A short halt was made by the pool, while stimulants were administered again to the Colonel, and Mrs Beane insisted on Dick having more, the men eating their scanty rations by the pool. Then the wounded man was carefully laid in the litter so that Dick could lie there too, with his head the opposite way: the men raised their poles, and the march back was begun. It was just after dark that evening that they were proceeding very cautiously, when there was a sudden outburst of firing. The Captain needed no telling what was going on, for the long expected attack was being made upon the weakened regiment upon the hill. He did not hesitate, but pressed on with his little band, quite unnoticed by the attacking force, coming upon their rear in the darkness just as they were receiving a check from the brave defenders of the camp, and the Captain poured in volley after volley so unexpectedly that the French broke, and began to retreat before their foes. The Major, grasping what had occurred, turned his defence into a brave attack, and the result was that in a few minutes the enemy was in full retreat, and soon after, this in their confusion became a rout. CHAPTER SEVEN. In a month's time, in spite of weakness, the Colonel had sufficiently recovered to resume the command of his regiment, and Dick was the hero and idol of the men. But poor Mrs Corporal Beane was jealous and unhappy--jealous because the Colonel made so much of Dick; unhappy on account of the Corporal, whose recovery was very slow. But the Colonel, she owned, behaved very well to her. He said that he would not interfere much, as he looked upon herself as the boy's mother, but sooner or later they would find out who Dick's parents were, and that he should stay with the regiment, but he must be looked after well. "As if he could be looked after better," Mrs Corporal said to her invalid husband. "I do look after you well, Dick, don't I?" "Yes, mother; of course you do," said the boy. "And love you too; and you love me and father, don't you?" "Why, you know I do," said the boy, laughing, "and Colonel Lavis sent for the tailor this morning, and I was measured for a new uniform like the men in the band." "Bless us and save us!" cried Mrs Beane. "Well, that is handsome of him, but like a drummer, Dick, not with gold lace?" "Yes, scarlet and gold," said the little fellow proudly; "and I'm to learn to play." It would be a long story to tell of the terrible fights the 200th were in all through that terrible Peninsular War: but Dick was with the regiment and through it all, not fighting, but with the doctor and the men whose duty it was to look after the wounded, and many were the blessings called down upon the head of the brave boy, who seemed to bear a charmed life, as he ran here and there with water to hold to the lips of the poor fellows who were stricken down.