British officer of dragoons, and my party is yonder."

This evidently unexpected declaration seemed to surprise them, and they conferred for a few moments together. Meanwhile, they were joined by two others, in one of whom we could recognise, by his costume, the real leader of the party.

"I am captain in the light dragoons," said I, repeating my declaration.

"Morte de Dios!" replied he: "it is false; you are a spy!”

The word was repeated from lip to lip by his party, and I saw, in their lowering looks and darkening features, that the moment was a critical one for me.

"Down with your arms !" cried he, "Surturning to the Frenchmen: render yourselves our prisoners; I'll not bid ye twice!"

The Frenchmen turned upon me an enquiring look, as though to say that upon me their hopes entirely reposed.

"Do as he bids you," said I; while at the same moment I sprang to my legs, and gave a loud shrill whistle, the last echo of which had not died away in the distance, ere it was replied to.

"Make no resistance now," said I to the Frenchmen, "our safety depends on this."

While this was passing, two of the Spaniards had dismounted, and, detaching a coil of rope which hung from their saddle peak, were proceeding to tie the prisoners wrist to wrist, the others, with their carbines to the shoulder, covered us man by man, the chief of the party having singled out me as his peculiar prey.

"The fate of Mascarenhas might
have taught you better," said he, “than
to play this game ;" and then added,
with a grim smile, "but we'll see if
an Englishman will not make as good
a carbonado as a Portuguese !"

This cruel speech made my blood
run cold, for I knew well to what he
alluded. I was at Lisbon at the time
it happened; but the melancholy fate
of Julian Mascarenhas, the Portu-
He
guese spy, had reached me there.
was burned to death at Torres Ve-
dras !"

The Spaniard's triumph over my
terror was short-lived indeed; for
scarcely had the words fallen from his

lips, when a party of the fourteenth,
dashing through the river at a gallop,
The attitude of the
came riding up.

guerillas, as they sat with presented
arms, was sufficient for my fellows,
who needed not the exhortation of him
who rode foremost of the party-

"Ride them down, boys! Tumble
them over! Flatten their broad
beavers, the infernal thieves !"

66

Whoop!" shouted Mike, as he rode at the chief with the force of a catapult. Down went the Spaniard, horse and all, and, before he could disentangle himself, Mike was upon him, his knee pressed upon his neck.

"Isn't it enough for ye to pillage the whole country, without robbing the king's throops?" cried he, as he held him fast to the earth with one hand, while he presented a loaded pistol to his face.

By this time the scene around me was sufficiently ludicrous. Such of the guerillas as had not been thrown by force from their saddles, had slid peaceably down, and, depositing their arms upon the ground, dropped upon their knees in a semicircle around us, and, arid the hoarse laughter of the troopers and the irrepressible merriment of the Frenchmen, rose up the muttered prayers of the miserable Spaniards, who believed that now their last hour was come.

"Madre de Dios, indeed!" cried Mike, imitating the tone of a repentant old sinner, in a patched mantle; "it's much the Blessed Virgin thinks of the like o' ye, thieves and rogues as ye are; it a'most puts me beyond my senses, to see ye there crossing yourselves like rale Christians."

I could not help indulging myself in this retributive cruelty towards the chief, and leaving him to the tender mercies of Mike, I ordered the others to rise and form in line before me. Affecting to occupy myself entirely with them, I withdrew the attention of all from the French officers, who remained quiet spectators of the scene around them.

"Point de facons, gentlemen," said I, in a whisper. "Get to your horses, and away! now's your time: goodby!"

A warm grasp of the hand from each was the only reply, and I turned once more to my discomfited griefs, the guerillas.

of this. Come, gentlemen, we must
be friends. If I mistake not, we've
got something like refreshment at our
bivouac. In any case you'll partake
of our watch-fire till morning."

They gladly accepted our invitation,
and ere half an hour elapsed, Mike's
performance in the part of host had
completely erased every unpleasant
impression his first appearance gave
rise to; and as for myself, when I
did sleep at last, the confused mixture
of Spanish and Irish airs which issued
from the thicket beside me, proved
that a most intimate alliance had
grown up between the parties.

CHAPTER XCIV. MIKE'S MISTAKE.

An hour before daybreak the guerillas were in motion, and, having taken a most ceremonious leave of us, they mounted their horses and set out upon their journey. I saw their gaunt figures wind down the valley, and watched them till they disappeared in Yes, brigands though the distance. they be, thought I, there is something fine, something heroic, in the spirit of the their unrelenting vengeance; sleuth-hound never followed the lair of his victim with a more ravening appetite for blood than they track the retreating columns of the enemy. Hovering around the line of march, they sometimes swoop down in masses, and carry off a part of the baggage, or the wounded. The wearied soldier, overcome by heat and exhaustion, who drops behind his ranks, is their certain victim; the sentry on an advanced Whole pickpost is scarcely less so. ets are sometimes attacked and carried off to a man; and when traversing the lonely passes of some mountain gorge, or defiling through the dense shadows of a wooded glen, the stoutest heart has felt a fear, lest from behind the rock that frowned above him, or from the leafy thicket, whose branches stirred without a breeze, the sharp ring of a guerilla carbine might sound his death knell.

It was thus in the retreat upon CoEver runna fell Colonel Lefevre. foremost in the attack upon our rear

guard, this gallant youth (he was
scarce six-and-twenty), a colonel of
decorated with
his regiment, and
the legion of honour, led on every
charge of his bold "sabreurs," riding
up to the very bayonets of our squares,
waving his hat above his head, and
seeming actually to court his death
wound; but so struck were our brave
fellows with his gallant bearing, that
they cheered him as he came on.

It was in one of these moments, as,
rising high in his stirrups, he bore
down upon the unflinching ranks of
the British infantry, the shrill whistle
of a ball strewed the leaves upon the
road side, the exulting shout of a
guerilla followed it, and the same in-
his
stant Lefevre fell forward
horse's mane, a deluge of blood burst-
A broken cry
ing from his bosom.
escaped his lips, a last effort to cheer
on his men; his noble charger gal-
loped forward between our squares,
bearing to us as our prisoner the corpse
of his rider.

upon

"Captain O'Malley," said a mounted dragoon to the advanced sentry at the bottom of the little hill upon which I was standing; "despatches from head quarters, sir," delivering into my hands a large sealed packet from While the adjutant-general's office.

he proceeded to search for another letter of which he was the bearer, I broke the seal and read as follows:

• For the information of my unmilitary readers, I may remark that this sobriquet was applied to the 50th regiment.

for sheep-stealing; he'd be worth his weight in gold here.

"Misther Charles is now a captain-devil a less-and myself might be somethin' that same, but ye see I was always of a bashful nature, and recommended the masther in my place. He's mighty young, Misther Charles is, says my Lord Wellington to me— he's mighty young, Mr. Free.' He is, my lord,' says I; he's young, as you obsarve, but he's as much divilment in him as many that might be his father.' 'That's somethin', Mr. Free,' says my lord; 'ye say he comes of a good stock?' The rale sort, my lord,' says an ould, ancient family, that's I; spent every sixpence they had in treating their neighbours. My father lived near them for years'-you see, Molly, I said that to season the discourse. 'We'll make him a captain,' says my lord; but, Mr. Free, could we do nothing for you?' 'Nothing, at present, my lord.

When my friends comes into power,' says I, they'll think of me. There's many a little thing to give away in Ireland, and they often find it mighty hard to find a man for Lord Lieutenant; and if that same, or a tide-waiter's place was vacant' 'Just tell me,' says my lord.

And now,

It's what I'll do,' says I. wishing you happy dreams, I'll take my lave.' Just so, Molly, it's hand A pleasant face, and glove we are. agreeable manners, seasoned with natural modesty, and a good pair of legs, them's the gifts to push a man's way in the world; and even with the ladies -but sure I'm forgetting, my masther was proposed for, and your humble servant, too, by two illigant creatures in Lisbon; but it wouldn't do, Molly, -it's higher nor that we'll be looking

rale princesses, the devil a less. Tell Kitty Hannigan I hope she's well: she was a desarving young woman in her situation in life. Shusey Dogherty, at the cross-roads-if I don't forget the name was a good-looking slip too, give her my affectionate salutations, as we say in the Portuguese. I hope I'll be able to bear the inclementuous nature of your climate, when I go back; but I can't expect to stay long-for Lord Wellington can't do without me. We play duets on the guitar together every evening. The

masther is shouting for a blanket, so
no more at present from your very
affectionate friend,
MICKEY FREE.
"P.S.-I don't write this myself,
for the Spanish tongue puts me out o'
Tell Father
the habit of English.
Rush, if he'd study the Portuguese,
I'd use my interest for him with the
It's a country he'd
Bishop of Toledo.
like-no regular stations, but promis
cuous eating and drinking, and as
pretty girls as ever confessed their
sins.'

66

My poor Charley, I think I am looking at you. I think I can see the struggle between indignation and laughter, which every line of this Get back as letter inflicts upon you. quickly as you can, and we'll try if Crawford won't pull you through the business. In any case, expect no sympathy, and if you feel disposed to be angry with all who laugh at you, you had better publish a challenge in the next General Order. George Scott, that if of the Greys, bids me say, you're hard-up for cash, he'll give you a couple of hundred for Mickey Free. I told him, I thought you'd accept it, as your uncle has the breed of those fellows upon his estate, and might have no objection to weed his stud. Hammersley's gone back with the Dashwoods; but I don't think you need fear any thing in that quarter. At the same time, if you wish for success, make a bold push for the peerage, and half-a-dozen decorations, for Miss Lucy is most decidedly gone wild about military distinction. As for me, go on well; I've had half-aaffairs dozen quarrels with Inez, but we parted good friends, and my bad Portuguese has got me out of all difficulties with papa, who pressed me tolerably close as to fortune. I shall want your assistance in this matter yet. If parchments will satisfy him, I think I could get up a qualification; but somehow the matter must be done, for I'm resolved to have his daughter.

my

"The orderly is starting, so no Yours ever, more till we meet. "FRED POWER."

"Godwin," said I, as I closed the letter, "I find myself in a scrape at head-quarters you are to take the