"A shot grazed my cap _here_," said a captain named Drummond; "another inch, and there had been a company vacant." "I wonder what the devil Moore is loitering here for?" asked some one. "Kennedy's on the staff now; he ought to know the secrets of the bureau," said Colville. "Has anything oozed out, Quentin?" asked Askerne. "He can tell us that we'll attack the French position about daybreak, before Loison, Laborde, or Ney can join," said Colyear, laughing. "Ney is at Villa Franca," added Captain Winton, a grave and thoughtful officer (who fought a duel at Merida). "I suspect Moore remains here, in expectation of being attacked _before_ these reinforcements come up." "Now would be the time to fall back in the night towards Vigo, and take up a position to cover the embarkation," said Askerne. "Right, Rowland," responded Quentin; "we are only able to fight one battle, and desperation will make us do so well. And it is not meant that after winning a battle we should enter Castile again with a handful of jaded men, and not an ally to aid us between Corunna and the ridges of the Sierra Morena. I heard Moore himself say this." "Who comes here?" they heard a sentinel challenge at a distance. "What comes here would be more grammatical, my friend," replied a dolorous voice which they knew, as four soldiers appeared, half supporting and half carrying an officer. "What is all that?" asked Middleton. "The mangled remains of William Monkton, esquire, lieutenant, 25th Foot," replied that personage, as the soldiers laid him on the turf near the watchfire. "What is the matter, Willie? are you wounded?" asked Askerne, putting a canteen of grog to the sufferer's mouth. "I should think so! a devil of a runaway horse from the enemy's lines came smash over me. I say, Doctor Salts-and-senna," he added to the assistant surgeon, who had joined the group; "I am not past your skill, I hope?" "Why, Monkton, you haven't even a bone broken," said the doctor, half angrily, as he rapidly felt him all over; "you are sadly bruised, though, and will have to ride, if we continue the retreat." At that moment Hardinge galloped up to Cosmo, who was sitting on a fallen tree, cloaked and alone, near his horse, for his officers seldom cared to join him, or he to join them.