He was a Spanish peasant, short, thick-set and muscular, but assuredly no Sancho: a quiet quick-eyed man, with a curious neat grace in his movements. Our tussle had not heated him in the least. His right fist rested on my back, and I knew he had a knife in it; and while I gasped for breath he watched me, his left hand hovering in front of my mouth to stop the first outcry. Through his spread fingers I saw Don Quixote light the lantern and raise it for a good look at me. And with that in a flash my wits came back, and with them the one bit of Gaelic known to me. "_Latha math leat_" I gasped, and caught my breath again as the fingers closed softly on my jaw, "_O Alan mhic Neill_!" The officer took a step and swung the lantern close to my eyes--so close that I blinked. "Gently, José." He let out a soft pleased laugh while he studied my face. Then he spoke a word or two in Gaelic--some question which I did not understand. "My name is McNeill," said I; "but that's the end of my mother tongue." The Captain laughed again. "We've caught the other one, José," said he. And José helped me to my feet--respectfully, I thought. "Now this," his master went on, as if talking to himself, "this explains a good deal." I guessed. "You mean that my presence has made the neighbourhood a trifle hot for you!" "Exactly; there is a General Order issued which concerns one or both of us." I nodded. "In effect it concerns us both; but, merely as a matter of history, it was directed against me. Pardon the question, Captain, but how long have you been within the French lines?" "Three days," he answered simply; "and this is the third night." "What? In that uniform?" "I never use disguises," said he--a little too stiffly for my taste. "Well, I do. And I have been within Marmont's cantonments for close, on three weeks. However, there's no denying you're a champion. But did you happen to notice the date on the General Order?" "I did; and I own it puzzled me. I concluded that Marmont must have been warned beforehand of my coming." "Not a bit of it. The order is eight days old. I secured a copy on the morning it was issued; and the next day, having learnt all that was necessary in Salamanca, I allowed myself to be hired in the market-place of that city by the landlord of this damnable inn." "I disapprove of swearing," put in Captain McNeill, very sharp and curt. "As well as of disguises? You seem to carry a number of scruples into this line of business. I suppose," said I, nettled, "when you read in the General Order that the notorious McNeill was lurking disguised within the circle of cantonments, you took it that Marmont was putting a wanton affront on your character, just for the fun of the thing?"