"My dear sir," said the Captain, "if I have expressed myself rudely, pray pardon me: I have heard too much of you to doubt your courage, and I have envied your exploits too often to speak slightingly of your methods. As a matter of fact, disguise would do nothing, and worse than nothing, for a man who speaks Spanish with my Highland accent. I may, perhaps, take a foolish pride in my disadvantage, but," and here he smiled, "so, you remember, did the fox without a tail." "And that's very handsomely spoken," said I; "but unless I'm mistaken, you will have to break your rule for once, if you wish to cross the Tormes this morning." "It's a case of must. Barring the certainty of capture if I don't, I have important news to carry--Marmont starts within forty-eight hours." "Since it seems that for once we are both engaged on the same business, let me say at once, Captain, and without offence, that my news is as fresh as yours. Marmont certainly starts within forty-eight hours to assault Ciudad Rodrigo, and my messenger is already two hours on his way to Lord Wellington." I said this without parade, not wishing to hurt his feelings. Looking up I found his mild eyes fixed on me with a queer expression, almost with a twinkle of fun. "To assault Ciudad Rodrigo? I think not." "Almeida, then, and Ciudad Rodrigo next. So far as we are concerned the question is not important." "My opinion is that Marmont intends to assault neither." "But, my good sir," I cried, "I have seen and counted the scaling-ladders!" "And so have I. I spent six hours in Salamanca itself," said the Captain quietly. "Well, but doesn't that prove it? What other place on earth can he want to assault? He certainly is not marching south to join Soult." I turned to José, who had been listening with an impassive face. "The Captain will be right. He always is," said José, perceiving that I appealed to him. "I will wager a month's pay--" "I never bet," Captain McNeill interrupted, as stiffly as before. "As you say, Marmont will march upon the Agueda, but in my opinion he will not assault Ciudad Kodrigo." "Then he will be a fool." "H'm! As to that I think we are agreed. But the question just now is how am I to get across the Tormes? The ford, I suppose, is watched on both sides." I nodded. "And I suppose it will be absolutely fatal to remain here long after daybreak?" "Huerta swarms with soldiers," said I, "we have sixteen in the posada and a cavalry picket just behind. A whole battalion has eaten the village bare, and is foraging in all kinds of unlikely places. To be sure you might have a chance in the loft above us, under the hay." "Even so, you cannot hide our horses." "Your horses?" "Yes, they're outside at the back. I didn't know there was a cavalry picket so close, and José must have missed it in the darkness." José looked handsomely ashamed of himself.