Resuming the pursuit on the following day the allies discovered in their front a body of French cavalry, infantry, and artillery, posted on a high table land near _Redinha_. Lord Wellington ordered the troops to form in line, and the ROYAL DRAGOONS were directed to support the attack of the infantry. Three shots from the British centre was the signal to advance, and suddenly a most splendid spectacle of war was exhibited. The woods seemed alive with troops, and in a few moments thirty thousand men, forming three lines of battle, were stretched across the plain, bending in a gentle curve, and moving majestically onwards, while the horsemen and guns, springing forward simultaneously from the centre and left wing, charged under a general volley from the French battalions: the latter were instantly hidden by the smoke, and when that had cleared away, no enemy was to be seen, the French having made a precipitate retreat to Condeixa. The British again moved forward in pursuit, and on the 14th of March the ROYAL DRAGOONS supported a successful attack of the infantry on a French force posted in the mountains at _Casal Nova_: they also supported the attack on the French position at _Foz d'Aronce_ on the 15th; and on the 18th they encountered a party of the enemy near _Sernadilla_, when they took a serjeant and twelve men prisoners, and captured twelve mules: the ROYALS had only one man wounded on this occasion. They continued hovering near the French army; and on the 26th of March a patrole of the ROYALS, commanded by Lieutenant Foster, with a patrole of the sixteenth light dragoons, attacked a detachment of French cavalry near _Alverca_ with distinguished gallantry, sabred several dragoons, and took an officer and thirty-seven men prisoners.[56] The ROYALS had another affair with a party of the enemy on the 28th of March, when they captured a car laden with officers' baggage near Ardés, and had one man wounded. On the third of April they were posted in reserve during the action at _Sabugal_; and, on the retreat of the French, they were detached in pursuit, and captured several mules laden with baggage near _Alfayates_. On the 7th of April the ROYALS were sent to the relief of a corps of Portuguese militia, commanded by Colonel Trant, who had taken post near _Fort Conception_. A brigade of French infantry was within half a mile of the militia, whose destruction appeared inevitable, when suddenly two cannon shots were heard to the southward,--the French formed squares in retreat,--and in a few minutes six squadrons of British cavalry and a troop of horse artillery came sweeping up the plain in their rear. The Portuguese were rescued from impending danger. The enemy, however, contrived to effect their escape, with the loss of about three hundred men killed, wounded, and taken prisoners, and part of their baggage: among the other captures the ROYAL DRAGOONS took a drove of fourteen bullocks and a horse.