A man of the Battalion of the name of Tidy, a blacksmith by trade, having found a forge in the village, set to work to shoe some of the officers’ horses. A French grenadier, attracted by the light, crossed the bridge, and asked to be allowed to light his pipe, and having done so remained talking to our men. Craufurd, who had come down to visit the picquet (Costello says to see after the shoeing of his horse), caught sight of the red epaulette, and sternly asked ‘What the man was doing there;’ and being informed that he only came to light his pipe, ordered him to begone.[105] In the course of the night the Riflemen on picquet in the village threw up earthworks in the gardens, and a strong breastwork across the street. Before dawn they stood to their arms, but when day broke they found that the French did not renew the attack; nor did any change occur in the position of the two armies until the 10th, when it was ascertained at daybreak, by the Riflemen on picquet, that the French had retired, leaving only a small cavalry picquet at various points in the line of posts they had occupied. The Light Division and cavalry pursued them; but the superiority of the enemy in cavalry, which covered their retreat, effectually checked the pursuit; and the Battalion bivouacked in its old quarters at Gallegos and Espeja. On the 12th three regiments of French cavalry moved from Ciudad Rodrigo by the heights of Carpio, and our cavalry picquets fell back, followed by a squadron towards Espeja. Beckwith at once turned out his brigade, and sent forward some Riflemen as skirmishers; and the enemy retired across the Azarva with the loss of a few horses. On the 26th, the Battalion marched to Nave d’Aver and Aldea de Ponte, fully expecting to proceed to the Alemtejo; but the next day they were countermanded, and resumed from the 5th Division the line of outposts in front of Espeja, Gallegos, &c. On June 3, Beckwith, having heard that the French cavalry were collecting on the Agueda, and not knowing where an attack might be made, moved his brigade before dawn out of Espeja, and occupied a wood in rear of it; but no attack being made he returned to his former post at noon.