Do not fear to speak plainly. Your communications will be strictly
private, and your views will be thus of far more use to me than
the official expressions of the marshal and his staff.

"You will, of course, take your servant with you, and I have told
off three troopers to accompany you, for the purpose of bringing
your reports to me. There is no probability of a general
engagement at present, and until we obtain some idea of
Marlborough's plans, no extensive operations will be undertaken."

From the manner in which he spoke, Desmond had no doubt that
Berwick himself was in favour of taking the initiative without
delay, but that he had been overruled. It was indeed of importance
to the French that, before advancing, they should secure
possession of the towns of west Flanders, so that the great roads
would all be open to them.

Half an hour after leaving the duke, Desmond was in the saddle,
and, followed by the four soldiers, rode for Vendome's camp.
According to instructions he halted for the night at Arras, and
reached Lille at ten the next morning. He at once presented
himself to the marshal, and handed to him the letter from Berwick,
of which he was the bearer.

The duke glanced through it.

"I have been expecting you, Lieutenant Kennedy, and have arranged
that you shall mess and ride with the junior officers of my staff.
I will order a tent to be erected for you, at once. Should any
portion of my force move without me, I have arranged that you
shall accompany it. You will find many of your compatriots in
camp, for we have five battalions of the Irish Brigade with us,
among them that of O'Brien, to which the Duke of Berwick informed
me you belonged before you were appointed to his staff, having
distinguished yourself markedly on several occasions."

The marechal-de-camp coming in, Vendome placed Desmond in his
charge, requesting him to introduce him to the various officers of
his staff, with whom he would have to mess, and to see that he was
well cared for. He was well received by the young French officers,
all of whom, with scarce an exception, belonged to good families,
and Desmond was not long in discovering that they regarded their
occupation rather as a pleasant and exciting diversion, than as a
matter of duty, and that the greater portion of their time was
devoted to pleasure. They rode, practised with the pistol and
rapier, made excursions into the country, dined, and spent their
evenings as if the army were nonexistent. A few only, and these
were men who had served as officers, took their profession
seriously, and divided among themselves what work had to be done,
the young nobles gladly relinquishing it to them.

Chapter 12: Oudenarde.

Desmond did not remain long at the marshal's camp, but accompanied
expeditions that were sent to Bruges, Ghent, and Ypres. The
inhabitants of these towns had, for some time, been in communication
with the marshal. They were hostile to the English, and had a standing
feud, of many years' duration, with the Dutch.

As soon, therefore, as the French columns approached, they opened
their gates. The weak garrisons that had been placed there,
finding themselves unable to at once control the population and
defend the walls, evacuated the town before the French arrived.

Beyond writing confidential reports to Berwick, Desmond had had
little to do, and spent most of his time with his own regiment, by
whom he was heartily welcomed, and with the other Irish battalions
encamped near them. He and the other officers captured in the
Salisbury had been given up as lost by their comrades; and the
appearance of Desmond, in his staff uniform, was the first
intimation they had received of his escape, of which he had more
than once to give a detailed account.

In doing this, he made no mention of the seizure of Lord
Godolphin. He knew that the minister was anxious that this should
not get abroad, and, as he had behaved fairly to them, Desmond
considered that he ought to remain silent on the subject; and
merely said that, on their arrival at Rye, they had made an
arrangement with a man who was in the habit of conveying persons
secretly, to or from France, to take them across the channel.

"You amaze me more and more, Kennedy," the colonel said. "Six
months ago, when you joined, you seemed to me little more than a
boy, and yet you have been through adventures that demanded the
brain and courage of a veteran. We missed you all much; but I hope
we shall soon get the others back again, for I had news the other
day, from Paris, that arrangements for their exchange were going
on, and no doubt they will rejoin as soon as they land.

"There is little chance of you, O'Neil and O'Sullivan coming back
to the regiment; but, at any rate, as Berwick's force is sure to
join ours, as soon as operations begin in earnest, we shall often
see you."

It was the end of June before the main army advanced. Desmond had
returned to Peronne after the capture of the three Flemish towns,
and was warmly praised by Berwick for the manner in which he had
carried out the work entrusted to him. On the 6th of July, he
received orders to accompany the duke.

"There is bad news," Captain Fromart said, entering the room where
the four aides-de-camp were together. "You know the marshal had
commenced the siege of Oudenarde. We have news now that the enemy
has suddenly advanced towards him, and he has been obliged to
raise the siege, and fall back across the Scheldt. The troops are
to go forward at once. The duke will ride on, with all speed, in
accordance with Vendome's urgent request. All four of you are to
go on with him. I shall accompany the force here.

"There is no time to be lost. The duke's horse is to be at the
door in a quarter of an hour, and it will not please him to be
kept waiting. You had better leave your spare horses, for the
present. I have already warned the escort."

It was a short notice, but by the time named the four
aides-de-camp were in their saddles, as were their soldier
servants, for by this time Desmond's two friends had obtained
servants from a dragoon regiment. They were but just in time, for
they had scarcely mounted when the duke came out, sprang into his
saddle, and went off at a canter.

The distance was some fifty miles. They stopped once for two
hours, to refresh themselves and their horses, and rode into
Vendome's camp soon after nightfall. A large tent had been already
erected for Berwick's use, close to that of the marshal; and
another, close by, for the use of the officers who might come with
him.

A quarter of an hour later, a soldier entered the aides-de-camp's
tent, with a large tray.

"The Duke of Berwick bids me say, gentlemen, that he is supping
with the marshal, who has sent these dishes to you from his own
table."

"Please to give our thanks to the Duke of Vendome, for his
kindness," Desmond said; but when the soldier had left the tent,
he went on, "I have no doubt that this is the result of a
suggestion on the part of Berwick, and greatly obliged to him we
must feel. We had just been saying that we supposed we should get
nothing to eat till tomorrow morning, while here is a supper
worthy of the marshal, and four flasks of wine, which I doubt not
are good."

It was ten o'clock before the duke returned to his tent, when he
at once sent for his aides-de-camp.

"There will be nothing more for you to do, tonight, gentlemen.
Sleep soundly, for we shall have a hard day's work tomorrow. We
are to cross the Scheldt again at daybreak. The enemy are on the
other side of the Dender, and the next day a pitched battle will
probably be fought. You may be surprised that we do not wait until
my forces arrive, but we have heard that Eugene's reinforcements
are within two days' march of Marlborough, and, as they are more
numerous than those I command, it has been decided to accept
battle at once. Good night."

"The general is in a good temper," d'Eyncourt said, as they
reentered their tent. "I expect that his views have been adopted,
and that there was a warm discussion over them."

This was indeed the case. The Duke of Burgundy, an obstinate man
without any knowledge of war, had been in favour of pushing
forward, crossing the Lys as well as the Scheldt, and attacking
the allies as soon as they met them. Vendome, on the other hand,
was of opinion that the army which was now collected near Ghent
had better advance against Oudenarde, which might be carried by a
coup de main before Marlborough could come to its assistance,
which he might be some days in doing, seeing that he was in
command of a mixed force, composed of Dutch, Danes, Hanoverians,
Prussians, and British. Burgundy then maintained that they should
retire, and fight near Ypres, where they would be close to the
frontier, and could retire upon Lille in case matters went against
them. Berwick, however, at last managed to persuade him to agree
to Vendome's plan, as the capture of Oudenarde was a matter of the
utmost importance, and it would be as easy to fall back thence to
Lille as it would be from Ypres.

This Burgundy had sullenly assented to, and the next morning the
army marched to the position fixed upon. This was on steeply
rising ground, with the river Norken running at its foot. Beyond
this were two other eminences, on each of which stood a windmill.
That on the west was called the windmill of Oycke, and that on the
adjoining hill the windmill of Royegham, the latter flanking the
main position. Oudenarde being found to be strongly garrisoned, it
was decided, in spite of the opposition of Burgundy, to cross the
Scheldt at Gavre, and then to give battle to the allies between
that river and the Dender.

Marlborough had, however, been joined by Prince Eugene, who had,
like Berwick, hurried on in advance of his army, and the two great
generals decided, instead of attacking the French by the road from
Brussels, to sweep round across the Scheldt at Oudenarde, and by
other bridges across the river, and so to place themselves between
Vendome and France.

A portion of the French army was already in movement, when the
news came that the allies were fast coming up. Early the next
morning their advance guard, composed of twelve battalions of
infantry and the whole of the cavalry, reached the Scheldt; and,
having thrown bridges over the river, crossed, and soon came in
contact with the French advance guard, under Biron. There was some
severe fighting, in which neither party gained any great
advantage, the French maintaining possession of the village of
Eynes.

While this conflict was going on, Marlborough and Eugene, with the
main body, had reached the river, and were engaged in crossing it;
and Vendome determined to attack them while carrying out the
operation. He was, as usual, opposed by Burgundy, who wished to
continue the march to Ghent. Marshal Vendome pointed out that, in
a country so broken and interspersed with hedges, an army
possessing the greatest strength--for the French numbered
eighty-five thousand, while Marlborough had but eighty thousand
under him--would lose the advantage of that superiority; and, upon
Berwick strongly siding with the marshal, Burgundy was forced to
give way.

The discussion lasted some time, enabling the allies to pass
bodies of troops across the river, where they were formed up at a
village a few hundred yards north of Oudenarde; and immediately
Marlborough felt strong enough to risk an attack, orders were sent
to Cadogan, who commanded the advance guard, to drive the enemy
out of Eynes.

Four English battalions attacked the seven French battalions in
the village, while the cavalry crossed higher up, and came down on
the back of the village. Three of the French battalions were
surrounded and made prisoners, while the other four were
dispersed.

It was now evident, even to Burgundy, that an action could not be
avoided, but again an angry dispute took place. Vendome would have
stood on the defensive, with the river Norken to be crossed before
he could be attacked. He was, however, overruled by Burgundy, who
had nominally chief command. Marlborough took advantage of the
delay, and posted his troops in front of the castle of Bevere, and
sent the twelve battalions at Eynes to reinforce his left, against
which he saw the main attack of the French would be directed. He
then lined all the hedges with infantry, and stationed twenty
British battalions, under Argyle, in reserve.

Crossing the Norken, the French fell upon the Dutch and
Hanoverians, who constituted the left wing, and who, though
fighting obstinately, were driven back. Marlborough moved from the
centre with twenty battalions to reinforce them, and despatched
Eugene to command on the right.

A desperate fight now took place. On both flanks, the ground was
broken by enclosures with deep wet ditches, bridges, woods, and
small villages; and the cavalry were unable to act on such ground.
The infantry on both sides fought with extreme resolution; every
hedge, ditch, bridge, and house being defended to the last.
Seldom, indeed, in modern warfare, has so obstinate and terrible a
fight taken place. Frequently the combatants were mingled
together, and fought with bayonets and the butt ends of their
muskets.

Gradually, however, the Dutch and the Hanoverian battalions won
their way forward, and drove the French back to the village of
Diepenbeck, where the latter successfully maintained themselves.
Marlborough then ordered General Overkirk to move round and seize
the hill at Oycke, which, although it flanked the enemy's
position, was not held by them.

This he did, with twenty Dutch and Danish battalions, who had only
just crossed the river. He then pressed on and seized the mill of
Royegham, thus cutting the communication between the French at
Diepenbeck and the troops that still remained on the plateau
beyond the Norken. Eugene then swung round his right, and,
pressing forward, surrounded the French on that side, so
completely enveloping them that his men and those of Overkirk each
believed the other to be French--for darkness had now fallen--and
fought for some time before the mistake was discovered.

As, in such a country, it was impossible to move troops in regular
formation in the darkness, Marlborough gave orders for the troops
to halt in the positions they held. Had the light lasted two hours
longer, the whole of the French army would have been slain or
captured; but, under cover of darkness, the greater portion made
their way through the intervals of the allied troops. Many fled to
Ghent, while thousands made for the French frontier. Vendome lost
in killed and wounded six thousand men, and nine thousand
prisoners, and his total loss exceeded twenty thousand; while the
allies lost five thousand, of whom the great majority were Dutch,
Danes, and Germans.

The French troops on the plateau withdrew, under the direction of
Vendome, in good order; and before morning a large number of
fugitives had rallied. Marlborough sent forty squadrons of horse
in pursuit of them, but the French showed so firm an attitude that
the cavalry were unable to seriously interfere with their retreat.
Berwick had remained, during the day, near the marshal; and had
placed his aides-de-camp at his disposal, for the difficulty of
the ground, and the distance from the plateau of the various
points at which the troops were engaged, rendered communication
much slower than it otherwise would have been, and Desmond and his
companions were frequently sent off with orders.

It was the first time Desmond had been under fire, and the effect
of the roar of musketry, the whizzing of bullets, and the shouts
of the combatants, gave him a much stronger feeling of discomfort
than he had expected. The roar of cannon was not added to the
other sounds, for the guns of the day were clumsy and difficult to
move; and, owing to the rapid marches and countermarches of both
armies, the greater portion of the artillery had been left behind,
and only a few guns were on the field, and these, in so close and
confined a country, were of little use.

Desmond felt now that he would far rather be fighting in the thick
of it, with O'Brien's regiment, than making his way alone along
the lanes, impeded constantly by columns advancing to the front,
while he was met by a stream of wounded men making their way to
the rear.

At first, all was exultation among the troops, for as the
Hanoverians and Dutch were forced to give way before the assault
of the main body of the French, shouts of victory rose; and it was
confidently believed that they would, this day, avenge the two
great victories Marlborough and Eugene had gained over them.

Having delivered his orders to the officer in command, Desmond
rode back. Vendome and Berwick had both dismounted, and were
standing together, with a few of their staff, at the edge of the
plateau, examining the field with their telescopes.

"I have delivered your message, sir," he said, riding up and
saluting. "The general bade me tell you all was going well. The
enemy were falling back, and will soon be in full flight."

"Very well, Mr. Kennedy. By this time, he will have found out that
he was a little too sanguine."

The fire had, indeed, for the past few minutes broken out with
augmented fury. Marlborough had arrived at the threatened point,
and had placed himself at the head of the Dutch and Hanoverians,
and, animated by his presence, these had not only ceased to fall
back, but were in turn advancing.

"The battle is not won yet, Kennedy," O'Sullivan, who had returned
a few minutes before from the front, said, as he joined him. "On
our left we are being driven back, for a large force has
reinforced the enemy there, and unless our main column defeats the
allied left, and pushes them into Oudenarde, we shall have night
coming on before we have finished; and, as our cavalry cannot act
in these cramped fields, Marlborough will be able to draw off
without any great loss."

For an hour, there was no change. Then Berwick, looking round,
beckoned to Desmond.

"Mr. Kennedy," he said, "a strong force of the enemy moved, half
an hour ago, towards their left. I have lost sight of them, owing
to the high hedges and trees, but it does not seem to me that they
can have joined in the battle. Our troops are strongly posted at
Diepenbeck, and should be able to maintain themselves there
against the whole allied army; but the enemy cannot see our
dispositions, and would surely have pushed forward and made a
desperate assault on the village, had they been joined by the
strong force I saw moving in that direction.

"It may be that this force has been held in reserve, in case our
line should be reinforced, and again advance. Marlborough may be
content to hold his own on his left, while Prince Eugene, who, we
have heard, commands on their right, turns our flank on that side.

"I wish you to ascertain, if possible, what this force is doing,
and where it is posted. If you ride across to the mill, on the
eminence behind Diepenbeck, you may be able to get sight of them;
or, if the smoke renders it impossible to discover matters from
that point, ride on to the farther hill, and, descending there on
the enemy's left, you will be able to make your way close enough
to ascertain what is going on. You are well mounted, and need not
greatly fear capture, for they would hardly care to divert a party
of cavalry in pursuit of a single officer. Still, it is as well
not to push your horse too hard on your way out, for you may
possibly need all his strength."

A minute later, Desmond was cantering his horse down the declivity
to the Norken. Crossing by the bridge near Mullen, he turned to
the right and rode up the hill of Royegham. Here a strong brigade,
composed of cavalry and infantry, under General Grimaldi, was
stationed. Desmond rode up to him.

"The Duke of Berwick has sent me to ascertain, sir, the position
of a strong body of the enemy's troops, whom he observed marching
from the river towards our right. May I ask if you have noticed
them?"

"We saw them move away, after crossing the river, but have not
seen them since. I should fancy they are engaged in front of
Diepenbeck; but the ground is so undulating, and the view so
obscured by smoke, that we have not caught sight of them since
they issued from Oudenarde--indeed, the hill behind Diepenbeck
prevents our seeing down into the low land beyond."

"I will ride on there, sir," Desmond said. "Certainly a better
view can be obtained than from this side."

A canter of a mile took him to the summit of the hill at whose
foot Diepenbeck stood. He could see the masses of French troops,
gathered in and in front of the village; but beyond that a veil of
smoke covered the country, and entirely obscured the contending
parties, whose position could only be guessed by the incessant
rattle of their musketry fire.

Turning again, he rode down the dip that separated the hill from
that of Oycke. He had just gained the crest, when he saw a large
force marching rapidly towards the mill. Seeing at once the
serious nature of the movement, he turned and galloped, at full
speed, to the point where the generals were still watching the
progress of the fight.

"I could learn nothing of the force you spoke of from General
Grimaldi at Royegham, nor on the heights above Diepenbeck; but,
riding towards Oycke, I saw them advancing at full speed towards
the windmill, at which they had already almost arrived."

An exclamation of anger broke from the duke.

"This is what comes," he muttered, "of placing a fool in command
of the army."

Turning away, he at once communicated the news to Vendome, who
stamped his foot furiously on the ground.

"Just when victory was in our grasp," he said, and turned his
glass towards Oycke, which was some four miles distant.

"I can make them out now," he said. "There is a black mass issuing
from the village of Oycke, and ascending the hill in the direction
of Royegham. It is too late to reinforce Grimaldi there. They will
be upon him before we can cross the Norken. But, at any rate, we
must send a brigade down to Henhelm, where, with Grimaldi's men,
they can try to keep open the road from Diepenbeck."

Ten minutes later they could hear, by a sudden outburst of fire,
that Grimaldi was engaged. The sun had already set, but Berwick
was able to make out, with his glass, that the left was giving way
before the attack of Eugene, and that the twenty battalions under
Argyle, which had hitherto remained inactive, were advancing by
the main road leading, through Mullen, to the plateau on which
they stood.

"The day is lost," Berwick said bitterly. "The troops at
Diepenbeck are completely cut off. Darkness alone can save them
from annihilation. And to think that, if it had not been for
Burgundy, we could have maintained ourselves here against double
the force of the allies! So long as the system of giving the
command of armies to royal incapables continues, we cannot hope
for success."

Vendome lost no time in issuing orders. The troops still on the
plateau were brought forward, whence their fire would command its
approaches. Aides-de-camp were sent in all directions, to order
the generals of divisions to draw off at once, and to make their
way up to the plateau; and Berwick's four aides-de-camp were told
to make their way, if possible, by different routes to Diepenbeck,
and to give orders for the troops there to maintain themselves, at
all costs, until darkness had completely fallen; and then to make
their way as best they could to the plateau; if that was
impossible, to march for either Ghent or Lille.

"The service is a desperate one, gentlemen," Berwick said, as he
turned to give the orders to his officers, "but it is necessary,
for if the force remain there until morning, they are all
irretrievably lost. It is getting dark already, and you may,
therefore, hope to pass unnoticed between the intervals of the
enemy. If you get there safely, do not try to return at once, but,
like the rest, endeavour to make off during the night."

Without waiting for orders, Mike followed his master. Going down,
they met the remnants of Biron's division flying in disorder. They
separated at the bridge of Mullen, and, with a word of adieu to
his comrades, Desmond turned to the right, and rode for
Groenvelde.

Suddenly, a volley of musketry was fired from the hill to the
right. Desmond staggered for a moment in the saddle, and the
bridle fell from his left hand. Mike was by his side in a moment.

"Where are you hurt, master?"

"In the left wrist, I fancy. By the way the hand hangs down, it
must have smashed both bones. However, there is no time to wait,
now. It is a matter of life and death to get to Diepenbeck."

"One moment, your honour. Let me put your hand into the breast of
your coatee; then, if you keep your elbow tight against your body,
it will keep it steady."

Although Mike carried out his suggestion as gently as he could,
Desmond almost fainted with pain.

"Take a drop of brandy from your flask, master. It won't take half
a minute, and then we will be off."

They continued their journey. The rattle of musketry, ahead of
them, showed that the combat had already commenced close by;
between either the advancing troops of Argyle, or those who had
crossed the hill of Royegham; and Grimaldi's brigade, which was
probably endeavouring to hold them in check, until the troops at
Diepenbeck came back.

It was already too dark to distinguish the uniforms, except at a
distance of a few yards. Dashing on, he saw a dark mass
ahead--three officers rode out.

"Who are you, sir?" they shouted.

"I am carrying a report from the general," he replied, in English,
and without drawing rein dashed on, passing within twenty yards of
the column, and reached Diepenbeck without further interruption.

In the centre of the village, the French general was sitting on
his horse, surrounded by his staff. The combat beyond raged as
furiously as before. Desmond rode up, and saluted.

"I am the bearer of orders from Marshal Vendome, sir," he said.
"He bid me tell you that a large force of the enemy has crossed
the hills of Oycke and Royegham, and is already in your rear, the
enemy's right overlapping your left; while the whole British
reserve is pressing forward, and will ere long effect a junction
with both these forces. Your retreat, therefore, is entirely cut
off. The orders are that you shall maintain yourself here as long
as possible, as in the darkness and confusion, it is unlikely that
the allies can attack you from the rear before morning.

"The marshal himself holds the plateau, and will continue to do
so. You are to make your way tonight, if possible, in battalions
and in good order, through the intervals between the various
divisions of the enemy; or, if that is not possible, singly. All
are to endeavour to join him on the plateau. Those who cannot do
this are to make for Ghent or Lille."

"Your order scarcely comes as a surprise, sir," the general said
bitterly. "We have heard firing in our rear for some time, and we
were afraid that things had gone badly with us, after all."

He at once gave orders that the troops behind the village were to
take up a position to resist any attack made in that direction.
Desmond dismounted, as did Mike, and the latter took the two
horses, fastened them to a tree, and then, with Desmond's scarf,
bound his arm firmly against his side.

"We have made a mess of it entirely, your honour," he said, "and
have got a terrible bating. Sure we were lucky in getting here.
Faith, I thought we were caught when you were hailed."

"It was a narrow escape, Mike; and if they had waited till I had
got a little nearer, and had seen my uniform, I must have
surrendered."

"It seems to me that we are like rats in a trap, Mr. Kennedy."

"Something like it, Mike; but it is hard if we can't get through
them, in the dark."

"That we will do, sure enough," Mike said confidently; "but which
way should we go?"

"That I can't tell you. You see, they are in strength in front,
Marlborough and Eugene are on the left and partly behind us, and
the troops you saw come across the hills are somewhere in the
rear. If it were daylight, not a man of us would escape; but as it
is, it will be hard if we cannot make our way through.

"What I am thinking about chiefly, at present, is the safety of
O'Sullivan, O'Neil, and d'Eyncourt. They ought to have been here
as soon as we were. They may either have lost their way in the
darkness, or fallen into the hands of the enemy. However, I shall
not give them up for another half hour."

The firing was now abating, and presently died away completely;
except for a few scattered shots, showing that the allies had been
halted where they stood, and were no longer pressing forward.
Another hour passed, and Desmond's comrades were still absent.

In the meantime, the general had called together the colonels of
the several regiments, had explained the situation to them, and
repeated Vendome's orders. The news came like a thunderbolt upon
them, for the din of firing round the village had completely
deadened all distant sound, and they were wholly unaware of what
was passing in other parts of the field.

"I must leave the matter to your individual discretion," the
general said. "Those of you who think your men can be relied on,
can try to escape and join the marshal in a body. Those who have
not that confidence in their regiments--and indeed some of these
have been almost annihilated--had best tell them to scatter. Those
who remain here will assuredly be made prisoners in the morning.

"It is possible that that may be the better plan, for it is better
to surrender than to be cut to pieces. I therefore leave the
matter entirely in your hands. I myself shall remain here. We have
done all that men can do in the way of fighting, and, as I was
told to hold this place till the last, I shall remain at my post."

Desmond was present when this conversation took place.

"We will wait another hour, Mike," he said, as he rejoined his
follower. "We may be sure that the greater part of the enemy's
troops will be asleep by that time. They must have made a
tremendous march, for the news last night was that they were
twenty miles away; and they have been fighting twelve hours. After
such work as that, the men will drop down to sleep as soon as they
have halted."

"Shall we go on horse or on foot, your honour?"

"I think the best plan will be to lead our horses, Mike, across
this country. It would seem natural to do so, and once through
them, we could then gallop round and join the troops on the
plateau."

"I should say, sir, that if I were to steal out to where they have
been fighting for the last six hours, I might get a couple of
uniforms to put over our own. They will be lying thick enough
there, poor chaps. If we had them on, we might pass through any
troops we might meet, as we both speak English."

"That is a good idea, Mike, if you can carry it out."

"Sure I can do that, and without difficulty, your honour. I expect
the enemy have drawn back a little, so as to be in some sort of
order if we were to fall upon them in the night; and I know that
all our men have been recalled. I will fasten the horses to this
tree, and perhaps your honour will keep an eye on them."

"I will stay with them, Mike."

The soldier at once made off. The village was now crowded with
troops. All order was at an end, and the regiments were
considerably mixed up. The officers went among them, saying that
an attempt was going to be made to pass through the enemy, and
join the force on the plateau. They pointed out that there was at
least as much hope in being able to do so as in making off singly.

Many of the soldiers, not having themselves suffered defeat,
responded to the call; and several bodies, four or five hundred
strong, marched out into the darkness. The majority, however,
decided to shift for themselves, and stole away in threes and
fours. Of those that remained, some broke into the village wine
and beer shops and drank to stupefaction; while others, exhausted
by the efforts of the day, threw themselves down and slept.

Mike was away half an hour.

"I have got an officer's cloak for you, and a helmet with
feathers. I think he must have been a staff officer, who was
killed while delivering his orders. I have got a soldier's
overcoat and shako for myself."

"Capital, Mike! Now I think that we can venture, and we will go
the shortest way. We might very well lose ourselves among these
hills, if we were to try to make a circuit."

Having put the Dutch uniforms over their own, they set out, taking
the way to the left until they came to the main road by which the
British reserve had advanced. Then they mounted their horses.

"It is no use trying to make our way through the broken ground,
Mike. There is another road that goes through Huerne. We will
strike that, and must so get round on the right of the enemy. Even
if we come upon them, we are not likely to excite suspicion, as we
shall be on a road leading from Oudenarde.

"I was noticing that road from the height. It runs into this
again, near Mullen, and the enemy are not likely to have posted
themselves so near to the river."

They rode on through Huerne. The village was full of wounded. No
one paid them any attention, and they again went on, until
suddenly they were challenged with the usual "Who comes there?"

"A staff officer, with despatches," Desmond replied.

He heard the butt of the soldier's musket drop upon the ground,
and rode forward.

"Can you tell me, my man," he said as he reached the sentinel,
"where the Duke of Marlborough is to be found?"

"I don't know, sir," the man replied. "Only our regiment is here.
I know there are a number of cavalry away there on the left, and I
heard someone say that the duke himself was there. There is a
crossroad, a hundred yards farther on, which will lead you to
them."

Thanking the man, Desmond rode on. A few bivouac fires had been
lighted, and these were already beginning to burn low, the troops
having dropped asleep almost as soon as they halted.

"I hope we shall meet no more of them, Mike," Desmond said, as
they went on at a brisk trot. "I sha'n't feel quite safe till we
get to Mullen."

They met, however, with no further interruption. As they crossed
the bridge, they halted, took off the borrowed uniforms, threw
away the headgear and put on their own hats, which they carried
under their cloaks, and then rode on up the hill, after having
first satisfied the officer commanding a strong guard placed at
the bridge that they were friends.

Another ten minutes, and they were upon the plateau. Desmond had
no difficulty in finding out where the headquarters were
established at Hayse, and, riding there, he at once went into the
house occupied by Berwick, and reported his return.

"I am glad to see you back again, Kennedy," the duke said,
heartily. "It is something to have recovered one friend from the
wreck. Now, what is your news?"

Desmond related what had happened to him from the time he left,
and said that a large proportion of the troops at Diepenbeck had
already left, and, as he heard no outburst of firing, he hoped
most of them had got safely away.

"I see you are wounded."

"I have had my wrist smashed with a musket ball, fired by a party
on a hill to the right, belonging, I suppose, to the force that
came up from Oycke."

"You had a narrow escape of your life," Berwick said. "If you had
been hit a little farther back, the ball would have gone through
your body. Sit down at once. I will send for my surgeon."

And he instantly gave orders for the surgeon of the staff to come
to his tent, and then made Desmond, who was suffering terribly
from the agony of the wound, drink a tumbler of wine.

"I know you are all busy, doctor," the duke said, as the surgeon
entered, "but you must do something for Mr. Kennedy, who is badly
wounded in the arm."

The surgeon examined the wound, and shook his head.

"Both bones are fractured," he said, "and I am afraid that there
is nothing for it but amputation."

"Then leave it till tomorrow, doctor," Desmond said faintly.
"There must be a number of poor fellows who want your attention
much more than I do."

"That would do, if I could make you a cradle, but we are badly off
for all surgical appliances."

"Could you cut one out of one of my jack boots?"

"A capital idea, Mr. Kennedy. Nothing could be better. And I will
put it in operation, at once, with some of my other patients."

"Mr. Kennedy is full of expedients, doctor, and it seems to me
that this may be really a valuable one. All the cavalry men have
jack boots, and I will give you an order to requisition as many as
may be required. The men can get new ones from the stores at
Ghent."

The surgeon at once cut off the foot of one of Desmond's boots,
and then divided the leg longways. "There," he said, taking up one
of the halves; "you could not wish for a better cradle."

He took out some lint that he had brought with him, together with
some flat splints, bound the hand in its proper position, and then
laid the arm from the elbow to the fingers in the cradle, round
which he tightly put a few bandages to keep it in position.

"Now for your scarf," he said, and with this made a sling to
support the arm.

The whole operation did not take five minutes.

"Now, Mr. Kennedy, you had best lie down and get what sleep you
can. I will take the other half of your boot, and the other boot
also. It will be no use without its fellow. It will make three
wounded men comparatively comfortable, and I will send for some
more from the troopers."

"Yes, lie down at once, Kennedy," Berwick said. "We are going to
march off at daybreak, and the marshal and I have arranged
everything between ourselves. You had better try and eat
something, if it is only a wing of that chicken and a few
mouthfuls of meat. Your faintness must be due as much to hunger as
to your wound, for you have been at work since early morning, and
cannot have had time to eat anything."

This was indeed the case, and Desmond managed to swallow a few
mouthfuls, and then lay down upon the sofa, where, in spite of the
pain of his wound, he presently dozed off, being utterly worn out
with the work and excitement of the day.

Before morning, some five thousand of the troops from Diepenbeck
had marched into the camp, in good order and with their arms, and
as soon as it was daylight the whole force started for Ghent. With
deep regret, Desmond had learned from the marshal, before lying
down, that none of his comrades had returned; and as they had not
reached Diepenbeck, he felt sure that they were either killed or
prisoners.

"D'Eyncourt will, of course, be treated as a prisoner of war; but
if the identity of O'Sullivan or O'Neil is proved with the
officers of that name who escaped from Newgate, it is likely to go
hard with him."

After repulsing the cavalry sent in pursuit, the army marched away
unmolested, being joined as they went by large numbers of
fugitives, who had made their way through the allied lines in
small parties. Marlborough's army remained on the ground they had
won, collecting and caring for the wounded of both armies.

Two days later, Berwick's corps joined Vendome, and that of Eugene
marched into Marlborough's camp. In spite of the loss that he had
suffered at Oudenarde, this reinforcement raised Vendome's army to
over one hundred and ten thousand men, which was about the same
force as Marlborough had under his command.

After Eugene had joined him, standing as he did between Vendome's
army and Paris, Marlborough proposed that the enemy's fortresses
should be neglected, and that the army should march directly on
Paris. The movement might have been attended with success, but was
of so daring a description that even Eugene opposed it, while the
commanders of the Dutch, Danes, and Prussians were unanimously
against it; and he consequently decided to lay siege to Lille--a
tremendous undertaking, for Lille was considered the strongest
fortress in France, and Vendome, with over a hundred thousand men,
was within a couple of days' march of it.

His dispositions were made with extreme care, and a tremendous
convoy of heavy artillery, ammunition, and provisions was brought
up from Ostend, without the French being able to interfere with
its progress. Marlborough, with his British contingent and the
Hanoverians, was to cover the operations of the siege, which was
to be undertaken by Prince Eugene with the rest of the allied
army.

Vendome marched at once with his army, and, making a circuit,
placed himself between Lille and Paris, deserting his recent
conquests in Ypres, Ghent, and Bruges, all of which fell into the
hands of the allies.

Chapter 13: Convalescent.

Desmond was not present with the French army, for many hours after
their arrival at Ghent. He suffered intense pain on the ride
thither, and was then taken to a hospital that had been hastily
formed for the reception of wounded officers. Here the surgeons
had agreed that there was nothing for it, but to amputate the arm
halfway between the wrist and the elbow. The limb was already
greatly swollen.

"Under ordinary circumstances," the surgeon said, "we should wait
until we had reduced the inflammation, but this might be a matter
of a week or ten days, and there is no time to spare, as the army
will probably march away in a few days, and travel would increase
the inflammation to such an extent that your life might be
sacrificed."

"I would rather have it taken off at once, doctor," Desmond said.
"The operation cannot hurt very much more than the arm is hurting
already, and the sooner it is over, the better."

Surgery was in its infancy at that time. Anesthetics were undreamt
of; but the surgeons of the French army had large experience, and
the operation was very skilfully performed, for the time. The
stump was then seared with a hot iron.

"You have stood it well," the surgeon said, for, except when the
iron was applied to the wound, no groan had issued from Desmond's
lips. "Now, your servant must keep these dressings continually
soaked with water, and, in a few days, we may hope that you will
be able to travel in a waggon without danger."

When the army marched away a week later, Desmond was placed in a
waggon, half filled with hay, with several other wounded officers.
At Arras, where there was a large military hospital, he was kept
for a few days, and then sent on to Amiens, only the most severe
cases being retained at Arras, as another engagement might take
place at any moment, and the resources of the town would be taxed
to the utmost. He gained strength very slowly, and it was six
weeks before the surgeons pronounced him to be sufficiently
convalescent to be moved.

"It would," they said, "be probably some months before he would be
fit to return to active service."

He was sitting, looking listlessly out of the window of the
chamber that he and three other officers occupied, when Mike came
in, followed, to Desmond's intense surprise, by Monsieur de la
Vallee.

"My dear Desmond," the latter exclaimed, hurrying forward and
grasping his hand, "you must have thought that we had all
forgotten you."

"Indeed, I never thought anything of the kind, Philip. I did not
suppose that you had ever heard of me, since we parted at
Moulins."

"News travels but slowly, but we did hear that fifteen subalterns
of O'Brien's regiment were captured in the Salisbury. I wrote to a
friend in Paris, and he told me that you were among the number,
but that, on making enquiries, he found you had, in some manner or
other, effected your escape, and that you and two other officers
had had an audience with the king, and had then gone to the
northern frontier on the staff of the Duke of Berwick. I wrote
begging him to get, if possible, a sight of the despatches, and if
your name appeared, to let us know. Ten days ago, I received a
letter from him, to say that you had been wounded at Oudenarde.
The Duke of Berwick had, in his private despatch to the king,
mentioned your name with very high praise, saying that it was due
to you, alone, that so many of the troops hemmed in at some
village or other--I forget its name--managed to make their escape
during the night, for, although he sent off four aides-de-camp
with orders, you alone managed to get through the enemy, though
wounded by a bullet which had caused you the loss of your hand. He
said he had written to the chief surgeon on Berwick's staff, who
was a personal friend of his, to ascertain, if possible, where you
were. Of course, I set out as soon as I received his letter."

"What! Have you ridden all the way from the south of France to
come to me, Philip?"

"Of course I have, and should have ridden all across Europe, if it
had been necessary. I went round by Pointdexter. The baron is laid
up with an attack of gout, or he would have accompanied me. He
sent all sorts of messages, and so did Anne, and the latter
informed me that I need not show my face at the chateau again,
until I came accompanied by you. When I reached Paris my friend
had learned from the surgeon that you were at Amiens, and so, here
I am.

"I met your faithful Mike at the gate of the hospital. I was glad,
indeed, to see that he had come out unharmed from that terrible
fight. When I told him I had come to take you away, he almost
cried with joy."

"It will be the saving of him," he said. "He has been going down
the hill for the last fortnight, and it is change and good nursing
he wants."

"He will get good nursing, I warrant," I said, "and the soft air
of the south will soon set him up."

"It is wonderfully kind of you, Philip; but I am sure I am not
strong enough to ride."

"No one is thinking of your riding, at present, Desmond. I have
brought down a horse litter with me, and four of my men, with the
quietest horses on the estate, and all you have to do is to lie
down in it, and talk with me whenever you are disposed. You have a
whole batch of adventures to tell me."

"I feel better already, Philip. I own that I have been downhearted
of late, for it seemed to me that I should be an invalid for
months, and be living in Paris without a friend except Mike, for
all the regiments of the Brigade are either with Vendome or in
Spain. The sight of your face, and the thought of your kindness,
so cheers me that I feel capable of anything."

"Well, we will start tomorrow morning, Desmond. I shall go at once
and see the director of the hospital, and get an order for your
discharge."

The next morning they set out. Desmond had to be assisted
downstairs. There he was laid on a litter, packed with soft rugs.
This was raised and placed between two horses, ridden by two of de
la Vallee's men. De la Vallee himself took his place by the side
of the litter, Mike rode on ahead leading Desmond's charger, and
the other two servants fell to the rear, in readiness to change
with those bearing the litter, when half the day's journey was
done.

Seeing that the exertion of being moved had exhausted his friend,
de la Vallee rode for some time in silence. Then, when Desmond
opened his eyes and smiled at him, he said:

"I hope you are feeling comfortable?"

"Perfectly. I hardly feel any motion."

Every care had been taken to prevent jolting. The poles of the
litter were unusually long, thus adding to their elasticity. The
ends passed through leathern loops suspended from the saddle; and
were, at this point, covered with a thick wrapping of flannel
bandages, which aided in minimizing the effect of any jar. The
first day's journey was performed at a walking pace, and they
reached Beauvais, twenty-five miles being accomplished.

The fresh air and the slight easy motion were beneficial, and in
the afternoon, Desmond was able to talk cheerfully with his
friend. There was, however, no continued conversation, Philip
saying he would ask no questions about Desmond's doings until he
was stronger. His story had better be told while sitting quietly
in a room, where it would not be necessary, as it was on the road,
for the voice to be raised.

In the evening, however, after partaking of supper, Desmond,
without being asked, related the incidents, so far as he knew
them, of the battle of Oudenarde, and of the manner in which he
received his wound.

"The whole disaster was due entirely to the Duke of Burgundy, or
rather to the king, who placed him in command over two generals of
the highest skill and reputation. If he had wanted to accompany
the army, Burgundy should have done so just as our King James did,
merely as a volunteer.

"I am told that the king showed great courage in the battle. For
my part, I think his presence was altogether a mistake. He claims
that the English are his subjects, and yet he takes part with a
foreign army in battle against them. His being present will
certainly not add to his popularity in England."

"I agree with you," de la Vallee said. "It would have been much
wiser for him to have abstained, altogether, from interference in
the matter. It was, of course, a different thing when he attempted
to land in Scotland. Then he would have been leading the loyal
portion of his subjects, against those whom he considers rebels
against his authority. That was quite a different thing from
acting, without cause or reason, as a volunteer in the French
army, against those whom he regards as his countrymen and
subjects.

"I am afraid, Desmond, that, though it may shock you to think so,
these Stuart princes of yours are not wise men. Legitimate
monarchs of England though they may be, they do not possess the
qualities that endear kings to their people. From what I have
heard, James was a heavy pedant, a rank coward, essentially not a
man to be popular among a spirited people. Charles had a noble
presence and many fine qualities. But, although his ideas of
kingly power would have suited us well enough in France, his
arbitrary measures alienated a large proportion of his people, and
brought ruin upon him.

"Your second Charles, in spite of his numerous indiscretions, was
not unpopular, because the people were wearied of the stern
repression of Puritan rule, and were therefore disposed to look
leniently upon his frailties, while they appreciated his good
temper and wit. His fatal mistake was allying himself so closely
with us--a grievous mistake, indeed, when we remember that for
centuries the two nations had been bitterly opposed to each other.
As for his brother, he forfeited his throne by his leanings
towards the Catholic Church, in whose communion he died.
Decidedly, the Stuart kings were not a success.

"As to James the Third, as you call him, I know nothing beyond the
fact that he is a protege of the king of France, and has now
fought against his own people--a blunder, as it seems to me, of
the worst kind, and one which is certain to alienate many of his
supporters on the other side of the water. Were he to mount the
throne, it would be partly due to the aid of French troops and
French money--men and money, mind you, of a power at war with
England! He would therefore, necessarily, like Charles the Second,
be regarded as a protege of France. He would be bound in gratitude
to Louis, and the position of England would be altogether changed.
She would become the ally of Spain and France, her ancient
enemies; and opponent of her present allies, Holland, Austria,
Protestant Germany, and Denmark."

Desmond was silent. He could not but agree with what his friend
said, and had himself considered that it was a most unwise step
for James to appear in the field, fighting against his countrymen.

"I don't think I am strong enough to argue, Philip," he said with
a smile, after a long pause, "and I don't mean to give you a
victory, when I am fighting under disadvantages. The Stuarts
certainly never did any special benefit to Ireland, and assuredly
brought ruin and misery upon us; and at the present moment, I
don't seem able to explain why we should be so devoted to the
cause of these Scottish Stuarts, rather than to that of Anne, who
is, after all, of the same family and race. However, we will fight
it out when my brain is not so dull as it is at present."

They slept the next night at Pontoise, having made a somewhat
short journey, though Desmond protested that he felt quite equal
to going on to Paris.

"You are a good deal better today, Desmond, but there is no hurry,
and we will take matters quietly. If you continue to make
improvement we shall be able, in another day or two, to travel
faster; and I hope that, before we get to the end of our journey,
you will be strong enough to sit your horse for a few miles each
day."

They made no stay in Paris, but proceeded on their way, the
morning after their arrival. Melun and Montargis were their next
halting places. Desmond was gaining strength rapidly. His good
spirits were returning, and at their evening halt, he had been
able to recite the history of his escape from England. His wound
had a less angry appearance, and on the day of their leaving
Montargis the horses, at his request, occasionally broke into a
trot for a mile or two.

"You are looking paler. I think the motion is too much for you,"
Philip said after one of these occasions, when they again settled
down to a walking pace.

"I feel a bit tired, Philip, but one must make a beginning, and I
shall never get strong unless I begin to use my muscles. At
present, I acknowledge I feel as if I had been beaten all over
with sticks, but I have no doubt that I shall shake this off,
after a bit."

This was indeed the case, and on the last three days of their
journey to Pointdexter, he sat his horse for two or three hours.
Philip had, on the last day, sent on one of his men to inform the
baron that he would arrive that evening with Desmond, and as they
were seen approaching, the baron and his daughter came out from
the chateau, and welcomed them as they alighted.

"Do not upset the young fellow by appearing shocked at his
appearance," the former had said to Anne. "It was certainly a
blow, this morning, to hear that he had lost his left hand, and
that the greater portion of the journey had had to be performed in
a litter, so you must expect to find him greatly pulled down. But
see, they are breaking into a trot, so he has evidently gained
strength on the way."

In spite of the warning, the girl's eyes filled with tears as she
saw Desmond's thin face and wasted figure, and his left arm in a
sling.

"Welcome to Pointdexter, Monsieur Kennedy! Many have entered here,
since the old chateau was built, but none who have rendered such
vital service to our race. Do not try to speak. I see that you are
shaken with your journey. We will soon put that all right."

"It has been a rather longer journey than we have previously
made," Desmond said, after dismounting and shaking hands with the
baron and his daughter, "and we rode somewhat faster than usual,
as we were both of us anxious to be here. It was good, indeed, of
Philip to make such a journey to find and bring me to you."

"If he had not done so, assuredly we should. My foot was so bad,
with this villainous gout, that I could not put it in a stirrup,
but we should have had out the family coach. I had half a mind to
do so as it was, and Anne was most anxious to try her powers of
nursing, but Philip overruled us, and said that he would be with
you a week earlier than we could reach you in the coach, and that,
moreover, he was sure the journey in an open horse litter would be
far better for you than being jolted in a close carriage. So, as
usual, he had his own way; though I must say that, for once, Anne
rebelled strongly against his authority."

"You are all very good, Baron," Desmond said; "but, indeed, I
think that Philip was right. I can assure you that the journey has
done me an immense deal of good, and he will tell you that I am
very different, now, from what I was when he found me at Amiens,
for I had begun to think that I should never get away alive."

"Do not let us stay talking here," the baron said. "Anne has had
some soup prepared for you, under her own eyes; and that, and a
glass or two of good Burgundy, will do wonders for you."

Desmond, indeed, was greatly revived, and was able to join in a
cheerful conversation with his hosts.

"We are both dying to hear your adventures," the baron said, "and
how you managed to escape from that jail in England, as you did,
and also how it was that we met with that dreadful disaster at
Oudenarde. It really seems that those terrible fellows,
Marlborough and Prince Eugene, are invincible."

"They are good generals, Baron. Beyond troubles with the
commanders of the forces of their allies, they are able to carry
out their own plans. The Dukes of Vendome and Berwick are also
able commanders, but they were hampered by the presence of the
Duke of Burgundy, who, on several occasions, overruled their
opinions and ruined their plans. It is to him, alone, that the
defeat at Oudenarde is due. The French soldiers fought as well as
ever, and it was the position in which they were placed, and not
the superior fighting powers of the enemy, that caused their
defeat."

"But how is it," the baron asked, "that with, as I hear, one
hundred and ten thousand men, Vendome does not raise the siege of
Lille? It seems incredible that, with so great a force, he should
remain inactive while the enemy are carrying out their works for
the siege."

"That I cannot tell you, sir. We heard all sorts of rumours at
Amiens, but it seems that Marlborough had taken up a strong
position, and entrenched himself there with seventy thousand men,
while Eugene is conducting the siege operations."

"I don't understand it," the baron said, irritably. "There must be
more ways of marching to Lille than one. If one road is barred,
why not advance by another? The Duke of Burgundy is not with the
army now, so the blame cannot be put on him."

"No, sir; but Berwick's army is still, as I hear, under his
independent command, and the duke, excellent soldier as he is, is
not one to be easily led. If his opinion differs from that of
Vendome, he would assuredly maintain it; and as his manner is not
conciliatory, and his opinions are very strongly expressed, it may
well be that there are, as was rumoured at Amiens, constant
dissensions between him and Vendome."

"Well, it seems to me very strange, Monsieur Kennedy, after having
during the last reign defeated the best infantry of Spain, humbled
Austria, subdued Bavaria, crushed the enemy in Italy, and shown
ourselves to be the best soldiers in Europe; that we should now
suffer defeat after defeat, by an army containing men of half a
score of nationalities, though led by the greatest general that
England has ever produced."

"And, Baron, with English troops under him who have, for hundreds
of years, shown themselves invincible!"

"Yes, yes," the baron said, hastily. "We know all about Crecy,
Poitiers, and Agincourt; and how well they fought in Holland; but
I thought, Kennedy, that you were the enemy of the English, and
were here with your brave countrymen to fight against them."

"Not in my case, assuredly, Baron. I came over here because there
is no opening for Irish gentlemen at home, and because only by the
aid of France could our lawful king be placed on the throne. It is
true that a section of the English people, under Oliver Cromwell,
not only conquered us, but divided a great portion of our land
among themselves; and, although we were again defeated by a
usurping Dutch king, with the Dutch troops under his command, that
is no reason why I should feel any animosity to the people at
large, whose qualities I admire, and the majority of whom are, in
their hearts, attached to the cause of the Stuarts, and hate those
who are keeping the king from his throne. I own that I would
rather that it had fallen to my lot to fight for France against
Spaniards, Germans, and Italians, than against the English."

"Did you lose many friends at Oudenarde, Monsieur Kennedy?" Anne
asked.

"I lost my two greatest friends," Desmond said. "At least, I fear
that both are dead. They were the two who escaped with me from the
English prison. They, with Monsieur d'Eyncourt, another of
Berwick's aides-de-camp, started with me to carry orders to the
troops, who were all but surrounded by the enemy. We went by
different roads, to increase the chances of one of us getting
there.

"I succeeded with but this comparatively trifling wound," and he
pointed to his empty sleeve, "but none of the other three got
through, nor did their names appear when the lists were exchanged
of the prisoners captured. Therefore, I have no doubt that all
fell in the performance of their duty. We had been great friends,
ever since I came out, and their loss has greatly affected me."

"You are young, and will find fresh friends," the baron said,
briskly. "Do not let us dwell on the past. You have now to apply
all your energy to getting strong, and if you show as much vigour
in that, as in other matters, I hope that in a month's time you
will be well on the road towards complete recovery."

"I mean to try hard, Baron," Desmond said, with a smile. "If I
continue to gain strength as quickly as I have done during the
journey, I shall certainly insist, before long, on being
considered convalescent."

Day by day, indeed, his strength increased. At first he wandered
about in the park, accompanied by Philip and Anne, for the baron,
although somewhat recovered from his attack of gout, still walked
with difficulty. In a week, he again took to horse exercise, and
was ere long able to join in hunting and hawking parties.

The house was gay, for the baron, as soon as Desmond was able to take
his share in conversation, invited many of the neighbouring gentry to
the chateau, and introduced him to them as the man who had done so
much for his daughter and himself. Several entertainments were given,
at which the chateau was thrown open to all comers, in honour partly
of Desmond and partly of the approaching marriage of the baron's
daughter to Monsieur de la Vallee.

This had been arranged to take place in September. Before that
time arrived, Desmond had completely recovered his strength, and
being now fit for service, was anxious to join. But his friends
would not hear of his departure until after the marriage; and as
news came that Lille had been captured by the allies, and it was
certain that both armies would soon go into winter quarters, and
would fight no more that year, he allowed himself to be persuaded
to stay.

The siege had been one of the most terrible in history. The place
was nobly defended, and its conquest cost the allies dearly,
twelve thousand being killed and wounded, and over seven thousand
succumbing to diseases; while of the garrison, nearly seventeen
thousand strong, but four thousand five hundred remained alive at
the time it capitulated. Its fall caused general consternation
throughout France, for it opened the road to Paris, and during the
winter Louis made strenuous efforts to obtain peace; but the terms
demanded by the allies were so onerous that the negotiations were
broken off.

In spite of the general distress throughout the country, the
wedding was a gay one.

Desmond had written to the Duke of Berwick, who was now in Paris,
saying that he was fit for duty, and would report himself at the
end of the month; and, on the day before he was about to leave
Pointdexter, he received a reply from him.

It ran as follows:

Dear Monsieur Kennedy:

I am heartily glad to hear of your restoration to health. I
mentioned you to His Majesty today, who was pleased to speak very
highly of you.

The campaign is virtually at an end, for the present year. His
Majesty has informed me that various changes will be made in the
spring. Marshal de Villars is to replace the Duke of Vendome in
the command of the northern army. The latter has been unfortunate,
and misfortune on the part of a soldier is regarded as next door
to a crime. Certainly the defeat at Oudenarde was not his fault,
but had he taken my advice, Lille might have been saved. Doubtless
he was as much dissatisfied with me as I was with him, and perhaps
with reason; for, as you know, I am not accustomed to mince my
phrases. However, as His Majesty was pleased to say, it is evident
that having two generals acting together, each with an independent
command, is a mistake, and one that should not be again committed.
Therefore, next spring I am to take the command of an army in
Dauphiny, and to check the Austrians and Italians.

He said, "If you can spare him, Duke, I should be glad if you
would let me have this young Irishman for a time. I shall promote
him to the rank of captain, for the great service he rendered in
carrying, as you say, at grievous risk and with the loss of his
hand, the order to the troops at Diepenbeck to scatter during the
night, thus saving me at least ten thousand of my soldiers. I
shall also settle upon him a pension of fifty louis a year, for
the loss of his hand. I will send him to Spain, having had several
complaints from the Duke of Orleans" (who, as you know, is now in
command there) "of the incompetence of many of his staff".

I said that, although I had found you a most zealous and useful
officer, and had a warm regard for you, I would of course accede
to His Majesty's wishes in the matter. Enclosed in this letter is
the order for you to join the Duke of Orleans, and a private
letter from myself to the duke, giving a sketch of your services
and exploits, which will doubtless give you, at once, a place in
his favour.

I do not think that this war will last very much longer. France is
well-nigh ruined by the sacrifices she has made, and the drain
upon the allies must be almost as great. Therefore, I trust that
another campaign will bring it to an end. If not, you may be
assured that when the duke no longer requires your services--and
it is probable that, after a year's campaigning, he will be
heartily tired with the difficulties that he, as I did, will meet
with from the procrastination and general stupidity of the
Spanish--you will be free to return to me, and I shall be glad to
number you again among the members of my staff.

Desmond was sorry to leave the service of the duke, but consoled
himself with the hope that it would be only temporary; and the
prospect of a year's campaigning, in a new country, was by no
means displeasing to him. Therefore, after writing a suitable
letter to the duke, he took leave of the Baron Pointdexter, with
many thanks for his kindness, and, attended by Mike, started for
Spain.

"It's glad I am to be on the move again, Captain Kennedy," the
soldier said, as they rode away. "Sure, your honour, idleness is
not good for a man, especially when he has lashings of the best of
food and drink. When I came to buckle on my sword belt, this
morning, I found it would not meet within three inches, and the
coatee is so tight that I feel as if I was suffocated."

"You will soon work it down again, Mike. From what I hear of
Spain, there is no fear of your getting too much food there. Rough
work and small rations are, I hear, the rule."

"I am ready for a good spell then, your honour. I hardly know
myself now, for I am flabby and short of wind. Still, I am sorry
to leave the chateau, for I have had the best time I ever had, in
my life. Everyone was mighty kind, and seemed to think that I had
done great things in helping to rescue Miss Anne, whereas I did
nothing at all, except to follow you."

Chapter 14: A Mission.

On arriving at Madrid in the first week in December, 1708,
Desmond, after putting up at an hotel, and changing the uniform in
which he travelled for his dress suit, proceeded to the
headquarters of the Duke of Orleans, and sent in his name,
together with Berwick's letter of introduction. In a few minutes
he was shown into his room. The duke looked at him in some
surprise.

"Are you Captain Kennedy?"

"I am, Your Royal Highness."

"The Duke of Berwick has very strongly recommended you to me,
saying that you had performed excellent service under him, and
that he parted with you, with regret, at the express wish of His
Majesty. He speaks of you as a young officer, but I was hardly
prepared to see one so youthful. He says that you are devoted to
your work, active and intelligent as well as brave; and as such
your arrival is very welcome to me, for although excellent in
battle, I own that my officers are less devoted to the hard work
and detail that are as necessary as bravery on a general's staff.

"By the way, I seem to have heard your name before. Let me see, it
was in connection, was it not, with that affair of the Marquis de
Tulle and Baron de Pointdexter's daughter?"

"I certainly had the good fortune to take part in that affair,
sir."

"The king himself was pleased to tell me the details of that
adventure, and to speak very highly of your courage and energy in
carrying it out. And so, you are really the hero of that affair?
He said that you were a young ensign in O'Brien's Irish regiment.
You have risen rapidly, sir, for it is but eighteen months since
it took place."

"His Majesty graciously promoted me to the rank of lieutenant when
I was appointed by the Duke of Berwick to his staff. I obtained my
next step after the battle of Oudenarde, for carrying a despatch
to the force cut off in the village of Diepenbeck, in which
service I received a wound which resulted in the loss of my left
hand. I was several weeks in hospital, and then obtained sick
leave and went down for two months to Baron de Pointdexter, which
visit resulted in my complete restoration to health. At the end of
that time the Duke of Berwick, who had also returned from the
army, was good enough to recommend me to His Majesty, and he
thereupon promoted me and appointed me to join your staff."

"If Marshal Berwick spoke approvingly of your conduct, Captain
Kennedy, it is in itself a sufficient recommendation, for the duke
is not easily satisfied. I am sure that I shall find you a
valuable acquisition to my staff."

The duke invited Desmond to dine with him that evening, and
presented him to several of his staff who were among the company.
These were, for the most part, personal friends and associates of
the duke; gallant gentlemen, but wholly ignorant of war, and
adverse to hard work, and it was not long before Desmond found
that his services were called into requisition whenever it was
necessary that a despatch should be carried to a distance. He was
by no means sorry that this should be the case, for he soon tired
of the stiffness and ceremony of the Spanish Court, and of the
conversation (chiefly relating to ladies in Paris, whose very
names were unknown to him) among the French officers, and it was a
relief to him, indeed, when he could get away from attendance at
headquarters, and enjoy an evening's talk with the officers of one
or other of the four Irish regiments there.

Many of these expeditions were attended by considerable danger,
for the wars that had for some years devastated the country had
resulted in general disorder. Armed bands, under the pretence of
acting in the interest of one claimant or other to the throne,
traversed the country, pillaging the villages, driving off flocks
and herds to the mountains, and ruthlessly slaying any who
ventured to offer the smallest opposition. Catalonia and Valencia
had been the scene of the greater portion of the conflicts between
the rival claimants. Throughout the rest of the country the
population looked on apathetically at the struggle for mastery,
caring but little which of the two foreign princes reigned over
them; but, in the out-of-the-way districts, the wilder spirits
left their homes in numbers, enticed by the prospects of plunder,
under the leading of one or other of the partisan chiefs.

Desmond had, from the moment of his arrival, spent the greater
portion of his spare time in the study of Spanish, and, aided much
by his knowledge of French, had made rapid progress, and in three
months was able to converse fairly in it. It was, indeed,
essential for his work, as without it he could not have made his
way about, and safely delivered the orders of which he was the
bearer.

In the beginning of March, the duke sent for him.

"I have been greatly pleased, Captain Kennedy, with the activity
that you have displayed, and am going to make a further call upon
you. This mission is of greater importance than any on which you
have hitherto been engaged, and is one which, ordinarily, would be
entrusted to an officer of higher rank; but I feel that I cannot
do better than place it in your hands. From what we learn, I
believe that it is the intention of the enemy to commence the
campaign by crossing the frontier, near Badajos. By so doing, they
can either follow the valley of the Guadiana to the sources of the
river, and then come down into Valencia; or they could cross the
sierras, come down into the valley of the Tagus, and march on
Madrid.

"In the first place, I wish a report as to the state of the
fortifications of Badajos, and the efficiency of its garrison. I
am, of course, acquainted with the official reports, sent by the
Spanish commander of the town to his Government, but I have come
to place no faith whatever in Spanish reports, which, for the most
part, are a tissue of falsehoods. Your first duty, then, will be
to give me as complete a report as possible of the state of things
there; of your impressions of the capacity of the governor, as
shown by his preparations; also of the morale of the troops. In
the next place, I shall be glad of any information you can gather
of the country beyond the frontier, and the state of the roads in
all that neighbourhood. Here, again, the native reports are
absolutely untrustworthy. The line of the enemy's advance would be
either direct from Lisbon through Vicosa, or up the Tagus, which
offers them great facilities for carriage, and down through
Portalegre and Alvas.

"During the past four years, there has been a good deal of
fighting near the frontier, but the reports of the officers
commanding the Spanish forces there are devoid of any practical
information as to the roads on our side of the boundary. As it has
been resolved to give the enemy battle, as soon as he crosses the
frontier, it is most important that I should know the best lines
by which troops can move, the state of the bridges, and the
positions in which a battle on a large scale can best be fought.

"You see, the mission is an important one, and I selected you for
it as a proof of the confidence I feel in your ability. While
carrying out this duty you shall have the temporary rank of major,
as it will less ruffle the susceptibility of the Spaniards, if an
officer of that rank be employed, than if a captain be sent to
institute such enquiries.

"You will, of course, be provided with a letter to the Governor of
Badajos, couched in such terms that he will not consider your
mission has any reference to himself, its object being to discover
whether the magazines at Badajos are sufficiently well supplied to
admit of their being, if necessary, drawn upon for the subsistence
of the army; also, whether the garrison needs strengthening, in
case the enemy should lay siege to the town before our army is at
hand to give battle. Thus you will ostensibly confine your
enquiries to the amount of provisions and ammunition, and consult
the governor as to whether he considers the force at his disposal
sufficient for the defence of the fortress against a vigorous
attack. Fortunately, the Spanish methods are so slow that, before
you get these particulars, you will have ample time to ascertain
the points as to which I am chiefly concerned.

"You will be furnished with a native guide, well acquainted with
the passes of the sierras between the Tagus and the Guadiana. This
part of your journey will not be unattended with danger, for the
mountains swarm with bands of partisans; that is to say, bandits.
I shall, however, give you an order, to the officer in command of
the garrison at Toledo, to furnish you with an escort of ten
troopers under an officer, to conduct you across the mountains.
Four of these will accompany you to Badajos, and remain with you
until you return to Toledo. Once in the valley of the Guadiana,
you should have little chance of falling in with any bands of
guerrillas, but an escort will add to your weight and importance
in the eyes of the Spaniards."

"I feel greatly honoured, Your Royal Highness, by your selecting
me for the mission, and will carry it out to the best of my
ability."

"In an hour the papers will be ready for you, and you can start at
daybreak tomorrow."

"We are going on a long trip this time, Mike."

"Back to France, your honour?"

"No; we are going to the western frontier, by Badajos."

"It makes no difference to me, sir, where we are going; but, in
truth, I shall be glad to go anywhere, for I am mightily sick of
this town, where the people have no great love for the French, and
the best part of them seem to look down upon us soldiers, as if we
were dirt under their feet. It is unsafe to go through the streets
alone at night. A score of men have, since we came here, been
found lying dead with a knife between their ribs."

"Yes; the population here is very much divided, Mike, and even those
who are favourable to Philip have no love for the foreign soldiers
whose bayonets keep him on the throne. The duke has, many times,
made formal complaints to the king and the city authorities.  Philip
has given strict orders for the arrest of bad characters, but the
city civil authorities protest that they cannot lay hands upon them,
and I believe have never taken the slightest trouble to do so."

"How long shall we be away, your honour?"

"I should say, a month. I am to have temporary rank as major,
while engaged on this business. Anyone under that grade would
receive but little courtesy from the Spaniards."

"They are a mighty haughty lot," Mike grumbled. "I believe they
think that, when the flood came, the Spanish grandees had an ark
all to themselves, as they could not be expected to put up with a
conveyance full of animals."

Desmond laughed.

"They haven't yet taken in the fact that Spain is no longer the
great power she was when she was mistress of half of Europe. They
were fine fighters then, Mike. For my part, I own that I cannot
understand how it is they have fallen off in that respect; for
certainly, without our troops, they would make but a poor stand
against the Portuguese, backed up by the English and Dutch."

"I have not seen them fighting yet, sir, but to my mind people so
fond of using their knives are not likely to be of much account,
when it comes to manly, straightforward fighting.

"Well, your honour, if you are to go as a major, you will need
some slight alterations in your uniform--more gold lace, and such
like. So I had best see about it, at once."

"I did not think of that, Mike; but you are right. I don't know
whether, as I only hold temporary rank, I have a right to wear the
uniform of a field officer; but, as the duke wishes me to be able
to speak with some authority, there can be no harm in making the
change, and the additions can easily be taken off, upon my
return."

"The duke ought to have given you the full rank, instead of the
temporary one, sir. You have done more work, since you came here,
than all the colonels and majors on his staff."

"As far as work goes that may be so, Mike; but as the work
consisted in carrying despatches about on horseback, it certainly
affords no claim for promotion. And, indeed, I have no wish
whatever for it. I am already the youngest captain in the service,
except the young nobles who got their commissions as colonels,
without even serving a day in inferior rank. I feel uncomfortable
now when I go to our regiments, to see men who have been years in
the service, and gone through many a desperate action, still
lieutenants; while I, after two years' service, and still under
nineteen, am a captain."

"Yes, sir; but you know that you saved eight or ten thousand men
to France at Oudenarde, and you lost a hand in the service of the
country. That would count for a great deal."

"It counts for something, no doubt, Mike, but many of these
officers have risked their lives a score of times, and been
wounded frequently, though they may not have lost a limb."

"Ah well, sir!" Mike said, philosophically, "Luck is everything.
And who would go soldiering, if it was not so? When going into
battle, everyone knows that a lot of his comrades will be killed,
but he trusts to his luck to get through safely. One man gets
promoted and another doesn't, and he hopes that luck will come his
way next time. I don't say that your honour's promotion has been
luck, but you have had luck in being on the staff of the Duke of
Berwick, and everyone knows that it is the staff officers who get
the credit and promotion, while the men who do most of the
fighting get passed over. There would be nothing to say against
that if, as in your honour's case, a man was chosen for the staff
because he had done something that showed that he was fit for it.
But it isn't so here. If a man belongs to a good family, and has
interest, he gets a good appointment; and it is mighty seldom that
a man is taken from his regiment, and put on to the staff, because
he has done something which showed he was a good soldier."

"That is so, Mike. There is no denying it. And I believe it is one
reason why so many disasters have befallen the French army. The
generals are, as a rule, good, and the soldiers are excellent, but
the staff are generally altogether incompetent, and seem to
consider that the fact that they are nobles renders it unnecessary
for them to give attention to details, or to be more than
ornamental figures in the general's train. And when we see the
authority of Vendome overruled by a young prince, who is grandson
of the king, and nothing else, one must not be surprised that it
is the same all through the army."

That evening, Desmond received a packet containing his appointment
as major while on special service, details of instructions as to
the points to be attended to, and letters from the duke to the
commandant of the garrison at Toledo, and from Philip to the
Governor at Badajos.

The next morning he started at daybreak, accompanied by Mike, and
arrived that evening at Toledo. Here he presented his letter to
the commandant.

"Very well, sir," the officer said, when he had read it. "At what
hour do you wish the escort and guide to be ready in the morning?"

"I should like to start as early as possible, Colonel. I myself,
being well mounted, might cross the sierra in a day; but the
troopers' horses could not do that."

"You would not gain anything if they could, Major Kennedy, for
even if your horse could carry you over sixty or seventy miles of
mountain roads in a day, you would certainly need a couple of
days' rest before proceeding farther. If you get as far as
Enmedio, which is in the heart of the sierra, you will have done
well. You will then have another long day's ride down to Ciudad
Real, from which place the officer with six of the troopers will
return. The general says nothing about a noncommissioned officer,
but I shall take it upon myself to send one to accompany you, with
the four men. It will take a good deal of trouble off your hands."

"I am much obliged to you, Colonel."

"Now that we have finished business," the officer said, "we can
talk of other things. You will, of course, put up here. I have two
or three spare rooms, and the accommodation at the inns is
wretched. I am always very glad when an officer rides through,
because we hear little enough about what is passing, and as there
is no sort of sociability among the Spaniards, life is very dull
here, and one is very glad of the change."

"Thank you, Colonel. I will gladly accept your invitation."

The colonel rang a bell, and ordered a servitor, who answered, to
show Major Kennedy's servant where to put up his master's horses
and his own, to bring up the officer's valises, and to make the
soldier comfortable below.

"We shall sup in half an hour," he said to Desmond, when the man
had left. "Two of my majors are going to share the meal."

As soon as the valises were brought up, Desmond changed his
uniform, got rid of the dust of the road, and was just ready when
a servant knocked at the door and said that the supper was served.
The meal was a pleasant one. The three French officers were
anxious to hear the last news that had reached Madrid from France.
The conversation did not flag for a moment during the meal.

After this was over, and cigars were lighted--for the officers had
all adopted the custom of the country--the colonel said
courteously, "Would you mind telling us, Major Kennedy, how it is
that you, who by your name are Irish, although you speak excellent
French, have made your way so rapidly as to be already a major?"

"Not at all, Colonel. I am, myself, as much surprised at it as you
may be. But, really, my present rank is only temporary. I am going
down to Badajos, on a special mission for the Duke of Orleans, and
as he thought that I should be received better were I a field
officer, instead of captain, he has given me the temporary rank of
major while so employed.

"I will briefly tell you how I obtained the other steps. The first
was given me, by the king, on my appointment as aide-de-camp to
the Duke of Berwick; His Majesty being good enough to take an
interest in me, owing to a little adventure in which I had become
involved. It concerned, I may say, the almost accidental rescue of
a lady, who had been carried off by a nobleman of the court."

"I remember now," the colonel said. "The lady was Mademoiselle de
Pointdexter, and her abductor Vicomte de Tulle. It happened a
month or so before our regiment left Paris for Spain, and was the
chief topic of talk. I recall your name, now, in connection with
the affair, and how warmly everyone spoke of your gallantry. Well,
Major, how did you gain your next step?"

"I had the good fortune to be the only one who survived, of four
aides-de-camp who were sent off by the Duke of Berwick, at
Oudenarde, to make their way through the allied lines with orders,
to the division cut off from the rest of the army in the village
of Diepenbeck, to disperse and make off across the country, as
best they could. My comrades were all killed, but I was lucky
enough to succeed in reaching the village uninjured, with the
exception of a ball in the wrist, which caused the loss of my
hand, and, I may say, almost of my life. It was because of the
favourable report, which the duke was pleased to make of this
service, that I received my rank as captain."

"It was well earned, too, sir," the colonel said warmly. "I
confess, I thought when you arrived that, although Irish by name,
you must have had some very powerful influence at your back to
have risen so early. Unhappily, promotion often bears no relation
whatever to merit; and one sees young nobles, with no other
recommendation than that of their birth, placed over the heads of
officers of five-and-twenty years service. No one is jealous of a
man who owes his rise to brilliant deeds of courage, or signal
ability; but it is galling to see these young popinjays thrust
forward, simply by family influence."

In passing over the hills the next day, a large party of armed men
made their appearance, suddenly, on a height above; but, seeing
that an attack was likely to meet with a stout resistance, and as
little booty would be obtainable, they did not interfere with
their passage. Desmond congratulated himself on having an escort,
for it would have gone hard with him, had he been accompanied only
by Mike.

On the fifth day after leaving Madrid he arrived at Badajos, with the
sergeant, the four troopers, and Mike. After some formalities--for
the town, being close to the frontier, was liable at any moment to be
suddenly attacked--Desmond was conducted to the governor, a pompous
Spanish officer.

"Are you yourself Major Kennedy?" he asked, looking with some
surprise at his young visitor.

"My name is Kennedy, sir, and I have the honour of being major,
and to serve on the staff of his grace, the Duke of Orleans. I am
the bearer of a letter to you from His Majesty, King Philip."

The Spaniard took the letter and read it, and Desmond could see,
by the expression of his countenance, that he was by no means
pleased.

"I do not understand," he said coldly, "why an officer should have
been specially despatched to obtain information which I have
already duly furnished."

"I understood from the Duke of Orleans, sir, that as news has been
received that the enemy's plans were to cross the frontier near
this town, it became a matter of special importance to see that it
was sufficiently supplied with provisions, and munitions of war to
stand a siege. It has been found more than once that, owing to the
culpable neglect of subordinates, fortresses when besieged were by
no means so well supplied with provisions, powder and shot, as had
been supposed. Naturally, the governor of a fortress like this,
with a considerable garrison, is too much occupied to personally
superintend all these matters, and must leave them in the hands of
his subordinates, who on their part commit them to those of
sergeants and storekeepers; so that, while everything is reported
to be ready, there are really deficiencies. A waste often takes
place in the distribution of stores, and the matter was so
important that the king requested the duke to send one of his
staff to give you every assistance, and to receive your
suggestions, which will be complied with to their full extent. As
your last report was sent in some three months back, necessarily
considerable changes have taken place, in that time."

"Well, sir, I will obey His Majesty's orders, and give you every
facility. My officers shall be instructed to open such magazines
as you may select, and you will be then able personally to judge
as to the quantity and condition of the stores. It will, of
course, be impossible, unless with an immense expenditure of
labour, to go through the whole of the magazines and to reckon up
their contents; but as many as you wish shall be opened, and a
party of soldiers told off to count the bales and cases."

"A very few will suffice, sir. Of course, in the event of a battle
being fought and a reverse occurring, the enemy might sit down
before your town. You would be exposed to a long siege, for it
might be some time before the army was again in a position to
advance and fight another battle, or raise the siege. I have
little doubt that everything will be found in excellent order, but
should there be any deficiencies, the duke assured me that they
would be at once made good."

"If you will call tomorrow morning, sir," the governor said, "I
will have some of the officials, in whose charge these matters
are, placed at your disposal; but I am convinced that you will
find that my reports on the stores and ammunition in hand are
fully borne out."

"The governor is, as I expected, a good deal put out, Mike,"
Desmond said as he rejoined his follower, who was waiting outside
with the horses. "Now, let us find out the best hotel."

"Didn't he ask you to stay with him, your honour?" Mike asked in
surprise.

"No. He is much too grand a man for that, and besides, he may have
his wife and children with him; and however much a Spaniard may
place his house and all within it at your service, it is very
seldom that he invites a stranger to enter it. Moreover, glad as
they may be to have French help in fighting their battles, they
look with suspicion and dislike upon an individual Frenchman.

"Besides, I fancy I shall find that these stores and magazines by
no means tally with the report sent in by the governor. I heard
the Duke of Berwick one day speaking about it, and he said there
was corruption and dishonesty among their officials, from the
highest to the lowest. It is probable that both the king and the
Duke of Orleans have the same opinion, and that it was for this
reason that they sent me here, in order to assure them that the
fortress is as well supplied as has been stated. With the other
papers, I have received a copy of the governor's report, although
I did not think it necessary to tell him so."

The next morning, on going to the governor's, Desmond found a
number of officials assembled there.

"These are the officers in charge of the stores and magazines,"
the governor said. "Colonel Mendez will accompany you, and will
see that everything is done to facilitate your examination."

The governor bowed formally. Desmond returned his salute, and then
went down with the Spanish colonel, the other officials following.
He saw that there was an expression of malicious pleasure in the
colonel's face, and guessed that he was, by no means, sorry at the
investigation that was to take place.

"I think, sir," Desmond said, "that it will not be necessary for
us to have all these officials going round with us. It will be
impossible, in one day, to do more than examine one department. As
ammunition is the most important of all stores, I would suggest
that we take only those in charge of the war material."

"Very good;" and, turning to those behind, he said: "For today,
all those save the officers in charge of the magazines can be
relieved from this duty. Their turn will come tomorrow, or next
day."

With the exception of five or six, all moved away.

"We have three magazines in the town," the colonel went on, "so as
to lessen the chance of our resources being destroyed by a single
blow. There is the Central magazine, another that is known as the
San Juan magazine, and the Western magazine."

"We may as well visit the Central one first, as, no doubt, that is
the most important one."

As they went on, a party of twenty soldiers, who had been drawn up
there, fell in behind, while Mike and two troopers of his escort
also, at his orders, accompanied them. The magazine was formed in
what had formerly been an old castle, but which was now used for
another purpose, that of a store, its thick walls affording
protection against any but very heavy missiles. On entering what
had been the courtyard, Desmond saw that the greater portion of it
was occupied by storehouses, massively built, and covered by some
five or six feet of earth.

"The first of these on the right contains musketry ammunition,"
Colonel Mendez said, "the next two contain cannonballs; powder is
stored in the three houses at the farther end, and the three on
the left side contain hand grenades, fuses for mines, signal
rockets, and other miscellanies, such as brimstone."

"We will examine number one first," Desmond said. "Which is the
officer in charge?"

One of the officials stepped forward, with a key. Desmond saw that
his face was pale, and that he had a sullen look.

"I will ask you, before we enter," he said, "how often do you take
stock of your stores? I suppose when the governor sends in his
half-yearly report?"

"We do not do it that way at all," the man said. "I have a book.
It was given to me by the officer I succeeded. Here it is. You
will see that he handed over so many barrels of cartridges. On one
side of the page I put down the number of barrels issued, and on
the other the number I receive, and thus, at any time, without
disturbing the contents of the store, I can state the number of
barrels it contains."

"Then how long have you held this position, sir?"

"I have been in charge of this store, and of those used for powder
in the cellars underneath the castle, for ten years."

"The man whom you succeeded--how long had he been here?"

"I believe he had been here for twenty years, or more."

"And his system of keeping account was the same as yours?"

"Precisely. He handed his books to me, and I have kept mine in the
same way."

"Then it is a fact, if I understand you rightly, that there has
been no taking of stock for the past thirty years?"

"It was not necessary," the officer said, in a surly tone. "There
can be no mistake possible, considering the way in which we made
our entries."

They now entered the store. It was some sixty feet long and forty
feet wide, with pillars of masonry along the centre to support the
weight of the roof. It was lighted only by small loopholes in the
thick walls. Four of the soldiers carried lanterns, and they were
about to enter, when Desmond said:

"There is no loose powder lying about, I suppose?"

"None," the officer replied. "The barrels were all carefully
examined before being taken into the store. They are, as you can
see, strongly made. A leakage is out of the question, unless by
any accident one should fall off the pile and burst; but such a
thing has never happened, as far as I know."

"I see, by your book, that there should be three thousand four
hundred and eighty-two barrels, each containing five hundred
cartridges. Certainly an ample supply, even for a prolonged
siege."

The barrels were piled in four tiers, one above another, forming a
wall on each side of a central path, seven feet wide.

"Give me your hand, Mike," Desmond said to his follower, and,
standing upon it, he was able to scramble on to the top.

"Twelve barrels deep," he said, as he descended. "Now, let us
count the number in each line."

The wall of barrels extended only some two-thirds of the length of
the stores, and there were thirty barrels in each line. He made a
rapid calculation.

"That is three thousand two hundred, but I see that, in addition,
there is a small pile on each side, beyond the others, which would
about make up the correct total. Your record is strictly
accurate."

The official took up the lantern, as if the matter was now
finished, but Desmond said:

"No, sir. I have but begun; and my instructions were to see how
much musket ammunition there was here, at present. I only know how
many barrels there are.

"And now, Colonel, I will ask you to call your men in, and set
them to work. I wish two passages made through each of these piles
of barrels. Three feet wide will be sufficient."

"It would be very dangerous to move them," the official said
hastily.

"Not if it is carefully done. You tell me the barrels are strong,
and that there is no leakage. Even if this should not be the case,
there is little fear of the powder coming in contact with the
candles in these lanterns; and besides, as the powder is in
cartridges, it would not leak out even if one of the barrels were
to burst."

The soldiers had set to work at four points, chosen at hazard by
Desmond. The barrels, as they were taken down, were ranged along
on each side of the central path. When three lines had been
cleared out, one of the soldiers gave an exclamation.

"This is lighter than the one I carried out last!" he said.

"Carry it out into the courtyard," Desmond said. "I should like to
look at the contents."

It was taken out to the courtyard, and one end carefully taken
out.

"You see, Colonel," Desmond said, as he looked at its contents,
"you would have been reduced to great straits, long before you
expected it."

The colonel, who belonged to the artillery, looked into the
barrel, which was full of earth.

"Empty it out!" Desmond ordered.

They did so. There was not a single cartridge in it.

"This is scandalous!" the colonel exclaimed. "I did not expect
that everything would be found right, but I had no idea of such
villainy as this!"

He turned to the men.

"Arrest the commissary, at once," he said.

But that official was nowhere to be found. He had slipped away, as
soon as the men began to take down the barrels. Some soldiers were
at once sent off in search of him.

"We will continue the work," Desmond said, "and see how
extensively this fraud has been carried on."

The same result was met with in each of the openings. The first
three lines consisted of barrels filled with cartridges; the seven
lines behind contained nothing but earth.

"You see, Colonel, instead of having over three thousand two
hundred barrels of cartridges, you have less than a thousand. It
is almost beyond belief! It is clear that this fellow, and
probably the man who was in charge before him, have been in
collusion with the contractors for these cartridges, and allowed
them to send in seven barrels of earth for every three of
cartridges. No doubt, they calculated that there was little chance
of the fraud being detected--never, indeed, until there was a
prolonged siege--for they would naturally serve out the barrels
from the front row, as they were required, filling their places
with fresh ones as supplies came in."

The other storehouses were now examined. The number of cannonball
alone tallied with the account. There were large deficiencies in
the store of powder, and, indeed, among almost all the other
munitions.

"It is infinitely worse than I thought," the colonel said, "and I
fear that the storekeepers are not the only people concerned in
these frauds."

"Now, Colonel, if you do not mind, I should like to go to one of
the provision stores at once. Possibly, after what we have
discovered, some pretext to stop further examination may be
invented, if we wait till tomorrow."

Great as had been the fraud in the magazines, that in the supplies
of provisions was even greater. There was a deficiency of many
hundreds of sacks of flour and beans. The meat stores were
entirely empty, although they should have contained a large number
of tierces of salted beef. This was a matter of minor importance,
for in case of the approach of an enemy, the people of the country
round would drive their cattle into the town, and, indeed, the
allowance of meat to a Spanish soldier was so small that he could
do well without it, existing entirely upon bread and fried beans.
Of wine there was scarce half the amount indicated. A great number
of the barrels had been filled only with water.

It was late in the afternoon when the work ceased.

"I should require a fortnight," Desmond said, "to get accurate
figures. This, however, is comparatively unimportant. It is quite
sufficient to know that in no case is there half the amount,
either of ammunition or of provisions, given in the governor's
last report, and that fraud on a large scale has been carried on;
and I cannot but think that some men, at least, of higher rank
than these storekeepers must have been privy to the affair."

"There has certainly been something wrong in the supply of
clothes, Major Kennedy. My men have had no new ones served out to
them for the past year and a half, although I have made repeated
applications during the past two months."

"Yes; I noticed when I walked about in the town, yesterday, that
many of the troops were almost in rags, and I have no doubt there
has been fraud in the clothing department, as well as in all the
others."

"Well, sir, as a Spaniard I lament this terrible exposure. Blame,
however, must not be laid entirely upon the military. The supply
of provisions of all kinds, of cloth for clothing, and, indeed, of
everything but guns and ammunition, is in the hands of the junta
of the province, and of the civil authority here. Many of the
members must be concerned in the matter, and I have no doubt that
the officials here are heavily bribed to shut their eyes, and to
arrange matters so that the frauds may escape attention.

"I know that once, when I proposed to the governor to examine some
of the barrels of cartridges as they came in, he answered me very
sharply, and told me that my business was to work the guns, and
not to meddle with the duties of the storekeeper."

"Then do you think, Colonel?--"

"I think nothing," the officer replied. "The governor is the
governor, and it is not for me to discuss his conduct in any way,
nor even to admit the possibility of his knowing of this affair."

Only two or three of the storekeepers had been arrested. The rest
had slunk away, as soon as they saw how matters were going.

Chapter 15: Treachery.

At this moment an officer came down, and said that the governor
wished to see Colonel Mendez and Major Kennedy, at once. As they
entered the room, they saw the governor walking up and down in a
state of great agitation.

"I hear, Colonel Mendez," he said, stopping before that officer,
"that you have, on your own authority, placed several of the
commissariat storekeepers under arrest. What does this mean, sir?"

"It means, sir, that Major Kennedy has discovered enormous
deficiencies in the stores, and there can be little doubt that a
number of persons must have been concerned in the matter, besides
those in charge of the storehouses. Wholesale bribery must have
been practised, by those who supplied the goods to those whose
duty it was to receive them."

"I shall order a commission of enquiry to sit at once, and beg
that you, Colonel Mendez, will send me in a detailed report of the
matter, which is, I need hardly say, one of extreme gravity."

"I was right," Colonel Mendez said, as they left the governor's
house. "I suspected that something was wrong, ever since he
refused to allow me access to the magazines. I have no doubt that
he has been acting in collusion with the contractors, though he
may not have been aware of the extent of their rascality, for his
subordinates may not only have accepted bribes from the
contractors to carry out the frauds to which the governor may have
consented, but may also have taken money from these to allow of
still greater ones to be perpetrated."

"What will he do, do you think, Colonel?"

"He will endeavour, by every means in his power, to prevent any
word of your discovery from leaking out. And, if I may advise you,
I should say it would be well that you should take every
precaution for your own safety. His position is a desperate one,
for one cannot doubt that your report will be followed by his
removal from his post, his dismissal from the army, and the
confiscation of everything of which he is possessed. Therefore, it
is almost a matter of life and death to him to prevent your report
from being sent to headquarters, and to have you removed
altogether. This done, the facts might not leak out. It would be
supposed, at Madrid, that you had been stabbed by some street
ruffian. And, although another officer might be sent down to
report, it is by no means likely that he would go so rigorously
into matters as you did, but would be contented merely to count
barrels and bales, without troubling to investigate their
contents."

"But your evidence would be as strong against him as mine."

"Yes; but that evidence is not yet given. He can, in the first
place, and I have no doubt will, suppress my report to him. In the
second place, he would consider it unlikely that I should venture
to make the matter public, for he has powerful friends at court.
He is connected with many of the leading families in the province,
and might rely upon being able to hush the matter up, so long as
it was known only to the heads of our army, who are not unaware
that, although the pay of a commander of a fortress is not more
than sufficient to maintain his position, they, like most other of
our officials, generally retire with considerable fortunes.
Therefore, any interference on my part would be more disastrous to
my prospects than to his.

"It is humiliating to say so, Major Kennedy, but both our civil
and military systems are rotten to the core. There are, of course,
honest men in both services, but as a rule corruption is almost
universal. Still, although he cannot fear me as he must fear you,
it is possible he may endeavour to make himself safe by removing
me also from his path; and for a time I shall take good care to
remain in my own barracks, as much as possible."

"I will be careful also," Desmond said, "and I thank you much for
the warning, which was needed, for it would never have struck me
that he would even attempt to suppress the information that I have
gained; but I see that it will be necessary to be very careful,
especially in the manner of sending off my reports."

"If I were in your place, I should mount my horse at once, and
with the troopers of the escort ride straight for Madrid."

"I cannot do that, Colonel, for the examination into the state of
the stores here was only a part of my instructions, and I must, if
possible, carry these out to the letter before leaving for Madrid.
I might, however, send off my despatch by two of the troopers with
me."

"I think you may take my word for it, Major, that they would never
reach their destination. Even while we are speaking, a messenger
may be sent off either to one of these bands in the mountains, or
to two or three of the contractors--who are, of course, as deeply
involved as the governor, for there is no doubt of their guilt,
while no proof can be given to his being a party to it--telling
them that it is a matter of life and death to them to prevent you
or your messengers from reaching Madrid."

"The lookout is certainly far from comfortable," Desmond admitted,
"and I must, tonight, think it over in every way, and decide upon
what course I had best pursue."

When he reached the hotel, he told Mike what Colonel Mendez had
said.

"By the powers, your honour, it is a nasty scrape that we seem to
be in, almost as bad as when you were shut up in that prison in
London."

"Worse, Mike; for then we knew that we should be tried, but hoped
that Louis would interfere in our favour, and by threatening
reprisals obtain our liberty; whereas here we have only ourselves
to depend upon, and the blow may come at any moment."

"Well, at any rate, your honour, we will see that none get at you
unbeknown. I will lie down in your room against the door, and if
the sergeant places a man on guard outside, it is hard if anyone
gets at you."

"I hardly think the precaution necessary; but there is no saying
what this man might not do in so desperate a situation, so I will
tell the sergeant to place a sentry at the door, and to relieve
him every two hours. I shall think the matter over, and by
tomorrow morning shall decide whether I had best remain here and
complete my work, or ride at once to Madrid."

At about two o'clock in the morning Desmond, who had but just
dropped off to sleep, was aroused by hearing the sentry outside
his door challenge. There was no answer. All remained quiet. Mike
leapt to his feet and opened the door.

"What is it?" he asked the sentry.

"I saw two or three men at the end of the corridor. It was too
dark to make them out clearly. They were coming this way. I
levelled my carbine and cried, 'Who comes there?' and at once they
stole away. They could have been after no good, for their steps
were noiseless, and they must have come up without boots."

"Keep a sharp lookout, sentry," Desmond said, "and see that they
don't steal up to you, for if they do, you may be stabbed before
you have time to turn round.

"It is lucky that I carried out your suggestion, Mike, and posted
a sentry at the door. Of course, these men the sentry saw may not
have been coming here, but at any rate their conduct was
suspicious."

In a few minutes Desmond was again asleep. He had had a long day's
work, and believing that the affair was over, at least for the
night, he did not even try to keep awake.

As soon as Mike heard, by his breathing, that he was asleep, he
got up noiselessly and seated himself near the open window, with a
loaded pistol. An hour passed, and then he heard a slight stir in
the street. He did not look out, but grasped his pistol tightly.

Their room was on the first floor. Presently, he heard a grating
sound against the window. It was very dark, and he knelt down so
that he would be able to make out any figure that showed above the
windowsill. He thought first of rousing his master, but as he had
another pistol in his belt, and his sword leaned against the wall,
ready to his hand, he thought it better to let matters take their
course.

He had heard no further sound, but presently a round object
appeared in sight. Stretching out his arm, he fired without a
moment's hesitation. There was a sound of a heavy fall below,
followed by some muttered exclamations. In a moment, Desmond was
on his feet, a pistol which he had laid by his pillow in his
grasp.

"What is it, Mike?"

"It is only a gentleman who had a fancy for looking in at the
window, your honour, and I have no doubt would have come in,
without saying by your leave, if I had not cut the matter short by
putting a bullet into his forehead. He had some friends down
below. He came up on a ladder."

He looked out of the window.

"They are taking it down now, your honour. Shall I give them
another shot?"

"No, Mike; let them go. The lesson has been good enough."

The sentry had also run into the room, on hearing the shot.

"It is all over," Desmond said. "Seeing that you prevented them
from getting in at the door, they tried the window. Mike has shot
one of them."

There was a sound of feet and loud talking in the passage, and as
Desmond went out, the landlord, two of the serving men, and
several of those staying at the hotel ran up.

"What is it, senor? We heard a shot."

"Yes; a fellow tried to enter my window, by means of a ladder; but
fortunately my man heard him, and shot him before he came in. No
doubt it was some prowling marauder, who, seeing my window open,
thought that there was a chance of plunder."

"Carrambo!" the landlord exclaimed, "then we shall have enquiries,
and all sorts of trouble."

"I don't think you will," Desmond said quietly. "I fancy he had
some friends down below, and they will probably carry his body and
the ladder away, and, if you hold your tongues, nothing more will
be heard of it.

"Mike, do you and the sentry take a lantern and go down and see."

The landlord looked out of the window.

"As far as I can see, everything is quiet there," he said. "Are
you sure that your servant was not dreaming?"

"That you will soon ascertain, if you go down with him," Desmond
said. "I fancy that you will find some traces of the affair
there."

The landlord, followed by his two servants, went down with the
soldiers, and then, lighting a lantern and handing it to them,
went out, keeping carefully behind them.

"There," Mike said, when he stopped under Desmond's window; "does
that look like a dream?" and he pointed to a patch of blood on the
pavement.

"It is true enough," the landlord said.

"Pedro and Lopez, fetch pails of water and brooms, and get rid of
this blood, otherwise we shall be having enquiries made in the
morning."

Mike returned to his master, at whose door the sergeant and the
other troopers were standing.

"There is no occasion, sergeant," Desmond had just said, "to keep
a sentry at the door any longer. We can be quite sure that we
shall not be disturbed again before morning, and indeed, I am not
likely to sleep after this."

"Very well, sir; but if you don't mind, I will keep a sentry on
watch."

"Just as you like, sergeant, but I feel sure there is no occasion
for it. Still, after what has happened, it may perhaps be wise to
do so."

"Well, Mike," Desmond said, when they were again alone, "the
campaign has opened with spirit. This is something like that
journey with the Baron de Pointdexter, when we expected to be
attacked every minute."

"Well, we got through that all right, your honour, and it is hard
if we don't get through this."

At six o'clock, a volley of musketry was fired.

"They are practising early, sir," Mike said.

"It can't be that, Mike. It is too close. They would go beyond the
outer works to practise, and, by the sound, it is certainly much
nearer than that, though possibly just outside the walls."

"I will go out and enquire, your honour. When one is at war, it is
as well to know exactly what the enemy are doing."

"Take one of the troopers with you, Mike. Pierre speaks Spanish
well."

Mike returned in an hour.

"They have shot all the prisoners we took yesterday," he said. "I
hear they held a sort of court martial in the evening, at the
governor's. It did not sit more than ten minutes. They were all
found guilty of fraud and treachery, and were shot this morning."

"Worse and worse, Mike! Evidently, the governor is determined to
get rid of all whose evidence might throw any light on this
matter. After what has happened here, and these summary
executions, I feel very uncomfortable as to Colonel Mendez. Will
you go to the artillery barracks with a message from me that, as I
have my first report to write out, I shall not continue the
investigations today? Take Pierre with you again."

When Mike returned, Desmond saw that his news was bad.

"The colonel had not been seen when I got there, and his servant
went up to his room and found him lying dead, stabbed to the
heart."

"Another witness gone," Desmond said. "An honourable gentleman,
and a pleasant one. Well, Mike, the matter becomes more and more
serious. After this there is but one thing open to me, and that is
to return to Madrid at once. When I relate the circumstances to
the duke, he will see that, had I endeavoured to carry out the
rest of his instructions, the chance of my report ever coming to
hand would have been slight indeed, and it is all important that
he should get it.

"The question is, shall we mount and ride at once, or shall I go
and take leave of the governor?"

"Of course, your honour, you can do as you like, but I should say
that the sooner we are out of this, the better. The longer we stay
here, the more time he will have to take care we don't get back
alive.

"There was another thing I did not tell you, sir. As we went to
the barracks, we passed some cavalry men talking. They were
arguing that the enemy must be marching this way, for at two
o'clock last night ten troopers were suddenly called up and sent
off, the gates being opened for them by order of the governor."

"Just what I expected, Mike. He has written to warn the various
contractors that the frauds have been discovered, and, no doubt,
telling them that all messengers from here must be stopped and
searched, and all reports and documents taken from them; that if I
come myself, I am to be put out of the way; and that if this can
be done the matter can be hushed up, as he has taken measures to
silence all those who know anything about the affair.

"Well, I think you are right. We need not mind saying goodbye to
this scoundrel, as it would only give him time to perfect his
arrangements. I have no doubt that he would pretend to be ill, or
to be engaged in some business that would detain him, and manage
to keep me waiting some hours before he saw me. Order the sergeant
to saddle up at once. Let the men eat a meal as quickly as
possible, and let each put a bottle of wine and a loaf of bread
into his valise, so that we shall be able to ride without stopping
anywhere. Say that we shall mount in twenty minutes, and they must
not wait to polish up their accoutrements. Tell them to put plenty
of forage before the horses, and not to put the bridles in their
mouths until the last thing. Let each pour four or five feeds of
corn into his forage bag.

"When you have given the orders, have your own breakfast. I will
go downstairs and get something there. I packed my valises while
you were away."

Exactly twenty minutes later the little troop started. The men
had, at Desmond's orders, loaded their pistols and short guns.
Avoiding the principal streets, they rode by narrow lanes until
they emerged close to the eastern gate. Through this he and his
followers rode, without question, at a quiet pace until beyond the
exterior fortifications, across the bridge over the Guadiana, and
then broke into a canter.

The sergeant and men were not a little surprised at the sudden
departure, for they had supposed that they would remain for some
time at Badajos. Desmond called the sergeant up to his side.

"I dare say you are surprised at this sudden move, but you know
that two attempts were made upon my life last night, and I have no
doubt that these would be repeated, and perhaps with greater
success, had I stayed there. You were present yesterday, with two
of your men, when we discovered that large portions of the stores
were mere dummies filled with earth. Whether or not the governor
was a party to the fraud I cannot say, but this morning he had all
the storekeepers who were arrested shot, and Colonel Mendez, who
was present at the investigation, was murdered during the night.
It is evident, therefore, that many people are interested in
preventing the discovery we made from getting known. Of course,
the soldiers who assisted would be aware of it, but they would not
venture to speak, and it is only I and your men and my servant who
have still to be silenced.

"I tell you this, in order that you may impress upon the men the
necessity for the greatest vigilance, such as they would use if
travelling through an enemy's country. Messengers were, I hear,
sent off yesterday evening in various directions, and I have no
doubt that these were to the various contractors concerned in the
plot, urging upon them the necessity of preventing the news from
reaching Madrid; and perhaps to some of the robber bands in the
sierra. Therefore, instead of keeping the main road up the valley,
we will ride by country tracks and avoid all large towns. We will
not put up anywhere, but will bivouac in the open. In this way I
hope that we shall yet avoid any parties of men who may be lying
in wait for us.

"The most dangerous part of the journey will, of course, be the
passage of the mountains. We must there travel by one or other of
the roads through the defiles, and it is possible all these may be
watched. If we are attacked, we must endeavour to ride through
them. If this is impossible, we will sell our lives as dearly as
we can."

"You may trust us for that, Major," the sergeant said. "I have no
love for these Spaniards, and we are all discontented at being
kept down here to fight the King of Spain's battles, instead of
being up in the north, where every man is wanted to prevent the
enemy marching to Paris."

They struck off from the road when nearing Merida, and followed a
country track until they came upon the road between that town and
Torre Mocha. Avoiding the latter place, they took the road to
Truxillo, and, late in the afternoon, approached that town and
halted in a wood two miles distant from it.

Here Desmond consulted his map. There were two roads from
Truxillo. Crossing the sierra, the main and shorter road came down
upon the Tagus at Almarez. The other passed through Deleytoza, and
came down upon the bridge at Condo. Beyond Deleytoza it appeared
to be a mere mule track.

"If there are any parties watching," he said to Mike, "they will
expect that my messenger, or I myself, will travel by the main
road to Almarez, for not only is it better, but it is shorter. But
again, they might think that, if I suspected we might be attacked,
I should take the road through Deleytoza, and would, at any rate,
make matters safe by watching both roads. It is a difficult
question which to choose."

"Well, your honour, if you have got to fight, it would be best to
do so on a good road. Our horses would be of no use to us, if we
were going single file along a bad road; while on a good road we
could charge the spalpeens, and cut our way through."

"You are quite right, Mike, and we will take the main road. They
will not be mounted, and I don't think they would stand before a
charge of seven men; but they may shoot some of us as we come down
upon them.

"See here, Mike, this is my report that I wrote out yesterday
evening;" and he took a packet from the inside of his coat. "When
we start tomorrow morning I shall put it in my left holster. If I
am shot, you will not wait for a moment, but will snatch it out
and ride on to Madrid, and deliver it to the duke there. I have,
this morning, added a few lines relating the murder of Colonel
Mendez, the hurried trial and execution of the storekeepers, and
the attempts upon my life, and said I have not the least doubt
that the governor is at the bottom of it all."

"If your honour is killed, I will carry out your orders, but if it
is only wounded you are, I will try to take you off with me."

"You must do as I order you."

"I obey your honour's orders when they are reasonable," Mike said
doggedly; "but leave you behind, to have your throat cut by those
villains! I would not do such a thing, so there is an end of it."

Desmond smiled at the earnestness of his faithful follower.

"Well, Mike, you must be guided by circumstances; but remember, it
is of extreme importance that this report should reach the Duke of
Orleans. Unless he has it we may lose Badajos, and the cause
suffer irreparable injury."

"To the devil wid the cause," Mike said. "The cause doesn't
trouble me one way or the other. I don't care a brass farthing
whether Philip or Charles reigns over the Spaniards. It is not a
nice job they will be taking on, any way, and not worth a drop of
Irish blood. Well, if your honour should have the bad fortune to
be hit, I shall either carry you off, though there's not a breath
in your body, or else go down with you."

As there was no doubt that Mike meant what he said, Desmond did
not press the matter further.

The next day they set out at daybreak, and, in two hours, were
mounting the slope of the sierra. There were no signs of any men
being about, until they reached a point where the road ran between
steep hills.

"There they are," Desmond exclaimed, reining in his horse. "There
are some thirty or forty of them on the road.

"Now, my men, we will ride forward to those boulders you see, a
hundred yards this side of them, and then we will dismount and
give them a volley. If you keep that up, it will soon be too hot
for them to remain on the road; while we, sheltered behind the
rocks, will be safe from their shot. It is certain that your guns
will carry farther and shoot straighter than theirs, as the
Spanish powder is so much inferior to the French."

Accordingly, they rode forward at a canter to the heap of
boulders, then suddenly left the road, dismounted, and took cover
among the rocks.

"Take steady aim, men," Desmond said, "then you can hardly miss
hitting some of them, standing close together as they do."

The bandits had waited, undecided, at the sudden disappearance of
those whom they had regarded as a certain prey; and before they
could form any plans, five muskets flashed out, and four of their
number fell. A cry of rage burst from them, and there was a
general discharge of their guns, the balls pattering thickly
against the stones.

The soldiers now fired as quickly as they could load, doing
considerable execution. Their foes left the road, and imitated
them by taking shelter behind stones. For ten minutes the combat
continued, and then a party of men were seen, mounting the hill on
either side.

"That is just what I hoped for," Desmond said. "Fire at them, so
as to force them to climb a little higher up the hill. As soon as
they are pretty well out of gunshot, we will mount and charge down
the road. There cannot be many men left there."

His orders were followed. Some of the men on the hillside dropped,
and the others continued to mount the slopes. When, as they
believed, out of fire, they moved forward so as to take the
defenders of the rocks in flank.

"Now, fire a volley among the men in front of us," Desmond said.
"We are not likely to hit any of them, but it is sure to draw
their fire, and there will not be many unemptied guns as we pass
them."

As he expected, the volley was answered by a general fire from
their hidden foes. Then the party leapt into their saddles, and,
pistol in hand, galloped up the road. Several hurried shots were
fired from the front, and then, at a shout from their leader, some
twenty men leapt from their hiding places and ran down into the
road.