak English, or
to say anything which may create a suspicion that we are not
what we seem. You will, of course, relate your adventures,
and speak of us merely as Spanish boys, who acted as they did
being moved by pity for you. We must accompany you for
some time, for Nunez will move heaven and earth to get us
assassinated, and all we want is that you shall obtain permis-
sion for us to sleep in the guardroom, so as to be under
shelter of French bayonets until we can decide upon our
course of action."

The lady assented with a gesture, for she was too exhausted
to speak, and as they reached the French sentries she tottered
and sank down on the ground insensible.

The
child

CHAPTER X.

MADRID.

The Frenc^ sentries, who had been watching with surprise the
slow approach of two peasant boys, the one carrying a child,
the other assisting a woman clad in handsome but torn and
dishevelled clothes, on seeing the latter fall, called to their
comrades, and a sergeant and some soldiers came out from a
guard-room close by.

" Hullo !" said the sergeant. "What's all this ? Who is
this woman ? And where do you come from ?"

The boys shook their heads.

" Of course," the sergeant said, lifting the lady, " they don't
understand French ; how should they ? She looks a lady,
poor thing. Who can she be, I wonder ? "

" General Reynier," Tom said, touching her.

* General Reynier ! " exclaimed the sergeant to his comrades.
*' It must be the general's wife. I heard she was among those
killed or carried off from that convoy that came through last
night. Jacques, fetch out Captain Thibault, and you, Noel,
run for Dr. Pasques."

The officer on guard came out, and, upon hearing the
sergeant's report, had Madame Reynier at once carried into a
house hard by, and sent a message to the colonel of the regi-

■i

Madrid.

165

rades.

those
[h last

Noel,

merit The little girl, still asleep, was also carried in and laid
down, and the regimental doctor and the colonel soon arrived.
The former went into the house, the latter endeavoured in vain to
question the boys in French. Finding it useless, he walked up
and down impatiently until a message came down from the
doctor that the lady had recovered from her fainting fit, and
wished to see him at once.

Tom and Peter, finding that no one paid any attention to
them, sat quietly down by the guard-house.

In a few minutes the French colonel came down. " Where
are those boys ? " he exclaimed hastily. There was quite a
crowd of soldiers round the house, for the news of the return of
General Reynier's wife and child had circulated rapidly and
created quite an excitement. "Where are those boys?" he
shouted again.

The sergeant of the guard came forward.

" I had no orders to keep them prisoners, sir," he said in an
apologetic tone, for he had not noticed the boys, and thought
that he was going to get into a scrape for not detaining them ;
but he was interrupted by one of the soldiers who had heard
the question, bringing them forward.

To the astonishment of the soldiers, the colonel rushed for-
ward, and, with a Frenchman's enthusiasm, actually kissed them.
" Mes braves gargons !" he exclaimed. " Mes braves gar^ons !
Look you, all of you," he exclaimed to the soldiers, *' you see
these boys, they are heroes, they have saved, at the risk of their
own lives, mark you, General Reynier's wife and daughter ;
they have braved the fury of that accursed Nunez and his band,
and have brought them out from that den of wolves." And
then, in excited tones, he described the scene as he had
heard it from Madame Reynier.

At this relation the enthusiasm of the French soldiers broke

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out in a chorus of cheers and excited exclamations. The men
crowded round the boys, shook them by the hand, patted them
on the back, and in a hundred strange oaths vowed an eternal
friendship for them.

After a minute or two, the colonel raised his hand for silence.
" Look you," he said to the men. " You can imagine that,
after what these boys have done, their life is not safe for a
moment This accursed Nunez will dog them and have them
assassinated if he can. So I leave them to you ; you will take
care of them, my children, will you not ?"

A chorus of assurances was the reply, and the boys found
themselves as it were adopted into the regiment. The soldiers
could not do enough for them, but, as neither party understood
the other's language, the intercourse did not make much pro-
gress. They had, however, real difficulty in refusing the innu-
merable offers of a glass of wine or brandy made to them by
every group of soldiers as they moved about through the
village.

The boys felt that their position was a false one ; and
although, in point of fact, they had no report to make upon the
regiment, still the possibility that if discovered they might be
thought to have been acting as spies on men who treated them
with so much friendliness was repugnant to them. However,
their stay was not to be prolonged, for the regiment had already
been stationed for a month at the village, and was to be re-
lieved by another expected hourly from France, and was then
to go on to Madrid. This they learned from one of the soldiers
who could speak a few words of Spanish.

It was upon the third day after their arrival that the expected
regiment came in, and next morning the boys started soon
after day-break with their friends. They had not seen Madame
Reynier during their stav in the village, for she was laid up

Madrid,

167

with a sharp attack of illness after the excitement she had gone
through. She was still far from fit to travel, but she insisted
on going on, and a quantity of straw was accordingly laid in a
cart, pillows and cushions were heaped on this, and an awning
was arranged above to keep off the sun. The regiment had
taken on the transport animals which had come in with the
baggage of the troops the night before; hence the mule
drivers and other followers were all strangers. The boys were
marching beside the regiment, talking with one of the ser-
geants who had b^-en previously for two years in Spain, and
spoke a little Spanish, when the colonel, who had been
riding alongside Madame Reynier, told them as he passed
on to the head of the regiment, that she wished to speak to
them.

The boys fell out, and allowed the troops and the line of
baggage-animals and carts to pass them. As the latter came
along, Tom observed one of the Spanish drivers glance in their
direction, and immediately avert his head.

" Peter, that fellow fs one of Nunez's band ; I will almost
swear to his face. No doubt he has joined the convoy for the
purpose of stabbing us on the first opportunity. I expected
this. We must get rid of them at once."

The boys had both been furnished with heavy cavalry
pistols by order of the colonel, to defend themselves against
any sudden attack, and, placing his hand on the butt in
readiness for instant use, Tom, accom;^anied by his brother,
walked up to the Spaniard.

" You and those with you are known," he said. " Unless
you all fall out at the next village we come to, I will denounce
you, and you haven't five minutes to live after I do so.
Mind, if one goes on you all suffer."

The Spaniard uttered a deep execration, and put his hand

i6d

TJie Young Buglers,

; !

on his knife, but seeing that the boys were in readiness, and
that the French baggage-guard marching alongside would cer-
♦: -'nly shoot him before he could escape, he relinquished his
design.

" Mind," Tom said, " the first village ; it is only a mile
phead, and we shall probably halt there for five minutes ; if
one of you goes a single foot beyond it, you will swing in
a row."

So saying, the boys dropped behind again until Madame
Reynier's cart came along. The sides were open, and the
lady, who was sitting up, supported by pillows, with her child
beside her, saw them, and called to them to climb up to her.
They did so at once, and she then poured forth her thanks in
tones of the deepest gratitude.

" My husband is not at Madrid," she said when she saw
by the boys' confusion that they would be really glad if she
would say no more ; " but when he hears of it he wiV! *l jnk
you for saving his wife and child. Of course," she went on,
" I can see that you are not what you seem. Spanish boys
would not have acted so. Spanish boys do not speak English.
That makes it impossible for me in any way to endeavour to
repay my obligation. Had you been even Spanish peasants,
the matter would have been comparatively easy; then my
husband could'have made you rich and comfortable for life ; as
it is—"

She paused, evidently hopinfj that they would indicate some
way in which she could serve them.

" As it is, madam," Tom said, " you can, if you will, be of
great service to us by procuring for us fresh disguises in Madrid,
for I fear that after what happened with Nunez, our lives will
not be safe from his vengeance anywhere in Spain. Already
we have discovered that some of his band are accompanying

Madrid,

169

ss, and
lid cer-
tied his

a mile
utes; if
wing in

ladame
ind the
ir child
I to her.
lanks in

she saw
1 if she
1} tljnk
ent on,
sh boys
English,
.vour to
easants,
lien my
life ; as

te some

11, be of
Madrid,
ives will
Already
ipanying

this convoy with the intention of killing us at the first oppor-
tunity."

" Why do you not denounce them instantly ? " Madame
Reynier said, rising in her excitement and looking round.

« We cannot well do that," Tom said, "at least not if it can
be avoided. They know already that we have recognized
them, and will leave at the next village ; so we are safe at
present, but in Madrid we shall be no longer so. We cannot
remain permanently under the guard of the bayonets of the
63rd Line ; and indeed our position is, as you may g;iess, a false
and unpleasant one, from which we would free ourselves at the
first opportunity. We shall therefore ask you, when you get to
Madrid, to provide us with fresh disguises and a pass to travel
west as far as the limits of the French lines."

" You can consider that as done," Madame Reynier an-
swered ; « I only regret that it is so slight a return. And
now," she said lightly, to change the conversation, " I must
introduce you to this young lady. Julie," she asked in French,
do you remember these boys ? "

" Yes," Julie said ; « these are the boys who gave mamma
and Julie water when those wicked men would not give us
anything to drink when we were thirsty ; and it was these boys
that mamma said prevented the wicked men from killing us.
They are good boys, nice boys, but they are very ragged and
dirty."

Madame Reynier smiled, and translated Julie's answer.

" You know," she went on, hesitatingly, " that I know that-
that you are English officers. I heard you say so when you
saved us. But how is it that you can be officers so very
young ?'*

Tom explained that in England the officers entered for the
most part directly, and not, as in the French army, by promo-

170

The Yoiuig Buglers.

m-.

tion from the ranks, and that, consequently, the junior officcTB
were much younger ihan those of equal rank in the French
service.

The convoy had now reached the village, and a halt was
ordered, and the boys alighting, walked forward to see that their
unwelcome attendants quitted them. As the soldiers fell out
from their order of march and sat down under the shade of
the houses many of the Spaniards with, the baggage-train
followed their example, and the boys saw the man to whom
they h^d spoken go up to four others, and in a short time thes^j
separated themselves from the rest, went carelessly round a
corner, and when the order came to continue the march, failed
to make their appearance. Their absence passed unnoticed
save by the boys, for the natives frequently took advantage of
the passage of troops and convoys to travel from one part of
the country to another, for the guerillas were for the most part
little better than brigands, and would plunder their own
countrymen without scruple whenever the opportunity was
favourable.

The march to Madrid was accomplished without adventure,
and the boys improved the occasion by endeavouring to pick
up as many French phrases as tliey could, as they marched
along by the side of the sergeant who had specially taken them
under his charge. He knew a little Spanish, so they managed
to keep up a conversation with him in a strange m.edley of the
two languages, which helped to pass the time away merrily.
At Madrid they took up their quarters in the barracks with
the regiment ; they had already explained their plan of dis-
guise to Madame Reynier, and she had promised to provide
all that was necessary and to obtain the military pass for
them.

They had soon reason to congratulate themselves that their

Madrid,

171

officCTB

French

halt was
lat their
fell out
shade of
age-train
to whom
lie thes*?
round a
:h, failed
nnoticed
ntage of
e part of
lost part
eir own
lity was

[venture,
to pick
iiarched
;n them
lanaged
of the
[merrily,
ties with
of dis-
)rovide
[ass for

it their

stay in Madrid was under the protection of French bayonets.
During the day after their arrival they remained quietly in bar-
racks, as the appearance of two Spanish peasants walking
about the street with French soldiers would have excited com-
ments. In the evening, however, they agreed with their friend
the sergeant, who was going into the town with three or four
of his comrades, that they should accompany them, not,
however, walking actually with them, but following a few paces
behind, so as to be within reach of their assistance should
any one molest them.

They reached the Piazza del Sol, the great central square ^f
Madrid, without incident, and amused themselves with the
sight of the constant stream of people passing to and fro, the ladies
in their graceful black mantillas, the men in cloaks and Spanish
sombreros, or round felt hats. Presently the sergeant and his
companions left the square, and turning down one of the narrow
streets which run into it, amused themselves by looking into
the shops, with their gay fans, bright handkerchiefs, and other
articles of Spanish manufacture.

Tom and Peter followed their example, k .eping some ten
paces behind them. It was now nearly dark, and the streets
were but badly lighted except by the lamps in the shop
windows.

**It may be all fancy, Tom," Peter said, "but I can't help
thinking that we are followed. There are three fellows who
have passed us twice, and I am pretty sure they are particularly
noticing us. Keep your hand on your pistol."

As the boys paused at another shop window, the three men
again approached, this time from ahead.

" Look out, Tom," Peter said sharply.

As the men came up to them, one of them exclaimed,
" Now."

! . I

Ife-.

172

The Young Buglers,

The boys faced round, pistol in hand, with a cry to their
friends, just as the three Spaniards, with drawn knives, were
upon them.

The sudden movement disconcerted them, and two sprang
back from the levelled tubes of the pistols, with fierce oaths of
surprise, the third, however, rushed in and struck at Tom ; the
latter instinctively moved aside, and the knife inflicted a heavy
gash on the shoulder, and almost at the same moment Peters
bullet crashed through the fellow's skull.

His comrades, with a cry of rage, rushed in, but before they
could strike, the sergeant was up and ran one through the
body with his swonl, whereon the other fle(^. The whole affair
lasted only three or four seconds. In le .s than a minute the
street was absolutely deserted, for rows and fights were so
common between the soldiers and the people, that all pru-
dent people got out of the way the moment a knife w 5
drawn.

" Well done, lad," the sergeant said to Peter, " I thought
your brother was done for. Luckily I had faced your way when
the fellow attacked you, and was on my way to help you before
they began, but I feared I should be too late. That was a
wonderfully pretty snap shot of yours, and you were as cool as
old hands. Peste ! I don't know what to make of you boys.
Now come along, we had better get away from this carrion
before any one comes up and asks questions. First, though, let
me tie up your shoulder."

This was soon done, and while the sergeant was engaged
upon it, his comrades, old soldiers, turned over the dead
Spaniards, searched their pockets, and chuckled as they found
several gold pieces.

One or two French soldiers alone came near them before
they left the spot, attracted by the sound of the pistol. A word

Madrid.

1/3

to their
es, were

5 sprang
oaths of
Dm ; the
a heavy
it Peters

fore they
)ugh the
lole affair
inute the
were so
t all pru-
nife w s

thought
ray when
)u before
tat was a

cool as
[ou boys.

carrion

)ugh, let

[engaged
le dead
ey found

before
A word

from the sergeant, "These scour- drels attacked us, they have
got their coupj" satisfied them, and the boys and their friends
soon regained the crowded main street, leaving the bodies for
the watch to find and bury.

Arrived at the barracks, Tom's arm was examined by the
surgeon, and the cut pronounced a deep flesh wound, but of
no consequence ; it was soon strapped up, and with his arm
in a sling Tom went down to the sergeant's quarters, where
they slept. Here they had to go through much patting on the
back, for their friend had described the readiness and coolness
with which they stood at bay, and popular as they were before
they were now more so than ever. For the rest of their stay in
Madrid the boys did not stir out of barracks. One at least
of Nunez's envoys they knew to be alive, and he could enlist
any number of the lower class against them, so they resolved
not to go out until they should finally start

After a fortnight's stay they were sent for to the colonel's
quarters, where they found Madame Reynier and her child.
"I had a letter from my husband this morning," she said,
"from his camp near Cordova, thanking you with all his
heart for the inestimable service you rendered him, and beg-
ging me to tell you that you can count on his gratitude to the
extent of his life at any and all times. You need no assurance
of mine. And now about your journey. All is prepared for
you to leave to-morrow morning. You are to come here to the
colonel's quarters soon after daybreak. Here are your two dis-
guises, for the one as a young bachelor of medicine, for the other
as a young novice. Here is your pass, signed by the minister,
authorizing you both to pass on to your relations at Ciudad
Rodrigo, and to go unmolested thence where you choose,
also recommending you to the care of all French and Spanish
authorities. A regiment marches to-morrow morning for tho

■*»

174

The Young Buglers,

t' ■

. i i

t ..

i:' \

frontier ; the colonel is a cousin of my husband. I have told
him that some friends of yours rendered me much kindness and
service on my way down, and that I particularly commend you to
his care. He has promised to allow you to follow the regiment,
and to see that you get quarters at each halting-place. lie
does not know you for anything but what you appear to be.
When you have put on these dresses to-morrow morning, step
out by the private door from these quarters, looking carefully
when you start to see that there is no one in the street. Then
go boldly to No. 15, Rue St. Gcronimo ; go into the court-yard,
there you will see two stout mules with all necessaries, under
charge of a soldier, who will have instructions to hand them
over toy j without asking any questions; then go down to the
Retiro and wait till the i6th come along. The Colonel will be
on the look-out for you, and you will ride up to him and hand
him this note. And now farewell, dear boys ; never shall I for-
get you, or cease to pray for you, and may be when this terrible
war is over we may meet as friends again. Keep these little
tokens of remembrance of your grateful friend." So saying,
Madame Reynier pressed into the boys' hands two magnificent
gold watches and chains, held her child up for each of them
to kiss, threw her arms round their necks and kissed them
herself, and then drawing down her veil to conceal the tears
which were standing in her eyes, left them hastily.

That night the boys said good-bye to their friend the
sergeant, and to those soldiers with whom they had most com-
panionship. " You have guessed, no doubt, sergeant," Tom
said, in his mixture of Spanish and French, " Uiat we are not
exactly what we seem to be, but if we should ever meet again,
under different circumstances, I want you to remember that
our connexion with the regiment has been in a way forced upon
us. I should not like you to think, that is, that under the

Madrid,

175

pretence of friendship, we have been treacherously learning
Ihings. Do you understand ? "

" I understand, mes braves," the sergeant said, " Jacques
Pinteau is no fool, and he saw from the first that you were not
two ragged Spanish peasant boys by birth. I daresay I can
guess what you are, but there need be no ill-will for that, and
as you only came among us by accident, as it were, there is no
more to be said either way. There is one thing certain, where-
ever or however we meet, we shall be friends."

So well were Madame Reynier's plans arranged that the
boys passed from Madrid to the frontier without a single hitch
or unpleasantness. Tom was soberly attired as a student at
the university, Peter was muffled up to the eyes as a timid
young novice, going from school to enter a convent, of which
his aunt was lady superior, at Ciudad Rodrigo. The colonel,
and, following his example, the officers of the regiment were
polite and civil. The marches were of easy length, the mules
stout and smooth-going, with well-filled travelling sacks. The
weather was delightful, and the boys enjoyed the fortnight's
march exceedingly. Upon the road they learned that Massena
had laid siege to Ciudad Rodrigo, and that the i6th was on its
way to join the besieging army.

It was the end of June, 1810, when the i6th joined
Massena's force before Ciudad Rodrigo. The siege had con-
tinued for some time, the British light division, under General
Craufurd, lay upon the other side of the river Agueda, which
separated them alike from the town and the French army.
The colonel of the i6th politely expressed to Tom his regret
that he could not, for the present, conduct them to their
final destination, but that he hoped that the gate would soon
be open for them. Tom thanked him for the civility which he

had shown them upon the road, and said that he would,
18

1/6

The Yojtftg Buglers.

with his sister, take up his abode for the present a few miles
from the beleaguered fortress. On leaving the regiment the
boys went higher up the Agucda to the little town of Villar,
where there was a bridge. This, however, was watched by
the troops of both armies, and there was, at present, no
chance of effecting a passage.

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176

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craufurd's operations

iudad Rwlrigo

VUlar Mayor
^tideiro

CHAPTER XI.

THE FIGHT ON THE COA.

All through the winter of 1809-1810, Wellington had re-
mained quietly on the frontier of Portugal, engaged in dis-
ciplining his troops, many of whom were raw drafts from the
militia, in urging upon the home Government the necessity of
fresh reinforcements, if the war was to be carried on with the
smallest hopes of success, and in controversies and disputes
with the Portuguese regency. This body of incapables starved
their own army, refused supplies and transport to the British,
and behaved with such arrogance and insolence that Welling-
ton was several times driven to use the threat that, unless
measures were taken to keep the Portuguese troops from
starving, and to supply food to the British, he would put
his army on board the 4ransports at Lisbon, and give up the
struggle altogether.

Spring found the army still on the frontier, and when the
French advanced in force in May to lay siege to the Spanish
frontier fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, Wellington, to the in-
tense disappointment of his own troops, and the bitter anger of
the Portuguese and Spaniards, refused to fight a battle to save
the fortress, which, under its gallant old governor, Andrea
Hernati, was defendmg itself nobly.

.TIONS

r-aj-

f '^'f !'-•!

178

T/ie Young Buglers,

I i

Wellington's position was, however, a very difficult one, and
his responsibilities were immense. Allowing for the detach-
ments which were massing to check three other French
columns advancing in different directions, he had but 25,000
men with which to attempt to raise the siege of Ciudad
Rodrigo, or to draw off the besieged garrison. Massena had
under him 60,000 French veterans, and was desiring nothing
more than that Wellington should attack him. The chances
of victory then were by no means strong, and in any case
victory could only have been purchased by a loss of men
which would have completely crippled the British general,
and would have rendered it absolutely necessary for him to
fall back again at once. A defeat, or even a heavy loss of
men, would have so dispirited the faint-hearted Government
at home that they would undoubtedly have recalled the
whole expedition, and resigned Portugal to its fate. Thus
Wellington decided not to risk the whole fate of the British
army and of Portugal for merely a temporary advantage, and
so stood firm against the murmurs of his own troops, the
furious reproaches of the Portuguese and Spaniards, and
the moving entreaties for aid of the gallant governor of
the besieged town.

At the same time that he refused to risk a general battle, he
kept Craufurd's division in advance of the Coa, and within
two hours' march of the enemy, thereby encouraging the
garrison of Ciudad Rodrigo, and preventing Massena from
pushing forward a portion of his army while the rest pursued
the siege.

Craufurd's front was guarded by the Agueda, a river only
passable by two or three bridges and fords in wet weather, but
fordable in many places in the dry season. At the commence-
ment of June the Agueda fell, and the French crossed in

The Fight on the Coa.

179

)ne, and
I detach-

French
It 25,000
■ Ciudad
sena had
; nothing
I chances
any case
i of men

general,
ir him to
Lvy loss of
)vernment
ailed the
te. Thus
he British
itage, and
oops, the
|ards, and

ernor of

1 battle, he
Ind within
iging the
sena from
It pursued

Iriver only

lather, but

)mmence-

crossed in

strength at various places. Craufurd, however, still maintained
his position in front of the Coa with great skill and boldness.
He had under his command only 4000 infantry, iioo
cavalry, and six guns, and his maintenance of his position,
almost within gun-shot of an enemy's army, 60,000 strong, for
three months, is one of the finest feats of military audacity
and ability ever performed.

Until the nth of July the boys remained quietly at a
cottage occupied by peasants, who believed tl.eir story that
they were only waiting to proceed when the French army
advanced. They were freed from molestation or inquiry upon
the part of the French by the pass with which Madame Reynier
had supplied them.

Upon that day Ciudad Rodrigo surrendered, and Massena
prepared at once to enter Portugal. Upon the 21st the
cavalry advanced in great force, and upon the following day
the boys resolved upon endeavouring to rejoin the British
army. The Agueda was now easily fordable in many places,
but the boys determined to swim across, at a distance from
the point at which the French army was now pouring for-
ward.

As evening came on they left the cottage, and walked two
miles up the stream, and, as soon as night fell, took off the
costumes which had proved of such service to them, and left
them on the bank ; then fastening their peasants' suits upon
two bundles of rushes to keep them dry, entered the little
river, and were soon upon the opposite shore. They knew,
from what they had heard in the afternoon, that Craufurd had
fallen back upon Almeida, a fortified town, and that it was
probable he would at once cross the Coa, as resistance to the
force now approaching him seemed nothing short of mad-
ness.

1 80

TAe Young Buglers,

♦MMI

■Hi
Hi

iJ'

No good, indeed, could be gained by a fight ;n swch a
position, with a deep river in the rear, crossed by only a
narrow bridge, and commanded by both banks, and Wel-
lingtonV orders had been imperative "that, upon no account
whatever was Craufurd to fight beyond the Coa."

Craufurd, however, a rash and obstinate, although a skilful
general, was determined upon having a brush with the enemy
before he fell back. He anticipated, no doubt, that only an
advanced guard of the enemy would come up at first, and his
intention was to inflict a severe check upon them with the
magnificent little division under his command, and then fall
back triumphantly across the Coa. Mc ">sena, however, was
well aware of the fighting powers of the light division, and was
preparing to hurl suddenly upon him a force more than sufiH-
cient to crush it

The Scudamores had but little fear of meeting with any
large body of the enemy, as the main French advance was
direct from Ciudad Rodrigo ; their cavalry would, however, be
scattered all over the country, and were they to fall into the
hands of any of these parties they would have been shot in-
stantly, upon suspicion of endeavouring to convey news of tht
French movements to Craufurd.

The point where they crossed the river was between Villar
and Naves Frias, and, after an hour's walking, they struck the
little rivulet called Duas Casas. This they crossed at once, as
they knew that by following its southern bank until they saw
some high ground to their left they would find themselves
near Almeida, which they hoped to reach before the English
retreated.

All night they tramped through the fields of stubble, where
the corn had been long since cut for the use of Craufurd's
cavalry, but walking at night through an unknown country

III

The Fight on the Coa.

i8i

juch a

only a
i Wel-
iccount

I skilful
; enemy
only an
and his
with the
then fall
ver, was
and was
lian suffi-

with any
ance was
vever, be
into the
shot in-
ws of the

;en Villar
truck the
once, as
they saw
lemselves
English

)le, where

>aufurd's

country

is slow work, and when day began to break they entered a
small wood just beyond the point where the Turones, as the
southern arm of the Duas Casas is called, branches off from
the main stream. Several times in the course of the day
bodies of the enemy's cavalry came near their place of
concealment, and the Scudamores congratulated themselves
that they had not given way to their impatience, and tried
to push on across the twenty miles that alone separated them
from their friends.

At nightfall the wind ro^e, and a heavy rain began to fall
They had no stars by which to steer their course, and were,
therefore, forced to follow the bank of the Turones, although
they knew that it would lead them some distance to the north
of Almeida It was slow work, indeed, for they had to grope
tb' ir way along in the storm, following every turn and bend of
the river, which formed their only guide. After several hours*
toil they came into a road running north and south. This
they knew was the road leading from Guarda to Alameda, and
it gave them a clue as to the distance they had come. Still
following the river, they continued their course until they
approached San Pedro, whence they knew that a road ran
directly to the British position in front of A.lmeida, that is
if the British still maintained their position there.

As they approached the village, they heard a deep hollow
sound, and, stopping to listen, and laying their ears to
the ground, could distinguish the rumble of heavy car-
riages.

" The French are advancing in force, Peter ; we are just in
time ; they are going to attack us in the morning at daybreak.
We know the direction now ; let us turn to the left, and try to
get on in advance of them. The> probably will not push
jn much farther until there is light enough to permit them

r*"

■mi

If II

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I: *

■ii

'■ I

182

T/ie Young Buglers.

to form order of battle ; they are evidently, by the sound,
going to the left, rather than straight on."

The Scudamorcs now hurried on, and presently the rumb-
li-ng of the artillery died away, and they ventured to push to
their left, and to get on the road, which they found deserted.
Half an hour's run, for they knew that every minute was of
importance, and they heard the welcome challenge, " Who
comes there ? " " Two British officers," they answered, and
in a few minutes they were taken to the officer in charge of the
picket, and having once convinced him of their identity, were
heartily greeted and welcomed.

" The French are advancing in great force to attack," Tom
said ; "please forward us instantly to the general."

The matter was too important for an instant's delay, and a
sergeant was at once told off to accompany them.

The first faint blush of daylight was in the east when they
arrived at the cottage which served as General Craufurd's
quarters, and, upon their speaking to the sentinel at the door,
a window was thrown open, and a ieep voice demanded
"What is it?"

"We have just arrived through the French lines," Tom
said, " the enemy are at hand in force."

I"he casement closed, and an instant afterwards the general
came out "Who are you?"

" We belong to the Norfolk Rangers, general, and have
been detached on service in the interior ; we have only just
mide our way back."

" How am I to know your story is true ? " the general asked,
sharply.

" You may, perhaps, remember, sir, we landed from the
* Latona,' and you kindly lent us horses to accompany
you

The Fiicht on the Coa.

183

he sound,

the nimb-
to push to
I deserted,
ite was of
ge, "Who
vered, and
arge of the
entity, were

tack," Tom

elay, and a

when they

Craufurd's

at the door,

demanded

ines," Tom

:he general

and have
e only just

neral asked,

d from the
accompany

Ahal
The

I remember," the general said. "Well, your news?"
French have crossed ihe Turones in force, sir: at

least, they have a good many guns with them."

" Which way where they going ? "

"As far as we could judge by the sound, sir, they were
taking up a position between Villa Formosa and Fort Con-
ception."

" Good," the general said shorth' ; then turning to three
or four of his staff who had followed him from the cottage,
" Get the troops under arms at once. Come in here, gende-
men."

The Scudamores entered, and as they came into the light
of a candle which stood on the table, the general smiled
grimly.

"It is lucky you were able to recall yourselves to my
memory, for I should have needed some strong evidence to
persuade me you were British officers had I seen you before
you spoke. You are wet to the skin ; there is a brandy
bottle, and you will find som^ bread and cold fowl in that
cupboard."

Five minutes later the boys followed General Craufurd from
his hut.

Short as was the time which had elapsed since their arrival,
the troops were already under arms, for three months of
incessant alarm and watchfulness had enabled this splendid
division to act as one man, and to fall in at any hour of the
day or night in an incredibly short time. Ten minutes later
and the rumble of the baggage waggons was heard along the
road towards the bridge. The morning was clearing fast, the
clouds lifted, and the daylight seemed to break with unusual
:uddenness.

The dark masses of the French became visible forming up

J'HmII

1 84 T/te Young Buglers,

before the Turones, and Craufurd hurried forward his cavalry
and guns to check their advance.

'" Hurry the infantry up, hurry them up," the general said
urgently to the officers by him. " Let them take post along
the ridge, and then fall back fighting towards the bridge.
Major MacLeod," he said to an officer of the 43rd, "take
these gentlemen with you ; they are officers of the Norfolk
Rangers. They will join your regiment for the present. When
your regiment falls back, occupy that stone enclosure a little
way down the slope at the left of the road, and hold the
enemy in check while the troops file over the bridge."

The officer addressed looked with surprise at the boys, and
signing to them to follow, hurried off to his regiment, which
was on the left of the British line.

Next to them came a regiment of Portuguese riflemen with
a wing of the 95th upon either flank, while the 5 2nd formed
the right of the line.

Upon reaching the regiment. Major MacLeod briefly
introduced the boys to the colonel, who said, " As you have
no arms, gentlemen, I think you had better make for the
bridge at once."

"Thank you, sir," Tom replied, "there will be some
muskets disposable before long, and directly they are so we
will take our place in the ranks."

They had now leisure to look round and examine their
position, and a glance was sufficient to show how great was
the peril in which General Craufurd's obstinacy had placed his
little force. In front of them were 24,000 French infantry,
5000 cavalry, and 30 pieces of artillery. An overwhelm-
ing force indeed, and one which could scarcely have been
withstood by the 4000 British infantry, even under the most
favourable conditions of position. The position, however, was

iky^.ji

V«^i

The Fight on the Con,

185

his cavalry

eneral said
post along
;he bridge.
3rd, "take
he Norfolk
ent. When
iure a little
d hold the

;e."

e boys, and
ment, which

iflemen with
52 nd formed

.eod briefly
s you have
ake for the

be some
are so we

[amine their
Iw g/eat was
Id placed his
ich infantry,
overwhelm-
have been
ler the most
lowever, was

here wholly against the British. They stood at tlie edge of a
plateau, and behind them the ground fell away in a steep hill-
side to the Coa, a mile distant, and across the Coa there was
but a single bridge.

The enemy was approaching fast. Ney's great brigade of
cavalry swept the British horse before tb ,m, and the infantry
were following at a run.

Resistance on the edge of the plateau was hopeless, and
Craufurd ordered the infantry to fall back at once. The
43rd filed into the enclosure, rapiilly cut loopholes in the wall,
and as the enemy appeared on the crest above opened a
tremendous fire, under cover of which the cavalry and
artillery trotted briskly and in good order down the road to
the bridge.

The Scudamores, having no duty, stood at the entrance to
the enclosure and watched the fight on their right. As the
masses of French infantry appeared on the edge of the plateau
they made no pause, but opening a heavy fire pressed forward
on the retiring British troops, who were falling back in open
order, contesting every inch of ground So rapidly and hotly,
however, did the French press after them that the British were
soon pushed back beyond the line of the enclosure, and as the
French followed closely, it was evident that the 43rd would be
cut off and surrounded.

Their colonel saw their danger, and called uponthem to
fall in and retreat, but the entrance was so narrow that it was
clear at a glance that ere one company coulc pass through it the
French would be upon them, and the regiment caught like
rats in a trap.

Officers and men alike saw the danger, and there was a
pause of consternation.

Peter was standing next to the colonel, and said suddenly as

1 86

The Young Bucklers.

if^Hl

11^

;M(

the idea flashed across him, " The wall is not very strong, sir,
if the men mass against it and push together 1 think it will go."

The colonel caught at the idea. *' Now, lads, steady, form
against the rear wall four deep, close together, shoulder to
shoulder, as close as you can pack ; now get ready, one, two.
three ! " and at the word the heavy mass of men swung them-
selves against the wall ; it swayed with the shock, and many
stones were displaced ; another effort and the wall tottered
and fell, and with a glad shout the 43rd burst out, and trotting
on at the double soon joined the rifles and 95th.

The ground was rough and broken with rocks, vineyards
and enclosures, and the troops, fighting with admirable cool-
ness and judgment, took advantage of every obstacle and fell
back calmly and in good order before the overwhelming force
opposed to them.

Fortunately the jealousies of the French generals, which
throughout the campaign contributed in no slight degree to
the success of the British, was now the cause of their safety,
for Montbrun, who commanded the French heavy cavalry,
refused to obey Ney's order to charge straight down to the
bridge, in which case the whole English infantry would have
been cut off; the French hussars, however, being on the
British rear, charged among them whenever the ground per-
mitted them to do so.

Upon the British right the ground was more open than
upon the left, and the 52nd was therefore obliged to fall back
more quickly than the rest of the line, and were the first to
arrive at the bridge head, which was still choked with artillery
and cavalry. This was the most dangerous moment, the rest
of the infantry could not retreat until the bridge was clear, and
the French with exulting shouts pressed hard upon them to
drive them back upon the river.

The Fight on the Coa.

187

)' strong, sir,
k it will go."
steady, form
shoulder to
ly, one, two,
iwung them-
c, and many
vail tottered
and trotting

cs, vineyards
iiirable cool-
:acle and fell
lelming force

lerals, which

ht degree to

heir safety,

avy cavalry,

own to the

would have

eing on the

ground per-

e open than
to fall back
e the first to
with artillery
lent, the rest
as clear, and
pon them to

Major MacLeod, seeing the urgent danger, rallied four
companies of his regiment upon a little hill on the right of the
road, while Major Rowin collected two companies on another
to the left. Here they were joined by many of the riflemen,
and for a while the French advance was cliecked.

The Scudamores had remained throughout close to Major
MacLeod, and had long since armed themselves with the
muskets and pouches of fallen men, and with 43rd shakoes on
their heads, were fighting among the ranks.

The cloud of French skirmishers pressed hotly forward, and
MacLeod, seeing that the bridge was still blocked, resolved
suddenly upon a desperate measure. Taking off his cap, he
pointed to the enemy, and calling upon his men to follow him,
rode boldly at them. Peter Scudamore caught up a bugle
which had fallen from a dead bugler by his side, blew the
charge, and the soldiers, cheering loudly, followed MacLeod
against the enemy.

Astounded at this sudden and unexpected attack, the
French skirmishers paused, and then fell back before the
furious charge of the 43rd, who pressed after them with loud
and continuous cheering. Looking back, McLeod saw that
the bridge was now clear, and recalled the troops, who fell
back rapidly again before the French infantry had recovered
sufficiently from their surprise to press them.

The hussars were, however, again forward, and were galloping
down the road, which was here sunken between somewhat high
banks. Tom and Peter were with the last company, which
turned and prepared to receive them, when Tom, pointing to a
coil of rope upon a cart which had bruken down, shouted,
"Quick, tie it to these posts across the road." Two or three
men sprang to assist him, and in a minute the rope was
stretched across the road at a foot from the ground, and

i!; !

i88

TJie Voting Buglers.

1 ,
1

!i'^

iti

fastened round a stone post on either side. They had scarcely
seized their muskets and leapt up the bank again, when the
French cavalry came thundering down the road. " Fire, a
few of you," Tom said, " so as to call their attention up here,"
and in accordance with his order a dropping fire was opened.
The French came along at a gallop; a few of the leading
horses saw the rope and leapt it, but those behind caught it
and fell, the maas behind pressed on, and in an instant the
lane was choked with a confused mass of men and horses.
" Now a volley," Tom cried, " and then to the bridge."

Every musket was emptied into the struggling mass, and
then, with a cheer, the men ran briskly down to the bridge, and
crossed— the last of the British troops over the Coa.

The rest of the infantry and artillery had already taken ground
on the heights behind the river, and these opened fire upon the
French as they approached the head of the bridge in pursuit.
The British were now, however, safe in the position which they
ought to have taken up before the advance of the French,
and had General Craufurd obeyed his orders not to fight beyond
the Coa, the lives of 306 of his gallant troops, including 28
officers, would have been saved.

The battle, however, was not yet over. The artillery on
both sides played across the ravine, the French skirmishers
swarmed down to the river bank, and between them and the
British infantry a rapid fire was exchanged, while a h(;avy
column marched down to the bridge. With a deep-sound-
ing cheer they advanced upon it, while with answering cheers
the British opened fire upon them. The depth of the ravine
at first deceived the British marksmen, and the column
pressed on until its head was three-quarters across the bridge.
Then the iron shower smote it, and beneath that terrible fire
the head of the column melted away. Still it pressed on till

The Fight on the Coa.

189

lad scarcely
1, when the
"Fire, a
)n up here,"
(vas opened,
the leading
[\d caught it
instant the
and horses.

ige."

g mass, and

2 bridge, and

)a.

taken ground

fire upon the

ge in pursuit.

pn which they

the French,

fight beyond

including 28

ic artillery on
skirmishers
;hem and the
rhile a heavy
deep-sound-
ering cheers
of the ravine
the column
is the bridge,
at terrible fire
>ressed on til

across the bridge the corpses lay piled in a mass as high as the
parapet, and beyond this heap, this terrible line, there was
no living. Then sullenly and slowly the French fell back,
while the British cheers rose exultingly along the hill-side.

Twice again did fresh columns pour or to the bridge, but only
to melt away under the British fire, neither of them reaching the
dreadful line which marked the point reached by the head of
the first. The artillery and musketry fire on both sides con-
tinued until four in the afternoon, when a heavy rain set in,
and the fire ceased altogether.

As the Coa was fordable at several points lower down, and
the French could therefore have turned the position next day,
the British troops fell back during the night behind the Pinhel
river, where Picton's division was also encamped.

Next morning the boys exdiunged their Spanish suits for
the uniform of British officers, which they obtained from the
effects of some of those who had fallen upon the previous
day, these being, as is usual in a campaign, at once sold by
auction, the amount realized being received by the paymaster
for the benefit of the dead men's relatives. Major M'Leod
had witnessed their ready presence of mind in throwing the
rope across the road, and so checking the French charge, and
giving time to the rear-guard to cross the bridge, and had made
a very favourable report upon the subject.

Two days later and they joined the Rangers, who were
stationed at Guarda, and were received with the greatest
heartiness by their brother officers, with warm but respectful
greetings by the men, and with uproarious demonstrations of
gladness on the part of Sambo.

"The betting was two to one that you had gone down,
boys," Captain Minlcy said, after the first greetings ; " but
Canulliers and myself have taken up all olTers, and win I

iff

i- '

190

The Young Buglers.

don't know how many dinners and bottles of wine. I had
the strongest faith you would get through somehow. You will
take up your quarters with me. I have two bed-rooms up-
stairs there, which Sam has taken possession of in your name.
He would have it that you were sure to be back in time for the
first fight. Dinner will be ready at six, and after that there
will be a general gathering round the fire in the open to
hear your adventures. No doubt you would be dining with
the colonel, but I know he is engaged to the general."

" Yes, he told us so," Tom said, " and we are to dine with
him to-morrow."

" All right, then ; we'll make a night of it. Carruthers is
coming to dim , and Burke and Lethbridge ; but the room
won't hold more than six. We are going to have a feast, for Sam
has got hold of a sucking pig; where he got it from I dare
not inquire, and Lethbridge said his fellow had, somehow or
other, found a turkey ; as to wine, we shall have it of the best,
for Burke is quartered at the monastery, and the monks are so
delighted at finding him a good Catholic that they have given
him the run of their cellar.

It was a jovial dinner, and no words can express the satis-
faction and delight which beamed on Sam's face as he stood
behind his master, or the grin of pride with which he placed

the sucking-pig on the table.

" Sam, Sam ! " Captain Manley said reprovmgly, " I fear

that pig is not honestly come by, and that ore of these days we
shall hear that you have come to a tad end."

" No, no, Massa Captain Manley, sar," Sam said, " dat
pig come quite honest, dal pig made present to Sam."

"A likely story that, Sam. Come, out with it. I have no
doubt it was quite as honest as Lethbridge's turkey anyhow.
Come, tell us how it was."

The Fight on tJie Coa.

191

Thus invoked, Sam's face assumed the pompous air with
which he always related a story, and he began, —

" Well, sa^, de affair happened in dis way. When de massa
arribe, two clock, and went in for long talk wid de colonel,
dis chile said to himself, * Now what am I going to get them
for dinner ? ' De rations sarve out dis morning war ah skin and
bone, and war pretty nigh finished at lunch. Sam say to him-
self, * Captain Manley's sure to say, * You dine wid me ;' but
as Captain Manley hadn't got no food himself, de invitation
was berry kind, berry kind indeed; but massa wasn't likely
to get fat on dat invitation."

Sam's narrative was interrupted by a perfect shout of
laughter upon the part of all at table. Captain Manley join-
ing heartily in the laugh against himself When they had
a little recovered again, Sam went on as gravely as ever.
" Dis struck Sam berry serious, not to have nothing for dinner
after being away seben months ; presently idea occur to dis
chile, and he stroll permiscuous up to big farm-house on hill.
When Sam got near house, kept out of sight of window ; at last
got quite close, took off shako, and put head suddenly in at
window. Sure enough, just what Sam expected, dere sat
missus of farm, fat ole woman, wid fat ole servant opposite
her. De door was open, and dis little pig and several of his
broders and sisters was a frisking in and out De ole women
look up bofe togeder, and dey give a awful shriek when dey
saw dis chile's head ; dey fought it were de debil, sure enough.
Dey drop down on dere knees, and begin to pray as fast as
maybe. Den I give a loud * Yah ! yah ! ' and dey screams out
fresh. * Oh ! good massa debil ! ' says the ole woman, what
you want? I been berry, berry bad, but don't take me away.'
You see, Massa Torr., I pick up little Spanish, 'nuff to

understand since you been gone. I not say nuffin, and de old
14

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192

The Young Buglers.

woman den go on, * If you want one soul, Massa Debil, take
dis here,' pointing to her serbant ; * she been much more wicked
nor me.' Den de serbant she set up awful shriek, and I says,
* Dis time I hab pity on you, njx time I come, if you not good
I carry you bofe away. But must take soul away to big debil,
else he neber forgib me. Dere, I will carry off soul of little
pig. Gib it me,' De seibant she gives cry ob joy, jump up,
seize little pig, and berry much afraid, bring him to window.
Before I take him I say to old missus, * Dis a free gibt on your
part ? ' and she say, ' Oh, yes, oh, yes, good Massa Debil,
you can take dem all if you like.' I say, 'No; only one —
and now me gib you bit advice. My Massa down below
hear you very bad ole women, never gib noting to de poor,
berry hard, berry bad. Me advise you change your conduct,
or, as sure as eggs is eggs, he send me up again for you no
time.' Den I gave two great 'Yah ! yah's ! ' again berry loud,
and showed de white ob my eye, and dey went down on to
knees again, and I go quietly round corner ob house, and
walk home wid de pig which was giben to me. Noting
like stealing about dat, Massa Manley, sar ! "

Sam's story was received with roars of laughter, and when
they had recovered themselves a little. Captain Manley said,
" It is lucky we march to-mori cw, S im, for if the good woman
were to catch a glimpse of you in uniform, and were to find
she had been tricked, she might lay a complaint against you,
and although, as you say, the pig was freely given to you,
I imagine the Provost Marshal might consider that it was
obtained under false pretences. But here are the other men
outside, we had better adjourn, for every one is longing to hear
your adventures."

It was a lovely evening, and as the officers of the Norfolk
Rangers sat or lay round the fire, which was lit for light and

The Fight on the Coa.

193

cheerfulness rather than warmth, the boys, after their long
wanderings among strangers, felt how pleasant and bright
hfe was among friends and comrades. They had first to
relate their adventures with the guerillas, after which it was
agreed that they had earned the right to be silent for the rest
of the evening, and song, and jest, and merry story went round
the ring.

Sam was installed under the direction of the doctor, a jovial
Irishman, as concocter of punch, and his office was by no
means a sinecure.

"Now, major, give us the song of the regiment," Captain
Manley said, and, as he spoke, there was a general cry round
the circle of " The Rangers, the Rangers." " I'm agreeable,"
the major said. " Give me another tumbler of punch to get
my pipes in order. Make it a little sweeter than the last brew,
Sam ; yes, that's better. Well, here goes -full chorus, and no
shirking."

The Rangers.

"Hurrah for the Rangers, hurrah ! hurrah!
Here's to the corps that we love so well j
Ever the first in the deadly fray,
Steady and firm amid shot and shell.
Scatter'd as skirmishers out in the fronf,
Contesting each foot of the ground we hold,
Woi yieldmg a step though we bear the bruut
Of the first attack of the foemen bold.

Hurrah for the Rangers, hurrah ! hurrah !
Here's to the corps that we love so well ;
Ever the first in the deadly fray,
Steady and firm amid shot and shell.
" Steady boys, steady, the foe falls back,
Sullenly back to the beat of the drum,
Hark to the thunder that nears our flank,
Rally in square, boys, their cavalry come.

mrf f- '

194 I^/ic Vol tug Buglers,

Squadron on squadron, wave upon wave,
Dashing along with an ocean's force,
But they break into spray on our bayonets' points,
And we mock at the fui y of rider and horse.

Hurrah for the Rangers, &c.

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"The gunner may boast of the death h: deals
As he shatters the foe with his iron hail,
And may laugh with pride as he checks the cbarijCj
Or sees the dark column falter and quail.
But the gunner fights with the foe afar,
In the rear of the line is the battery's place,
The Ranger fights with a sterner joy
For he strives with his foeman face to face.

Hurrah for the Rangers, &c.

'*The cavalry man is dashing and gay,
His steed is fast, and his blade is fine,
He blithely rides to the fiercest fray,
And cuts his way through the foenian's line.
But the wild, fierce joy of the deadly breach,
Or the patient pluck of the serried square
Are far away from the horseman's reach.
While the Norfolk Rangers are sure to be there.
Hurrah for the Ranger^, &c."

Long, loud, and hearty was the cheering as the last choru.-
concluded. " Very good song, very well sung, jolly companions
every one,*' shouted the doctor. " Now, Manley, keep the ball
rolling, give us the ' The Bivouac' " Captain Manley emptied
his glass, and, without hesitation, began —

The Bivouac.
" The weary march is over, boys, the camp fire's burning bright.
So gather round the blazing logs, we'll keep high feast to-night.
For every heart is full of joy, and every check aglow,
That after months of waiting, at last we meet the foe.

•w

The Fight on t/ie Coa.

195

To-morrow's sun will see the fight, and ere that sun goes down
Our glorious flag another wreath of victory shall crown.

Hurrah, hurrah for the bivouac,
With comrades tried and true,
With faces bright, and spirits light
And the foenien's fires in view.

" Then fill your cups with Spanish wine, and let the t.ast go round
Here's a health to all who love us on dear old England's ground. '
Be their tresses gold or auburn, or black as ebon's hue.
Be their eyes of witching hazel, loving grey, or heaven's blue,
Here's to them all, the girls we love, God bless them every one •
May we all be here to toast them when to-morrow's ork is done.

Hurrah, hurrah, &c.

" But whate'er to-morrow bring us, it shall shed no gloom to-night
For a British soldier does not flinch from thought of death in fight •
No better ending could we wish, no worthier do we know,
Than to fall for King and country, with our face towards the foe •
And if we go, our friends who stay will keep our memory bright '
And will drink to us in silence by many a camp-fire's light.

Hurrah, hurrah, &c."

When the last chorus had ceased, the boys, who had had a
long march that morning, and were thoroughly tired stole
quiedy off to bed, but it was not till long after they had gone
to sleep that the jovial party round the fire broke up, and that
Sam was relieved irom his duties of concocter of; unch.

CHAPTER XTI

ii":

BUSACO AND TORRES VllDRAS.

ii:

i :t:.

fNSTEAD of pressing forward upon his invasion of Portugal,
Massena prepared to besiege Almeida, and for a month the
British and Portuguese army remained in their position within
a few hours' march of that town. Wellington expected that
Almeida would be able to resist for two months, and hoped to
find some opportunity for falling suddenly upon the besiegers ;
but even a resistance of two months would have made it so late
in the season that Massena must have postponed his invasion
until the next spring.

Upon the morning of the 26th of August the French batteries
opened fire, and from Guarda the dull, heavy roar of artillery
could be heard all day. As darkness fell, the officers of the
Rangers were, as usual, assembling round their fire, when the
earth seemed to shake beneath their feet, and a flash like that
of summer lightning lit the eastern sky. " What can that be ?"
was the general exclamation. A minute later, and a deep,
heavy, prolonged roar sounded in their ears — then all was
quiet.

" That is a big magazine," Captain Manley said, " and I'm
afraid it's the town, for it sounded too heavy for a mere field
magazine. If it be the town, you'll see it won't hold out much

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French Trut^pt
BngliiA Tr<tops

BATTLE OF BUSACO.

Page 197.

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BATTLE OF BUSACO.

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Busaco and Torres Vedras,

197

longer > even if the actual damage is not very great, a great
explosion always damages the morale of a defence, and in that
case we shall have Massena upon us, and there will be wigs on
the green ere many days are over."

Captain Manley's conclusions were correct. The magazine
of Almeida had exploded with terrific effect Only six houses
were left standing in the town, a considerable portion of
the ramparts was thrown down, and five hundred people
killed on the spot. The stones were hurled in all dire tions
with such force that forty of the besiegers were hurt in the
trenches.

Colonel Cox, who commanded, endeavoured to rally the
panic-stricken garrison, and upon the following morning at-
tempted to negotiate with Massena, who sent an officer to
demand instant surrender.

Defence was, in fact, impossible, but Colonel Cox attempted
to negotiate, because he hoped that Wellington would at once
advance to his rescue. His intentions were frustrated, how-
ever, by the treaciiery and mutiny of the principal Portuguese
officers under him, and the French at once took possession of
the ruins.

The British army fell back a short distance when the news
of the disaster arrived, and a fortnight of great anxiety and
watchfulness passed, as it was not certain by which road or
roads Massena would advance.

It was not until the 1 8th of September that Massena fairly
commenced his march, having chosen the road from Visen
through Martagoa, and the next day the news reached the
Rangers that the British army was to concentrate on the heights
of Busaco.

" So we are going to have a fight for it," CaiTuthers said to
the boys, as the officers assembled in readiness to take their

198

The Voimg Buglers.

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places when the troops had fallen in. ** What will be the end
ofii?"

" We shall lick them," an old captain said, " though they
are two to one, and then they will march round us somehow,
and then we shall have to fall back in all haste on Lisbon,
and embark there, and we shall eat our Christmas dinner in
England."

There was a general murmur of assent, for at that time the
belief was almost universal in the British army that they would
be forced to abandon Portugal.

" I do not know," Major Fanshawe said. " I heard last
night, from a man who has just returned from sick leave
at Lisbon, that there are thousands of peasants employed
under our engineers in getting up some tremendous works
som^ fifteen miles this side of Lisbon. I should not be
surprised yet if Massena finds the chief a nut too hard to
crack, with all his force."

" I have heard something about these works at Torres
Vedras," Captain Manley said, " a mere rumour ; still I believe
there must be something in it. Wellington has only some
twenty-five thousand British troops, and as mat y Portuguese,
while Massena has over a hundred thousand veterans at his
command. Our game would be hopeless unless we have
something to fall back on. No; I have every faith in our
general. But there goes the bugle.''

On the 24th the Rangers, with tht rest of Picton's division,
arrived on the crest of Busaco, where Cole's and Craufurd's
divisions arrived on the same day. This position was one of
immense strength, being a long ridge, with a very deep valley
in front. Upon the opposite side of this ravine the slope was
as steep and sharp as that of Busaco itself, so that the opposite
crest was within easy cannon shot. The enemy, in order to

Busaco and Torres Vedras.

199

nsion,
ifurd's
lone of
valley
)e was
pposite
Ider to

attack the British position, would have to descend into the
bottom of this steep ravine, and then c'imb up the precipitous
ascent, to meet the British soldiers awaiting them, fresh and
unshaken, at the top. So strong, indeed, was the position
that the English generals were doubtful whether Mascena
would venture to attack.

Upon the 25th Craufurd moved his division forward, and
would have repeated his mistake of the Coa had not Welling-
ton himself gone forward and recalled the troops, bringing
them off with difficulty in the face of the advancing masses
of the French. By three in the afternoon 40,000 French
infantry were on the ridge opposite Busaco, and it appeared
probable that the battle would take place that afternoon,
in which case the British position would have been pre-
carious, for neither Spencer's, Hill's, or Leith's divisions
were up.

Massena, however, was miles behind, and Ney, who com-
manded the advance, could not attack without orders ; thus,
the moment favourable for the French passed by. When
Massena arrived next day, the British divisions were all up
and in their places, and the long crest of Busaco swarmed with
troops. Hill occupied the right across the road to Pena Cova,
then came Leith's 5th division, tlien came Picton with the 3rd
division, with Spencer's division, the 1st, next to him. On a
plateau in front of a convent lay Craufurd and Pack, while
Cole, with the 4th division, was on the left.

The 27th and 28th were parsed in comparative tranquillity,
the rival armies surveying each other across the chasm. From
the woods far below came up the constant crack of the rifle, as
the skirmishers on either side pushed each other backwards; and
on the evening of the 28th this fighting increased so much in
strength and intensity, that the British troops were some time

If" !

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The Young Buglers,

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under arms in expectation of a night attack, for the enemy's
riflemen had pressed far up on the hill-side towards the British
lines. As the night went on, however, the fire ceased, and the
dark ravine between the two long lines of bright watch-fires
became hushed and still.

The Rangers were with Picton's division, and were out as an
advance half way down the ravine, two companies being down
in the bottom as skirmishers. Morning wr« but, just breaking
when a heavy fire burst out in front. The regiment sprang to
its feet, and prepared for action. It was not long in coming,
for the fire rolled rap'dly up the hill towards them, and the
skirmishing companies came running back, pressed by a heavy
column of the enemy. Reynier had formed in two divisions,
one of which was now pressing forward against Picton's right,
while the object of the other was to gain the crest still farther
to the right, and so place themselves between Picton and
Leigh. The whole regiment was at once engaged, but the
French assault was too powerful to be resisted, and the Rangers
and the other regiments of the advanced brigade gave way
sullenly, while the French eagerly pressed up the hill, although
a battery opened upon them from the crest, while they were
unsupported by their own artillery.

" Golly, Massa Peter, dese fellows fight berry hard ; look as
if dey lick us dis time," the black, who was in Peter's company,
said to him as the regiment retreated.

" The battle has only begun yet, Sam. We have plenty of
fi-esh troops at the top of the hill."

" Good ting, dat, Massa Peter. Berry hard work, dis — climb
hill, carry kit, fire gun, dodge de bullets, all same time."

" You didn't dodge that bullet sharp enough, Sam," Peter
said with a laugh, as the negro's shako was carried off with
a ball

Busaco and Torres Vcdras.

201

ity of

Iclimb

I Peter
with

" Him cum too fast. Deie, you frog-eating thief," he said
angrily as he fired his musket at an advancing foe. " Dat
serve you right," he went on to himself as the Frenchman fell.
" You spoil Sam's hat. Dis coloured gentleman catch cold
first time him come on to rain."

The French continued their impetuous advance Picton's
right, as they climbed the hill, fell back towards his centre,
and in half an hour from the first shot being fired the head of
the French column had won the crest, and, being between
Leigh and Picton's divisions, had cut the British position.
Then the column nearest to Picton's division began to wheel
to its right, so as to sweep the crest.

" Lie down, the Rangers ; every man down," shouted the
colonel, and the breathless men threw themselves panting on
the ground A wild Irish shout was heard behind them as
they did so, and a tremendous volley of musketry rang over
their heads, and then the 88th and a wing of the 45th dashed
across them, and, with fierce cheers, charged that portion of
the column engaged in wheeling. Breatliless and in disorder
from their prodigious efforts, the French were unable to resist
this fresh attack. In an instant the British were among them,
and mixed up in wild confusion, fighting hand to hand, the
mass of combatants went mingled together down the hill.
Nor was the success of the French column which had gained
the crest of long duration, for Leith brought up one of his bri-
gades ; Colonel Cameron, with the 9th Regiment, dashed at the
enemy with the bayonet, without firing a single shot, while the
38th attacked their flank ; and the French, unable to resist the
onslaught, relinquished their position and retreated down the
hill. Nor upon the French right had Ney's attack proved more
successful

Napier thus describes the combat in this quarter of the

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77/r Young Buglers.

field :-" When the liglit l)roke, three heavy masses detached
from the sixth corps were seen to enter the woods below, and
to throw forward a profusion of skirmishers ; one of them,
under General Marchand, emerging from the dark chasm and
following the main road, seemed intent to turn the right of the
light division ; a second, under Loison, made straight up the
mountain against the front ; the third remained in reserve.
Simon's brigade, leading Loison's attack, ascended v/ith a
wonderful alacrity, and though the light troops plied it inces-
santly with musketry, and the artillery bullets swept through it
from the first to the last section, its order was never disturbed,
nor its speed in the least abated. Ross's guns were worked
with incredible quickness, yet their range was prlpably con-
tracted every round ; the enemy's shots came ringing up in a
sharper key, the English skirmishers, breathless and begrimed
with powder, rushed over the edge of the ascent, the artillery
drew baiji., and the victorious cries of the French were heard
within a iQW yards of the summit. Craufurd, standing alone
on one of the rocks, had been intently watching the progress
of their attack, and now, with a shrill tone, ordered the two
regiments in reserve to charge. The next moment a horrid
shout startled the French column, and eighteen hundred
British bayonets went sparkling over the hill. Yet so brave,
so hardy were the leading French, that each man of the first
section raised his musket, and two officers and ten men fell
before them. Not a Frenchman had missed his mark. They
could do no more. The head of their column was violently
thrown back upon the rear, both flanks were overlapped at the
same time by the English wings, three terrible discharges at
fiive yards' distance shattered the wavering mass, and a long
line of broken arms and bleeding carcases marked the line of
flight'

Busaco and Torres Vcdras.

203

eard
.lone
gress
two
orrid
dred
irave,
first
fell
hey
lently
the
s at
long
,e of

Ney did not renew the attack, and with some desultory skir
mishing the battle ended at two o'clock, and an hour's truce
enabled both parties to carry off their wounded.

Small parties of the French came in contact with the English
skirmishers during the afternoon, but the battle of Busaco was
over.

" Don't call dat much of battle," Sam said discontentedly.
*'Just little fierce fight, berry out of bref, and den, just as
second wind came, all ober."

The battle of Busaco was indeed one of secondary im-
portance. The losses were not great on either side, although
that of the French was fully threefold greater than that of the
British, as the former were exposed during their attack to the
grape and shell of the British guns, while the French guns
afforded no assistance to their infantry. The French loss, in
killed and wounded and prisoners, did not exceed 4000, of
which only 800 were killed. Nor was any strategical advan-
tage gained by the battle, for the French, upon the following
day, found a road across the hills to the British left from
Martagoa through Bonzalva.

Throughout the day they made feints of renewing the attack
upon the English position, and it was not until late in the
afternoon that long columns of men were seen crossing the hill
to the left ; and Wellington discovered that Busaco had been
won in vain, for that his flank was turned, and there was
nothing for it but to fall back upon Torres Vedras. Before
night the whole British army was in retreat.

" What a horrible scene of confusion," Tom remarked, as
they marched into the town of Coimbra next day.

*' Confusion !" Captain Manley said; "it is enough to drive
a Commander-in-Chief out of his mind. Here Wellington has
for weeks been endeavouring to get the Portuguese Govern-

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204

77/^ Young Buglers.

ment to compel all the population to retire upon Lisbon,
carrying all they can, destroying the mills, and burning all the
corn they could not carry off. The Government did issue the
order, but it ha. taken no steps whatever to carry it out, although
they knew all along that we could never repel the invasion in
the open. As it is, the greater portion of these poor wretches
will lose all they possess, which they might have carried off
quietly enough during the last two months. Many of them
will lose their lives, and they will block the roads so that we
shall have the French down on us to a certainty."

Nothing could be more sad than the scene. The streets of
Coimbra were crowded with fugitives from the country round,
and these, as well as the inhabitants, were all preparing to push
onwards towards Lisbon. Bullock carts and carriages, mules,
donkeys, and horses were crowded together, all laden with the
aged, the children, the sick, and such property as was most
portable and valuable. Happily Massena had a circuitous
detour to make ; the road in the mountain defile was scarcely
passable, .ind throughout the march he displayed but little
energy; consequently it was not until the morning of the 1st
of October that his cavalry engaged those of the light division
which was covering the retreat. The division fell back through
the town, and the inhabitants, who had lingered to the last in
some vague hope that the French would not come, now rushed
out again. The bridge behind the town was choked, and the
troops had to halt for Pome time. In the rear the pistol shots
of the cavalry told of the approach of the French, and the din
made by the panic-stricken fugitives was increased by the yells
of the prisoners shut up and forgotten in the prison hard by.
Their cries and supplications were too painful to be resisted,
and th . British forced the prison doors and let them free.
Once across the bridge, the troops found the defile of Con-

*L*

I«

l.rirlif

finri-a

fyeiuh Tmop^ I
English Troops (
English Cavalry [

Spfinidrils

LINES OF TORRES VEDRAS.

Page 205;.

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SetM^l

LINES OF TORRES VEDRAF

Biisaco and Torres Vcdras.

205

dt'ixa so choked up that it was impossible to effect a passage,
and, had the French pressed them, the division must have
been destroyed.

The French infantry, however, had not arrived, and by night
the road was cleared, and the troops passed on.

There was no pursuit, for Massena allowed his troops to halt
and plunder Coimbra, and the British by easy marches fell
back to Torres Vedras ; but though unpursued, the disorder
and relaxation of discipline which always marks a retreat,
showed itself, and Wellington was obliged to hang several
plunderers, and to resort to other severe measures to restore
10 discipline that army which, only a week before, had re-
pulsed the best troops of France. Towards the end of the
march the French pressed them again, and Craufurd, with his
light division, had a narrow escape of being cut off.

Great was the satisfaction of the British troops when they
took up the position so carefully prepared for them ; equally
great the surprise of Massena and the French army when they
beheld the almost impregnable line of redoubts and fortresses
of whose very existence they had only heard a confused
rumour two or three days before. And yet formidable as
was the chain of forts occupied by the British, this was weak
in comparison to the second line, some five or six miles in
the rear, to which Wellington would have fallen back if driven
from his first position. This second position was indeed
that which he had originally intended to have taken up, the
redoubts on the exterior range of hills being intended as out-
posts ; but, while Massena delayed his advance, the outside
line of fortifications had so grown and increased in strength,
that Wellington resolved to hold them in the first place.

There were, therefore, as will be seen by the plan, three lines
of defence. The first from Alhandra on the Tagus to Zizandre

!f»y

206

The Y oil tig Buglers,

on the sea-coast. This, following the windings of the hills,
was twenty-nine miles long ; the second and main line was
from Quintella on the Tagus to the mouth of the San Lorenza,
twenty-four miles in length ; the third, intended to cover
an embarkation, in case of necessity, extended from Passo
d'Arcos on the Tagus to the town of Junquera on the
coast.

Massena spent some days in surveying the British position,
and came to the conclusion that it was too strong to be
attacked. Had the order of Wellington been carried out, and
the whole country wasted of provisions, the French army must
have made a precipitate retreat to avoid starvation, for they
had no provisions or connexion with Spain. Wilson and
Trant, with Portuguese levies, hung upon their rear, and cap-
tured Coimbra, where Massena 'lad left his sick and wounded,
5000 in number, upon the very day after the ir ' French
army advanced from that town. So vast were the supplies,
however, left in the country t'lat Massena was able to take
up his position, first immedir.tely in front of the British lines,
and afterwards at Santarerr., within a day's march of them,
and to maintain his army in food throughout the winter until
the beginning of March.

" Have you seen the Gazette^ Scudamore ? " Carruthers asked,
rushing into the tent one morning about a week after the
regiment had settled down in its tents on the heights of Torres
Vedras.

" No ; what's up ?" Tom replied.

** There you are; you have both got your steps. Thomas
Scudamore, ensign, Norfolk Rangers, to be Lieutenant, for dis-
tinguished services in the field. Peter Scudamore, ditto, ditto.
I wondered the chief had done nothing for you after your
journey through Spain."

[ii. . i^

Hi.

Busaco and Toms Vedras.

20J

omas
>r dis-
ditto.
your

" I am sure I did not expect anything," Tom answered,
•'and was quite content when the colonel told us that Lord
Wellington had said he was pleased with the manner we had
done our work. However, I am very glad; but it is not
pleasant going over five or six fellows' heads."

" Fortune of war," Carruthers sa'd laughing. " Besides, two
of them are at the depot, Sankey is away on sick leave,
and none of the three who are senior to you here will ever set
the Than.os on fire. No, no, you have fairly earned your step,
and no one can say a word against it."

The news soon si)read, and the boys were heartily con-
gratulated by all the officers of the regiment on their pro-
motion, which placed them next on the list to Carruthers, who
liad previously been the junior lieutenant. Promotion in those
days was rapid, an 1 after a severe engagement an ensign only
joined upon the previous week might find himielf a lieutenant,
from the number of death vacancies caused in the ranks above
him. The Norfolk Rangers had not suffi^-^d heavily at
lalavera, or the boys might have had their lieutenant's rank
before this, without performing any exceptional services.

" I wish we could get two months' leave, Tom," Peter said
that night. " Of course it is impossible, but it would be jolly
to drop in upon Rhoda, By her letter she seems well and
happy, and aunt is very kind to her. It would be nice ; and
now we are lieutenants, aunt wouldn't tell us to rub our
shoes."

" No," Tom laughed, " or be afraid of our pelting her pigeons
and Minnie."

" No," Peter said. " Evidently she is coming round.
Rhoda said that since she has heard we have got our com-
missions s^-e has given up prophesying once or twice a day

that we shall come to a bad end — probubly hanging."
15

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208

T/ie Young Buglers,

" Yes, and Rhod<t said in her letter yesterday that aunt was
quite touched with those lace mantillas we got at Madrid,
and sent off the day after we rejoined, and actually remarked
that, although we could no longer be looked upon as boys,
and seemed really as hair-brained and fond of getting into
scrapes as ever, yet it was evident that we were good, kindly
iads. and meant well at heart"

" I wish," Tom said, with a sudden burst of laughter, " that
we could dress in our old disguises, I as a student of theology
you as a mild young novice ; what a lark we would have
with her ! '* and the boys went off into such shouts of laughter,
that their aunt would have thought them more scatter-brained
than ever if she had heard them, while from the tent of Cap-
tain Manley on one side, and of Carruthers and another young
officer on the other, came indignant expostulations, and en-
treaties that they would keep quiet, and let other people go to
sleep.

aunt wa^
Madrid,
•emarked
as boys,
ing into
i, kindly

;r, " that
heology
Id have
aughter,
-brained
of Cap-
r young
and en-
le go to

,: !

x«S!S5NV

EuijUsh Troojis ■!
Englitih Caralry^
French Troops
French Cavalry
Spaniards

BATTLE OF ALBUERA.

Page 209.

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airy

Page 209.

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BATTLE OF ALBU

f 1!

CHAPTER Xlll.

ALBUERA.

Very heavily did the five months in the lines of Torres Vedras
pass to the Norfolk Rangers. When, in the beginning of
November, Massena fell back to Sautarem, the greater portion
of the army followed him in readiness for attack should any
openings be found. Massena, however, entrenched himself
in a very strong position, and VVelhngton could no more attack
him than he could attack the lines of Torres Vedras ; so that
both armies faced each other in inactivity until the beginning
of March, when Massena broke up his camp and began to
retreat

The Norfolk Rangers had been one of the regiments which
had remained in their quarters on Torres Vedras throughout
the winter, and great w^as the joy with which they received
orders to strike their tents and push on in pursuit. The
retreat of Massena was masterly. Ney's division covered the
rear, and several sharp fights took place which are known in
history as the combats of Pombal, Redinha, Cazal Nova,
Foz d'Aronce, and Sabugal.

In most of these the enemy were driven from their position
by the British outflanking them and threatening their line of re-
treat ; but in the last, by a mistake of General Erskine, a por-

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TJie Young Buglers »

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tion of his division attacked the enemy in rear, and, although
vastly outnumbered, drove him off from the crest he held with
desperate valour. Wellington himself said, " This was one of
the most glorious actions British troops were ever engaged in."

The next day the French crossed the Coa and Turones, and
took up their position under the guns of Ciudad Rodrigo,
which they had left six months before with the full assurance
that they were going to conquer Portugal, and drive the British
into the sea. The invasion cost Massena thirty thousand men,
killed in battle, taken prisoners, or dead from hardships, fatigues
and fevers.

The Scudamores were not present at the battle of Sabugal,
for on the afternoon after the combat of Foz d'Aronce an
orderly rode up to the regiment and handed a note to the
colonel. He read it, and at once summoned the Scudamores
to his side.

" An order from the commander-in-chief," he said, "for you
to go to him at once."

Following the orderly, the boys soon arrived at the cottage
at which Lord Wellington had established his head-quarters.

" His lordship is with Lord Beresford," the aide-de-camp to
whom they gave their names said, " but the orders are that
you are to be shown in at once."

The lads were ushered into a small room, where, seated at
a table, were the commanders-in-chief of the British and the
Portuguese troops.

" Young gentlemen," the former said, looking up with his
keen piercing eyes, " I have not seen you since your return
from Spain. I am content with what you did, and with the
detailed report you sent me in. I shall keep my eye upon you.
Lord Beresford has asked me for two officers as aides-de-camp,
and he specially requires them to have a perfect knowledge of

[

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Albuera,

211

Spanish. I have mentioned your names to him. It is not
often that I confidently recommend young officers, but from
what I know of you I have lelt able to do so in the present
case. You will, with him, have opportunities of distinguishing
yourselves such as you could not have with your regiment.
You accept the appointments ? "

Tom and Peter would far rather have remained with their
regiment, but they felt that, after what Lord Wellington had
said, they could not refuse; they consequently expressed at
once their willingness to serve, and their thanks to the general
for his kindness in recommending them.

"You can ride, I hope?" Lord Beresford, a powerfully-
built, pleasant-looking man, said.

" Yes, sir, we can both ride, but at present—**
" You have no horses, of course ? " Lord Beresford put in.
" I will provide you with horses, and will assign servant.', to
you from one of the cavalry regiments with me. Will you join
me at daybreak to-morrow ? we shall march at once."

There was a general expression of regret when the Scuda-
mores informed their comrades that they were again ordered
on detached duty. As to Sam, when Tom told him that he
could not accompany them, he was uproarious in his lamenta-
tions, and threatened to desert from his regiment in order to
follow them. At this the boys laughed, and told Sam that
he would be arrested and sent back before he had gone six
hours.

" I tink, Massa Tom, dat you might hab told de general
dat you hab got an fust-class serbent, and dat you bring him
wid you."

" But we shall be mounted now, Sam, and must have
mounted men with us You can't ride, you know."
" Yes, massa, dis child ride first-rate, he can."

:ii

; I i ■■

rr-w

212

The Voting Buglers.

? t

I 1-

(I:

I <

. i n

" Why, Sam, I heard you say not long ago you had nevet
ridden on a horse all your life."

" Never hab, massa, dat's true *nuff ; but Sam sure he can
ride. Berry easy ting dat. Sit on saddle, one leg each side —
not berry difficult dat. Sam see tousand soldiers do dat ebery
day ; dey sit quite easy on saddle ; much more easy dat dan
beat big drum.'*

The boys lauglied heartily at Sam's notion of riding without
practice, and assured him that it was not so easy as he
imagined

" Look here, Sam," Peter said at last, " you practice riding
a little, and then next time we get away we will ask for you
to go with us." And with this Sam was obliged to be
content.

Half an hour later, when the boys were chatting with Captain
Manley, Carruthers, and two or three other officers, in the tent
of the first-named officer, they heard a commotion outside,
with shouts of laughter, in which they joined as soon as they
went out and saw what was going on.

Sam, upon leaving the Scudamores, determined at once upon
trying the experiment of riding, in order that he might — for he
had no doubt all would be easy enough — ride triumphantly up
to his masters' tent and prove his ability to accompany them at
once. He was not long before he saw a muleteer coming along
sitting carelessly on his mule, with both legs on one side of the
animal, side-saddle fashion, as is the frequent custom of mule-
teers. It was evident, by the slowness of his pace, that he was
not pressed for time.

Sam thought that this was a fine opportunity.

" Let me have a ride ? " he sai^ to the muleteer in broken
Portuguese.

The man shook his head. Sam held out a quarter of a

-i..

Albuera.

213

dollar. "There," he said, "I'll give you that for an hour's
ride."

The muleteer hesitated, and then said, " The mule is rery
bad tempered with strangers."

" Oh, dat all nonsense," Sam thought, " he only pretend dat
as excuse ; anyone can see de creature as quiet as lamb ^
don't he let his master sit on him sidewajrs ? "

« All right," he said aloud. " I try him."

The muleteer dismounted, and Sam prepared to take his
place on the saddle. By this time several of the Rangers had
gathered round, and these foreseeing, from the appearance of
the mule and the look of sly amusement in the face of the
muleteer, that there was likely to be some fun, at once pro-
posed to assist, which they did by giving advice to Sam
of the most opposite nature. Sam was first going to mount
on the off side, but this irregularity was repressed, and one
wag, taking the stirrup of the near side in his hand, said,
" Now, Sam, up you go, never mind what these fellows say,
you put your right foot in tlie stirrup, and lift your left over the
saddle."

Sam acted according to these instructions, and found himself,
to his intense amazement and the delight of the bystanders,
sitting with his face to the mule's tail.

" Hullo," he exclaimed in astonishment, " dis all wrong ;
you know noting about de business, you Bill Atkins."

And Sam prepared to descend, when, at his first movement,
the mule put down his head and flung his heels high in the air.
Sam instinctively threw himself forward, but not recovering his
upright position before the mule again flung up her hind quar-
ters, he received a violent blow on the nose. " Golly ! " ex-
claimed the black in a tone of extreme anguish, as, with water
streaming from his eyes, he instinctively clutched the first thing

ii;,

2r4

The Younc Buzlcrs.

' 5

which came to hand, the root of the mule's till, nnrl hold on
like grim death. The astonished mule lashed out wildly and
furiously, but Sam, with his body laid close on her back, his
hands grasping her tail, and his legs and feet pressing tight to
her flanks, held on with the clutch of despair.

" Seize de debil ! — seize him ! — he gone mad ! " — he shouted
frantically, but the soldiers were in such fits of laughter that
they could do nothing.

Then the mule, finding that he could not get rid of this
singular burden by kicking, started suddenly off at full
gallop.

" Stop him I— rstop him I " yelled Sam. ** Gracious me '.
dis am dreftul."

This was the sight which met the eyes of the Scudamores
and their brother officers as they issued from their tents. The
soldiers were all out of their tents now, and the air rang with
laughter mingled with shouts of "Go it, moke 1" "Hold on,
Sam ! "

" Stop that mule," Captain Manley shouted, " or the man
will be killed."

Several soldiers ran to catch at the bridle, but the mule
swerved and dashed away out of camp along the road.

" Look, look," Tom said, " there are the staff, and Lord
Wellington among them. The mule's going to charge
them."

The road was somewhat narrow, with a wall of four feet
high on either side, and the general, who was riding at the
head of the party, drew his rein when he saw the mule coming
along at a furious gallop. The staff did the same, and a
general shout was raised to check or divert her wild career.
The obstinate brute, however, maddened by the shouts which had
greeted her from all sides, and the strange manner in which

held on

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' I

I.;

i^-

Albiiera,

215

tl,

she was being ridden, never swerved from her course. When
she was within five yards of the party, the general turned his
horse, touched him with his spur, and leapt him lightly over
the wall ; one or two others followed his example, but the
others had not time to do so before the mule was among them.
Two horses and riders were thrown down, one on either side,
with the impetus of the shock, and then, kicking, striking and
charging, the animal made its way past the others and dashed
on in despite of the attempts to stop her, and the cries of
" Shoot the brute," " Ride him down," and the angry ejacu
lations of those injured in its passage. Thirty yards behind
the group of officers were the escort, and these prepared to
catch the mule, when ^urning to the left she leapt the wall, elicit-
ing a scream of terror from Sam, who was nearly shaken from
his hold by the sudden jerk.

The anger of the officers was changed into a burst of amuse-
ment at seeing Sam's dark face and staring eyes over the mule's
crupper, and even Lord Wellington smiled grimly. An order
was hastily given, and four troopers detached themselves from
the escort and started off in pursuit. The mule was, however,
a fast one, and maddened by fright, and it was some time
before the foremost of the troopers was up to her. As he
came alongside, the mule suddenly swerved round and
lashed out viciously, one of her heels coming against the
horse's ribs, and the other against the leg of the rider, who, in
spite of his thick jack-boot, for some time thought that his leg
was broken.

He fell behind, and the others, rendered cautious by the
lesson, came up but slowly, and prepared to close upon the
animal's head, one from each side. Just as they were going to
do so, however, they were startled by a scattered fire of mus-
ketry, and by the sound of balls whizzing about their ears, and

If'-^^-^'

1.^

2l6

T/ie Yowig Buglers.

I !

discovered tliat in the ardour of the chase they had passed over
the space which separated the French from the EiigUsh Unes,
and that they were close to the former. At the same moment
they saw a party of cavalry stealing round to cut off their
retreat Turning their horses, the dragoons rode off at full
speed, but the French cavalry, on fresher horses, would have
caught them before they reached the English lines had not a
troop of British horse dashed forward to meet them upon
seeing their danger. As to the mule, she continued her wild
gallop into the French lines, where she was soon surrounded and
captured.

The boys were greatly vexed at the loss of their faithful
black, but they had little time for grieving, for an hour later
they rode off with General Bcresford's division. Three days'
march brought them to Campo Mayor, a town which had, two
days before, surrendered to the French, who, surprised by the
sucMen appearance of the British, evacuated the place hastily
and retreated, after suffering much from a brilliant charge of
the 13th Hussars, who, although unsupported, charged right
through the French cavalry, and Beresford then prepared to
lay siege to Badajos. Had he pushed forward at once, he
would have found the place unprepared for a siege, but, delay-
ing a few days at Elvas to give his tired troops repose, the
French repaired the walls, and were in a position to offer a
respectable defence, when he made his appearance under its
walls. The army was very badly provided with heavy guns,
but the approaches were opened and the siege commenced in
regular form, when the news arrived that Soult was marching
with a powerful army to its relief The guns were therefore
withdrawn, the siege raised, and Beresford marched to meet
Soult at Albuera.

On the 15th of May he took up his position on rising ground

sed over
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\*i

Albuera.

217

looking down on Albuera, having the river in his front. Acting
with him, and nominally under his orders, was a Spanish force
under Blake. This was intended to occupy the right of the
position, but with the usual Spanish dilatoriness, instead of
being upon the ground, as he had promised, by noon, Blake
did not arrive until past midnight ; the French accordingly
crossed the river unmolested, and the British general found
his right turned.

Beresford's position was now a very faulty one, as the woods
completely hid the movements of the enemy, and a high hill,
which they had at once seized, flanked the whole allied posi-
tion and threatened its line of retreat.

When the morning of the i6th dawned the armies were
numerically very unequal. The British had 30,000 infantry,
2,000 cavalry, and 38 guns; the French, 19,000 infantry,
4,000 cavalry, and 40 guns ; but of these the French were all
veteran troops, while Beresford had but 6,000 British troops,
the remainder being Spanish and Portuguese, upon whom no
reliance whatever was to be placed. The British officers present
were all of opinion that their chances of success, under the
circumstances, were slight indeed.

The battle commenced at nine '1 the morning by an attack
by the French general Godinot upon tlie bridge of Albuera.
Their columns were, however, so completely ploughed by the
guns of the Portuguese upon the eminence behind it, that they
made no progress, and Beresford perceived at once that the
main attack would be made on his right. He despatched Tom
Scudamore with orders to Blake to throw back his troops at
right angles to the main front. The pig-headed Spaniard
refused to obey, asserting that the main attack was in front
Colonel Hardinge was sent to insist upon the order being
carried out, but Blake still refused, and Beresford himself rode

2l8

TJie Young Buglers,

furiously across and took the command just as the French
column debouched from the wood on tlie riglit.

Before the Spanish movement was completed the French were
among them. Their cavalry swept round to the right rear,
and menaced the line of retreat, the infantry charged the
wavering Spanish battalions, and the latter at once fell into
confusion and began to fall back. William Stewart now
arrived with a brigade of the second division to endeavour to
retrieve the day; but as they were advancing into position,
four regiments of French cavalry, whose movements were
hidden in the driving rain until they were close at hand, fell
upon them and rode down two-thirds of the brigade, the 31st
regiment alone having time to form square and repulse the
horsemen.

Beresford himself, with his staft", was in the middle of the mel^e,
and the lads found themselves engaged in hand-to-hand combats
with the French troopers. All was confusion. Peter was unhorsed
by the shock of a French hussar, but Tom shot the trooper
before he could cut Peter down. Free for a moment, he looked
round, and saw a French lancer charging, lance at rest, at Lord
Beresford. " Look out, sir ! " he shouted, and the general,
turning round, swept aside the lance thrust with his arm ; and
as the lancer, carried on by the impetus of his charge, dashed
against him, he seized him by the throat and waist, lifted him
bodily from his saddle, and hurled him insensible to the ground.
Just at this moment General Lumley arrived with some Portu-
guese cavalry, and the French lancers galloped off.

The Spanish cavalry, who had orders to charge the French
cavalry in flank, galloped up until within a few yards of them,
and then turned and fled shamefully

Beresford, now furious at the cowardice of the Spanish
infantry, seized one of their cn.rlgns by the shoulder, and

Albuera,

219

dragged him, with his colours, to the front by main force, but
the infantry would not even then advance.

The driving rain saved the allied army at this critical moment,
for Soult was unable to see the terrible confusion which reigned
in their ranks, and kept his heavy columns in hand when an
attack would have carried with it certain victory.

In the pause which ensued the British regiments began to
make their way to the front. Colbourn, with the 31st Regi-
ment, was already there ; Stewart brought up Haugh ton's
brigade ; and the 29th burst its way through the flying Spaniards
and joined the 31st, these movements being made under a
storm of shot and shell from the French artillery. Colonel
Hartman brought up the British artillery, and the Spanish
generals Zayas and Ballesteros succeeded in checking and
bringing forward again some of the Spanish infantry.

The French advanced in great force, the artillery on both
sides poured in grape at short distance, and the carnage was
terrible. Still the Httle band of British held their ground.
Stewart was twice wounded, Haughton and Colonels Duckworth
and Inglis slain. Of the 57th Regiment twenty-two officers and
four hundred men fell out of the five bundred that had mounted
the hill, and the other regiments had suffered nearly as severely.
Not a third were standing unhurt, and fresh columns of the
French were advancing.

The battle looked desperate, and Beresford made prepara
tions for a retreat. At this moment, liowever, Colonel Hardinge
brought up General Cole with the fourth division, and Colonel
Abercrombie with the tliird brigade of Colbourn's second
division. Beresford recalled his order for retreat, and the
terrible fight condnued. The fourth division was composed of
two brigades, the one, a Portuguese under General Harvey, was
pushed down to the right to keep off the French cavalry, wliile

220

The Young Bugkrs,

I :

the Fusilie. brigade, composed of the 7th and 23rd fusilier
regiments, under Sir William Myers, climbed the desperately
contested hill, which Abercrombie ascended . also, more on the
left.

It was time, for the whole of the French reserves were now
coming into action ; six guns were already in the enemy's
possession, the remnant of Haughton's brigade could no
longer sustain its ground, and the heavy French columns were
advancing exultantly to assured victory.

Suddenly, through the smoke, Cole's fusilier brigade appeared
on the right of Haughton's brigade, just as Abercrombie
came up on its left. Startled by the sight, and by the heavy
fire, the French column paused, and, to quote Napier's glowing
words, " hesitated, and then, vomiting forth a storm of fire,
hastily endeavoured to enlarge their front, while a fearful dis-
charge of grape from all their artillery whistled through the
British ranks. Myers was killed. Cole and the three colonels,
Ellis, Blakeney and Hawkshawe, fell wounded ; and the fusiliei
battalions, struck by the iron tempest, reeled and staggered like
sinking ships ; but suddenly and sternly recovering, they closed
with their terrible enemies, and then was seen with what a
strength and majesty the British soldier fights. In vain did
Soult with voice and gesture animate his Frenchmen ; in vain
did the hardiest veterans break from the crowded columns and
sacrifice their lives to gain time for the mass to open out on
such a fair field; in vain did the mass itself bear up, and,
fiercely striving, fire indiscriminately upon friends and foes,
while the horsemen hovering on its flank threatened to charge
the advancing line. Nothing could stop that astonishing
infantry; no sudden burst of undisciplined valour, no nervous
enthusiasm weakened the stability of their order ; their flashing
eyes were bent on the dark columui in their front, their mea-

\i^

Albuera.

221

siired tread shook the ground, their dreadful volleys swept away
the head of every formation, their deafening shouts overpowered
the dissonant cries that broke from aM parts of the tumultuous
crowd, as, slowly and with horrid carnage, it was pushed by
the incessant vigour of the attack to the farthest edge of the
hill. In vain did the French reserves mix with the struggling
multitude to sustain the fight ; their efforts only increased the
irremediable confusion, and the mighty mass breaking off like
a loosened cliff, went headlong down the steep ; the rain
flowed after in streams discoloured with blood, and eighteen
hundred unwounded men, the remnant of six thousand un-
conquerable British soldiers, stood triumphant on the fatal
hilL"

While this dreadful fight was going on, Hamilton's and
Collier's Portuguese divisions, ten thousand strong, marched to
support the British, but they did not reach the summit of the
hill until the battle was over ; they suffered, however, a good
deal of loss from the French artillery, which, to cover the
retreat, opened furiously upon them.

The French were in no position to renew the attack, the
allies quite incapable of pursuit, and when night fell the two
armies were in the same position they had occupied twenty-four
hours before.

Never was British valour more conspicuously displayed than
at the battle of Albuera. Out of 6,000 infantry, they lost 4,200
killed and wounded, while the Spanish and Portuguese had
but 2,600 killed and wounded out of a total of 34,000 ; the
French loss was over 8,000.

This desperate fight had lasted but four hours, but to all

engaged it seemed an age. The din, the whirl, the storm of

shot, the fierce charges of the cavalry, the swaying backwards

and forwards of the fight, the disastrous appearance of the
16

222

TJie Young Buglers,

battle from the first, all combined to make up a perfectly
bewildering confusion.

The Scudamores, after its commencement, had seen but
little of each other. Whenever one or other of them found
their way to the general, who was ever in the thickest of the
fray, it was but to remain there for a moment or two before
being despatched with fresh messages.

Tom's horse was shot under him early in the day, but he
obtained a remount from an orderly and continued his duty
until, just as the day was won, he received a musket ball in the
shoulder. He half feh, half dismounted, and, giddy and faint,
lay down and remained there until the cessation of the fire told
him that the battle was over. Then he staggered to his feet and
sought a surgeon. He presently found one hard :it work under
a tree, but there was so large a number of wounded men lying
or sitting round, that Tom saw that it would be hours before
he could be attended to. As he turned to go he saw an officer
of the staff" ride by.

" Ah, Scudamore I Are you hit too ? — not very badly, I
hope? The chief was asking after you just now."

" My shoulder is smashed, I think," Tom said, " and the
doctor has his hands full at present ; but if you will tie my arm
tight across my chest with my sash, I shall be able to get on."

The officer at once leapt from his horse, and proceeded to
bind Tom's arm in the position he requested.

" Have you seen my brother," Tom asked

" No, I have not ; he was close to Beresford when
the fusiliers dashed up the hill; his horse fell dead,
but he was not hit, for I saw him jump up all right. I
did not see him afterwards. As he could not have got
a fresh mount then, I expect he joined the fusiliers and
went up the hill "

!»

Albuera,

223

[fectly

but
found
)f the
)efore

»>

*' Is the loss heavy?** Tom asked.

" Awful — awful," the officer said. " If it had lasted another
quarter of an hour, there would have been nobody left alive ;
as it is, there are not 2,000 men at the outside on their
feet"

" WTiat, altogether ?* Tom exclaimed.

" Altogether," the officer answered sadly. " We have lost
two men out of every three who went mto it."

•* Thank you," Tom said. " Now where shall I find the
general ? "

" Up on the hill. I shall see you tl)ere in a few minutes.
I hope you will find your brother all right."

Very slowly did Tom make his way up the steep slope,
sitting down to rest many times, for he was faint from loss of
blood and sick with the pain of his wound, and it was a long
half hour before he joined the group of officers clustered round
the commander-in-chief.

He was heartily greeted ; but in answer to his question as to
whether any one had seen his brother, no one could give a
satisfactory reply. One, however, was able to confirm what
had been before told to him, for he had seen Peter on foot
advancing with the fusilier brigade. Tom's heart felt very
heavy as he turned away towards the front, where the fusiliers
were standing on the ground they had so hardly won. The
distance he had to traverse was but short, but the journey was
a ghastly one. The ground was literally heaped with dead.
Wounded men were seen sitting up trying to stanch their
wounds, others lay feebly groaning, while soldiers were hurrying
to and fro from the water carts, with pannikins of water to re-
lieve their agonizing thirst

" Do you know, sergeant, whether they have collected the
wounded officers, and, if so, where they art?"

224

I I

The Young Buglers.

Yos, sir, most of them are there at the right flank of the
regiment."

Tom made his way towards the spot indicated, where a small
group of officers were standing, while a surgeon was examining
a long line of wounded laid side by side upon the ground. Tom
hardly breathed as he ran his eye along their faces, and his
heart seemed to stop as he recognized in the very one the
surgeon was then examining the dead-white face of Peter.

He staggered forward and said in a gasping voice, " He is my
brother — is he dead ? "

The surgeon looked up. " Sit down," he said sharply, and
Tom, unable to resist the order, sank rather than sat down, his
eyes still riveted on Peter's face.

" No," the surgeon said, answering the question, "he has
only fainted from loss of blood, but he is hit hard, the bullet has
gone in just above the hip, and until I know its course I can't
say whether he has a chance or not."

" Here, sergeant, give me the probe," and with this he pro-
ceeded cautiously to examine the course of the ball. As he
did so his anxious face brightened a little.

" He was struck slantingly," he said, " the ball has gone
round by the back ; turn him over, sergeant. Ah, I thought
so ; it has gone out on the other side. Well, I think it has
missed any vital part, and in that case I can give you hope.
There," he said after he had finished dressing the wound
and fastening a bandage tightly round the body ; " now pour
some brandy-and-water down his throat, sergeant, and sprinkle
his face with water. Now, sir, I will look at your shoulder."

But he spoke to insensible ears, for Tom, upon hearing
the more favourable report as to Peter's state, had fainted
dead off.

The surgeon glanced at liim. " He'll come round all right,"

kt)'

Albiiera.

225

)f the

small
lining

Tom
id his
^e the

is my

he said. " I will go on in the meantime," and he set to work
at the next in the ghastly line.

It was some time before Tom recovered his consciousness ;
when he did so, it was with a feeling of intense agony in the
shoulder.

" Lie quiet," the surgeon said, " I shan't be long about it."

It seemed to Tom, nevertheless, as if an interminable time
passed before the surgeon spoke again.

" You'll do," he said. *' It is an awkward shot, for it has
broken the shoulder bone and carried a portion away, but with
quiet and care you will get the use of your arm again. You
are lucky, for if it had gone two inches to the left it would have
smashed the arm at the socket, and two inches the other
way and it would have been all up with you. Now lie quiet
for awhile ; you can do nothing for your brother at present
It may be hours before he recovers consciousness."

Tom was too faint and weak to argue, and a minute later he
dropped ofif to sleep, from which he did not wake until it was
dusk. Sitting up, he saw thr.t he had been aroused by the
approach of an officer, whom he recognized as one of General
Beresford's staff.

" How are you, Scudamore ? " he asked. " The general has
just sent me to inquire."

" He is very kind," Tom said. " I think that I am all right,
only I am horribly thirsty."

The officer unslung a flask from his shoulder. " This is weak
brandy-and-water. I have brought it over for you. I am sorry
to hear your brother is so bad, but the doctor give."- strong hopes
of him in his report."

Tom bent down over Peter. " He is breathing quietly," he
said, " I liope it is a sort of sleep he has fallen into. What
arc we doing ? "

226

The Young Buglers,

" Nothing,** the officer answered ; "there is nothing to do ;
every unwounded man is under arms in case the French attack
us in the night. I expect, however, they will wait till morning,
and if they come on then, I fear our chance is a slight one
indeed. We have only i, 800 of our infantry; the German
regiments and the Portuguese will do their best; but the Spanish
are utterly useless. Soult has lost more men than we have, but
we are like a body which has lost its back-bone ; and if the
French, who are all good soldiers, renew the battle, I fear it is
all up with us."

" Have you got all our wounded in ? " Tom asked.

" No," the officer said bitterly. " Our unwounded men must
stand to arms, and Lord Beresford sent over to Blake just now
to ask for the assistance of a battalion of Spaniards to collect
our wounded, and the brute sent back to say that it was the
custom in allied armies for each army to attend to its own
wounded."

" The brute ! " Tom repeated with disgust. " How the poor
fellows must be suffering ! "

" The men who are but slightly wounded have been taking
water to all they can find, and the doctors are at work now,
and will be all night going about dressing wounds. The worst
of it is, if the fight begins again to-morrow, all the wounded who
cannot crawl away must remain under fire. However, the
French wounded are all over the hill too, and perhaps the French
will avoid a cannonade as much as possible, for their sake. It
is a bad look-out altogether ; and between ourselves, Beresford
has written *j Lord Wellington to say that he anticipates a
crushing defeat."

" Is there any chance of reinforcements ? " Tom asked.

" We hope that the tliird brigade of the fourth division will
be up to-morrow by mid-day ; tliey arc ordered to come on by

I !|

Alhncra.

227

[0 do;

jattack

rning,

it one

;rman

)anish

[e, but

|if the

ir it is

forced ninrclics. If Soult does not attack till they arrive, it
will make all the difterence, for 1,500 fresh men will nearly
double our strength. But I must be going now. Good-
bye."

The surgeon presently came round again to see how the
wounded officers were getting on. Tom asked him whether
there was anything he could do for Peter ; but the surgeon,
after feeling his pulse, said : " No, not as long as he breathes
quietly like this ; but if he moves pour a little brandy-and-water
down his throat. Now, gentlemen, all who can must look after
the others, for there is not an available man, and I must be at
work all night on the field."

There were many of the officers who were not hit too severely
to move about, and these collected some wood and made a fire,
so as to enable them to see and attend to their more severely
wounded comrades. Tom took his place close to Peter, where
he could watch his least movement, and once or twice during
the night poured a little brandy-and-water between his lips.
The other officers took it by turns to attend to their comrades,
to keep up the fire, and to sleep. Those whose turn it was to
be awake sat round the fire smoking, and talking as to the
chances of the morrow, getting up occasionally to give drink to
such of the badly w^ounded as were awake.

Tom, faint with his wound, found it, towards morning,
impossible to keep awake, and dozed off, to wake with a start
and find that it was broad daylight. Soon afterwards, to his
intense satisfaction, Peter opened his eyes. Tom bent over him,
" iJon't try to move, Peter ; lie quiet, old boy."

*' What's the matter ? " Peter asked with a puzzled look.

" You have been hit in the body, Peter, but the doctor
means to get you round in no time. Yes," he continued, see-
ing I'eter's eyes fixed on his bandaged shoulder, " I have had

228

TAc Youug Bugkrs.

a tap too, but there's no great harm done. There, drink some
brandy-and-water, and go off to sleep again, if you can."

The morning passed very slowly, the troops being all under
arms, expecting the renewed attack of Soult, but it came not ;
and when, early in the afternoon, the third brigade of the fourth
division marched into camp, they were received with general
cheering. A heavy load :>eemed taken off every one's heart, and
they felt now that they could fight, if fight they must, with a
hope of success.

The new-comers, wearied as they were with their long forced
marches, at once took the outpost duties, and those relieved
set about the duty of collecting and bringing in all the
wounded.

Next morning the joyful news ra.me that Soult was retiring,
and all felt with a thrill of triumph that their sacrifices and
efforts had not been in vain, and that the hard- fought battle of
Albuera was for ever to take its place among the great victories
of the British army.

CHAPTER XTV.

INVALIDED HOME.

Two days after the battle of Albuera, Lord Wellington him-
self arrived, and from the officers of his staff Tom heard the
details of the battle of Fuentes d'Onoro, which had been fought
a few days previously, and which had been nearly as hardly
contested as had Albuera itself, both sides claiming the victory.

The next day, the bulk of Beresford's army returned to the
neighbourhood of Badajos, which they again invested, while a
long convoy of wounded started for Lisbon. The Scudamores
accompanied it as far as Campo Maior, where a large
hospital had been prepared for those too ill to bear the
journey. Peter was still unconscious. Fever had set in upon
the day after the battle, and for three weeks he lay between
life and death. Tom's arm was mending very slowly, and he
would have had hard work indeed in nursing Peter had it not
been for the arrival of unexpected assistance. A large villa had
been taken close to the main hospital for the use of
officers, and one of the rooms was allotted to the Scudamores.

Upon the evening of the secoiid day after their arrival, Tom
was sitting by Peter's bedside, when, after a preliminary tap,
the door opened, and to Tom's perfect amazement Sambo
entered. The negro hurried forward, threw himself on his

230

The Young Buglers.

W ■:

\i\

knees, seized Tom's hand and kissed it passionately, and then
looking at the thin and fever-flushed face of Peter, he hid his
face in his hands and sobbed unrestrainedly.

" Hush, Sam, hush," Tom said soothingly. ** My poor fellow,
why, where have you come from ? I thought you were a prisoner
with the French."

*' I knew how it would be, Massa Tom," the black said, pay-
ing no attention to the question. " First thing Sam said to
himself when he got among French fellows, * Dere, dose young
gentlemen dey get into all sorts of danger widout Sam,
sartin sure dey got hurt widout Sam to look after dem.' Dat
idea troubled Sam berry much, took away Sam's sleep
altogether."

" Well it turned out so, as you see, Sam," Tom said with a
smile, " but tell me how did you get away ? But first give me
some lemonade out of that jug, then you can tell me all about
it."

" Why, Massa Tom," Sam said, when he had complied with the
request, " you did'nt think dat dis chile was going to stop prisoner
with dose French chaps, Sam not such a fool as dat, nohow. When
dat cussed mule — 1 tell you fair, Massa Tom, dis chile conclude
dat ridmg not such a berry easy ting after all — when dat cussed
nmle ran into French camp, de soldiers dey catch him, and dey
take Sam off, and den dey jabber and laugh for all de world
like great lots of monkeys. Well, for some time Sam he did'nt say
nothing, all de wind shook out of his body. Tjcsides which he
could'nt understand what dey say. Den all of a sudden, to
Sam's surprise, up came a coloured soldier, and he speak to
Sam in de English tongue. * Holla, broder, how you come here,*
I ask. * I been cook on board English merchant ship,' he say.
' Ship she taken by French privateer. When dey come to port
dey say to me, "You not Englishman, you hab choice, you go

i !'

1^ ^ I i , a

Invalided Home,

231

to prison, or you be French soldier." Natural, I not want go
prison, so 1 conclude be French soldier. I daresay dty gib you
choice too.' Well, massa, a wink as good as a nod to blind
boss. So dey take me to tent, put me under g^iard, and next
day a French officer come dat speak English. He ask me all
sorts ob questions, and at last he ask me why I list English
soldier. So you see I had got a little lie all ready, and me tell
him, me one poor Melican negro man, cook on board Melican
ship. Ship taken by English man-ob-war. Put Sam in prison
and give him choice to go as soldier. * Den you not care about
English,' de oOicer say, and Sam draw hissclf up and pat his
chest and say, * j\Ie Melican citizen, me no Britisher's slave,
some day me go back States, go on board Melican man-ob-
war, me pay out dese Britishers for make Sam slave.' Den de
officer laugh, and say dat if I like I could fight dem now; and
if I prefer French uniform to French prison, me could have
him. Ob course I accep offer, and harp an hour after me in
French uniform. French officer try to make joke ob Sam, and
ask whether I like cavalry or foot soldier. Sam say he had
enuff of quaduples at present Me remain French soldier
three weeks, den cum great battle, dey call him Fuentes
donory. Sam's regiment fight. Sam not like fire at red
cociiS; so break bullet off cartridge, neber put him in
gun. We charge right into middle of village full of English
soid'.er, debrllets % all about. Sam not see de point ob getting
k'li by Tiiistake, so he tumble down, OxCtend to be dead.
Presently French beaten back ; whei. Eiiglish soldier wid
doctor cum look at wounded, dey turn Sam ober, and dey
say, 'Hullo, here dead nigger.' 'Nigger yourself, John Atkins,'
I say- for sure enuff it's de ole ."^giment — 'you say dat once
again me knock your head off;' me jump up, and all de world call
out, ' Hullo, why it's Sam.' Den me splain matter, and all berry

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The Young Buglers.

glad, cept John Atkins, and next morning me gib him licking he
member all his life, me pound him most to a squash. Four
days ago colonel send for Sam, say, *Sam, berry bad job, bofe
Massas wounded bad, send you to nurse dem ;* so dis chile come.
Dat all, Massa Tom. Here letter for you from colonel, now
you read dis letter, den you get in bed, you sleep all night.
Sam watch Massa Peter."

Greatly relieved to have his faithful servant again, and to
know that Peter would be well cared for, instead of being left
in charge of the Spanish hospital orderly whenever weakness
and pain obliged him to lie down, Tom abandoned his place
by the bedside, and prepared for a tranquil night's rest, first
reading the colonel's letter.

" We are all grieved, my dear Scudamore, at hearing that you
are both wounded, and that your brother is at present in a
serious state. We trust, however, that he will pull through,
I hear that Beresford has praised you both most highly in
despatches, and that your names are sent home for companies.
I heartily congratulate you. We have had some tough work
at Fuentes d'Onoro, although nothing to what yours must have
been at Albuera, still it was hot enough in all conscience,
and we had over a hunaied casualties in the regiment.
Carruthers and Manley were both slightly wounded.
Jones, Anstruther, Palmer, and Chambers were killed, a'nd
several of the others hit more or less hard. Sam has
leave to remain with you until you rejoin, which will not, I
fear, be for some little time. Everyone sends kind messages.
Yours truly, J. Tritton."

Nothinc; could exceed the care and devotion with which Sam
nursed his two masters, and Tom had the greatest difficulty in
persuading him to lie down and get a short sleep each day
while he sat by Peter's bed. At the end of three weeks Petei

Invalided Home.

233

took a favourable turn. His fever abated, and he awoke to
consciousness. Another fortnight and he was sufiiciently
convalescent to be moved, and accordingly they started to
travel by very easy stages to Lisbon, there to take ship for
England, as the doctor ordered lorn as well as his Ijrother to
go home for a while to recruit. Tom was the less reluctant
to do so, as it was evident that vrith the force at his command
Wellington would not be able to undertake any great operation,
and that the siege and capture of Badajos was the utmost
likely to be accomplished in that season's campaign. The
mails in due course had brouglit out the Gazette^ and in it
Tom and Peter Scudamore were promoted to be Captains,
unattached.

Colonel Tritton, upon being applied to, readily gave leave
for Sam to accompany his masters. It was a long journey to
Lisbon, but the jolting of the country cart was made bearable
by a layer of hay, two feet deep, upon which the mattresses
were laid, Sam seeing that at each night's halt the hay was taken
out, well shaken, and then returned to the cart, so as to preserve
it light and elastic. A thick canopy of boughs kept off the heat
of the sun, and under it, within reach of the invalids hung a gourd
of fresh water, and a basket of fruit. Several other cart-loads of
wounded officers accompanied them, and at night they would
draw up by a grove of trees where water was handy, those
who could walk would get out, the others would be lifted
out on their mattresses, a great fire made, and round it the
beds laid in a circle, and then the evening would be spent
in pleasant chat, with many an anecdote and an occasional
song, until the fire burnt low, the talk died away, and
each, covered in his blankets to keep off the night dew, fell
asleep. Pleasant as was the journey, however, it was with a
thrill of delight that they caught their first sight of Lisbon,

' 'i

1'^

2 34

1 he Young Buglers,

with its broad river, and the bhic line of the sea beyond. A
few days later, and they embarked on boa»-d a transport,
which seven days afterwards, after a calm passage, arrived at
Spithead.

Peter was by this time gaining strength fast but his back
was so stiff and sore that he was unable to move it, and was
obliged to swing himself along on crutches. The next day the
coach took them to London, and they started the morning after
for Marlborough. This time they had to go inside the coach, two
gentlemen, who bad previously secured the seats, kindly giving
them up in favour of the wounded young officers, while Sam
took his place on the roof, and anmsed his fellow passengers
with wonderful accounts of his adventures at the war. At the
inn at which they took dinner, they alighted, and Tom recog-
nized in the driver the same coachman who had driven them
upon the memorable occasion of their being stopped by high
waymen three years before. " You don't remember us, coach
man, do you ?"

'* No gentlemen, I can't say as how, — but eh ! no, why you're
the werry boys as shot the highwaymen. Well, I am glad to
see you again, though you do look white and bad, both of you.
I heard as how there were two wounded officers inside, and that
black soldier has been telling all sorts of tales of the wonderful
things as his masters had done, but not knowing as how it was
you, I did'nt much believe all he was telling. Now I quite see
as how it was true ; and how are you both ?"

" Getting on all right," Tom said, returning the warm shake
of the coachman's hand, "and do you know, those pistols have
saved our lives more than once."

" Have they now," the coachman said in high admiration,
*' but there, we must be moving, we are three minutes after time
as it is; I shall see you again next time we stop, gentler •^o."

Invalided Home.

235

During the next stage the coachman and guard recounted
to the outside passengers the affair of the stopping the coach,
and Sams black face shone with deHght at the tale. Then he
had his say, and related the story of his falling overboard and
being rescued, and in consequence the lads were quite em-
barrassed when they next halted, by the attention of their fellow-
travellers, who could scarcely understand how it was possible
that two mere boys should have performed such feats of bravery.

Arrived at Marlborough they looked round in vain for the
one-hcrsed vehicle which had before met them. " I expect
that Aunt has not got our letter, Peter," Tom said. " It would
probably go up to town in the coach with us, and is likely
enough in the letter-bag in the boot. \Vell, we must have a
post-chaise. Won't Aunt and Rhoda be surprised ; but they
must be expecting us, because they will have had our letter from
Lisbon."

The horses were soon in, Sam took his seat in the rumble,
and in a few minutes they were bounding over the road at a
very different pace to that at which they had before traversed
it. " There's the house among the trees," Peter said at last,
" with Aunt's pigeons on the roof as usual, and there's Minnie
asleep on the window-^cU, and there ! yes, there's Rhoda."

As he spoke a girl, who was sitting reading under a tree, leapt
to he! feet, on hearing a carriage stop, and then, catching sight
of Peter waving his hat, wliile Tom made frantic efforts to
open the door, gave a scream of delight, and rushed towards
them, threw her arm round Tom's neck as he jumped out, and
then leapt into the chaise and hugged and cried over Peter. He
was soon helped out, and as they turned to go towards the
house they saw their Aunt coming out to meet them.

Tom ran forward and throwing liis arms round her ne( k
kissed her heartily, and before she could recover from her

236

TJie Young Buglers.

surprise, Peter was alongside. " Please Aunt, you must kiss
me," he said, "for I want my arms for my crutches." His Aunt
leaned forward and kissed him, and then wiped the tears from
her eyes.

"I am glad to see you back, my dear nephews,'' she said. " We
did not understand each other very well before, but we .shan't
make any more mistakes. That is your black servant, I sup-
pose," she said, as Sam came along, with a trunk in each hand
" Dear! dear! what a dreadfully ugly man."

" How do you do, Sam ? " Rhoda said, when he came up.
" We have heard so much of you, and how kindly you nursed
my brothers."

" Sam quite well, tank you, little missy," Sam said, grinning
all over his face and showing his white teeth.

Miss Scudamore shrank towards Tom as Sam passed on,
" Dear me, what sharp looking teeth he has, Tom. They don't
eat cunous things, these black men, do they?"

" What sort of curious things, Aunt ?"

*' Well, my dear, I know that these outlandish people do eat
strange things, and I have heard the Chinese eat dogs and
cats. Now, if he has a fancy for cats, I daresay I could buy him
some in the village, only he will have to cook them himself, I
could never ask Hannah to cook cats ; but please ask him
not to touch Minnie."

Peter had to stop in his walk and grasp his crutches tightly,
not to burst into a scream of laughter, while Tom answered
with great gravity, " My dear Aunt, do not alarm ycarself, I will
answer for the safety of Minnie as far as Sam is concerned."

When they reached the house, Miss Scudamore said —

"I think you young people will enjoy yourselves more if you
go and sit under the shade of the elm there, you will have
a deal to say to each other, and had better be alone' They

Invalided Home.

237

were all glad at the suggestion, as they were longing to be
alone together.

Sam, by Miss Scudamore's directions, carried out a great
easy chair, of which Peter took possession. Rhoda sat on the
grass at his feet, and Tom threw himself down at full length.
They were all too happy to speak much for a time, and could
only look fondly at each other. " You have grown a great deal,
Rhoda, but I do not think that you are altered a bit otherwise."
'* You are neither of you altered so much as I expected,"
Rhoda said " I had made up my mind that you would be
changed a great deal. It sounds so grand, Captains, indeed !
I expected to have to curtsey to you and treat you with great
respect ; instead of that you look regular boys, both of you.
Of course you are big, and Peter looks very tall ; how tall are
you, Peter?"

" Just over six feet," Peter said.

"Yes," Rhoda said, "you are tall enough, and Tom is
broad enough for men, but somehow you look regular boys
still."

" This is very disrespectful, Rhoda, to two Captains m Hi.<i
Majesty's service."

" It seems ridiculous, does'nt it," Rhoda said.
" It does," Tom said heartily, and the three went off into
a shout of laughter.

" It isn't really ridiculous you know," Rhoda said, when they
had recovered their gravity. " To think of all the dangers you
have gone through. Aunt was as proud as could be when she
saw your names over and over again in despatches, and I have
been like a little peacock. Your doings have been the talk of
everyone round here, and I am sure that if they had known
you had been coming, the village would have put up a
triumphal arch, and presented you with an address,"

238

The Young Buglers.

" Thank goodness, they did not know it then," Tom said,
" for it would have been a deal worse to stand than the fire of
a French battery. Well, Rhoda, and now as to yourself; so
you have really been always very happy with Aunt ?"

"Very happy," Rhoda said; *' she is most kind and in-
dulgent, and so that 1 attend to her little fancies, I can do
just as I like. I have had lessons regularly from the rector's
eldest daughter, who has been educated for a governess ; and
in every respect, Aunt is all that is kind. Fancy her being
afraid of Sam eating Minnie."

After chatting for upwards of an hour, they went into the
house, and the rest of the day was spent in talking over all that
had happened since they left Sam was in the kitchen where
he made himself very much at home, and although Hannah
and the cook were at first rather awed by his size, his black face
and rolling eyes, they were soon pacified by his good humour
and readiness to make himself useful, and were wonderfully
interested by his long stories about what " Massas " had done
in the war.

Miss Scudamore, who was a little uneasy as to how things
would go on in the kitchen, made some excuse for going in
once or twice in the course of the evening. She found things
going on much better than she had expected, indeed so much
better, that after Rhoda had gone up to bed, where Peter
had two hours before betaken himself, she said to Tom
as he was lighting his candle, " One minute, nephew, I
could not speak before Rhoda, but I wanted to say
something to you about your negro. I have heard that
all soldiers are very much given to make love, and we
know from Shakspeare, that Othello, who was black too,
you will remember, nephew, made love to Desdemona, which
^J^Q^s ^>i^t colour tloes nut make so much ditference as one

Invalided Home.

239

would think. Now I do hope your man will not make love to
Hannah, I don't tliink she would like it, my dear, and yet you
know she might ; one never knows what women will do ; they
are always making fools of themselves," she added, angrily,
thinking at the moment how a young girl she had trained up
as a cook had, after being with her three years, left a few weeks
before to marry the village blacksmith, " and I should be sorry to
lose Hannah. She has been with us more than twenty years.
If he must fall in love with one, my dear, let it be the cook."

Tom had a great command of his countenance, but he had
great difficulty in steadying his muscles. After a moment or
two he said, " I will give Sam a hint, Aunt, if it becomes
necessary, but I do not think you need fear. I do not fancy
Sam is matrimonially inclined at present, and he wouldn't leave
us even to marry Desdemona herself. Good night. Aunt."

So saying, Tom went upstairs, where he repeated to Peter,
who was still awake, his conversation with his Aunt, and the
two went into shouts of laughter over the idea of Sam making
love to the prim Hannah.

The next six months passed over quietly and happily. The
boys were made a great deal of by the whole county, and Miss
Scudamore was greatly gratified at the name and credit they
had gained for themselves. She no longer worried about
them, but as Rhoda declared, quite spoiled them, and as Sam
made no attempt to win the love of the faithful Hannah, there
was no cloud to mar the ^jleasure of the holiday.

CHAPTER XV.

CIUDAD RODRIGO AND BADAJOS.

It was in the beginning of December, 1 8 1 1, that the Scudamores
again sailed up the Tagus to Lisbon, after an absence of just
six months. When they had passed the medical board, they
were transferred from the unattached list to the 52nd Regi-
ment, which was, fortunately for them, also in Spain. No
eventF of great importance had taken place during their
absence. Wellington, after the battles of Fuentes d'Onoro
and Albuera, had been compelled to fall back again to the
frontier in the face of greatly superior forces, and had main-
tained his old position on the Coa till the approach of winter
compelled the French to retire into the interior, where they had
their magazines and depots.

The Scudamores found that the 52nd were encamped on
the Agueda, and they at once prepared to go up country to
join them. Their chargers — presents from their Aunt on leav-
ing — were fresh and vigorous, and they purchased a strong
country horse fcr Sambo, who, thanks to some practice which
he had had in England, was now able to cut a respectable figure
on horseback. A few hours were sufficient to make their pre-
parations, and at noon on the day after landing, they mounted,
and, followed by Sam, accompanied by a muleteer and two

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241

mules carrying their i^aggage, they started from the hotel at
which they had put up.

As they rode down the main street they saw several mounted
officers approaching, and at once recognized in the leader the
commander-in-chief, who had just arrived from the iront to pay
one of his flying visits, to endeavour to allay the jealousies in
the Portuguese Council, and to insist upon the food which the
British Government was actually paying for, being supplied to
the starving Portuguese soldiers. Drawing their horses aside,
they saluted Lord Wellingtc^*" as he rode past. He glanced at
them keenly, as was his custom, and evidently recognized them
as he returned the salute.

When he had passed, they turned their horses and continued
their way. They had not gone fifty yards, however, when an
officer came up at a gallop. Lord Wellington wished them to
call at his quarters in an hour's time.

There are few things more annoying than, after having got
through all the trouble of packing and getting fairly on the
road, to be stopped ; but there was no help for it, and the
boys rode back to their hotel again, where, putting up their
horses, they told Sam not to let the muleteer leave, for they
should probably be on the road again m an hour.

At the appointed time they called at the head-quarters, and
giving their cards to two officers on duty, took their seats in
the ante-room. It now became evident to them that their
chance of an early interview was not great, and that they would
in all probability be obliged to pass another night in Madrid.
Portuguese grandees passed in and out, staff officers of rank
entered and left, important business was being transacted, and
the chance of two Line captains having an interview with the
commander-in-chief appeared but slight. Two hours passed
wearily, and then an orderly sergeant came into the r.'Cin and

242

The Young Buglers,

read out from a slip of paper the names " Captain Thomas
Scudamore ; Captain Peter Scudamore. This way, if you
please," he added, as the boys rose in answer to their names,
and he led the way into a room where a colonel on the staff
was seated before a table covered with papers.

" Gentlemen," he said, " I have news which I think will be
pleasant to you both. Lord Wellington has not forgotten the
services you rendered in carrying his communications to the
guerilla chiefs. Your reports were clear and concise, and your
knowledge of Spanish especially valuable. Lord Beresford,
too, has reported most favourably of your conduct while with
him. There happen to be two vacancies on his staft", and he
has desired me to fill them up with your names."

Although the Scudamores would in some respects rather
have remained with their regiment, yet they could not refuse
an honour which was generally coveted as being a post in which
an active officer had plenty c f opportunities of distinguishing
himself, and which was certain to lead to speedy promotion.
They accordingly expressed their warm thanks for the honour
which Lord Wellington had done them.

" Are you well mounted ?" Colonel Somerset asked.

" We have one capital charger each," Tom said.

" You will want another," Colonel Somerset remarked.
"There are a lot of remounts landed to-day. Here is an
order to Captain Halket, the officer in charge. Choose any
two you like. The amount can be stopped from your pay.
How about servants ; you are entitled to two each ? "

" We have one man of the Norfolk Rangers— a very faithful
fellow, who has returned with us from leave ; if he could be
transferred, he would do for us both if we had a cavalry man
each for our horses."

The colonel at once wrote an order for Sam's transfer from

Ciudad Rodrigo, and Badajos.

243

Thomas

if you

■ names,

the staff

: will be
tten the
s to the
tid your
resford,
lie with
and he

i rather
t refuse
1 which
uishing
notion,
honour

larked,
is an

se any
ir pay.

aithful
uld be
y man

r from

his regiment on detached service, and also one to the officer
commanding a cavalry regiment stationed in Madrid, to supply
them with two troopers as orderlies.

" May I ask, sir, if we are likely to stay in Madrid long-
as, if so, we will look out for quarters ? " Tom asked.

" No ; the general returns to-morrow, or next day at latest,
to Almeida, and of course you will accompany him. Oh, by-
the-bye, Lord WellingtOxi will be glad if you will dine with him
to-day — sharp six. By-the-way, you will want to get staff uni-
form. There is the address of a Spanish tailor, who has fitted
out most of the men who have been appointed here. He
works fast, and will get most of the things you want ready by
to-morrow night. Don't get more things than are absolutely
necessary — merely undress suits. Excuse my asking how are
you oft" for money ? I will give you an order on the paymaster
if you like."

Tom replied that they had plenty of money, which indeed
they had, for their aunt had given them so handsome a present
upon starting, that they had tried to persuade her to be less
generous, urging th -^ they really had no occasion for any money
beyond their pay. She had insisted, however, upon their ac-
cepting two cheques, saying that one never knew what was
wanted, and \\. was always useful to have a sum to fall back on
in case of need.

Two days later the Scudamores, in their new staff uniforms,
were, with some six or eight other officers, riding in the suite
of Lord Wellington on the road to the Coa. The lads thought
they had never had a more pleasant time, the weather was fine
and the temperature delightful, their companions, all older some-
what than themselves, were yet all young men in high health
and spirits. The pace was good, for Lord Wellington was a
hard rider, and time was always precious with him. At the

244

TJic Young Buglers.

S^.

I 5

ill

1 1

■

halting-places the senior officers of the staff kept together, while
the aides-de-camp made up a mess of their own, always choos-
ing a place as far away as possible from that of the chief, so
that they could laugh, joke, and even sing, without fear of dis-
turbing his lordship.

Sam soon became a high favourite with the light-hearted
young fellows, and his services as forager for the mess were
in high esteem.

Three days of hard riding took them to Almeida, where the
breaches caused by the great explosion had been repaired, and
the place put into a defensible position. Tom dnd Peter had
been afraid that there would be at least four months of enforced
inactivity before the spring ; but they soon found that the post
of aide-de-camp to Wellington was no sinecure. For the next
month they almost lived in the saddle. The greater portion of
the English army was indeed lying on 'he Agueda, but there were
detached bodies of British and large numbers of Portuguese
troops at various points along the whole line of the Portuguese
frontier, and with the commanders of these Lord Wellington
was in constant communication.

Towards the end of December some large convoys of heavy
artillery arrived at Almeida, but everyone supposed that they
were intended to fortify this place, and none, even of those most
in the confidence of the commander-in-chief, had any idea that
a winter campaign was about to commence. The French were
equally unsuspicious of the truth. Twice as strong as the
British, they dreamt not that the latter would take the of-
fensive, and the French marshals had scattered their troops
at considerable distances from the frontier in v/inter
quarters.

Upon the last day of the year the Scudamores both hap-
pened to have returned to the front — Tom from Lisbon, and

))

p..

Ciudad Rodrigo, and Badajos.

245

while
:hoos-
ef, so
of dis-

Peter from a long ride to a distant Portuguese division. There
was a merry narty gathered round a blazing fire in the yard of
the house where they, with several other aides-de-car. ip, were
quartered. Some fifty officers of all ranks were present, for
a general invitation had been issued to all unattached officers in
honour of the occasion. Each brought in what liquor he could
get hold of, and any provisions which he had been able to pro-
cure, and the evening was one of boisterous fun and jollity. In
the great kitchen blazed a fire, before which chickens and ducks
were roasting, turkeys and geese cut up m pieces for greater
rapidity of cooking, were grilling over the fire, and as they came
off the gridiron they were taken round by the soldier- servants
to their masters as they sat about on logs of wood, boxes, and
ocher substitutes for chairs. Most of the officers present had
already supped, and the late-comers were finishing their
frugal meal, after which the soldiers would take their turn. There
was a brewing of punch and an uncorking of many a bottle of
generous wine ; then the song and laugh went round, and all
prepared to usher in the new year joyously, when a colonel of
tht; staff, who had been dining with Lord Wellington, entered.
" Here's a seat, colonel," was shouted in a dozen places, but
he shook his head and held up his hand.

" Gentlemen, I am sorry to disturb you, but orders must be
obeyed. Villiers, Hogan, Scudamores both, Esdaile, Cooper,
and Johnson, here are despatches which have to be taken off at
once. Gentlemen, I should recommend you all to look to
your horses. All attached to the transport had better go to
their head-quarters for orders."

" What is up, colonel ? " was the general questioa

" The army moves forward at daybreak. We are going to
take Ciudad."

A cheer of surprise and delight burst from all. There was

'»^l

246

The Young Buglers.

If 1

an emptying of glasses, a pouring out of one more bumper to
success, and in five minutes the court was deserted, save by
some orderlies hastily devouring the interrupted supper, and
ere long the tramp of horses could be heard, as the Scudamores
and their comrades dashed off in different directions with their
despatches.

The next morning a bridge was thrown over the Agueda at
Marialva, six miles below Ciudad, but the investment was de-
layed owing to the slowness and insufficieney of the transport,
Ciudad Rodrigo was but a third-class fortress, and could have
been captured by the process of a regular siege with compara-
tively slight loss to the besiegers. Wellington knew, however,
that he could not afford the time for a regular siege. Long
before the approaches could have been made, and the breaches
effected according to rule, the French marshals would have
been up with overwhelming forces.

Beginning the investment on the 7th, Wellington determined
that it must be taken at all costs in twenty-four days, the last
day of the month being the very earliest date at which, accord-
ing to his calculations, any considerable body of French could
come up to its relieC

Ciudad lies on rising ground on the bank of the Agueda.
The fortifications were fairly strong, and being protected by a
very high glacis, it was difficult to effect a breach in them.
The glacis is the smooth ground outside the ditch. In well-
constructed works the walls of the fortification rise but very
litde above the ground beyond, from which they are sepa-
rated by a broad and deep ditch. Thus the ground beyond
the ditch, that is, the glacis, covers the walls from the shot of
a besieger, and renders it extremely difficult to reach them.
In the case of Ciudad, however, there were outside the place
two elevated plateaux, called the great and small Teson. Guns

JU:,

Ciudad Rodrigo, and Badajos,

247

mpcr to
save by
)t'r, and
lamores
ith their

;ueda at
was dc-
ansport.
jld have
ompara-
lowever,
. Long
Dreaches
lid have

:ermined
, the last
, accord-
ch could

Agueda.
ted by a
in them.

In well-
but very
re sepa-

beyond
2 shot of
h them,
he place
1. Guns

placed ^n these could look down upon Ciudiid, and could there-
tore easily breach the walls. These, then, were the spots from
which Wellington determined to make the attack. The French,
however, were aware of the importance of the position, and had
erected on the higher Teson an enclosed and palisadoed re-
doubt, mounting two guns and a howitzer. A great difficulty
attending the operation was, that there were neither fuel nor
shelter to be obtained on the right bank of the river, and the
weather set in very cold, with frost and snow, at the beginning
of tlic siege. Hence the troops had to be encamped on the
left bank, and each division, as its turn came, to occupy the
trenches for twenty-four hours, took cooked provisions with it,
and waded across the Agueda.

On the 8th, Pack's division of Portuguese and the light
division waded the river three miles above the fortress, and,
making a circuit, took up a place near the great Teson.
There they remained quiet all day. The French, seeing that
the place was not yet entirely invested, paid but little heed to
them. At nightfall, however, Colonel Colborne, with two
companies from each of the regiments of the light division,
attacked the redoubt of San Francisco with such a sudden
rush, that it was carried with the loss of only twenty-four men,
the defenders, few and unprepared, being all taken prisoners.
Scarcely, however, was the place captured than every gun of
Ciudad which could be brought to bear upon it opened with
fury. All night, under a hail of shot and shell, the troops
laboured steadily, and by day-break the first parallel, that is to
say, a trench protected by a bi.mk of earth six hundred yards
in length was sunk three feet deep. The next day the first
division relieved the light division.

Tom and Peter, now that the army was stationary, had an
easier time of it, and obtained leave to cross the river to see

• -IK

fit ! i

248

The Young Buglers,

^Will

;

the operations. The troops had again to wade through the
bitter eold water, and at any other time woiiUl have griimhliMl
rarely at the discomfort. When really engaged in the work ot
war, however, the British soldier cares for nothing, and holdiuL;
up their rifles, pouches and haversacks, to keep dry, the nu-n
crossed the river laughing and joking. There was but littli-
done all day, for the fire of the enemy was too fast and deadly
for men to work under it in daylight. At night the Scudaniorcs
left their horses with those of the divisional officers, and accom-
panied the troops into the trenches, to learn the work which had
there to be done. Directly it was dusk twelve hundred men
fell to work to construct their batteries. The night was dark,
and it was strange to the Scudamores to hear the thud of so
many picks and shovels going, to hear now and then a low
spoken order, but to see nothing save when the flash of the
enemy's guns momentarily lit up the scene. Every half minute
or so the shot, shell, and grape came tearing through the air,
followed occasionally by a low cry or a deep moan. I'l\( itin^^
as it was for a time, the boys, having no duty, found it difficult
long to keep awake, and presently dozed off — at first to wake
with a start whenever a shell fell close, but presently to slecj)
soundly until dawn. By that time the batteries, eighteen feet
thick, were completed.

On the loth the fourth division, and on the nth the third,
carried on the works, but were nightly disturbed, not only by
the heavy fire from the bastions, but from some guns which the
French had mounted on the convent of San Francisco in the
suburb on the left. Little was effected in the next two days, for
the frost hardened the ground and impeded the work. On the
night of the 13th the Santa Cruz convent was carried and the
trenches pushed forward, and on the next afternoon the breaching
batteries opened fire with twenty-five guns upon the points of

- A--

Cindad, Rodngo^ and Badajos.

2a<.

i;h the
iii»l)U'(l
work c)t
holding
ic nit'ii
Lit liltir
deadly
laniorcs
accDin-
ich liad
ed men
as dark,
id of so
n a low
h of the
f minute
the air,
Ex( itin^;
difficult
to wake
to sleep
teen feet

he third,
t only by
diich the
CO in the

days, for
On the

and the
^reaching
points of

the wall at which it had been deternii/icd to make the breaches,
while two cannons kept down tliC fire of the French guns at the
convent of San Francisco. The French replied with more than
fifty pieces, and all night the trememlous fire was kept up on
both sides without intermission. Just at daybreak the sound
of musketry mingled with the roar of cannon, as the 40th Regi-
ment attacked and carried the convent of San Francisco.
Through the i6th, 17th, and i8lh the artillery duel continued,
sometimes one side, sometimes the other obtaining the advan-
tage ; but during each night the trenches of the besiegers were
push "d forward, and each day saw the breaches in the ramparts
grow /arger and larger. On the 19th the b-eaches were reported
as practicable —that is, that it would be possible foi* men to scram-
ble up the fallen rubbish to the top, and orders were therefore
given for the assault for that night.

The attack was to be made at four points simultaneously ;
the 5th, 94th, and 77th were to attack from the convent of Santa
Cruz, to make for the ditch, enter it, and work their way along
to the great breach ; Mackinnon's brigade of the third division
was to attack the great breach from the front ; the light division
posted behind the convent of San Francisco were to attack from
the left, and make their way to the small breach; wiiile a false
attack, to be converted into a real one if the resistance was
slight, was to be matle by Pack's Portuguese at the St. Jago
gate at the opposite side of the town. As night fell the troops
moved into their position, and Lord Wellington went to the
convent of San Francisco, from whose roof he could survey the
oi)erations. The Scudamores, with the rest of the staff, took
up their places behind him. Suddenly there was a shout on
the far right, followed by a sound of confused cheering and
firing, while flashes of flame leapt out along the walls, and
the guns of the place opened fire with a crash. Now

iiSO

The Young Buglers.

lit \

the 5th, 94th, and 77th rushed with great swiftness along the
ditch, when, at the foot of the great breach, they were met by
the third division. Together they poured up the breach, and
the roar of musketry was tremendous. Once at the top of
the breach, however, they made no progress. From a trench
which had been cut beyond it, a ring of fire broke out, while
muskets flashed from every window in the houses near. It
was evident that some serious obstacle had been encountered,
and that the main attack was arrested.

" This is terrible," Peter said, as almost breathless they
watched the storm of fire on and around the breach. " This
is a thousand times worse than a battle. It is awful to think
he./ the shot must be telling on that dense mass. Can nothing
be done ? "

" Hurrah ! There go the light division at the small breach,"
Tom exclaimed, as the French fire broke out along the ramparts
in that quarter. A violent cheer came up even above the din
from the great breach, but no answering fire lights the scene,
for Major Napier, who commanded, had forbidden his men to
load, telling them to trust entirely to the bayonet. There
was no delay here ; the firing of the French ceased almost
immediately, as with a fierce rush the men of the light division
bounded up the ruins and won the top of the breach. For
a moment or two there was a pause, for the French opened
so fierce a fire from either side, that the troops wavered. The
officers sprang to the front, the soldiers followed with the
bayonet, and the French, unable to stand the fi rce onslaught,
broke and fled into the town. Then the men of the light
division, rushing along the walls, took the French who were
defending the great breach in rear, and as these gave way,
the attacking party swept across the obstacles which had
hitherto kept them, and the town was won. Pack's Porta-

Ciiidad Rodtigo^ and Badajos,

251

ng the
met by
;h, and
top of
trench
t, while
iar. It
mtered,

ss they

" This

to think

nothing

3reach,"
am parts
the din
; scene,

men to
There

almost
division
h. For

opened
d. The
with the
islaught,
;he light
'ho were
ive way,
nch had
s Portu-

guese had effected an entrance at the St. Jago gate, which
they found almost deserted, for the garrison was weak, and
every available man had been taken for the defence of the
breaches.

Thus was Ciudad Rodrigo taken after twelve days' siege,
with a loss of twelve hundred men and ninety officers, of which
six hundred and fifty men and sixty officers fell in that short,
bloody fight at the breaches. Among the killed was General
Craufurd, who liad commanded at the fight on the Coa.

Upon entering the town three days afterwards, at the termi-
nation of the disgraceful scene of riot and pillage with which
the British soldier, there as at other places, tarnished the laurels
won by his bravery in battle, the boys went to the scene of
the struggle, and then understood the cause of the delay upon
the part of <^he stormers. From the top of the breach there
was a perpendicular fall of sixteen feet, and the bottom of this
was planted with sharp spikes, and strewn with the fragments
of shells which the French had rolled down into it. Had it
not been for the light division coming up, and taking the
defenders — who occupied the loopholed and fortified houses
which commanded this breach — in rear, the attack here could
never have succeeded.

The next few days were employed in repairing the breaches,
and putting the place again in a state of defence, as it was
probable that Marmont might come up and besiege it. The
French marshal, however, when hurrying to the relief of the
town, heard the news of its fall, and as the weather was very
bad for campaigning, and provisions short, he fell back again
to his winter quarters, believing that Wellington would, content
with his success, make no fresh movement until the spring.
The Englisli general, however, was far too able a strategist not
to profit by the supineness of his adversary, and, immediately

252

TJie Young Buglers,

II '%

. ('

Ciudad Rodrigo was taken, he began to make preparations for
the siege of Badajos, a far stronger fortress than Ciudad, and
defended by strong detached forts. Three days after the fall
of Rodrigo General Hill came up with his division ; to this
the Norfolk Rangers now belonged, and the Scudamores had
therefore the delight of meeting all their old friends again.
They saw but little of them, however, for they were constantly
on the road to Lisbon with despatches, every branch of the
service being now strained to get the battering-train destined
for the attack on Badajos to the front, while orders were sent
to Silviera, Trant, Wilson, Lecca, and the other partizan
leaders, to hold all the fords and defiles along the frontier, so
as to prevent the French from making a counter-invasion of
Portugal.

On the nth of March the army arrived at Elvas, and on the
15th a pontoon bridge was thrown across the Guadiana. The
following day the British troops crossed the river, and invested
Badajos, with fifteen thousand men, while Hill and Graham,
with thirty thousand more moved forward, so as to act as
a covering army, in case the French should advance to raise
the siege. Badajos was defended by five thousand men, under
General Phillipson, a most able and energetic commander, who
had in every way strengthened the defences, and put them in a
position to offer an obstinate resistance.

Before attacking the fortress it was necessary to capture one
of the outlying forts, and that known as the Picurina was
selected, because the bastion of the Trinidad, which iay behind
it, was the weakest portion of the fortress. The trenches were
commenced against this on the night of the 17th, and, although
the French made some vigorous sorties, the works progressed
so rapidly that all was ready for an assault on the forts on the
25th, a delay of two days having been occasioned by the

ions foi
ad, and
the fall
to this
res had
again,
nstantly
I of the
lestined
ere sent
partizan
ntier, so
^asion of

i on the
a. The
invested
Graham,
) act as
to raise
;n, under
ider, who
hem in a

pture one
irina was
ly behind
:hes were
, although
regressed
rts on the
d by the

Lt.D'i*

^-D?

Mt^

SIEGE OF liADAjOS.

Page 253.

,*lf^ -

r,niih Jfr'^fnc^ mr,,,

i '

(

i
t

1 1

l) 1

1 ■'

lii*- ..

SIEGE OF BADA

Citidad Rodrigo, and Badajos.

253

French taking guns across the river, which swept the trenches,
and rendered work impossible, until a division was sent round
to drive in the French guns and invest the fortress on that side.
The Picurina was strong, and desperately defended, but it was
captured after a furious assault, which lasted one hour, and cost
nineteen officers and three hundred men. It was not, how-
ever, until next evening that the fort could be occupied, for the
guns of the town poured such a hail of shot and shell into
it, that a permanent footing could not be obtained in it. Gra-
dually, day by day, the trenches were driven nearer to the
doomed city, and the cannon of the balteiies worked day and
nighc to establish a breach. Soult was known to be approach-
ing, but he wanted to gather up all his available forces, as he
believed the town capable of holding out for another month, at
least. Still he was approaching, and, although the three
breaches were scarcely yet practicable, and the fire of the town
by no means overpowered, Wellington determined upon an
instant assault, and on the night of the 6th of April the troops
prepared for what turned out to be the most terrible and
bloody assault in the annals of the British army. Th^re were
no less than six columns of attack, comprising in all eighteen
thousand men. Picton, on the right, with the third division
was to cross the Rivillas and storm the castle. Wilson, with
the troops in the trenches, was to attack San Roque. In the
centre the fourth and light division, under Colvilie and
Barnard, were to assault the breaches ; and on the left Leith,
with the fifth division, was to make a false attack upon the
(ort of Pardaleras, and a real attack upon the bastion of San
Vincente by the river side. Across the river the Portuguese
division, under Power, was to attack the works at the head of
the bridge. The night was dark and clouded, and all was as

still as death outside the town, when a lighted carcass, that
18

'.:1

(

254

T?ie Young Buglers,

I p:

is, a large iron canister filled with tar and combustibles, fell
close to the third division, and, exposing their ranks, forced
them to commence the attack before the hour appointed.
Crossing the Rivill?s by a narrow bridge, under a tremendous
fire, the third division assaulted the castle, and, although
their scaling-ladders were over and over again hurled down,
the stormers at last obtained a footing, and the rest of the
troops poured in and the castle w.is won. A similar and more
rapid success attended the assault on San Roque, which was
attacked so suddenly and violently, that it was taken with
scarce any resistance. In the meantime the assaults upon the
breaches had commenced, and it is best to give the account of
this terrible scene in the words of its eloquent and graphic
historian, as the picture is one of \\. ^ most vivid that was ever
drawn.

" All this time the tumult at the breaches was such as if the
very earth had been rent asunder, and its central fires bursting
upwards uncontrolled. The two divisions had reached the
glacis just as the firing at the castle commenced, and the flash
of a single musket, discharged from the covered-way as a
signal, showed them that the French were ready ; yet no stir
was heard, and darkness covered the breaches. Some hay-
packs were thrown, some ladders placed, and the forlorn hopes
and storming parties of the light division, five hundred in all,
descended into the ditch without opposition ; but then a bright
flame shooting upwards displayed all the terrors of the scene.
The ramparts, crowded with dark figures and glittering arms
were on one side ; on the other the red columns of the British,
deep and broad, were coming on like streams of burning lava.
It was the touch of the magician's wand, for a crash of thunder
followed, and with incredible violence the storming parties
were dashed to pieces by the explosion of hundreds of shells

Ciudad kodrtgOy and Badajos,

255

and powder-barrels. For an instant the light division stood
on the brink of the ditch, amazed at the terrific sight ; but
then, with a shout that matched even the sound of the
explosion, the men flew down the ladders, or, disdainhi^^ their
aid, leaped, rccislcss of the depth, into the gulf below — and at
the same moment, amidst a blaze of musketry that dazzled the
eyes, the fourth division came running in, and descended
with a like fury. There were only five ladders for the two
columii-i, which were close togctlicr ; and a deep cut, made in
the bottom of the ditch as far as tlie counter-guard of the
Trinidad, was filled with water from the inundation. Into that
watery snare the head of the fourth division fell, and it is said
above a hundred of the fusilier:, the men of Albuera, were there
smothered. Those who followed checked not, but, as if such
a disaster had been expected, turned to the left, and thus came
upon the face of the untinished ravelin, which, being rough
and broken, was mistaken for the breach, and instantly covered
with men ; yet a wide and deep chasm was still between them
and the ramparts, from whence came a deadly fire, wasting their
ranks. Thus baffled, they also commenced a rapid discharge of
musketry and disorder ensued ; for the men of the light
division, whose conducting engineer had been disabled early,
and whose flank was confined by an unfinished ditch in-
tended to cut oft' the bastion of Santa Maria, rushed towards
the breaches of the curtain and the Trinidad, which were, in-
deed, before them, but which the fourth division had been
destined to storm. Great was the confusion, for the ravelin
was quite crowded with men of both divisions, and while some
continued to fire, others jumped down and ran towards the
breach; many also passed between the ravelin and the counter-
guard of the Trinidad, the two divisions got mixed, the
reserves, which should have remained at the quarries, also

256

The Young Buglets,

■■t

I I

i ;i

111

llif '^ :

/ /'

1 ;

i
I

i'l

; • :

:,!

■

i iB

1^- i

_-^

i ' !

came pouring in, until the ditch was quite filled, the rear still
crowding forward, and all cheering vehemently. The enemy's
shouts also were loud and terrible, and the bursting of shells,
and of grenades, the roaring of guns from the flanks, answered
by the iron howitzers from the battery of the parallel, the
heavy roll, and horrid explosion of the powder-barrels, the
whizzing flight of the blazing splinters, the loud exhortations
of the officers, and the continual clatter of the muskets, made
a maddening din. Now a multitude bounded up the great
breach, as if driven by a whirlwind, but across the top glittered
a range of sword-blades, sharp-pointed, keen-edged on both
sides, and firmly fixed in ponderous beams chained together,
and set deep in the ruins ; and for ten feet in front the ascent
was covered with loose planks, studded with sharp iron points,
on which, feet being set, the planks moved, and the unhappy
soldiers, falling forward on the spikes, rolled down upon the
ranks behind. Then the Frenchmen, shouting at the success
of their stratagem, and, leaping forward, plied their shot with
terrible rapidity, for every man had several muskets, and each
musket, in addition to its ordinary charge, contained a small
cylinder of wood, stuck full of wooden slugs, which scattered
like hail when they were discharged. Once and again the
assailants rushed up the breaches, but always the sword-blades,
immovable and impassable, stopped their charge, and the
hissing shells and thundering powder-barrels exploded un-
ceasingly. Hundreds of men had fallen, hundreds more were
dropping, still, the heroic officeis called aloud for new trials,
and sometimes followed by many, sometimes by a few,
ascended the ruins ; and so furious were the men themselves,
that, in one of these charges, the rear strove to push the fore-
most on to the sword-blades, willing even to make a bridge of
their writhing bodies, but the others frustrated the attempt by

Cindad Rodrigo and Badajos,

257

dropping down ; and men fell so fast from the shot, it was hard
to know who went down vohmtarily, who were stricken, and
many stooped unhurt that never rose again. Vain also would
it have been to break through the sword-blades, for the trencw
and parapet behind the breach were finished, and the assail-
ants, crovv^Jed into even a narrower space than the ditch was,
would Gtlil have been separated from their enemies, and the
slaughter would have continued. At the beginning of this
areadful conflict Andrew Barnard had, with prodigious efforts,
separated his division from the other, and preserved som**
degree of military array ; but now the tumult was such, no
command would be heard distinctly except by those close at
hand, and the mutilated carcases heaped on each other, and
the wounded struggling to avoid being trampled upon, broke
the formations ; order was impossible ! Officers of all ranks,
followed more or less numerously by the men, were seen to
start out as if struck by sudden madness, and rush into the
breach, which, yawning and glittering with steel, seemed like
the mouth of a huge dragon belching forth smoke and flame.
In one of these attemi)ts, Colonel Macleod, of the 43rd,
a young man whose feeble body would have been quite unfit
for war if it had not been sustained by an unconquerable
spirit, was killed ; wherever his voice was heard his soldiers
had gathered, and with such a strong resolution did he lead
them up the fatal ruins that, when one behind him, in falling,
plunged a bayonet into his back, he complained not; but,
continuing his course, was. shot dead within a yard of the
sword-blades. Yet there was no want of gallant leaders, or
desperate followers, until two hours passed in these vain
efforts had convinced the troops the breach of the Trinidad
was impregnable; and, as the opening in the curtain, although
less strong, was retired, and the ajjproach to it impeded by

258

T/w Yoitfi^i^ Buglers,

rt|(

iitir^ f

•

1 1

•J.

deep holes and cuts made in the ditch, the soldiers did not
much notice it after the partial faiUire of one attack which had
been made early. Gathering in dark groups, and leaning on
their muskets, they looked up with sullen desperation at the
Trinidad, whiio the enemy, stepping out on the ramparts, and
aiming their shots by the light of the fire-balls which they threw
'Jver, asked, as their victims fell, * Why they did not come into
Badajos ? ' In this dreadful situation, while the dead were lying
in heaps, and others continually falling, the wounded crawling
about to get some shelter from the merciless shower above, and
withal a sickening stench from the burnt llesh of the slain,
Captain Nicholas, of the engineers, was observed by Lieutenant
Shaw, of the 43rd, making incredible efforts to force his
way with a few men into the Santa Maria bastion. Shaw im-
mediately collected fifty soldiers, of all regiments, and joined
him, and although there was a deep cut along the foot of that
breach also, it was instantly passed, and these two young
officers led their gallant band, with a rush, up the ruins ; but
when they had gained two-thirds of the ascent, a concentrated
fire of musketry and grape dashed nearly the whole dead to
the earth. Nicholas was mortally wounded, and the intrepid
Shaw stood alone ! With inexpressible coolness he looked at
his watch, and saying it was too late to carry the breaches, re-
joined the masses at the otiier attack. After this no further
effort was made at any point, and the troops remained passive
but unflinching beneath the enemy's shot, which streamed with-
out intermission ; for, of the riflemen on the glacis many leaped
early into the ditch and joined in the assault, and the rest,
raked by a cross-fire of grape from the distant bastions, baffled
in their aim by the smoke and flames from the explosions, and
too few in number, entirely failed to quell the French
musketry. About midnight, when two thousand brave men

Ciu'fatl Rodrii^o and Inuiaios.

250

had tallin, Wellington, who was on a height (lose to the
quarries, urdercd the remainder to retire and re-furnifor a serontl
assault; he had heard the tastle was taken, but thinking the
enemy would still resist in the town, was resolved to assail the
breaches again. This retreat from the ditch was not effected
without further carnage .md confusion, the French fire never
slackened. A cry arose that the enemy was making a sally
from the distant flanks, and there was a rush towards the
ladders. Tiien the groans and lamentations of the wounded,
who could not move and expected to be slain, increased, and
many ofTicers who had not heard of the order, endeavoured to
stop the soldiers from going back ; some would even have
removed the ladders but were unable to break the crowd."

While this terrible scene was passing, the victory had been
decided elsewhere. The capture of the castle by Picton
would, in itself, have caused the fall of the town upon the
following day, but Leith, with the fifth division, after hard
fighting, scaled the St. Vincente bastion, and came up through
the town and took the defenders of the breaches in the rear.
Then the French gave way, the British poured in, and the
dreadful scenes which had marked the fall of Ciudad Rodrigo
were repeated, and even surpassed. Up to the present day
the name of an Englishman is coupled with a curse in the
town of Badajos. At this siege, as at the last, the Scudamores
acted the part of lookers on, and although they bitterly re-
gretted it, it was well for them that it was so. The capture of
Badajos cost the allied army five thousand men, of whom three
thousand five hundred fell on the night of the assault. Each
of the divisions which attacked the breaches lost over twelve
hundred men, and the 52nd Regiment, who formed part of
the light division, lost their full share. Among the ranks of
the officers the slaughter was particularly great, and scarce one

Ill

J 60

The Young Buglers,

escaped without a wound. The Scudamores would fain have
volunteered to join their regiment in the assault, but it was well
known that Lord Wellington would not allow staff officers to go
outside their own work. Therefore they had looked on
with beating hearts and pale faces, and with tears in their
eyes, at that terrible fight at the Trinidad, and had de-
termined that when morning came they would resign their staff
appointments and ask leave to join their regiment. But when
morning came, and the list of the killed and wounded was
sent in, and they went down with a party to the breach to
collect the wounded, they could not but feel that they
had in all probability escaped death, or what a soldier fears
more, mutilation. " After all, Tom," Peter said, " we have done
some active service, and our promotion shows that we are not
cowards ; there can be no reason why we should not do our duty
as the chief has marked it out for us, especially when it is
quite as likely to lead to rapid promotion as is such a
murderous business as this." After this no more was said about
resigning the staff appointment, which gave them plenty of hard
work, and constant change of scene, whereas had they re-
mained with the regiment they would often have been stationed
for months in one place without a movfc

■1

!' ^

\-^-

II'

' "

■ 1

' -■*--»

■i

["ain have

was well

;ers to go

Dked on

in their
had de-
heir staff
3ut when
ded was
•reach to
lat they
iier fears
ave done
J are not
our duty
hen it is

such a
lid about
y of hard
they re-
itationed

XEnglish liiifs <i/ Jfnn h
I Cavalry
\Fniveh /)?

\C(iriilry

IJATTI.E OF SALAMANCA, WITH OIT.RATTON; i l.l'OKE AND AK rKi^ THE ACTION.

Pai-" 261.

EATTI.E OF SALAMANCA, WITH OIT.RA'IION;

CHAPTER XVI.

SALAMANCA.

The great triumphs of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos did not
lead to Ihe rapid successes which Wellington had hoped. The
French generals, on hearing of the loss of the latter fortress,
again fell back, and Wellington was so much hampered by
shortness of money, by the inefficiency, obstinacy, and intrigues
of the Portuguese Government, and by want of transport,
that it was nearly three months before he could get everything
in readiness for an advance into Spain. At last all was
prepared, and on the 13th of June the army once more
crossed the Agueda, and marched towards the Tamar, in four
columns. On the 17th it was within six miles of Salamanca,
and Marshal Marmont, unable for the moment to stem the
tide of invasion, evacuated the city, which that evening blazed
with illuminations, the people being half wdld with joy at their
approaching deliverance. The French, however, had not
entirely departed, for eight hundred men still held some very
strong forts overlooking and guarding the city.

These forts held out desperately ; the British battering train
was weak, and upon the 23rd Marmont, having received
considerable reinforcements, advanced to raise the siege.
Wellington, however, refused to be tempted to leave his

262

The Young Buglers.

trenches to deliver a general battle, but faced the enemy with
a portion of his army while he continued the siege.

Marmont, upon his part, believing that the forts could hold
out for fifteen days, put off the attack, as he knew that large
reinforcements were coming up. His calculations were frus-
trated by one of the forts taking fire on the 27th, when
an assault was delivered, and the whole of the forts surrendered ;
Marmont at once fell back across the Douro, there to await
the arrival of his reinforcements.

Wellington, on his part, followed slowly, and his army took
up a position between Canizal and Castrejon, thereby covering
the roads from Toro and Tordesillas, the only points at which
the French could cross the river. The reports of the spies all
agreed that the former was the place at which the crossing
would be made.

On the 1 6th of July an officer rode into Canizal, at headlong
pace, with the news that a reconnoitring party had crossed
the Douro that morning near Tordesillas, and had found that
place deserted, except by a garrison ; and an hour later the
news came in that three divisions of the enemy were already
across the river at Toro. Five minutes later the Scudamores
were on horseback, carrying orders that the whole of the army,
with the exception of the fourth and light divisions, which
were on the Trabancos, under General Cotton, were to concen-
trate at Canizal that night. By the morning the movement
was accomplished.

The day wore on in somewhat anxious expectation, and
towards afternoon Wellington, accompanied by Lord Beres-
ford, and escorted by Alten's, Bock's, and Le Marchant's
brigades of cavalry, started to make a reconnaissance of the
enemy's movements. Caution was needed for the advance,
as it was quite uncertain whether the French were pushing on

Salamanca,

263

lemy with

3uld hold
that large
were frus-
th, when
rendered ;
to await

irmy took
^ covering
at which
e spies all
e crossing

; headlong
d crossed
ound that
later the
re already
:udamores
the army,
)ns, which
to concen-
movement

ation, and
3rd Beres-
Vlarchant's
ice of the
I advance,
)ushing on

through the open country towards Canizal, or whether they
were following the direct road from Toro to Salamanca.
Evening closed in, but no signs of the French army were
seen, and the party halted about six miles from Toro, and
small parties of cavalry were despatched right and left to scour
the country, and find out where the enemy had gone.

" It's very strange where the French can have got to,"
was the remark made, for the fiftieth time, among the
staff.

The detached parties returned, bringing no news whatever,
and Lord Wellington again ad.anced slowly and cautiously
towards Toro. Small parties were pushed on ahead, and pre-
sently an officer rode back with the news that he had been as
far as the river, and that not a Frenchman was to be seen.
It was too late to do any more, and they remained in uncer-
tainty whether the enemy had recrossed the river after making
a demonstration, or whether they had marched to their right,
so as to make a circuit, and throw themselves between Ciudad
Rodrigo and Salamanca, upon the line of communication of
the British army.

Lord Wellington, with his staff, took possession of a deserted
farm-house, the cavalry picketed their horses round it, and
the Scudamores, who had been more tlian twenty- four hours
in the saddle, wrapped themselves in their cloaks, and stretch-
ing themselves on the floor, were soon asleej). Just at uiid-
night the sound of a horse's foot-tall ai>proacliing at a gallop
was heard, and an officer, who had ridden, without drawing
rein, from Canizal, dashed up to the tarin.

Five minutes later the whole i)arty wore in the saddle again.
The news was important, indeed. Marniont had drawn his
whole army back across the Toro on the night ot' the i6th,
had marched to Tordesilla.s, crossed there, and in the alter

264

The Young Buglers,

1 1

W4,

noon, after a march of fifty miles, had flillen upon Cotton's
outposts, and driven them across the Trabancos.

Not a moment's time was lost by Wellington after he re-
ceived the news ; but, unfortunately, six precious hours had
already been wasted, owing to the despatches not having
reached him at Canizal. With the three brigades of cavalry
he set off at once towards Alaejos, while an officer was
despatched to Canizal, to order the fifth division to march
with all speed to Torrecilla de la Orden, six miles in rear ot
Cotton's position at Castrejon.

Four hours' riding brouglit them to Alaejos, where a halt
for two or three hours was ordered, to rest the weary horses
and men. Soon after daybreak, however, all thought of sleep
was banished by the roar of artillery, which told that Mar-
mont was pressing hard upon Cotton's troops. "To horse !"
was the cry, and Lords Wellington and Beresford, with their
staff, rode off at full speed towards the scene of action, with
the cavalry following hard upon their heels. An hour's ride
brought them to the ground. Not much could be seen, for
the country was undulating and bare, like the Brighton Downs,
and each depression was full of the white morning mist, which
wreathed and tossed fantastically from the effects of the dis-
charges of firearms, tlie movements of masses of men, and the
charges of cavalry hi. Men within it. Upon a crest near at
hand were a couple ol British guns, with a small escort of horse.

Suddenly, from the mist below, a party of some fifty French
horsemen dashed out and made for the guns. The support-
ing squadljn^ surprised by the suddenness of the attack, broke
and fled ; the French followed hard upon them, and just as
Lord Wellington, with his staff, gained the crest, pursuers and
pursued came upon them, and in i)ell-mell confusion the whole
were borne down to the bottom of the hill. For a few minutes

Salamanca,

265

Cotton's

;r he re-
ours had
»t having
f cavalry
ficer was
to march
1 rear ol

re a halt
ry horses
: of sleep
hat Mar-
horse !"
•ith their
tion, with
)ur's ride
seen, for
n Downs,
[St, which
f the dis-
, and the
t near at
of horse,
y French
I support-
:k, broke
d just as
suers and
he whole
/ minutes

;-?■

! U.

it was a wild mck^c. Lonls VVcllington, Bcrcsford, and their
staff, with their swords drawn, were in the midst of the fight,
and friends and foes were mingled togetlicr, when the leading
s([uadrons of the cavalry from Alacjos came thundering down,
and very few of the Frenchmen who had made that gallant
charge escaped to tell the tale.

The mists were now rapidly clearing up, and in a short time
the whole French army could be seen advancing. They
moved towards the British left, and Wellington ordered the
troops at once to retire. The Bntish fell back in three
columns, and marched for the Guarena, through Torrecilla de la
Orden. The French also marched straight for the river, and
now one of the most singular sights ever presented in war-
fare was to be seen.

The hostile armies were marching abreast, the columns
being but a few hundred yards apart, the officers on either
side waving their hands to each other. For ten miles the
armies thus pressed forward, the ofliccrs urging the men,
and these straining every nerve to get first to the river.
From time to time the artillery of either side, finding a convenient
elevation, would pour a few volleys of grape into the opposing
columns, but the posl'ion of the two armies did not often
admit of this. Gradually Cotton's men, fresher than the
French, who had, in the two previous days, marched fifty
miles, gained ground, and, reaching the river, maiched across
by the ford, the winners of the great race by so little that one
division, which halted for a moment to drink, was swept by forty
pieces of French artillery, which arrvcd on the spot almost
simultaneously with it.

On the Guarena the British found the remaining divisions
of the army, which had been brought up from (^anizal. These
checked Marmont in an attempt to cross at /allesa. while

rrr

266

The Young Ihiglcrs.

the 29tli and 40th Regiments, with a desperate bayonet charge,
drove Carier's French division back as it attempted to push
forward beyond Castrillo. Tiuis tlie two armies faced each
other on the Guarena, and Mannont had gained absolutely
nothing by his false movement at Toro, and his long and
skilful detour by Tordesillas.

Quickly the rest of the day passed, as did the one wh'ch
followed, the trooi)s on both sides resting after their fatigues.
Wellington expected to be attacked on the next morning, and
his army was arranged in two lines ready for the comk.t.
At daybreak, however, Marmont moved his army up the river,
crossed at a ford there, and marched straight for Salamanca,
thus turning "Wellington's right, and threatening his communi-
cations. The Eritish at once fell back, and the scene of the
previous day was repeated, the armies marching along the
crest of two parallel hills, within musket shot distance of
each other.

This time, however, the French troops, although they had
marched considerably farther than the EnLrlish, proved them-
selves the best marchers, and when night fell Wellington had
the mortification of seeing them in possession of the ford of
Huerta on the Tormes, thus securing for Marmont the junction
with an army whxh was approaching under King Joseph, and
also the option of either fighting or refusing battle. Welling-
ton felt his position seriously threatened, and sent off a des-
patch to the Spanish General Castanos, stating his inability to
hold his ground, and the probability that he should be obliged
to fall back upon Portugal. This letter proved the cause of
the victory of Salamanca, for it was intercepted by the French,
and Marmont, fearing that Wellington would escape him,
prepared at once to throw himself upon the road to Ciudad
Rodrigo, and thus cut the British line of retreat, in spite of

if \\ i

t:t charge,
to push
ced each
bsolutely
ong and

le wh'ch
fatigues,
ling, and
combc.t.
the river,
lamanca,
ommuni-
e of the
long the
tance of

they had
:d then^-
jton had
e ford of
junction
ph, and
Welling-
T a des-
ibility to
obliged
cause of
French,
pe him,
Ciudad
spite of

Salaman -a.

267

the positive order which he had rtceived from King Joseph

not to fight until he himself arrived with his army.

Upon the 21st both armies crossed the Tonnes, the French
at Alba and Iluerta, the British at Aldea Lcngua, and San
Marta. Upon that day the news reached Wellington that
General Chauvci, with 2000 cavalry, and 20 guns, would
reach Marinont on the evening of the 22nd, or the morning
of the 23rd, and the English general therefore resolved to
retreat, unless Marmont should, by some mistake, give him a
chance of fighting to advantage.

Close to the British right, and the French left, were two
steep and rugged hills, called the Hermanitos, or Brothers, and
soon after daybreak on the 22nd, the French seized upon
the one nearest to them, while the British took possession of
the other. Then, watching each other, the two armies re-
mained until noon, for Wellington could not connnence his
retreat by daylight ; but a long cloud of dust along the road to
Ciudad Rodrigo showed that the baggage of the army was al-
ready en route for Portugal. Marmont now determined to make
a bold stroke to cut off Wellington's retreat, and, although all
his troops had not yet arrived, he ordered Maucune, with two
divisions, to march round by the left and menace the Ciudad
road. It was at three o'clock in the afternoon, and Wellington,
who had been up all night, thinking that Marmont would make
no move that day, had gone to lie down for an hour or two,
when Tom Scudamore who, from an elevated point, was
watching the movements of the enemy, hurried \n with the
news that the French were pushing their left round towards the
Ciudad Road.

Wellington leapt to his feet, and hurried to the high ground,
where he beheld, with stern satisfaction, that Marmont, in his
eagerness to prevent the British escape, had committed the

i ' If'?

268

The Yoiiuc; Ihiglers»

i'\

flagrant error of detaching his wing from his main body. In-
stantly he issued ortlers for an attack, and the great mass of
men upon the British Ikrmanito moved down upon the plain
to attack Maucunc in flank, while the third division was
ordered to throw itself across his line of march, and to
attack him in front. As the advance across the plain would
be taken in flank by the fire from the French Hermanito,
General Pack was ordered to assail that position directly the
British line had passed it.

Marmont, standing on the French Hermanito, was thunder-
struck at beholding tie plain suddenly covered with enemies,
and a tremendous fire was at once opened upon the advancing
British. Oflicer after officer was despatched to hurry up the
French troops still upon the march, and when Marmont saw
the third division dash across Maucune's path, he was upon the
point of hurrying himself to the spot, when a shell burst close
to hmi, and he was dashed to the earth with a broken arm,
and two deep wounds in his side.

Thus, at the critical point of the battle, the French army
was left without a head.

It was just five o'clock when Pakenham, with the third
division, fell like a thunderbolt upon the head of Maucune's
troops. These, taken by surprise by this attack, on the part of
an enemy whom they had thought to see in full flight, yet fought
gallantly, and strove to gain time to open out into order of
battle. Bearing onwards, however, with irresistible force, the
third division broke the head of the column, and drove it
back upon its supports. Meanwhile, the battle raged all along
the line ; in the plain the fourth division carried the village of
Arapiles, and drove back Bonnet's division with the bayonet,
and the fifth division attacked Maucune's command in flank,
while Pakenham was destroying its front,

Sa!a)nanca.

2fC)

dy. In-
mass of
;he plain
ion was
and to
n would
rmanito,
;ctly the

;hunder-
memies,
[vancing
• up the
out saw
ipon the
St close
en arm,

:h army

le third
iucune*s
i part of
it fought
)rder of
)rce, the
drove it
ill along
illage of
Dayonet,
in flank,

I
I

I
1 .1

Marmont was succeeded in his command by Bonnet, who
was also wounded, and Clausel, an able general, took the
command. lie reinforced Maucune with his own divisions,
which bad just arrived, and, for a while, restored the battle.
Then, past the right and left of Pakcnham's division, the
British cavalry, under Le Marrhant, Anson, and I)' Urban,
burst through the smoke and dust, rode down twelve
hundred of the French infantry, and then dashed on at t'l h'ne
behind. Nobly the charge was pressed, the third division
following at a run, and the charge ceased not until the French
ieft was entirely broken, and five guns, and two thousand
prisoners taken.

But forty minutes had passed since the first gun was fired,
and the French defeat was already all but irretrievable, and
the t' ird, fourth, and fifth divisions now in line, swept forward
as to assured victory. Clausel, however, proved equal to the
emergency. He reinforced Bonnet's division v.'itb. that of
Fereij, as yet fresh and unl)roken, and, at the same moment,
Sarrut's and Brennier's divisions issued from the foicst, and
formed in the line of battle. Behind them the broken troops
of Maucune's two divisions reformed, and the battle was re-
newed with terrible force.

Pack, at the same moment, attempted unsuccessfully to carry
the French Hermanito by assault with his Portuguese division,
and the fate of the battle was again in the balance ; the British
divisions outnumbered, and outflanked, began to fall back,
Generals Cole, Leitii, and Spry, were all wounded, and the
French cavalry threatened the flank of the line. Wellington,
however, had still plenty of reserves in hand, and at this
critical moment he launched them at the enemy. The sixth
division was brought up from the second line, and hurled
at the centre of the enemy in a fierce and prolonged charge,
X9

^ l!

2/0

The Young Buglers.

\l^.

v\'hi!e the light and first divisions were directed against the
French divisions which were descending from the French
Hermanito, and against that of Foy, while the seventh
division and the Spaniards were brought up behind the first
line. Against so tremendous an assault as this the French
could make no stand, and were pushed back in ever increasing
disorder to the edge of the forest, where Foy's and Maucune's
divisions stood at bay, and covered their retreat in the fast
gathering darkness.

Wellington believed that he should capture a great portion of
the beaten army, for he relied upon the Castle of Alba dc
Formes, commanding the ford at that place, being held by the
Spaniards, but these had evacuated the place on the preceding
day, and had not even informed Wellington that they had
done so.

Thus, hidden by the night, the French retreated with but
sh'ght loss from the pursuing columns. In the battle the French
had forty-two thousand men and seventy-four gurs ; the AUies
forty-six thousand and sixty guns, but of the infantry a division
were composed of Spaniards, and t!^ese could not be relied
upon in any way. It was probably the most rapidly fought
action ever known, and a French officer described it as the defeat
of forty thousand men in forty minutes. The French loss
was over twelve thousand 'n killed, wounded, and prisoners, and
so completely were they cispersed that Clausel a week after-
wards could only collect twenty thousand to their standards. It
was a great victory, and celebrated as the first which Wellington
had gained over the French, for although at Talavera and
Busaco he had repulsed the French attack, he was not in
either case in a position to do more than hold his ground.

Throughout this short and desperate fight the Scudamores
had been fully engaged in conveying orders from one part of

Salamanca.

linst the

French

seventh

the first

French

creasing

lucune's

the fast

)rtion of
A.lba dc
i by the
eceding
icy had

i^ith but
French
2 Allies
division
2 relied
fought
e defeat
ch loss
^rs, and
k after-
rds. It
lington
ra and
not in
d.

amores
part of

the field to another. Shot and shell flew around them in all
directions, and yet when they met at the end of the action they
found that they had escaped without a scratch. The day following
the battle the pursuit began. Had King Joseph's advancing
army united with Clausel's broken troops, he could have op-
posed Wellingtoij's advance witli a force far superior in
number-, to that defeated at Salamanca. But Joseph, after
hesitating, fell back in one direction, Clausel retreated in
another, the opportunity for concentration was lost, and
Wellington found no foe to bar his way on his triumphant
march upon Madrid.

Joseph fell back from the capital as the English approached,
leaving some thousands of men in the strong place known as the
Retiro, together with an immense amount c farms, ammunition,
and military stores of all kinds, all of which, including the troops,
fell into the hands of the English within a few days of their
arrival at Madrid.

It was a proud moment for the Scudamores, as riding behind
Lord Wellington they entered Madrid on the 14th August.

The city was half mad with joy. Crowds lined the streets,
while every window and balcony along the route was filled with
ladies, who waved their scarves, clapped their hands, and
showered flowers upon the heads of their deliverers. Those
below, haggard and half-starved, for the distress in Madrid was
intense, thronged round the general's horse, a shouting, weeping
throng, kissing I>is cloak, his horse, any portion of his equip-
ments which they could touch. Altogether it was one of the most
glorious, most moving, most enthusiastic welcomes ever offered
to a general.

The next fortnight was spent in a round of fetes, bull fights,
and balls, succeeding each other rapidly, but these rejoicings
were but a thin veil over the distress which was general through-

^ l;^

272

The Young Buglers.

out the town. The people were starving, and many deaths
occurre J daily from hunger. The British could do but little to
relieve the suffering which they saw around them, for they
themselves were — owing to the utter breakdown of all the
arrangements undertaken by the Portuguese government, and
to the indecision and incapacity of the Home Government —
badly fed, and much in arrears of their pay. Nevertheless, the
officers did what they cou>i, got up soup kitchens, and fed
daily many hundreds of starving wretches.

The heat was excessive and a very great deal of illness took
place among the troops. The French were gathering strength
in the South, and Wellington determined upon marching north
and seizing Burgos, an important place, but poorly fortified.
Leaving General Hill with two divisions at Madrid, he marched
with the rest of the army upon Burgos.

ny deaths
>ut little to
, for they
)f all the
ment, and
rnment —
leless, the
, and fed

ness took
strength

ing north
fortified.

marched

CHAPTER XVII.

CAUGHT IN A TRAP.

So much had passed between the first visit of the Scudamores.
to Madrid as Spanish peasant boys, and their second entry as
captains upon Lord Wellington's staff, that they had scarcely
given a thought to the dangers they had at that time run, or to
the deadly hatred with which they had inspired the guerilla chief
Nunez. When they first rode into the town, indeed, they had
spoken of it one to the other, and had agreed that it would
be pleasant to be able to walk through the streets without
fear of assassination ; for even, as Tom said, if the scoundrel
had any of his band there, they would not be likely to recog-
nize them in their uniforms.

One evening, however, when they had been in Madrid
about a fortnight, an incident happened which caused them to
doubt whether their security from the hatred of the guerilla
was as complete as they had fancied. They were sitting with
a number of other officers in a large caf^ in the Puerta del
Sol, the principal square in Madrid, when a girl came round
begging; instead of holding out her hand silently with a
murmur for charity in the name of the holy Virgin, she began
a long story, poured out in rapid language.

Several of the officers present knew more or less Spanish,

?//^

T/te Young Buglets,

but they were unable to follow her quick utterances, and one
of them said laughingly, " Scudamore, this is a case for you,
she IS beyond us altogether."

The girl followed the direction of the speaker's eye, and
moved across to the brothers, who happened to be sitting next
to each other, and began her story again. It was a com-
plicated tale of French oppression, and the boys, interrupting
her here and there to ask for details, talked with her for some
minutes.

" I believe she is lying," Tom said, in English, " she tells
her story as if she had learnt it by heart, and gets confused
whenever we cross-question her ; there, give her a few coppers,
I am out of change."

As Peter put his hand into his pocket for the money, Tom
glanced up sharply at the girl. Siie was not, as might have
been expected, watching Peter's movements with interest, bul
was looking inquiringly at some one in the crowd of prome
naders. Tom followed her glance, and saw a peasant, stand-
ing half-hidden behind a group of passers, nod to her, anc
motion her to come to him. She waited until Peter put tht
coins into her hand ; then, with a brief word of thanks, she
moved away into the crowd.

" Peter, I believe those scoundrels are up to their old game,
and that we are watched. Once or twice since we have
been sitting here I have noticed a heavy-looking fellow glan'^c
at us very closely as he passed, and I just saw the same fello,/,
who was evidently hiding from observation, nod to that girl,
and beckon her aw.-^y."

" Her story was a lie from beginning to end," Peter said,
" and it is quite possible tliat it was a got-up thing, on pun ose
to see whetlier we could talk Spanish well. I don't think any
one could swear to us who only saw us then ; but the fact of

V\ ■■

;s, and one
56 for you,

*s eye, and
lifting next
IS a com-
»terrupting
r for some

*she tells
; confused
V coppers,

ney, Tom
ight have
erest, buf
)f pro me
It, stand-
her, and
r put tht
anks, she

'Id game,
we have
w glan'^e
lefello,/,
hat gifl,

ter said,

pun ose

ink any

! fact of

Caught in a Trap. 27^

our speaking Spanish so well woald go a long way towards
settling the point in the mind of any one who suspected
us I "

"We must be careful in future, Peter, and avoid quiet
streets after dark, and keep a sharp look-out at all times, or
we shall get a knife between our ribs, as sure as fate."

Time, however, passed on without anything occurring to
give any support to their suspicion, they could not discover
that they were being watched, or their footsteps dogged.
They, nevertheless, continued to be, to a certain extent, upon
their guard after dark, in the daytime the number of English
soldiers about the streets was so large that there was very
little danger cf any attack.

On the evening before the army marched for Burgos, Tom,
whose turn it was for duty at head-quarters, received a despatch
to carry to one of the generals of division encamped a mile or
two out of the town. He did not need to gc round to his
quarters, as his horse was standing saddled in readiness in the
courtyard. He .vas but an hour away, and, as he knew that
he would not be farther required, he rode round to the house
where he was quartered. His orderly came forward at his
shout, and took his horse, and he mounted the broad stairs of
the house, which was a very han«lsome one, and rang at the
door on the second floor ; for in Spain, as indeed almost all
over the Continent, each floor is a separate dwelling
Sam opened it.
" Nothing new, Sam ? "
"No, sar, nothing new."

Tom passed through the sitting-room, and entered Peter's
bedroom. It was in darkness.
" Asleep, old man ? " he asked.
There was no answer. He came back into the sitting-room.

276

The Young Buglers.

where two lamps were burning, and looked at his watch.
'* Half-past eleven. He is off to bed early. Sam, bring me
some supper if you have got anything, I am hungry."

Sam came in, in a minute, with a small tray.

" How long has my brother been gone to bed ? "

" Me did not know he gone to bed at all," Sam said, in
surprise. " Me thought Massa Peter been reading book."

Tom took up a light, and went into the bedroom, it was
empty. " Sam, there's something wrong here ! " Tom said
sharply, for a sudden sensation of alarm seized him. ** Peter
is not here."

Sam came into the bedroom, and looked round in astonish-
ment " What become of him ? " he said. ** Where de debil
he got to ? "

" That's what I want to know, Sam. Now, then, just give
all your attention. What time did he come in?"

" He came in at about nine o'clock, sar, with three other
officers. Captain Farquharson, Major Heriot, and Captain
Brown. Dey have bottle wine, and sit here and smoke. Well,
Massa Tom, Sam sit in his room, and smoke him pipe,
and he doze off a little; after a bit, may be ten o'clock, Sam
hear dem move, and go to door ; they were saying good-night,
when Massa Peter said, * I will just go down to see that the
horses are all right.* Den dey all go down togeder."

" Did they shut the door ? " Tom asked.

" No, Massa Tom, dey did not shut de door, because, a
little while after, Sam, he wake up wid little start ; he hear de
door bang, and 'spo.se Massa Peter come back. Sam go off to
sleep again till you ring bell."

Tom looked very grave. " What can Peter have gone off
with Farquharson at this time of night for ? "

Then he looked round the room, and said, almost with a

Caught hi a Trap.

277

■iis watch.
, bring me

m said, in
oook."
om, it was
Tom said
Q. " Peter

In astonish-
re dedcbil

1, just give

three other
id Captain
koke. Well,
i him pipe,
I'clock, Sam
good-night,
see that the

because, a

he hear de

im go off to

ve gone off

nost with a

try, "Sam, look there, there are his cap and sword. He
has not gone out with the others at all. What can have
happened ? *

Tom first glanced into his own room, and then ran down-
stairs in haste, followed by Sam, who was now also thoroughly
alarmed. The orderly had just made the horse comfortable
for the night, and was leaving the stable.

"Johnstone, when did you see my brother?"
" Well, it may be an hour, or an hour and a half back, sir.
He came down with some other officers ; I did not see them,
but I heard them talking for a minute or two before he came
in to look at the horses, and he asked if they were all right,
and said they must be saddled by half-past five, and then he
went up again — at least, I suppose he went up, for he had not
got his cap on. Is anything wrong, sir ? "

*'I don't know, I am afraid to think," Tom said, in a dazed
way. " He is not upstairs ; he has not gone out ; what can
have become of him ? "

He stood quiet for a minute or two, and then, with a great
effort, brought his thoughts within control again. " The first
thing is to assure ourselves whether he returned upstairs. Sam,
fetch a lamp, the stairs are not lighted, and I want to examine
them."

Sam soon returned with the lamp, and Tom, beginning at
the street door, examined every step carefully all the way up,
Sam and the soldier following him.

" There has been no scuffle on the fitairs," he said ; then he
went through the little hall into the sitting-room again.
Nothing appeared to have been disturbed. Then he looked
at the floor, which was of polished oak, and knelt down to
examine it more closely. " There have been men with dirty
shoes standing here," he cried. " Do you see the marks on each

278

The Yoniig Buglers.

i I

side of the door, and there, do you see that scratch and that ?
There has been a scultle. Good heavens ! what has taken
place here ? "

Sam's face was pale with apprehension that something
had happened to Peter ; but, he said, " How dat be, ^xassa
Tom, with Sam in the next room all the time ? "

Tom made no reply; but was closely examining the floor —
buck across the hall. " There is a mark ; there is another,"
he said, " not made by boots, but by their native sandals."
Then he went out from the door, and up the next flight of
stairs.

"There," he said, "just as I thought." Just round the
angle of the stairs two steps were dirty and stained, as if dirty
feet had been trampling upon them for some time. "I sup-
pose they knew I was out, and watched here, for hours, per-
haps. Then, when Peter went down, they slipped in through
the open door, and then"— without completing the sentence,
Tom went back into the room, and threw himself into a chair
in tearless despair.

Sam sobbed loudly. For some time there was silence.
"There is no blood, sir, that I can see, not a speck," the
orderly said. " They can't have killed Captain Scudamore,
and, if they had, why should they have carried his body away ? "

This was the question Tom had been asking himself.
Assassinations were, in Madrid, every-day occurrences, and
that Peter and he were especially liable to be murdered, owing
to the hatred of Nunez and his gang, was clear ; but, so far as
he could see, not a drop of blood had been shed here.
Presently Sam began to sob more loudly. " Dis break my
heart, Massa Tom, to tink dat Sam be next door all de time,
and, instead of watching, he sleep so sound dat Massa Peter
carried strais;ht awav."

■ »-

ti!

:h and that ?
t has taken

something
t be, Axassa

; the floor —
is another,"
ve sandals."
;xt flight of

round the
, as if dirty
2. "I sup-
hours, per-
l in througli
le sentence,
into a chair

NCiS silence,
speck," the
Scudamore,
ody away ? "
ing himself,
rences, and
iered, owing
)ut, so far as
shed here.
s break my
all de time,
Massa Peter

Caught in a Trap, 279

"You are not to blame, Sam, there was, probably, no noise
whatever. But, what can it all mean ? Johnstone, you had
better go to bed, you can do no good now. Sam, give me my
pistols ; take that big stick of yours, and come round with me
to head-quarters, we will call in at Captain Farquharson's on
the way."

That officer, on being roused, and made to understand
what was the matter, confirmed the account given by the
orderly ; he and his companions had parted at the street door,
and Peter had gone down the yard to the stable.

" It is clear that Peter has been carried off," Tom said,
" and I have not the least doubt that it has been done by some
of the band of Nunez. As you have lieard me say, they owe
us a grudge, and have, no doubt, been on the look out ever
since we came here. We have been on guard, and never
gave them a chance, and, I suppose, they get desperate when
they found the army was moving again, and so carried out
this audacious plan."

'' If your brother had been found murdered I should under-
stand it," Captain Farquharson said ; *' but, what on earth
did they carry him off for ? "
Tom wa3 silent a minute.

"That fiend, Nunez, would have had us stabbed if
he could do nothing else; but he would, if I judge him
rightly, be really contented with nothing s'.iort of putting
us to death himself in some horrible manner. My own idea
is, that Peter is hidden away somewhere near, will be kept
in concealment until the road is clear, and will then be taken
to Nunez. I must go off and try and save him at all
hazards."

Captain Farcjuhnrson was silent, while Tom walked up and
down the room thoughtfully.

-W

280

The Young Buglers,

^ I

i
■I

f
» .,

" I don't suppose the chief would refuse me leave,"
Tom said. " If he does, I must throw up my commis-
sion.'*

** No, r.'! • you are sure to get leave for such a thing as this,
but the difficulty of the affair will be to know how to proceed.
The country will swarm with French, the guerillas are sure to
keep a sharp look out, and if you find him, how are you going
to rescue him ? "

" I don't know," Tom said, " but it's got to be done ; that's
clear. I can't set out as a Spanish peasant," he went on after
a pause. " They know me as that now. At least, if I do 1
must get up as an old man and change my appearance. I
might go as a woman, but I am too tall in the first place, and
then women don't go wandering over the country in such times
as this. But there, I have time to think it over before morning.
I suppose the general will be moving about five o'clock ; I
will see him the first thing, and tell him the whole story.
Good night."

And so Tom went back to his quarters, and sat thinking
deeply until morning, while Sam sat gloomily in his little room,
sometimes with tears rolling down his cheeks, sometimes mut-
tering terrible threats against the guerillas, at other times curs-
ing himself for having been asleep instead of watching over his
young master's safety. Tom had briefly told him that he
intended to get leave in order to search for Peter. At day-
break, when he heard Tom moving, he went into the sitting-
room.

" Look here, Massa Tom, Sam only one word to say. He
goin"^ to look for Massa Peter. Sam know dat him colour
berry spicuous, dat people look at him and tink he de debil.
Sam don't spect he going wid you. Dat wouldn't do. Dese
fellows watch him, know dat black fellow here. Only Sam go

'11

• i

me leave,"
ly conimis-

liing as this,
to proceed,
are sure to
e you going

lone ; that's
ent on after
:, if I do I
carance. I
: place, and
\ such times
re morning,
o'clock ; I
^hole story.

;at thinking
little room,
etimes mut-
• times curs-
ing over his
im that he
;r. At day-
the sitting-

o say. He
him colour
he de debil.
t do. Dese
nly Sam go

Til

Caught in a Trap. 281

somehow. He trabcl night, hide up at day time. He join
you de last ting vvlien you go to mash up dcm guerillas like
sciuash. Anyhow, Sam must go. If can get leave, berry well,
if not he desert. Any how he go, dat sartin. Sam kill himself
if he stay behind."

Tom had already thought over this. He was sure that the
faitliful negro would not remain behind, but he had seen that
his companionship would be fatal. He had, therefore, formed
some plan in his head similar to that whicli Sam proposed, and
he knew that when the moment for action came his courage,
strength, and devotion would be invaluable.

" You shall go, Sam," he said, holding out his hand to his
attached folio, ver. " As you say, you can't go with me, but
you shall go somehow."

" Thank you, Massa Tom," the negro said gratefully. " You
berry sure if Massa Peter die Sam die too."

Tom now went to head-quarters, and found that Lord Wel-
hngton was just up. Sending in to say that he wished to speak
with him for a {q\^ minutes on a matter of urgent personal im-
portance, he was admitted, and related as concisely as he
could Peter's disappearance, and told the story of the affair
with the guerillas, which accounted for the intense desire for
vengeance on the part of Nunez. He ended by asking for
leave of absence.

The general heard him to the end, asking a brief question
here and there.

" You can have the leave certainly, Captain Scudamore. I
know that it is needless for me to point out the risks that
you will run, both from the French and guerillas. I think
that it might be an advantage if I give you a note which
you can, in case of absolute necessity, show to any French
officer.'*

282

The Young Buglers,

So saying, the general sat down and wrote as follows:—

" To the French oflicer commanding.— The luirl of Wel-
lington, commander-in-chief of His Britannic Majesty's forces in
Spain, gives his assurance that the bearer of this. Captain Scuda
more, although not in English uniform, is not engaged upon
any mission connected with the army, or to obtain infor-
mation respecting the strength and position of the French
forces. His business is entirely private, and he is engaged in
an attem[)t to discover and rescue a brother who has been
carried off by the guerilla chief Nunez in order to gratify
private vengeance. The Earl of Wellington, confiding in the
natural courtesy of the French nation, trusts that officers ol
that service will, if aj^plied to, assist Captain Scudamore in any
way in their power, and he will feel personally obliged to them
by their so doing."

Tom expressed his deep gratitude for thio, hich might, he
foresaw'^ be of inestimable advantage to him.

" I am taking my servant with me, sir — the negro ; he will
not travel with me by day, but will join me wherever I tell him ;
he is very strong and brave, and is deeply attached to us/'

" Yes, I remember," the general said ; " that is the man
whose life you saved. D :> you leave at once ? "

" No, sir; I am thinking of riding with you to-morrow at
any rate. The route lies on the way I have to go, and I am
sure to be watched here."

** Very well," the general said ; " I wish you good fortune ;
but you have a difficult, almost a desperate, service before you."

Upon leaving head-quarters, Tom again called on Captain
Farquharson.

" Farquharson, I hear that it will be eleven before the chief
leaves. I wish you would go to that little shop opposite the
opera-house ; they have got wigs and all that sort of thing there.

•ws:—

rl of Wei-

's forces in
ain Scuda
aged upon
tain infor-
^e Frencli
ngaged in
has been
to gratify
ing in the
officers ol
ore in any
d to them

might, he

) ; he will
'. tell him ;
) us/'
the man

norrow at
and I am

I fortune ;
fore you."
1 Captain

the chief
)osite the
ing there.

Caught in a Trap.

283

'i--

■ f

<wS

Please get me two old men's wigs and beards, and one set of
those mutton-chop shaped whiskers, and a woman's wig. I
haven't made up my mind yet what I am going to wear, but I
want these things to choose from. I am sure to be wJtched,
md if I were to go there they would find out, five minutes after-
wards, what I had bought. In the meantime I am going to
the head of the police to give notice of Peter's disappearance,
and to ask him to have the carts leaving the town for the next
few days searched. I have no doubt the fellows will outwit the
police, but it's no use throwing away a chance."

It was six days after this that an old man, with long white
hair and grey beard, and with a box containing cheap trin-
kets, beads, necklaces, earrings, knives, scissors, and other
like articles, vas sitting at the junction of two roads near the
lower slopes of the Pyrenees, some twenty miles north of Vittoria.
He had one of his sandals off, and appeared to have just risen
from a bed of leaves in the forest behind him. The dawn
had broken, but it was still twilight. Presently he heard a foot-
step coming along the road, and at once applied himself to
wrapping the bandages, which serve for stockings to the Spanish
peasant, round his leg, looking eagerly from under his wide
sombrero to see who was approaching. As the new-comer came
in sight, the pedlar at once ceased In's employment and rose
to meet him. He had recognized the figure, but the face was
hidden, the Spanish cloak, worn as is usual, by peasant and noble
alike, with one end thrown over the shoulder, hiding the chin
and lower part of the face, while the wide felt hat, pressed well
dov.n in front, allowed scarcely a glimpse even of the nose.
That, however, would have been sufficient in the present case,
for the man was a negro.

Upon seeing the pedlar rise, he ran forward to meet him.
" Ah, Massa Tom, tank de Lord me find you safe and sound !

^fc,-.^

pppv

284

The Young Buglers,

I always keep on tinking you taken prisoner or killed eider by
de French or de robbers — one as bad as de oder."

" I have thought the same of you, Sam, for your risk has
been far greater than mine. Well, thank God it is all right
thus far. But come back into the wood, I have got some food
there, and here anyone might come along."

They were soon deep in the wood, where, by a pile of grass
and leaves which had evidently been used as a bed, was an open
wallet, with some bread, cheese, cold meat, and a small skin of
wine.

" Are you hungry, Sam ? "

" Downright starving, sar; dis chile eat noting for two
days."

" Why, how is that, Sara ; you had six days' provision with
you when you started ? "

" Dat true enough, sar, but Sam's appetite bigger than usual,
noting to do all day sitting in de woods, waiting for night to
come so as to go on again ; so had to eat, and de food all went
before Sam thought dat dere was two more days before he
meet you."

" Well, sit down now, Sam, and eat away ; we have plenty
of time."

They had much to tell each other. They had travelled by
the same road, one by night, the other by day — Sam passing
the days sleeping in the woods, his master travelling by day and
at night sleeping in wretched village posadas. He, too, would
far rather have slept in the woods, for the insects and filth made
sleep ahnost impossible in these places, besides which he ran a
good deal of risk as to the discovery of his disguise. He
had, however, chosen the inns in hopes of hearing something
which might give him a clue as to the object of his search.
The only information which he liad gained was to the efilert

l^.

id eider by

ur risk has
s all right
some food

lie of grass
as an open
lall skin of

g for two

dsion with

han usual,
r night to
»d all went
before he

ive plenty

ivelled by
m passing
y day and
30, would
Eilth made
I he ran a
lise. He
omething
is search,
the effect

Caught in a Trap,

285

!- «

that Nunez still had his quarters at the old place. He had
been driven out of it, and the village had been burned by the
French, but the position was a convenient one, and the houses
had been cleared and roughly roofed with boughs of trees and
straw, and the band was still there. This much was satisfactory,
and he could hardly have expected to learn more, unless he
had happened to meet some of the members of the band itself
They had not travelled by the main road, as upon thct large
forces of the French were collected ; and even if Tom could
have passed through boldly, Sam couid not have made his way.
Even by the road they had chosen Tom had met several bodies
of French, while at Vittoria a very large force was assembling,
destined for the relief of Burgos.

Sam had but few incidents to relate. He had been carefully
instructed by Tom before starting as to the road he should take,
and the position and distances apart of the towns and villages
upon it. He had travelled only at night, and had but once or
twice exchanged a word with passers by. People did not travel
much at night in so disturbed a country, and when Sam heard
a foot-passenger approaching, or, as was more frequently the
case, a party of French cavalry, he left the road and lay down
until they had passed. The one or two foot-passengers he had
met suddenly he had passed with the usual Spanish muttered
salutation, and the darkness and the disguise prevented any
recognition of his colour.

" Now, sar," Sam said when they had finished breakfast,
" what am to be done next ? "

" I do not think, Sam, that the party who have got Peter
have arrived yet. They could only have started on the
day that we did ; they have as long a road to go, and most
likely they have got a bullock-cart, which won't travel more

than fifteen miles a day at the outside. They have got Peter in

ww^

286

The Young Buglers,

a cart covered up with something, we may be sure. I don't
think they will be here for another day or so at the earliest.
If we knew what sort of a cart it was, we could attack them on
the way if there are not too many of them ; but unfortunately
we don't know that ; and as there are three or four roads up
to the village, and they are sure to make a detour, we don't
know which they will come by. I hope to learn at the village.
We will stay where we are till dark, then we will push on ;
it is only a couple of miles or so from here. I will steal into
the place after dark, and try and overnear what is going on.
You shall remain at a point where you can see down into the
village and can hear a shout I will give you this letter of
Lord Wellington, and if you hear a pistol shot and hear me
shout ' Sam ! ' you will know I am caught, and must make off
as hard as you can to that small town in the plain, where there
is a French garrison ; ask for the commanding-officer, show this
letter, and offer to guide them so as to surprise Nunez and his
band. That is our sole chance. But I don't think there is
much risk of being caught. I shall be very careful, you may
rely upon it ; and as I know the position of the houses, I shall
be able to make my way about Once night has fallen they go
off to bed ; and even if I walked boldly about the place I should
likely enough meet no one all night"

That evening Tom entered the village as soon as it was
fairly dark. He knew, from his former experience, that sen-
tries were always placed at points whence they could get a view
of the roads, and he made his way so as to avoid any risk of
observation by them ; but when he reached a place whence he
could in turn view the posts of the watchers, he found
that they were deserted, and concluded that the brigands
had become careless, from the belief that, now the French
had once destroyed the village, they would not be likely to

Caught in a Trap.

28;

I don't

e earliest,
c them on
ortunately
r roads up
, we don't
le village,
push on ;
steal into
going on.
1 into the
letter of
hear me
make off
lere there
show this
z and his
: there is
you may
;s, I shall
n they go
: I should

IS it was
that sen-
et a view
ly risk of
hence he
e found
brigands
; French
likely to

come up to search for them there a second time; besides
which, they might reckon that the French had their hands
much too lull with the advance of the Allied Army to spare
either men or time in raids upon the guerillas. In this par-
ticular, indeed, they would have argued wrongly, for the French
during the whole war, however much they were pressed by
Wellington, always kept sufficient forces in hand to scatter the
guerillas as fast as they became formidable.

Tom had now taken off his beard and wig, and had put on
the small vvhisKer, which is the general fashion of wearing the
hair throughout Spain. Thus he trusted, if surprised in the
dark, to pass as one of the band. So quiet was the village
when he entered, that he at first thought that it was deserted ;
at last, however, he saw a light in one of the houses in the
centre of the village. Approaching carefully and noiselessly he
saw a group of five men sitting and drinking round a fire made
on the ground, in the centre of one of the windowless rooms,
the smoke finding its way out through the roof

" I tell you," one said, " I am getting sick of this life ; I am
ready to go and kill the French, but to be left up here, where
there is nothing to do, no one to talk to, not a roof to cover
one ; bah ! I am sick of it. But Nunez will be back in three
(lays, and we shall be merry enough then."

"Not we," another said, " this was a pleasant village in the
old days, what is it now ? There are no women, not even old
mother Morena, who used to cook well, if she was free
of her tongue. There is not even a priest now to shrive us if
one is brought in to die."

" Nunez will come back in a good temper if it is true what
Lope said yesterday when he came through, that the lads at
Madrid have got one of those English boys who made a fool
of him two years ago. That was a go. Demonio ! but it was

288 ; T/ie Young Buglers.

a fine thing. If it is true that they have got him and are bringing
him here I would not be in his skin for all the treasures of King
Joseph. Yes, Nunez was always a devil, but he is worse now.
Somehow we always have bad luck, and the band gets smaller
and smaller, I don't suppose there's above fifty with him now.
1 expect we shall have them pretty well all here this week."

" No fear of a visit from the French ?"

" None, Reynier at Vittoria is busy now in sending every
man he can spare forward to the army that's gathering near
Burgos."

This was enough for Tom, who stole silently away to the spot
where Sam was anxiously awaiting him.

f >

'e bringing
:s of King
'orse now.
ts smaller
him now.
:ek."

'ng every
!ing near

) the spot

CHAPTER XVTTT.

JUST IN TIME.

•* I SHALL go Straight back to Vittoria, Sam. By wbit they
said, General Reynier is in command there, and as it was
through his wife that all this terrible business has come about,
we have a right to expect him to do his best to get us out of
it. I will start at once. Now look here, Sam. You must put
yourself where you can keep watch over the village. 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 a fire
down in that hollow where it can't be seen from above, but
where we can see it on that road. Its twenty miles to Vittoria,
if I can get to see General Reynier to-morrow, I may be back
here with cavalry by night; if he is out or anything prevents it
I will be here next night, as soon after dusk as it will be safe.
I will dismount the men and take them over the hill, so as to
avoid the sentinel who is sure to be posted on the road when
Nunez arrives. If they come in the afternoon, Sam, and you
find that anything is going to be done at once, do everything
you can to delay matters."

" All right, MassaTom.if, when you come back you findMassa
Peter dead, you be berry sure you find dis chile gone down, too."

U was seven o'clock next morning when Tom entered Vittoria,

290

The Young Buglers,

and a few cautious inquiries proved the fact that Genera
Reynier was really in command of the French division there.
He at once sought his headquarters, and after some talk with a
woman selling fruit near the house, heard that the general and
his staff had started at daybreak, but whither of course she knew
not. Tom hesitated for some time, and then, seeing an officer
standing at the door, went up to him and asked if 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 and can't be bothered with petitions as to cattle
stolen or orchards robbed. Wait till we have driven the
English back, and then we shall have time to talk to
you."

" Yolupardon," Tom said humbly. " It is not a complaint
that I have to make, it is something of real importance which
I have to communicate to him."

"You can tell me, I am Colonel Deschamps; it will be ail
the same thing if your news is really important."

"Thank you very kindly, senor, it must be the general
himself; I will wait here." Thereupon Tom sat down with his
back to the wall a short distance off, pulled out some bread
and fruit he had bought in the town, and began quietly to eat
his breakfast. An hour later a pretty carriage with two fine
horses drew up to the door. It was empty, and was evidently
intended for some one in the house. Suddenly, the thought
flashed across his mind, perhaps Madame Reynier and
her child were there. It was curious that the thought had not
occurred to him before, but it had not, and he drew near, when
a sentry at the door roughly ordered him to stand further back.
Presently a lady came to the door, accompanied by a little girl.
There she stood for a minute talking with the officer with whom

Just in Time,

292

Lt Genera
sion there.
:alk with a
eneral and
she knew
an officer
le general

replied in
le has his

to cattle
riven the

talk to

omplainl
:e which

ill be all

general
with his

e bread

^ to eat

two fine

^'idently

thought

er and

lad not

r, when

;r back.

tie girl.

I whom

Tom had spoken. At tlic moment a young officer passed Tom
on his way to the house.

"Monsieur," Tom said, in French, " do me th'j favour to place
that ring in 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 young officer 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, not very
good French, but enough to make out, and he begs me to give
you this ring, which he says is yours, and which, by-the-way,
looks a valuable one." Piladame Reynier, in some surprise, held
out her hand for the ring. " It is not mine," she began, when a
sudden thought struck her, and turning it round she saw
" k Louise Reynier, toujours reconnaissante," wb'ch she had had
engraved on it, before giving it to Tom. *' Who gave it you,
Jules ?" she asked eagerly.

" That old pedlar," Jules said.

"Bring him in," Madame Reynier said, "the carriage must
wait ; I must speak 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 if you are a good boy you shall know all about it
afterwards, wait here Louise with your cousin ;" and beckoning
to Tom to follow her, she went into the house, the two officers
looking astounded at each other as the supposed Spanish
P'^dlar 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 out both her hands to him. " How glad I am,
but oh ! how foolish to come here again, and — and " — she

292

TJic Ycuii^i Buglers.

Jicsilated at tlie thought that he, an English spy, ought not
to come to her, the wife of a P'rench general.

Tom guessed her thought. " Even General Reynier might
succour us without betraying the interests of his country.
Read that, madame; it is an open letter," and he handed her
Lord Wellington's letter.

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

" He is in the hands of that scoundrel Nunez ; he swore he
would be revenged for that day's work, and he has had
Peter carried off. No doubt to kill him with torture."

" Oh ! and it is through me," Madame Reynier exclaimed,
greatly distressed. " 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 with you." These officers, on enter-
ing, were struck dumb with astonishment on finding a young
peasant instead of an old pedlar, and at seeing tears standing
in Madame Reynier's eyes. " Louise," she said to her daughter,
" look at this gentleman, who is he?"

The child looked hard at Tom ; he was dressed nearly as
when she first saw him — and as he smiled she recognized him.
"Oh, it is the good boy!" she cried, and leapt into Tom's
arms, and kissed him heartily.

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

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

"No, colonel;" Madame Reynier said, "here is a letter, of
wliich this gentleman is the bearer, from Lord Wellington

1 1

Just in Time,

293

)y, ought not

synier might

his country.

handed her

brother ! is

le swore he
le has had
e."

exclaimed,
me consult
!rvice/' and
come here
>. on enter-
5ga young
rs standing
r daughter,

nearly as
^ized him.
no Tom's

!e and I?
our lives,

irtily, but
lame," he

letter, of
ellington

himself, vouching for him, and asking for tlie help of every
Frenchman."

Colonel T)escliam|)S read it, and his brow cleared, and he
held out his hand to Tom. " Pardon my hesitation, sir," he said
in Spanish ; " but I feared that I was placed in a painful posi-
tion, between what I owe to my country, and what all French
soldiers owe to ^ou, for what you did for Madame Reynier. I
am, indeed, glad to find that this letter absolves me from the
former duty, and leaves me free to do all I can to discharge
the latter debt. Where is your brother, and why has he been
carried off? I have known hundreds of our officers assassi-
nated by these Spanish wolves, but never one carried away.
An English officer, too, it maV.es it the more strange !"

Tom now related the story of Peter's abduction ; the pre-
vious attempts of members of Nunez's band to assassinate
them, and the reasons he had for believing that Peter was
close to, if not already at, the head-quarters of that desperado.

"Is he still there?" Jules asked. "We routed him out
directly the general came up here. My aunt declared herself
bound by a promise, and would give us no clue as to the
position of the village, but he had made himself such a scourge,
that there were plenty of others ready to tell ; 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
gone back there again. Ah ! there is the general."

Madame Reynier went out to meet her husband, and draw-
ing him aside into another room, explained the whole circum-
stance to him, with difficulty detaining him long enough to
tell her story, as the moment he found that his wife and child's
deliverer was in the next room, he desired to rush off to see
him. The story over, he rushed impetuously into the room,
where Tom was explaininr, his plans to his French friends,

294

TJie Young Buglers,

seized him in his arms, and kissed him on both cheeks, as if
he had been his son.

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

" I do not think tliat he will have above fifty men with him,
general ; say eighty, at the outside. Two squadrons of cavalry
will be sufficient. They must dismount at the bottom of the
hill, and I will lead them up. We must not get within sight
of the hill till it is too dark for their look-out to see us, or the
alarm would be given, and we should catch no one. We shall
know if they have arrived, by a fire my man is to light. If they
have not come, then I would put t;entries on guard upon every
road leading there, and search every cart that comes up ; they
are sure to have got him hid under some hay, or something of
that sort, and there are not likely to be more than two or
hree men actually with it, so as not to attract attention. It
^ill be all right if they do not arrive there to-day."

"It is about five hours' ride for cavalry," the general said,
" that is at an easy pace ; it will not be dark enough to approach
the hill without being seen till eight o'clock. Two squadrons
shall be paraded here at three o'clock. I will go with you
myself; yes, and you shall go too, Jules," he said, in answer
to an anxious look from his nephew. " In the meantime
you can lend our friend some clothes ; you are about the same
size."

"Come along," Jules said laughing; "I think we can im-
prove your appearance," and, indeed, he did so, for in half an

Just in Time,

295

ecks, as if

his ej^es.
, to thank
ost to me,
is paying
It to do,

at your

with him,
of cavalry
Dm of the
thin sight
us, or the
We shall
. If they
:)on every
up ; they
ething of
n two or
itioa It

eral said,
approach
quadrons
with you
n answer
[leantime
the same

: can im-
1 half an

hour Tom returned looking all over a dashing young French
hussar, and little Louise clapped her hands and said—

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

There was a hearty laugh, and Jules was about to tell her
that Tom was himself 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, for little mouths would talk, and there
was no occasion to set everyone wondering and talking about
the visit of an English officer to General Reynier. "There is
no treason in it, Jules, still one does not want to be suspected
of treason, even by fools."

Sam watched all night, without hearing any sound of vehicles,
but in the morning he saw that several more guerillas had
come in during the night. In the morning parties of twos
and threes began to come in from the direction of Vittoria,
and it was evident from the shouting and noise in the village
that these brought satisfactory news of some kind. In the
afternoon most of them went out again in a body to the wood
at the toot of the hill, and soon afterwards Sam saw a cart
coming along across the plain. Two men walked beside it,
and Sam 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, and as many more at about the same dis-
tance behind. He could see others making their way through
the fields. " Dis berry bad job," Sam said to himself; "me
berry much afraid dat Massa Tom he not get back in time.
Der's too many for Sam to fight all by himself, but he must
do someting." Whereupon Sam set to to think with all his
might, and presently burst into a broad grin. " Sure enough

296

The Young Buglers.

dat do," he said ; " now let me arrange all about what dey call
de pamerphernalia." First, he emptied out the contents of a
rouple of dozen pistol cartridges ; he wetted 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 Pom had carried with him for
making dark lines on his face, and in other ways to assist his
disguise. Taking some white paint, Sam painted his eyelids
up to his eyebrows, and a circle on his cheeks, giving the eyes
at a short distance the appearance of ghastly saucers.

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

Then carefully examining the priming of the pair of pistols,
which he carried — the very pistols given to Peter by the pas-
sengers of tlic Marlborough coach — he prepared to set out.

It was now six o'clock, and he calculated that the waggon
would by this time have mounted the hill, and reached the
village ; he had already collected a large heap of dry sticks
and some logs, at the point Tom had pointed out, these he
now lit, and then started for the top of the hill. Looking
back, just as he reached the crest, he could see, knowing where
it was, a very light smoke curling up over a cluiv^p of trees
which intervened between him and the tire, but it was so slight
that he was convinced that it would not be noticed by an
ordinary observer. Sam saw at once, on reaching the top of
the hill, that the guerillas were crowded round the waggon,
which stood at the edge of a small clump of trees in the middle
of the village. The moment was favourable, and he at once
started forward, sometimes making a detour, so as to have the
shelter of a tree, sometimes stooping behind a low stone wall,

t^-

Just in Time.

297

t dey call
ents of a
^vder and
ones and
I took out
I him for
assist his
lis eyelids
\ the eyes

business,
m do for
/ith Massa

of pistols,
)y the pas-
k't out.
le waggon
ached the
dry sticlcs
, these he
Looking
ing where
p of trees
s so slight
:ed by an
the top of
e waggon,
he middle
; at once
) have the
tone wall,

until he reached the first house in the villiigc. It was now
comparatively eusy work, for tlicte were enclosures and walls,
the patches of garden-ground were breast-high with weeds, and,
stooping and crawling, Sam soon rea( hed a house close to
the waggon. It was a n^ere hut, and had not been repaired.
The roof was gone, but the charred shutters and doors still
liung on their hinges. It was the very place from which to see
without being seen. Sam entered by a door from behind, and
found that, through a slight opening in the window-shutter, he
could sec all that was going on. Some fifty guerillas were stand-
ing or sitting in groups at a distance of twenty yrrds.

In the centre of the groups, lying on the ground, was a figure
which he at once recognized as Peter. It was wound round
and round with ropes ; beside it stood, or rather danced, Nunez
pouring forth strings of abuse, of threats, and of curses, and
enforcing them with repeated kicks at the motionless figure.

" De debil!" muttered Sam, "me neber able to stand dis.
If you not stop dat, Massa Nunez, me put a bullet through dat
ugly head of yours, as sure as you stand dere. But me mustn't
do it till last ting; for, whether 1 kill him or not, it's all up
with Massa Peter and me if I once fire."

Fortunately Nunez was tired, and in a short time he desisted,
and threw himself down on the ground. " Take off his
ropes, one of you," he said ; " there would be no fear of his
running away had he three or four days 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 down
his throat. 1 want him to be fresh, so as to be able to enjoy
the pleasure we have in store for him. And now let's have
dinner."

Sam felt that for another hour at least Peter was safe, and
therefore, with the same precaution as before, he crept away

298

The Young Buglers.

from his hiding-place, tlirough the village, and over the hill-
crest, to the place where he had made lis fire. The logs were
burning well, but gave out but little smoke. Sam looked at the
sky, ** Dusk cum on berry fast," he said; "another hour
Massa Tam come on with soldiers. If he see fire, he hurry
up sharp. ' *>o saying, Sam heaped on a pile of wood, and
then made his way back. He knew that Tom would not
at)proach until it was too dark for the movements of the troops
to be seen by the look-outs, and that he could not be expected
to reach the village until fully an hour after dark. "Just
another hour and a half," he said to himself; "ebery thing
depend upon what happen before dat time." It was quite
dusk before he regained the shelter of the cottage. He had
gone round by the waggon, and had taken from it a large
stable-fork, muttering as he did so, " Golly! dis de berry ting."
Close by he saw the carcase of a bullock which the guerillas
had just slaughtered, and from this he cut off the horns and
tail.

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

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

Peter, his arms and feet still bound, was sitting with his back
against a tree, watching what were, he was convinced, the
preparations for his death. For the last ten days he had lived
ill £. sort of confused and painful dream. From the moment,
when, upon entering his room two hands suddenly gripped his
throat, others thrust a gag in the mouth, and then blindfolded

it^-

the hill.

logs were
:ed at the
her hour
he hurry
^ood, and
ould not
he troops
expected
:. " Just
sry thing
vas quite
He had
t a large
rry ting."
guerillas
lorns and

saw that

smoking

ce, while

himself,
ime, dat
s saying

his back
iced, the
bad lived
moment,
ipped his
nd folded

Just in Time.

299

him, while someone from behind lashed his arms to his side, and
then altogether, lifting him like a log, carried him downstairs
and threw him into a cart, he had not till now seen anything.
The band:ige had never been removed from his eyes, or the
cords from his limbs. Sometimes he had been made to sit up,
and soup and wine had been poured down his throat, or a
piece of bread thrust into his mouth ; then he had been again
gagged and thrown into a cart. Over him brushwood and fag-
gots had been piled, and there he had lain, until at night°a
stop was made, when he was taken out, fed, and then thrusi
back again and covered over.

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

"You see that fire," the enraged guerilla said, "there you
shall be roasted! F glish pig that you are! But not yet.
That were too quick a death ! Here," he said to his followers,
"make a little fire by the side of the big one— there, under the
arm of that tree \ and put on plenty of green leaves : we will
smoke our pig a bit before we roast him !"

Peter still eyed him unflinchindy. He was determined that
no pain should wring a complaint or prayer for mercy. Even
now he did not quite despair, for he thought that he had just
one chance of life. He was sure that Tom would move heaven
and earth to save him. He reckoned that he would at once
guess who had carried him off, and with what object ; and he
felt that Tom would be certain to set off to his rescue. All

300

The Young BufrJers.

this he had reflected over in his long days of weary suffering,
and from the moment that he was unbandagcd, and propped
against the tree, he had Hstened 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 it possible that Tom
might try ; and he feared more than he hoped, for he trembled
lest, if Tom were really there, that he would do some
rash thing, which would involve him in his fate. " Whether
Tom is here or not," Peter thought as he looked unflinch-
ingly at Nunez, " one thing is certain, if I know my brother,
you will not have many days to live after me, for Tom
will follow you all over Spain, but he will avenge me at
last!" Such were Peter's thoughts, and so likely did he
think it that Tom was present, that he was scarcely surprised
when he heard, as from the ground behind him, a well-known

voice.

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

" No, Sam."

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

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

Peter was able to say this, for at the moment Nunez was
occupied in rolling and lighting a second cigarette. Peter

uffering,
propped
unusual
^e. He
that he
fore he
at Tom
rembled
some
IVhether
inflinch-
brother,
)r Tom
; me at
did he
urprised
•1-known

;, Massa
soldiers,
k. Can

:eep up
when (le

ou your
on their
, and so

nez was
, Peter

i. 1_.„!KBKB

ll '

li^

NMi, i'r,ri;K swinc, iii xd ixuxnwakds, <i\i:r i hk iirf,.

ii*

Just ill Time.

301

riRR.

I'a-e ioi

received no answer, for Sam, seeing some guerillas bring- ig
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 up the 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, from the 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 'ife again with
buckets of water, only to have the suffocation repeated, until it
pleased Nunez to try some fresh mode of torture.

It was as he imagined. The rope was attached to his legs,
and amid the cheers of the guerillas, two men hauled upon the
other end until Peter swung, head downwards, over the fire.
There was no flame, but dense volumes of pungent smoke rose
in bis face. For a moment his eyes smarted with agony, then
a choking sensation seized him, his blood seemed to rush into
his head, and his veins to be bursting : then there was a con-
fused din in his ears and a last throb of pain, and then he was
insensible.

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

The men advanced to do so, but paused, with astonishment,
for from behind the g.-eat fire was a loud yell — " Yah, yah, yah 1"
—each louder than tho last, and then, leaping through the flames
appeared, as they supposed, the devil. Sam's appearance was
indeed amply sufficient to strike horror in the minds of a band
of intensely superstitious men. He irid entirely stripped him-
self, with the exception of his sandals, which he had retained
in order to be able to run freely; on his head were two great
horns ; in one hand he held a fork, and in the other what
appeared to be his tail, but which really belonged to the

;02

The Young Dtiglrrs.

slaughtered bullock. From his mouth, his horns, and the end
of his tail poured volumes of fire, arising, it needs not to say, from
the squibs he had prepared. The great white circles round the
eyes added to the ghastliness of his appearance, and seeing the
terrible figure leap apparently from the flames, it is no wonder
that a scream of terror rose from the guerillas. Whatever a
Spanish peasant may believe about saints and angels, he be-
lieves yet more imi)licitly in a devil. Black, with horns, and a
tail — and here he was — with these appendages tipped with fire !
Those who were able turned and lied in terror, those who
were too frightened to run fell on their knees and screamed for
mercy, while one or two fell insensible from fear. Taking the
squibs from his mouth, and giving Oiie more startling yell, to
quicken the fugitives, Sam made two strides to where Peter was
hanging, cut the rope, and lowered him down. •

Nunez had at first joined in the flight, but looking over his
shoulder he saw what Sam was doing. His rage and frenzy,
at the thought of being clieated of his victim, even by the evil
one himself, overcame his fear, and he rushed back, shouting,
'' He is mine ! He is mine ! I won't give him to you !" and
fired a pistol almost in Sam's face. The ball 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 his pitch-
fork into the body of the guerilla, then, exerting all his im-
mense strength, he lifted him upon it, as if he had been a
truss of straw, took three steps to the great bonfire and cast the
brigand into it.

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

This awful sight completed the discomfiture of the guerillas —
some hearing their chiefs shouts and the sound of his pistol

k^.

Just in Time.

303

nd the end
:o say, from
5 round the
seeing the
no wonder
Vhatever a
jels, he be-
)rns, and a

I with fire !
hose who
reamed for
"aking the
ng yell, to
: Peter was

g over his
nd frenzy,
3y the evil
shouting,
'0\\ !" and
ed away a
ven more
his pitch-

II his im-
d been a
d cast the

ler of big
ceased to

uerillas —
his pistol

had looked round, but the siglit of the gigantic fiend casting
him into the fire was too much for them. With cries of horror
and fear .hey continued their flight ; a few of ihem, who had
fallen on their knees, gained strength enough, from fear, to rise
and fly; the rest lay on their faces. Sam saw that for the
present all was clear, and lifting up Peter's still insensible
body, as if it had no weight whatever, he turned and went at a
brisk trot out of the village, then over the crest and down
towards the fire.

Then he heard a ring of metal in front of him, and a voice
said, ^'•Qui vive /" while another voice said, "Is that you,
Sam?"

" Bress de Lord ! Massa Tom, dis is me sure enough ; and
what is much better, here is A'assa 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 choke him, he better presently. Here,
massa, you take him down to fire, pour a little brandy down
his throat. Now, massa officer, I lead de way back to
villaure."

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

" Our fellows have got them," Jules said. " I don't know
what lias alarmed them, but t!^ey are running away !"

"Push forward," General Reynier said, "and give no
quarter 1 Jules, keep by the negro, and see that he comes to
no harm. The men might mistake him for a guerilla."

The night was pitch dark, and the extraordinary appearance
of Sam could not be perceived until after scouring the village
and shooting the few wretches whom they found there, they
gathered round the fire. Before reaching it, however, Sam had

3*^4

The Young Buglers.

••-: !

slipped away for a moment into the hut where he liad stripped;
here he quickly dressed himself, removed the paint from his
face, and re-joined the group, who were not a Httle surpristnl
at seeing his black face.

In a short time the parties who had been posted on all
the various roads came in, and it was found that they had
between them killed some thirty or forty of the brigands, and
had brought in two or three prisoners.

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

" I have asked the prisoners," one of the o^icers said, " and
they tell an extraordinary story, that the devil has just thrown
him into the fire ! "

" 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
were all running for their lives when they fell into our hands ;
they had been horribly frightened at something."

" Ask that fellow there," the general said, pointing to a pri-
soner who had been brought in by another detachment, " he
cannot have spoken to the 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 his pitchfork, fire came out of his mouth,
his tail and his horns were tipped with sparks, the captain
fired at him, of course the bullet did no 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 the general said : —

Jnsf in Time.

305

icl stripped;
It from his

2 surprised

ed on all

they had

jands, and

I Reynier
ndrel has

aid, "and
St thrown

e general

and they
ir hands ;

to a pri-
ent, "he

d him in

"The

mouth,

captain
and the
!ire, and

\\x

gliing,

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

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

" There is a great smell of burnt flesh here, and, sapristi, yes,"
as he 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 will bivouac here for the
night."

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

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

Sam, called and questioned, told the whole story, which Tom
translated as he went on to the French ofiicers, and it was
received with a chorus of laughter at the thought of the oddity
ot Sam's appearance, and of the brigands' terror, and with warm

3o6

The Young Duelers,

admiration for the able stratagem and courage shown by the
black.

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

The next day they moved down to Vittoria, where Peter was
tenderly nursed by Madame Reynier. A week later he was fit
to sit on horseback, and the next day, after a hearty and affec-
tionate parting, they started to rejoin their own army. Both
were uovf dressed as Spanish gentlemen, and Jules, with four
troopers, accompanied them as an escort

They made a long detour to avoid the French army in the
field under Clausel, and at last came within sight of the British
outposts. Here Juies and his escort halted, and after a warm
embrace with the merry young Frenchman, they rode for-
ward, and, after the usual parleying with the pickets, were
passed forward to the officer commanding the post He hap-
pened to be well known to them, and after the first surprise,
and a few words of explanation, they rode on towards the
head- quarters of the army besiegmg Burgos.

? shown by the

ntil now been

id been saved,

Is of gratitude

retired to cry

^ere Peter was
Iter he was fit
arty and affec-
i army. Both
iles, with four

army in the
of the British
1 after a warm
ey rode for-
pickets, were
•St. He hap.
First surprise,

towards the

OiilpniMMt

/;/(/('«",

IKMMla'

d C'(t.siro*c.''i-

IJATlLli (JF VITTORIA, WITH OPERATIONS BEFORK A>" M'TER THE ACTION.

Page 307.

jiiiii'-*'

St.Spliit-i

1 1 llli

<^ Cn.-itrosi.
DATTLi: OF VITTORIA, WlTIf OPERATIONS 15KFORK j

CHAPTER XIX.

VITTORIA.

General Clausel fell back as Wellington advanced to Burgos,
and the British laid siege to the castle of that place. Like all
Wellington's sieges this was con)menced with a wholly insuf-
ficient train of artillery, and without the time necessary to carry
out regular siege operations. A considerable portion of the
p.rmy were posted so as to watch Clausel. The place was
badly fortified, but the French under Governor Dubreton
defended themselves with immense skill and courage, the
English assaults were repulsed, successful sorties were made
by the garrison, and at last, after the failure of the fourth
assault, the siege was given up, and the allied armies turned
their faces once more towards Portugal.

It was time ; the operations in the south upon which Welling-
ton hj'.d relied to keep at least a portion of the French forces
engaged, had failed signal' -^, and the French generals were
bringing up their troops {icm all parts of Spain, and General
Souham, having under him Generals Clausel, Maucune, and Foy,
with a force far superior to that of the British, advanced to give
battle. Then Wellin.;'on, whose Anglo-Portuguese troops were
much weakened by sickness, fell back rapidly, sending orders
to General Hill, vviio commanded the troops left behind in

3o8

The Yoimg Buglers,

Madrid, to evacuate that city, and to fall back and unite with
him on the Tormes.

It was only by some masterly manoeuvring and some stiff
fighting at Venta de Pozo, on the Carrion, and on the Huebra,
that Wellington drew off his army to Ciudad Rodrigo.

During the retreat he British suffered very severely, and the
discipline of the army became greatly impaired, so much so
that Lord Wellington issued a general order rebuking the arm)-,
saying that " discipline had deteriorated during the campaign
in a greater degree than he had ever witnessed o. read of in an)
army, and this without any unusual privation or hardship, or
any long marches."

The number of stragglers may be imagined by the fact that
the loss of the allied army was upwards of nine thousanc', of
whom not more than two thousand were killed and wounded
at Burgos, and in the combats during the retreaL This number
includes the Spanish as well as the Anglo-Portuguese loss.

It was the beginning of December when the allied army
reached their winter quarters around Ciudad Rodrigo. It was
fortunate that the season of the year, and the necessity which
the French had to refill their magazines, and collect food, gave
breathing tin e and rest to the British. Although strengthened
by his junction with Hill, and by the arrival of reinforcements
from the coast, Wellington was not in a ;)osition to have made a
stand against such a force as the French could have brought
against him.

Tom and Peter Scudamore had rejoined the army at the
hottest part of the siege of Burgos, and had taken up their
woik at once. Lord Wellington heard from Tom a brief
account of what had taken place, and said a few kind words
expressive of his pleasure at their both having escaped from so
great a peril, and, grave and pre-occupied as he was with the

,1-

>fe

Viftoria,

309

nd unite with

nd some stiff
the Huebra,
•igo.

rely, and the
so much so
ing the ami) ,
lie campaign
ead of in an)
hardship, or

;he fact that
thousanc', of
ad wounded
rhis number
:se loss,
allied army
igo. It was
issity which
:t food, gave
trengthened
nforcements
lave made a
Lve brought

irmy at the
:;n up their
)m a brief
kind words
>ed from so
as with the

position of his army, he yet laughed at the account of the
scare Sain had given the guerillas. Among their friends nothing
was talked of for a day or two but their adventure. The
times were stirring, however, and one event rapidly drove out
another. Sam bee:' me a greater favourite than ever among
the officers of the staff, while the orderlies were never
tired of hearing how he pretty nearly frightened a band
of guerillas to death by pretending to be the evil one in
person.

The next four months were passed in preparations for the
grand attack with which Wellington confidently hoped to drive
the French out of Spain. The news of the defeat of Napoleon
in Russia had cheered the hearts of the enemies of France,
and excited them to make a great effort to strike a decisive
blow. The French army was weakened by the withdrawal of
several corps to strengthen the armies which Napoleon was
raising for his campaign in Germany, and British gold had
been so freely spent, that the Portuguese army was now in a
really efficient state ; a portion of the Spanish army had been
handed over to Wellington, and were now in a far more trust-
worthy condition than they had been heretofore, while the
whole of the north of Spain was in a state of insurrection,
which the French, in spite of all their efforts, were unable to
repress.

The invasion was delayed until the end of May, in order
that the crops might be in a fit state for the subsistence of the
cavalry and baggage animals ; but in the last week in that
month all was ready, and, in several columns, the allied army
poured into Spain nearly a hundred thousand strong. The
French, ignorant alike of Wellington's intentions and prepara-
tions, were in no position to stem effectually this mighty wave
of war. and were driven headlong before it, with many fierce

310

The V u)ig Buglers.

I !

skirniTshc*;, until their scat* red forces were, for the most part,
united on the Ebro.

Here Joseph occupied a strong position, which he thought
to hold until the whole of his troops could come up ; but
Wellington made a detour, swept round his right, and the
French fell back in haste, and took up their position in the
basin of Vittoria, where all the stores and baggage which had
been carried off as the army retreated from Madrid, Valla-
dolid, Burgos, and ot>,:;r towns, weie collected. At Vittoria
were gathered the Court, and an enormous mass of fugitives,
as all the Spaniards who had adhered to the cause of Joseph
had, with their wives and families, accompanied the French in
their retreat. Hence the accumulation of baggage animals and
carts, of stores of all descriptions, of magazines, of food and
artillery, of helpless, frightened people, was enormous, and, for
the retieat of the army in case of defeat, there was but one
good road, already e-cumbeied with baggage and fugi-
tives I

This terrible accumulation arose partly from the fault of
Joseph, who was wholly unequal to the supreme command
in an emergency like the present. Confused and bewildered
by the urgency of the danger, he had hesitated, wavered, and
lost precious time. By resistance at any of the rivers, which
Wellington had passed unopposed, he might easily have gained
a few days, and thus have allowed time for the great mass of
fugitives to reach the French frontier, and for Foy and Clausei,
each of whom were within a day's march upon the day of the
battle, to have arrived with a reinforcement of 20,000 good
fighting men. Instead of thi.^, he had suffered himself to be
outtlanked day after day, and his army forced into retreat,
without an effort at resistan e — a course of action irritating and
disheartening to all troops, but especially to the French, who,

'X-

[''I*.

Vittoria.

31T

e most part,

he thought
lie up ; but
ht, and the
iition in the

which had
drid, Valla-
At Vittoria
3f fugitives,
: of Joseph
e French in
inimals and
f food and
us, and, for
^as but one

and fugi-

:he fault of
; command
bewildered
ivered, and
i^ers, which
lave gained
at mass of
id Clausei,
(lay of the
D,ooo good
iself to be
ito retreat,
■itating and
ench, who,

admirable in attack, are easily dispirited, and are ill suited to
defensive warfare.

The position which he had now chosen for the battle, on
which his kingdom was to be staked, was badly selected for
the action. The front was, indeed, covered by the river
Zadora, but this was crossed by seven available bridges, none
of which had been broken down, while there was but the one
good line of retreat, and this, besides being already encum-
bered witli baggage-waggons, could be easily turned by the
allies. Tlie French army, weakened by 5000 men, who had
marched upon the preceding days, in charge of convoys for
France, were still about 70,000 strong, the allies — British, Por-
tuguese, and Spanish — about 80,000. The French were the
strongest in artillery.

Wellington, seeing that Joseph had determined to stand at Uiy,
made his arrangements for the battle. On the left, Graham, with
20,000 men, was to attempt to cross the Zadora atGamara Mayor,
when he would find himself on the main road, behind Vittoria,
and so cut the French line of retreat. Ilill, with a like force,
was to attack on the right, through the defile of Puebla, and so,
entering the basin of Vittoria, to threaten the French right, and
obtain possession of the bridge of Nanclares. In the centre,
Wellington himself, with 30,000 troops, would force the four
bridges in front of the French centre, and attack their main
position.

At daybreak on the 21st of June, 1813, the weather being
rainy with some mist, the troops moved from their quarters on
the Bayas, passed in columns over the bridges in front, and
slowly approached the Zadora. About ten o'clock, Hill seized
the village of Puebla, and cominenced the passage of the
defile, while one of the Portuguese battalions scaled the
heiglits above. Here the French met them, and a fierce

312

The Young Buglers.

i I

fight ensued ; the French were reinforced on their side,
while the 71st Regiment and a battalion of liglit infantry
joined the Portuguese.

Villatte's division was sent from the French centre to join
the fray, while Hill sent up reinforcements. While the fight on
the heights still raged, the troops in the defile made their
way through, and, driving the French back, won the vil-
lage of Subijano de Alava, in front of the French main posi-
tion.

Meanwhile, far to the left, Graham came into action with
Reille's division at Gamara Mayor. The French here, know-
ing the vital impoitance of the position, fought desperately,
and the village of Gamara was taken and retaken several times,
but no effort upon the part of the allies sufificed to carry either
the bridge at this place or that by which the main road crossed
the river higher up. i force, however, was pushed still farther
to the left, and there took up a position on the road at Durana,
drove back a Franco-Spanish force which occupied it, and thus
effectively cut the main line of retreat to France for Joseph's
army. The main force under Wellington himself was later in
coming into action, the various ,olumns being delayed by the
difficulties of making their way through the defiles.

While waiting, however, for the third and seventh divisions,
which were the last to arrive, a peasant informed Wellington
that the bridge of Tres Puentes was unbroken and unguarded.
Kempt's brigade of the light division were immediately ordered
to cross, and, being concealed by the inequalities of the
ground, they reached it and passed over unobserved, taking
their place under shelter of a crest within a few hundred yards
of the French main line of battle, and actually in rear of his
a'lvanced posts.

Some French cavalry now advanced, but no attack was

heir side,
: infantry

re to join
^e fight on
lade their

the vil-
lain posi-
tion with
re, know-
sperately,
ral times,
rry either
d crossed
ill farther
t Durana,
and thus
Joseph's

later in
d by the

livisions,
illington
guarded,
ordered
of the
I, taking
d yards
r of his

Vittoi'ia.

313

ick

was

made upon this isolated body of Ikitish tro6ps, for the French
were virtually without a commander.

Joseph, finding his flank menaced by the movements of Graham
and Hill, now ordered the army to fall back to a crest two miles
in the rear, but at this moment the third and seventh divisions
advanced at a run towards the bridge of Mcndoza, the French
artillery opened upon them, the British guns replied, a heavy
musketry fire broke out on both sides, and the battle commenced
in earnest. Now the advantage gained by the passage of
Kempt's brigade became manifest, for the riflemen of his
division advanced and took the French advanced cavalry and
artillery in flank. These, thus unexpectedly attacked, fell
back hastily, and a brigade of the third division took advantage
of the moment and crossed the bridge of Mendoza. The other
brigade forded the river a litde higher up, the seventh division
and Vandeleur's brigade of the light division followed. Hill
pushed the enemy farther back, and the fourth division crossed
by the bridge of Nanclares ; other troops forded the river, and
the battle became general all along the line.

Seeing that the hill in front of Arinez was nearly denuded of
troops by the withdrawal of Villatte's division earlier in the day
to oppose Hill, WelHngton launched Picton with the third
division and Kempt's brigade against it, and the French, thus
attacked with great strength and fury, and dispirited by the
order to retreat, began to fall back. Fifty pieces of artillery
and a cloud of skirmishers covered the movement, and the
British guns answering, the whole basin became filled with a
heavy smoke, under cover of which the French retired to the
heights in front of Gomecha, upon which their reserves were
[)OSted. Picton and Kempt carried the village of Arinez with
the bayonet, Vandeleur cajjtured the village of Margarita, and
the 87th Regiment won that of Hermandad.

314

The YouJig Bu(flers.

This advance turned tlic flank of the French trrxps neai
Siibijana de Ahiva, and of those on the Puebla mountain, and
both fell back in disorder for two miles, until they made a
junction with the main body of their army. Still the British
troops pressed forward, the French again fell back, and for
six miles a running fight of musketry and artillery was kept
up, the ground being very broken, and preventing the concerted
action of large bodies of troops. At six o'clock in the after-
noon the French stood at bay on the last heights before Vit-
toria, upon which stood the villages of Ali and Armentia.
Behind them was the plain upon which the city stood, and
beyond the city thousands of carriages, animals, and non-
combatants, women, and children, were crowded together in
the extremity of terror as the British shots rang menacingly
over their heads.

The French here defended themselves desperately, and for
a while the allied advance was checked by the terrible fire of
shot and shell. I'hcn the fourth division with a rush carried
a hill on the left, and the French again commenced their retreat.
Joseph, finding the great road absolutely blocked up, gave
orders for a retreat by the road to Salvatierra, and the army,
leaving the town of Vittoria on its left, moved off in a compact
mass towards the indicated road, Tnis, however, like the
other, was choked with carriages. It led through a swamp,
and had deep ditches on each side ; the artillery, therefore, had
to cut their traces and leave their guns behind them, the infantry
and cavalry thrust aside the encumbrances and continued their
march. Reille, who had defended the upper bridges nobly
until the last moment, now came up, and his division acting
as a rear guard, covered the retreat, and the French retired
with little farther loss.

They had lost the battle solely and entirely from the utter

Vittoria,

315

f ps neat
tain, and

made a
e British

and for
•^as kept
3ncerted
be after-
fore Vit-
rmentia.
3d, and
id non-
;ther in
lacingly

and for
2 fire of
carried
retreat.
0, gave
: army,
Dm pact
ke the
wamp,
re, had
ifantry
d their
nobly
acting
retired

utter

incapacity of their general, for their loss had been but little
greater than that of the allies, and they fell back in perfect
order and full of fighting. The French loss, including prisoners,
was not more than 6000, and that of the allies exceeded
5000. The French loss, !iowever, in material was enormous.
They carried off two guns only, and 143 fell into the hands of
the British. They lost all their parks of ammunition, all their
baggage, all their stores, all their treasure, all their booty.
Last of all, they lost Si)ain.

The Britiih pursued the French army for some days, and
then invested the two fortresses of San Sebastian and
Pampeluna.

Ten days after the battle of Vittoria, Napoleon despatched
Soult, one of the best of his generals, to displace Joseph and
assume the supreme command of the French troops.^ Travel-
ling with great speed, he reached the frontier upon the nth of
July, and took command. lie soon collected together the
divisions which had retired beaten but not routed from
Vittoria, drew together the troops from Bayonne and the
surrounding towns, and in a few days found himself at the head
of an army, including the garrisons, of 114,000 men. Besides
these there were the armies of Aragon and Catalonia, number-
ing 60,000 men.

After spending a few days in organizing the army, Soult

moved forward to relieve Pampeluna, and then in the heart of

the Pyrenees were fought those desperate combats at Maya,

Roncevalles, Buenza, Sauroren, and Dona Maria, which are

known in history as tiie battles of the Pyrenees. In these

terrible nine days' fighting there were ten serious combats, in

which the allies lu^t 7300 men, the French, including

prisoners, over 15,000, and Soult leii back baffled and beaten

across the fiontier.
'i2

3 1 6 The ) \)n }ig Buglt ts.

Throughout this account of tlic sliort and sanguinar}'
campaign by which in two short months AVellington siiattered
the power of tlie French and (hove them headlong from the
Peninsula, l)ut little has lieen said resj)eeting the doings of me
Scudamores. Their duties had been heavy, but devoid of any
personal achievements or events. Wellington, the incarnation
of acdvity himself, spared no one around him, and from early
dawn until late at night they were on horseback, carrying
orders and bringing back reports. At night their quarters
were sometimes in a village hut, sometimes in a straggling
chateau, wliich afforded accommodation to the commander-in-
chief and his whole staff.

Sam, a good horseman now, was in the higliest of spirits at
being able to accom[)any his masters, and, although the
Spanish women crossed themselves in horror when they first
saw his black face, the boys would hear shouts of laughter
arising before they had been a quarter of an hour in fresh
quarters. He was a capital cook, and a wonderful hand at
hunting up provisions.

There might not be a sign of a feathered creature in a
village when the staff came in, but in half an hour Sam would
be sure to return from foraging with a couple of fowls and his
handkerchief full of eggs. These were, of course, paid for, as
the orders against pillaging were of the strictest character, and
the army paid, and paid handsomely for everything it ate.

It was, however, difficult to persuade the peasants that pay-
ment was intended, and they would hide everything away with
vigilant care at the approach of the troops. When by the
display of money they were really persuaded that payment
was intended, they would produce all that they had willingly
enough, but the number of officers wanting to purchase was so
great and the amount of live stock so small in the war-ravaged

Vitforia.

Janguinary

shattered

: from the

ngs of me

id of any

icarnation

oni early

carrying

quarters

straggling

ander-in-

317

spirits at
ugh the
they first
laughter
in fresh
hand at

Jre in a
m would
and his
i for, as
:ter, and
,te.

lat pay-
day with
by the
)ayment
viJiingly
J was so
ravaged

country, that few indeed could obtain even for money anything
beside the tough rations of freshly-killed beef issued by the
commissariat.

Let the supply be ever so short, however, Sam never
returned empty-handed, and the fowls were quickly plucked
and on the fire before any one else had succeeded in discover-
ing that there was a bird in the village.

Sam's foraging powers passed into a joke with the staff, and
the Sciidamores became so curious to discover the reason of
his success, that after repeated questioning they persuaded him
to tell them.

"Well, massa, de matter berry simple— just easy as fallin'
off log. Sam go along, look into yard ob de cottages,
presently see feather here, feather there. Dat sign ob fowl.
Den knock at door. Woman open always, gib little squeak
when she see dis gentleman's coloured face. Den she say,
'What you want? Dis house full. Quartermaster take him
up for three, four officer.' Den Sam say, ' Illustrious madam,
me want to buy two fowls and eggs for master,' and Sam show
money in hand. Den she hesitate a little, and not believe
Sam mean to pay. Den she say, ' No fowls here.' Den Sam
point to de feathers. Den she get in rage and tell lie and
say, * Dcm birds all stole yesterday.' Den Sam see it time to
talk to de birds— he know dem shut up somewhere in de dark,
and Sam he begin to crow berry loud ; Sam berry good at dat.
He crow for all de world like de cock. Dis wake dem up, and
a minute one, two, three, half a dozen cock begin to answer
eider from a loft ober house, or from shed, or from somewhere.
Den de woman in terrible fright, she say, * Me sell you two
quick, if you will go away and swear you tell no one.' Den
Sam swear. Den she run away, come back wid de fowls and
some eggs, and always berry much astonished when Sam pay

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TEST TARGET (MT-3)

if ■

1.0

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1.25

U 11.6

p^.

Photographic

Sdences
Corporation

^^ 4^'

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33 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

3i8

The Young Buglers.

for dem. After dat she lose her fear, she see me pay, and she
sell de chickens to oders when dey come till all gone. Dat
how dis chile manage de affairs, Massa Tom."

The Scudamorcs had a hearty laugh, and were well pleased
to find that Sam's method was one to which not even the
strictest disciplinarian could object, a matter concerning which
they had previously had grave doubts.

While the battles of the Pyrenees were being fought, the
siege of St. Sebastian had continued, and once again the
British troops had suffered a terrible loss, from the attempt to
carry a fortress with an insufficient siege-train, and without the
f'me necessary to drive the trenches forward in regular form.
St. Sebastian stood upon a peninsula. In front of the neck ol
this peninsula was the hill of San Bartholomeo, on which stood
the convent of that name. At the narrowest part of the neck
stood a redoubt, which was called the Cask Redoubt, because it
was constructed of casks filled with sand. Behind this came
the horr-work and other fortifications. Then came the town,
while at the end of the peninsula rose a steep rock, called
Mount Orgullo. on which stood the citadel. Upon its
left side this neck of land was separated from the main-
land by the River Urumea ; and upon the heights of Mount
Olia and the Chofres, across t'le Urumea, were placed the
British batteries, which breached the fortifications facing th(
river.

General Graham commanded the allied forces, which were
detached to undertake the siege, and on the loth of July bat
teries were commenced against the convent of San B.utho-
lomeo, which had been fortified by the French. On the 17th
the convent was in ruins, and an assault was made upon the
position. The 9th Regiment took the place in gallant style,
but an attempt being made to carry the cask redoubt, with a

ASSAULT OF ST. SEBASTIAN.

—p

SEBASTIAN.

Page 3ig.

ASSAULT OF ST.

Vittoria.

3'9

rush, the as.,.uiU was repulsed, the British remaining possessors

of San Bartholomoo. ... „ , a

On the 24th the batteries on Mount Olia, having effected
what was bdieved to be a practicable breach, 2000 men
of the fifth division, consisting of the 3rd battalion of the
Royals, the sSlh, and the 9*, made an assault at night. To
arrive at the breach they had to make their way along the
slippery rocks on the bed of the U:umea, exposed to a fian.c-fire
from the river-wall of the town. The breaches had been
isolated from the town, and guns placed to take the stormers
in flank. The confusion and slaughter were terrible, and at day-
break the survivors fell back, with a loss of forty-nine officers

and ^20 men. , rr^i i «<■

The whole arrangement of the siege was bad. The ,Jan of
of Major Smith, of the engineers, a most excellen office ,
whi^hU been approved by Welhngton, .as not «
and the assault, contrary to Wellington's ex,hcit order, took
Ze at night, instead of by day, the consequence being con
£ion, delay, Ind defeat. The total lo.s to the allies of this
first siege of St Sebastian was .300 men

Neither of the Scudamores were present at the first siege,
J Ith witnessed the second assault, of the 3.-f A^us..

Wellington himself was ^^^^l^ Z::::^^
tion of the prepaiation for attack, and tne)
remain for the next day to witness the assault. T e see
remain lui month, and on the 23rd

had been resumed on the 5.^. ^^^ITl^ i— « <J='-^=-
the batteries had opened fire in earnest, an

was done to the defences and ^"^J^^, „,, ,,Uen ;
asupon ^^^^"^^^^^X:^.^, and, worst of
„o lodgment 1;^^'^ J^-";^ ^ hgently conducted by the fleet,

rct:rr:rt:;:ps%iandainn^

320

The YoHiig Buglets,

M r

been passed in, and the defence was even stronger tlian it had
been when the first assault was delivered.

General Graham took up his position on the heights of the
Chofres to view the assault, and the Scudamores stationed
themselves near him. A dense mist hid the fortress from view,
and it was not until eight o'clock that the batteries were able to
open. Then for three hours they poured a storm of shot and
shell upon the defences. The Scudamores sat down in one
of the trenches, where they were a little sheltered from the
blazing heat of the sun, and Sam took his place at a short dis-
tance from them

As the clock struck eleven the fi>? slackened, and at that
moment Sam exclaimed, *' Golly, Massa Tom, dere dey go."
As he si)oke Robinson's brigade poured out from the trenches,
and, passing through the openings in the sea-wall, be^^'an to
form on the beach.

It was known that the French had mined the angle of the
wall overhanging the beach, and a sergeant, followed by twelve
men, dashed gallantly forward to try to cut the train leading to
the mine. He was unsuccessful, but the suddeness of the
rush startled the French, who at once fired the mine, which
exploded, destroying the brive sergeant and his party, and
thirty of the leading men of the column, but not doing a tithe
of the damage which it would have inflicted had the column
been fairly under it

" Hurrah ! dere dey go," Sam exclaimed as the column clam-
bered over the ruins and pursued its way unchecked along the
beach. They had, however, to make their way under a storm
of fire.

The French, as before, lined the wall, and poured a tre-
mendous musketry fire into their flank, and the batteries of
Mount Orgullo and St Elmo plied them with shot and shell,

Vittoria.

321

in it had

ts of the
Jtationed
3m view,
e able to
ihot and
1 in one
from the
hort dis-

i at that
3ey go."
renches,
e^'an to

i of the

f twelve
iding to
of the
I, which
ty, and
[ a tithe
column

n clam-
ong the
a. storm

a tre-
eries of
d shell.

while two pieces of cannon on tne cavalier and one on the
horn-work raked them with grape.

Still the column neither halted nor faltered, but dashed, like
a wave, up the breach. When, however, they reached the top
they could go no farther. A deep gulf separated them from
the town, while from every loop-hole and wall behind, the
French musketry swept the breach. The troops could not
advance and would not retreat, but sullenly stood their
ground, heaping the breach with their dead. Fresh bodies of
men came up, and each time a crowd of brave men
mounted the breach, only to sink down beneath the storm

of fire.

"This is awful, horrible, Tom!" Peter said in a choked
voice. "Come away, I can't look at this slaughter, it is a
thousand times worse than any battle."

Tom made no reply, his own eyes were dim with tears, and
he rose to go, taking one more look at the deadly breach, at
whose foot the survivors of the last attempt had sunk down, and
whence the mass of soldiers were keeping up a musketry fire
against the guns and unseen foes who were sweeping them
away, when an officer ran up from General Graham's side, and
in a minute fifty guns from the Chofres batteries opened a
storm of fire upon the curtain and the traverses behind the

breach.

It was a terrible trial to the nerves of the assaulting columns
when this terrific fire was poured upon a spot only twenty feet
above them ; but they were not men to shrink, and the men of
the light division seized the opportunity to pull up the broken
masonry and make a breastwork, known in military term as a

lodgment

For half an hour the iron storm poured overhead un-
checked, smashing the traverse, knocking down the loopholed

322

TJic You tig Pughrs.

' ^1

walls, and killing numbers of the defenders. Tlien it censed, and
the troops leapt to their feet, and again rushed up the breach,
while the 13th Portuguese Regiment, followed by a detachment
of the 24th, waded across the llrumea under a heavy fire from
the castle, and attacked the third breach.

But still no entry could be effected. The French fire was as
heavy as ever, and the stormers again sank baflled to the fuol
of the great breach. The assault seemed hopeless, the tide
•vas rising, the reserves were all engaged, and the men had
done all that the most desperate courage could do. For f\vc
hours the battle had raged, when, just as all appeared lost,
one of those circumstances occurred which upset all calcu-
lations and decide the fate of battles.

Behind the traverses the French had accumulated a great
store of powder barrels, shells, and other combustibles. Just
at this moment these caught fire. A briglit flame wrapped the
whole wall, followed by a succession of loud explosions ; hun-
dreds of French grenadiers were destroyed, and before the
smoke had cleared away, the British burst like a flood through
the first traverse.

Although bewildered by this sudden disaster, the French
rallied, and fought desperately ; but the British, desperate with
the long agony of the last five hours, would not be denied ; the
light division penetrated on the left, the Portuguese on the
right The French, still resisting obstinately, were driven
through the town to the line of defence at the foot of Mount
Orgullo, and the town of St. Sebastian was won.

"Will you go across, Peter, and enter the town ?"

" No, no, Tom ; the sight of that horrible breach is enough
for me. Let us mount, and ride off at once. I am quite sick
after this awful suspense."

It was as well that the Scudamores did not enter the town.

Vttfona.

323

?nsed, and
le breach,

Jtachmeiit
fire from

ire was as
' the fuot
I the tide
men had
For f\vc
red lost,
ill calcu*

a great
^s. Just
;)ped the
IS ; hun-
fore the
through

French
ate with
ed; the

on the
: driven
■ Mount

enough
lite sick

e town,

as, had they done so, they might havesliarcd the fate of several
other officers, who were shot down wliile trying to stop the
troops in their wild excesses. No more disgraceful atroci-
ties were ever committed by the most barbarous nations of
antiquity tiian those which disgraced the British name
at the storming of St. Sebastian. Shameful, monstrous as
had been the conduct of the troops at the storming of
Ciudad Rodrigo and at Badajos, it was infinitely worse at
SL Sebastian. As Rapin says, hell seemed to have broken

loose.

The castle held out until the 9th, when it surrendered, and
the governor and his heroic garrison marched out with the
honours of war. The British loss in the second siege exceeded
2500 men and officers.

There was a pause of two months after the fall of St.
Sebastian, and it was not until the 10th of November that
Wellington hurled his forces against the lines which, in imita-
tion of those of Torres Vedras, Soult had formed and fortified
on the river Nivelle to withstand the invasion of France.
After a few hours' desperate fighting the French were turned
out of their position with a loss of killed, wounded, and
prisoners, of 4265 men and officers, the loss of the allies being

2694.

Now the army of invasion poured into France, The French
people, disheartened by Nai)o!eon's misfortunes in (Germany,
and by the long and mighty sacrifices which thoy had for years
been compelled to make, in order to enable Napoleon to carry
out his gigantic wars, showed but slight hostility to the

invaders.

Wellington enforced the severest discipline, paid for every-
thing required for the troops, hanging marauders without
mercy, and, finding that it was impossible to keep the

324

The Yomtg Buglers,

' i

Spanish troops in order, he sent the whole Spanish contin-
gent, 20,000 strong, back across the Pyrenees.

He then with the Anglo- Portuguese army moved on towards
Bayonne, and took up a position on both sides of the river
Nive, driving the French from their position on the right bank
on December 9th. On the 13th, however, Soult attacked
that portion of the army on the right of the river, and one of
the most desperate conflicts of the war took place, known as
the battle of St. Pierre. General Hill commanded at this
battle, and with 14,000 Anglo-Portuguese, with 14 guns, repulsed
the furious and repeated attacks of 16,000 French, with 22
guns.

In five days' fighting on the river the French lost more than
as many thousand men.

The weather now for a time interrupted operations, but
Wellington was preparing for the passage of the Adour. Soult
guarded the passages of the river above Bayonne, and never
dreamt that an attempt would be made to bridge so wide and
rough a river as is the Adour below the town. With the assist-
ance of the sailors of the fleet the great enterprize was accom-
plished on the 13th of February, and leaving General Hope to
c(>ntain the force in the entrenched camp at Bayonne,
Wellington marched the rest of the army to the Gave.

Behind this river Soult had massed his army. The British
crossed by pontoon bridges, and before the operation was con-
cluded, and the troops united, Soult fell upon them near
Orthes.

At first the French had the best of the fight, driving back
both wings of the allied forces, but Wellington threw the third
and sixth divisions upon the left flank of the attacking column
and sent the 52nd Regiment to make a detour through a
marsh and fall upon their other flank. Taken suddenly between

•W i.

Viftona.

325

h contin-

1 towards
the river
iht bank
attacked
d one of
:nown as
1 at this
repulsed
with 22

lore than

ons, but
r. Soult
id never
nde and
lie assist-
5 accom-
Hope to
Bayonne,

e British
was con-
em near

two fires the French wavered, I he British pressed forward
again, and the French fell back fighting obstinately, and in
good order. The allies lost 2300 men, and the French 4000.
Soult fell back towards Toulouse, laying Bordeaux open to the

British.

ing back
;he third
J column
irough a
between

CHAPTER XX.

TOULOUSK.

Promotion for those who have the good fortune to have a
post upon the comniaiider-in-chiefs staff is rapid. They mn
far less risk than do the regimental officers, and they have a
tenfold better chance of having their names mentioned in
despatches. The Scudamores were so mentioned for their
conduct at Vittoria, the Pyrenees, and Orthes, and shortly
after the last-named battle the Gazette from England
announced their promotion to majorities. This put on end to
their service as aides-de-camp, and they were attached to the
quarter-master's branch of the staff of Lord Beresford, who
was upon the point of starting with a small force to Bordeaux,
where the authorities, thinking more of party than of patriotism,
had invited t> 'c English to enter and take possession, intend-
ing to proclaim their adhesion to the Bourbon dynasty.

The boys were sorry at the exchange, as they feared that
they should lose the crowning battle of the campaign. It was
evident that the resistance of France was nearly at an end, the
allies were approaching Paris in spite of the almost super-
human efforts of Napoleon ; the people, sick of the war,
refused all assistance to the military authorities, and were
longing for peace, and the end of the struggle was rapidly
approaching.

^N>-",' *■..

to have a

They run

bey have a

itioned in

for their

id shortly

England

on end to

ed to the

;ford, who

Bordeaux,

Datriotism,

•n, intend-

ty.

^ared that
1. It was
1 end, the
ost super-
the war,
and were
as rapidly

f^iiafiih ^mop' Bill
French Troops >Wi«|

}l„rKt Cnvnirii

LE OF TOULOUSE.

Page 326.

|iriv;a

£Di^

» *,

^ffj^Ttvian'M hussars

English Cnmhy i^
French Tntopi W*|

BATTLE OF TOULOUSE.

Page 326.

i I

'i )

Toulouse,

327

Lord Beresford, however, divining their thoughts, assured
them that his stay at Bordeaux would be but short, and that
they might rely upon being present at the great battle which
would probably be fought somewhere near Toulouse, towards
which town Soult had retreated after the battle of Orthes.

Upon the 8th of March, Beresford marched with 12,000
men for Bordeaux, and meeting with no opposition
by the way, entered that city on the 12 th. The mayor, a
royalist, came out to meet them, and by the upper classes of
the town they were received as friends rather than foes.
Handsome quarters were assigned to Lord Beresford and his
staff, and the Scudamores for a day or two enjoyed the luxury
of comfortable apartments and of good food after their hard
fare for nine months.

The day after they entered Bordeaux Tom had occasion to
call at the office of a banker in order to get a government
draft cashed, to pay for a number of waggons which had
been purchased for the quarter-master's department. The
banker's name was Weale, an American, said to be the richest
man in Bordeaux. His fortune had been made, it was said,
by large government contracts.

When Tom returned, Peter was surprised to see him looking

pale and excited.

" What is the matter, Tom ? "

" Do you know, Peter, I am convinced that that American
banker I have been to see to-day is neither more nor less thai:
that scoundrel, Walsh, who bolted with all the bank funds, and
was the cause of our father's death."

"You don't say so, Tom."

** It is a fact, Peter, I could swear to him."

" What shall we do, Tom ? "

"I only cashed one of the two drafts I had with me this

32^

The Young Buglers,

morning; Peter, you go this afternoon with the other, and, if
you are as certain as I feel about it, we will spcvik to IJcresford
at dinner."

Peter returned in the afternoon satisfied that hi& brother's
surmises were correct, and that in the supposed American
Weale they had really discovered the English swindler Walsh.

After dinner they asked Lord Beresford to speak to them for
a few minutes alone.

The general was greatly surprised and interested at their
communication.

"Of how much did this fellow rob ^ our father's bank?" he
asked.

" The total defalcation, including money borrowed on title-
deeds deposited in the bank, which haa to be made good, was,
I heard, fron 75,000/. to 80,000/.," Tom said.

" Very well," said Lord Beresford, " we will make the
scoundrel pay up with interest. Order out thirty men of the
13th."

While the men were mustering, the general returned to the
dining-room and begged the officers wlio were dining with him
to excuse him for half an hour, as he had some unexpected
business to perform. Thc^. he walked across with the Scuda-
mores to the banker's house, which was only in the next
street.

Twenty of the men were then ordered to form a cor-
don round the house and to watch the various entrances.
The other ten, together with the officer in command, the
general told to follow him into Llie house. The arrangements
completed, he rang at the bell, and the porter at once opened
the gate.

He started and would have tried to shut it again on seeing
the armed party. But Lord Beresford said, " I am the general

r, and, if
JJcrcsfurd

brother's
American
r Walsh.

them for

at their

nk ? " he

on title-
Dod, was,

lake the
1 of the

i to the

ith him
xpected

Scuda-
le next

a cor-

:rances.
nd, the
ements
opened

seeing
general

I AM Ai'.orr, :.\ i"!\k mixciis timf, lo okhkr \ov to ];k shot,

]Mk. WAl.^ll."

r.i-e 3JU.

f '

Toulouse.

329

commanding the British troops here. Make no noise, but
show me (hVcrtly to your master."

The man hesitated, but seeing that the force was too great
to be resisted, led the way tlirough the court-yard into the
house itself.

Some servants in the hall started up with amazement,
and would have run off, but Lord Bercsford cried, " Stay
quiet for your lives. No >ne will be hurt ; but if any
one moves from the hall, he will be shot." Then, followed
by Tom and Peter only, he opened the door which the porter
pointed out tc him f.s that of the room where the banker was
sitting.

He was alone, and started to his feet upon beholding three
British officers enter unannounced. "What means this?" he
demanded angrily. " I am a citizen of the United States, and
for any outrage upon me satisfaction will be demanded by my
Government"

"1 am Lord Beresford," the general said quietly, "and
quite- know what I am doing. I do not quite agree
with you that the Government of the United States wiK
make any demand for satisfaction for any outrage upon your
person, nor, if they do so, will it benefit you greatly; for
I am about, in five minutes' time, to order you to be shot,
Mr. Walsh."

As the name was uttered the banker, who had listened with
increasing pallor to the stern words of the general, started
violently, and turned ghastly white. For a minute or so he
was too surprised and confounded to speak. Then he said,
in a husky tone, " It is false ; I am an American citizen. I
know nothing whatever about James Walsh."

" James Walsh ! " the general said ; " I said nothing about
James. It is you who have told us his Christian name, which
is, I have no douljt, the correct one."

'2:i

330

The Vouug Buglers,

I 'i

He looked to Tom, who nodded assent.

" I know nothing about any Walsli," the banker said dog
gedly. "Who says I do?"

** We do, James Walsh," Tom said, stepping forward. " Tom
and Peter Scudamore, the sons of the man you robbed and
ruined."

The banker stared at them wildly, and then, with a hoarse
cry, dropped into his chair.

"James Walsh," the general said sternly, "your life is
doubly forfeit. As a thief and a swindler, the courts of law
will punish you with death ;" for in those days death was the
penalty of a crime of this kind. " In the second place, as a
traitor. As a man who has given aid and assistance to the
enemies of your country, your life is forfeit, and I, as the
general in command here, doom you to death. In five
minutes you will be shot in your courtyard as a thief and a
traitor."

" Spare me ! " the wretched man said, slipping jff his chair
on to his knees. " Spare my life, and take all that I have. I
am rich, and can restore much of that which I took. I will
pay 50,000/."

" Fifty thousand pounds ! " the general said ; " you stole
80,000/., which, with interest, comes up to ioo,ooo7., besides
yhich you must pay for acting as a traitor. The military chest
is empty, and we want money. I will value your wretched life
at 25,000/. If you make that sum a present to our military
chest, and pay Major Scudamore the 100,000/. of which you
swindled his father, I will spare you."

" One hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds 1 " the
banker said fiercely. "Never; I will die first."

" Very well," Lord Bcrcsford said (luittly. " Major Scuda-
more, please call in the officer and four men." Tom did as

the

Toulouse,

331

requested, and Lord Beresford then addressed the officer
" You will take this man, who is an Englishman, who has been
acting as a traitor, and giving assistance to the French army, you
will take a firing party, place him against the wall of the yard,
give him five minutes to make his peace with God, and when
the five minutes are up, unless h<* tells you before that that he
wishes to see me, shoot him."

Pale and desperate, the banker was led out.

" He will give way, I hope," Tom said, as tlie door closed
behind him.

" He will give way before the time is up," Lord Beresford
said. " He is a coward ; I saw it in his face."

Four minutes passed on, the door opened again, and the
officer returned with his prisoner. " He says he agrees to your
terms, sir."

" Very well," Lord Beresford answered j ** remain outside
with your uiCii ; they may be wanted yet."

The prisoner, without a word, led the way into an ad-
joining room, which communicated with the public office.
This was his private parlour, and in a corner stood r. safe.
He unlocked it, and, t-iking out some books and papers, sat
down to the table.

His mood had evidently changed. " I was a fool to hold
out," he said, " for I had my name for wealth against me, and
might have known you v omd not give way. After all, I do
not know that I am altogether sorry, for I have always had an
idea that some day or other the ihing would come out, and now
I can go back and be comfortable for the rest of my life.
How will you have the money, gentlemen? I have 50,000/.
in cash, and can give you a draft on the Bank of England
for the rest. You look surjirised, but I have always been pre-
pared to cut and run from this country at the shortest notice,

333

The Y OH fig Buglers,

and every penny I have beyond the cash absolutely required
is in England or America."

" I will take 25,000/. in cash for the use of the army," Lord
Bercsford said. *' I will send an officer of the Commissariat
to-morrow for it. The 100,000/. you may pay these genOemen
in drafts on England. Until I hear that these drafts are
honoured, I shall keep you under surveillance, and you will not
be suflcred to leave your house."

" It will be all right," Walsh said. " There is my Bank of
England pass-book ; you will see that I have 120,000/. standing
to the credit of J. Weale tliere. I have as much in America,
I should not tell you this did I not know that you are a
gentleman, and therefore will not raise your terms now
that you see I can j^ay higher. There, Mr. Scudamore,
is the draft, and, believe me or not, I am glad to repay
it, and to feel, for the first time for many years, a free
man. Please to give me a receipt for the 80,000/. due by
me to the Bank, and for 20,000/, five years' interest on the
same."

Tom did as he was desired without speaking. There was a
tone of eftVontery mingled with the half-earnestness of this
successful swindler that disgusted him.

" There," the general said, as the receipts were handed
over ; " come along, lads, the business is over, and I do not
think that we have any more to say to Mr. Weale."

So saying, without further word, the three went out.

Upon rejoining the officer without. Lord Beresford directed
that a sergeant and ten men were to be quartered in the house,
and that a sentry was to be placed at each entrance night and
day, and that the hanker was not to be permitted to stir out
under any pretence whatever until further orders.

" There, lads, I congratulate you heartily," he said as they

Toulouse.

333

issued from the gntc, in answer to the warm thanks in which
the boys expressed their gratitude to iiim ; '* it is a stroke of
luck indeed th. t you eanie wiUi me to Bordeaux. It was
rough-and-ready justice, and I don't suppose a court of law in
England would approve of it; but we are under martial law, so
even were that fellow disposed to (juestion the matter, whi( h
you may be very sure he will not, we arc safe enough. They
say * ill-gotten gains fly fast,' but the scamp has i)rospered on
the money he stole. He owned to having another hundred
thousand safe in the States, and no doubt he has at least as
much more in securities of one sort or other here. I daresay
he was in earnest when he said that he did not mind paying
the money to get rid of the chance of detection and punish-
ment, which must have been ever in his mind. The best thing
you can do, Scudamore, is to write to James Pearson — he's my
solicitor in London— and give him authority to present this
draft, and invest the sum in your joint names in good secu-
rities. Enclose the draft. I shall be sending off an orderly
with despatches and letters at daybreak, and if you will give me
your letter to-night, I will enclose it in a note of my own to
Pearsoa"

Five days later an order arrived for Lord Beresford to leave
the seventh division under Lord Dalhousie, in Bordeaux, and
to march with the fourth division to join the Commander-in-
Chief, who was gratlually drawing near to Toulouse, beneath
whose walls Soult was reorganizing his army. The position
was a very strong one, and had been rendered almost impreg-
nable by fortifications thrown upon the heights. Wellington
had, too, the disadvantage of having to separate his army, as
the town lay upon both sides of the Garonne.

On the loth of April the allied army attacked. Hill attacked
the defences of the town on the left bank, while Preyres

334

TJie Young Buglers.

Spaniards, Plcton, with the tliird and light divisions, and
Beresford with the fourth and the sixth divisions, assaulted a
French position. The entrenchments in front of Picton were
too strong to be more than menaced. Freyre's Spaniards were
repulsed with great loss, and the brunt of the battle fell upon
Beresford's division, which nobly sustained the character of
the British soldier for stubborn valour in this the last battle of
the war. The French fought stubbornly and well, b>l fort by
fort the British drove them from their strong positions, and at
five in the afiernoon Soult withdrew the last of his troops in
good order across the canal which separated the position they
had defended from the town itself. The French lost five
generals and 3000 killed and wounded ; the allies four generals
and 4659 killed and wounded, of which 2000 were Spaniards,
for they upon this occasion fought bravely, though unsuccess-
fully.

On the I ith all was quiet, Wellington preparing for an attack
upon the city on the following day. Soult, however, finding
that the British cavalry had been sent off so as to menace his
line of retreat, evacuated the city in the night, drew off his
army with great order and ability, and by a march of twenty-
two miles placed it in safety. Upon the morning of the
1 2th Wellington entered Toulouse, and the same afternoon
two officers, one British, the other French, arrived together
from Paris, with the news of the abdication of Napoleon, and
the termination of the war.

These officers had been detained for two days at Blois by
the officials there, and this delay had cost the blood of 8000
men, among whom was Tom Scudamore, who had his left arm
carried away by a cannon ball. Sam, in the act of carrying his
master from the field, was also severely wounded in the head
with a musket ball

Toulouse*

335

ns, and
iLilted a
on were
ds were
ill upon
acter of
)attle of
fort by
, and at
oops in
on they
ost five
generals
aniards,
success-

n attack

finding

lace his

off his

twenty-

of the

ternoon

ogetlicr

on, and

Mois by
>f 8000
eft arm
'ing his
e head

Before the battle was fought they had received news from
England that the draft had ])een paid at the Bank of Eng-
land, and that their future was in consequence secure. The
war being over, officers unattached to regiments had little
diflficulty in getting leave of abseiice, as the troops were to be
embarked for England as soon as possible. Peter's applica-
tion, therefore, to accompany his brother was acceded to with-
out hesitation, and ten days after the battle of Toulouse he was
on board ship with Tom and Sam, both of whom were doing
well. Three days afterwards they landed in England.

Rhoda met them, with Miss Scudamore, at Portsmouth,
having received a letter telling them of Tom's wound, and of
their being upon the point of sailing. There was a great
reduction of the army at tlie end of the war, and the Scuda-
mores were both placed upon half pay. This was a matter of
delight to Rhoda, and of satisfaction to themselves. They had
had enough of adventure to last for a lifetime; and with the
prospect of a long peace the army no longer offered them any
strong attraction.

When they returned to Miss Scudamore's their old friend Dr.
Jarvis came to visit them, and a happier party could not have
been found in England. The will of Mr. Scudamore, made
before he was aware of his ruin, was now acted upon. He had
left 20,000/. to Rhoda, and the rest of his fortune in equal parts
between his boys. Both Tom and Peter were fond of a
country life, and they bought two adjoining estates near Oxford,
Rhoda agreeing to stop with them, and Miss Scudamore
alternately.

For a brief time there was a break in their happiness.
Napoleon escaped from Elba, and Europe was in a flame
again. All the officers on half pay were ordered to present
themselves for duty, and the Scudainores crossed wiJi the

33^

The Young Buglers.

army to Belgium, and fought at Waterloo. Neither were hurt,
nor was Sam, who had of course accompanied them. Water-
loo gave them another step in rank, and the Scudaraores
returned as colonels to England.

It was their last war. A few years afterwards they married
sisters, and Rhoda having the year previous married a gentle-
man whose estate was in the same county, they remained as
united as ever. Sambo held for many a year the important
position of buUer to Tom, then he found that one of the
housemaids did not regard his colour as any insuperable
obstacle, and they were accordingly married. It was difficult
to say after this exactly the position which Sam held. He
lived at a cottage on the edge of the estate, where it joined
that of Peter, and his time was spent in generally looking
after things at both houses, and as years went on his great
delight was, above all things, to relate to numerous young
Scudamores the adventures of their father and uncle when he
first knew them as the Young Buglers.

THE END

jre hurt,

Water-

iamores

married

gentle-
ined as
portant

of the
perable
difficult
1 He

joined
ooking
s great

young
hen he