Suchet, when once he had settled down to the siege of Saguntum, had not failed to notice Blake’s weak demonstration against his flank by means of the divisions of Obispo and Charles O’Donnell. He did not intend to tolerate it, and on September 30 had sent Palombini with his own Italian division and Robert’s French brigade to beat up Obispo’s quarters at Segorbe. The Spanish division made a poor attempt to defend itself on a position in front of that town, but was easily beaten and retired into the mountains. It was then the turn of Charles O’Donnell; when Palombini had come back to the camp, Suchet took Harispe’s division, with Robert’s brigade, and two regiments of cavalry, to evict the Spanish division from Benaguacil. O’Donnell made a slightly better fight than Obispo had done, and deployed Villacampa’s infantry behind an irrigation canal, with San Juan’s cavalry on his flanks. But the French were superior in numbers as well as in confidence: one fierce charge broke O’Donnell’s line, and he had to retreat in haste to the hills behind him, losing 400 men, cut up in the pursuit by Suchet’s cavalry, while the French casualties barely reached three officers and sixty men (October 2nd). Blake, who had been quite close enough to succour O’Donnell if he had chosen, made no attempt to aid him, and kept quiet behind his lines on the Guadalaviar. There the routed troops joined him next day. Suchet, having thus cleared his flanks, settled down to the siege of Saguntum, where his heavy artillery was now much needed. The besieging army had to content itself for another fortnight with making preparations for the expected train--levelling roads and constructing approaches on the ground which was destined for the front of attack, at the west end of the hill of Saguntum. Meanwhile the siege-train was lumbering down from Tortosa by the coast-road. On October 6th Suchet started to meet it, taking with him the 1,500 Neapolitans of Compère. On the 8th he reached Oropesa, where he found the small Spanish garrison still holding the two towers which have before been mentioned. The first guns that came up were turned against the tower by the high-road; it was easily breached, and on the 10th surrendered: 215 men and four guns were captured. Next day came the turn of the other tower, that by the sea; but before the siege-battery had opened on it, the British 74 _Magnificent_ and a squadron of Spanish gunboats ran inshore, and took off the garrison of 150 men in their boats, under the ineffective fire of the French.