Boys of the Light Brigade: A Story of Spain and the Peninsular WarStrang, Herbert
General
Boys of the Light Brigade: A Story of Spain and the Peninsular War
Strang, Herbert
Peninsular War, 1807-1814 -- Juvenile fiction
With a low bow he turned away, followed by his companion, whom Jack had
at once recognized, when he gained the summit of the wall, as the
one-eyed servitor of evil memory. There was no look of recognition in
the man’s fixed stare as he left the group a few paces behind his
master. Jack, however, was amused to note the attitude of Pepito, who
stood fingering his little knife with an air of tragedy worthy of Mr.
Kean himself.
"It was a daring feat," said Don Casimir, looking into the moonlit
distance as if gauging the difficulties that must have beset any attempt
to approach Saragossa from that side. "Indeed, except yourself, I
believe no one has got in for at least three weeks past. But we have
always known Don Miguel as a match for any Frenchman. He gave many
proofs of astuteness during the first siege. He is not easy to beat
when readiness and resourcefulness are needed. It is strange," he added
after an interval, during which his eye rested on the figure of the
French sentry, "very strange. I could have sworn it is the same man—the
man I missed an hour ago. But, of course, it cannot be."
"The moonlight may be deceptive," suggested Jack; but as he left the
spot to return to his quarters he looked thoughtful.
*CHAPTER XXII*
*Juanita*
The Brave Antonio—A Survey—Towards the Coso—A Deed of Daring—The
Señorita Receives—Old Friends—Mig Prig—Don Fernan—An Ambush—José
Pinzon—The Call of Duty
Next morning, as soon as it was light, Jack started for a round of his
district. The Casa Alvarez was a large square house, standing in the
middle of a small plaza of its own. Exactly opposite its front, which
faced towards Santa Engracia, there were two smaller houses, known as
the Casas Vega and Tobar, the backs of which were separated from each
other by a narrow lane leading towards the convent. Each of these
houses was the last of a block of contiguous buildings, and they were,
in fact, the only houses in their blocks which were still intact, the
rest being more or less in ruins. The front of the Casa Tobar looked
into a street running parallel with the lane and entering the Plaza
Alvarez on the side nearest the ramparts. On the other side of the
street ran a row of houses parallel to the Casa Tobar block. These also
were mainly in ruins. The house exactly opposite the Casa Tobar was
known as the Casa Vallejo, and this, while at present unharmed, was the
immediate object of the French attack. Thus in the vicinity of the Casa
Alvarez there were three parallel blocks of buildings along which the
French were working simultaneously. Two of the blocks were terminated
by the Plaza Alvarez, and the last house in each was in a line with the
Casa Vallejo. The Casa Vallejo terrace was separated by a lane from the
ramparts, for the defence of which Jack was not responsible.
[Illustration: Plan of the Plaza Alvarez District]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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