第 14 页

Portuguese, 3000 Germans, and 13,000 British troops were assembled.

Sir Arthur was already there, and upon the 6th General Beresford

marched with 10,000 men, and orders were issued for the rest of the

army to march out early the next day.

The Norfolk Rangers were in high glee that night, and many were the

tales told by the old soldiers of former engagements in which they

had taken part. Next morning, at daybreak, the tents were struck, the

baggage packed, and the wagons loaded. The people of Coimbra came out

in crowds to see the troops march, and many were the blessings and

good wishes poured out as the long line wound through the streets of

the city.

Hill's division was the last, and the rain was pouring down with great

force by the time they started. The march, however, was not a very

long one, for Beresford's division, which was to operate upon the

Upper Duoro, had a long distance to make, and it was necessary that

all should be ready for simultaneous action. For this purpose the army

halted the next day, and upon the 9th marched to Aveiro on the River

Vonga. Here a large flotilla of boats was found, and the Norfolk

Rangers with two other regiments were ordered to embark at once. The

Portuguese fishermen entered heart and soul into the business, and in

perfect silence the little flats were rowed up the lake of Ovar.

The soldiers were greatly crowded in the boats, and were glad, indeed,

when just as morning dawned they landed at the town of Ovar.

By this movement they were placed upon the right flank of Francheschi,

the general who commanded the advanced division of the French army.

Soon after they had landed the French were attacked in front, and

finding their flank turned, and the whole British force, which they

had believed to be seven days' march away, in their front, they fell

back hastily.

To their great disappointment, the Rangers took no share in this the

first skirmish of the war. But Hill's orders were not to press on the

enemy's rear. Three days more of marching and skirmishing brought them

close to the Duoro on the evening of the 11th. The enemy crossed that

evening and destroyed the bridge, and during the night the British

troops were all brought up, and massed behind the hill called the

Serra. This hill stood upon a sharp elbow which the river makes just

above the town of Oporto, and the British were here completely hidden

from Marshal Soult, who had no idea that they were so close at hand.

Indeed, knowing that the bridge was broken and that all the boats

had been carefully taken over to that side of the river, the Marshal

dreamt not that Sir Arthur would attempt to cross, but imagined that

he would take boats lower down near the mouth of the river and there

endeavor to cross. To prevent such an attempt Soult had massed his

army below Oporto.

The troops were ordered to pile arms, and eat their breakfast, but to

keep in position. "I wonder how we are to cross the river, Tom?" Peter

said. "It is three hundred yards across, with a rapid current, no man

in the world could swim that, and carry his musket and ammunition

across."

"I expect Sir Arthur is reconnoitering, Peter; I saw him go up the

hill to that convent there; he must be able to see from there right

over Oporto."

An hour passed, and then two or three officers were seen coming down

from the hill; one went up to General Hill, who happened at that

moment to be talking to Colonel Tritton. "You are to prepare to cross,

sir, Colonel Waters has discovered a small boat brought across by a

Portuguese in the night. They are going to cross to that great convent

you see upon the other side. They will bring back boats with them, and

you will cross at once, take possession of the convent, and hold it

against any force that may be brought against you until reinforcements

arrive."

Very quickly were the orders passed, and with a smile of satisfaction

the men took their arms and fell in. They were moved near the river,

and kept under shelter of some houses.

"Keep near me," Colonel Tritton said to Tom and Peter, "I may want you

to carry messages, there will be no sounding of bugles to-day."

Keeping under the shade of some trees so that they could command a

view of the river without being seen from the opposite side, Colonel

Tritton with two of his officers and his two buglers, watched what

was going on. A few paces ahead of them were Generals Paget and Hill,

like themselves, watching the daring experiment. Behind, under shelter

of the houses, were the troops in dense masses. The Rangers, as the

first regiment in General Hill's division, were in front, and would

naturally be the first to cross. It was a most anxious moment, as

Colonel Waters and two Portuguese pushed the tiny boat from shore and

pulled across stream. The bulk of the Serra Hill hid the river at this

point, and even the convent opposite, from the sight of the French

army formed up below the town, but there were no doubt stragglers all

over the city, and the whole baggage of the French army was in retreat

by the road to Valarga which ran at a short distance behind the

convent.

Most anxiously their eyes were strained upon the opposite bank, from

which they expected to see the flash of musketry, as the little boat

neared the convent. All, however, was as still as death. Behind them

they heard a rumble, and looking round saw eighteen guns on their way

up the hill. From this eminence they could command the ground around

the Seminary, as the convent across the water was called, and thus

afford some aid to the troops as they crossed.

There was a murmur of satisfaction as the boat neared the opposite

shore, and after lying still for a moment to reconnoiter the convent,

pulled boldly up to the landing-place, where its occupants disembarked

and entered the Seminary. Their absence was not long. In a few minutes

they reappeared with eight or ten men, and then at once entered and

cast off three large boats moored along side.

The boys could hardly repress a cheer as they saw them fairly under

weigh. An officer now left the side of the General, and came to

Colonel Tritton, "You will get your first company in readiness to

embark, sir; do not let them show themselves until the last moment."

Colonel Tritton joined his men. "Captain Manley, take your company

forward, when the first boat touches the shore embark. Let there be no

noise or confusion."

"God bless you, Peter," Tom said, as they separated; "your company

won't be many minutes after us;" for the bugler of the first company

was ill, and Tom was ordered to take his place.

As the boat touched the shore Captain Manley ordered the leading files

of his company to come from under cover and take their place in the

boat. Twenty-four men entered, and when the other boats were also full

Captain Manley took his place, followed by his bugler, and the boats

pushed off again.

There was a dead silence in the boat, broken only by the sound of

the oars as the Portuguese tugged manfully at them, each oar being

double-banked by a soldier. The rest sat with their muskets in their

hands, their pouches open ready for use, and their eyes fixed upon the

shore. All was quiet, and with a sigh of relief, and a hearty hurrah

muttered under their breath, the men leapt from the boat and ran up to

the Seminary.

It was a large building with a flat roof, and the enclosure around it

was surrounded by a high wall which swept round to the water's edge

on either side. The only entrance was through a stout gate studded

with iron. This was already closed and barred; the captain at once

distributed his men at the upper windows of the Seminary, with orders

not to show themselves until the alarm was given.

They had scarcely taken their places when they were joined by the

occupants of the second boat, while those of the third, in which

General Paget himself crossed, were but a minute or two later. Just as

they touched the shore, however, there was a sudden shout heard, this

was followed by others, and in five minutes a wild hubbub was heard in

the town. Drums beat to arms, and it was evident that the enemy were

at last awake to the fact that the British had effected a lodgment

upon their side of the stream.

"We shall have it hot presently," Captain Manley said to Tom. "They

will be a quarter of an hour before they can get round here, and we

shall have the three boats back by that time. The one we came in is

half-way across already."

Seven or eight minutes later a heavy column of men was seen pouring

out of the upper gate of the town. As they got into the open ground,

they threw out clouds of skirmishers, and pushed down towards the

convent. A heavy fire was at once opened upon them by the English guns

upon the Serra Hill. There was no longer any need for concealment. The

soldiers in the convent took their places at the windows, and as they

did so could hear the loud hurrahs of their comrades as they crowded

down to the bank upon the other side of the river to await their turn

to embark. Before the enemy were within musket-shot, three boat loads

more had been landed, and there were, therefore, 150 men now in the

convent. From the gates of the city the French artillery came pouring

out, and, taking up a position upon an eminence, opened fire upon the

convent just as the infantry had got within musket-range.

So suddenly did the noise of the enemy's cannonade, the crashing of

the balls against the thick walls of the Seminary, the rattle of the

enemy's musketry, and the louder roar of the muskets of the defenders,

blended on both sides with shouts and cheers, break out, that for a

minute or two Tom felt almost bewildered. He had no time, however, to

think, for an officer came up to Captain Manley. "The general is up on

the roof; he wants a bugler sent up to him."

Captain Manley nodded to Tom, who followed the aide-de-camp on to the

roof. Here he could see all that was passing, and an exciting sight

it was. Crowds of French soldiers were approaching the wall, keeping

up a tremendous musketry fire, whilst behind them three batteries of

field-guns were sending their messengers of death. From every upper

window of the convent the answering flashes came thick and fast, while

overhead hummed the shot from the British guns, on the Serra Hill.

Oporto itself was in a state of uproar. Drums were beating, trumpets

sounding, bells clanging, while from the house-tops the population,

men and women, were waving their handkerchiefs to the English,

gesticulating and making all sorts of pantomimic expression of joy.

Looking at the river behind, Tom saw with pleasure that some more

boats had been obtained, and that strong reinforcements would soon be

across. The whistling of the bullets and the hum of the round shot

were incessant, and Tom acknowledged to himself that he felt horribly

uncomfortable--much more uncomfortable than he had any idea that he

should feel under fire. Had he been actively engaged, he would have

hardly experienced this feeling; but to stand impassive under a heavy

fire is trying to the nerves of the oldest soldier. He was angry with

himself that he was not more indifferent to the whizzing of the balls;

but the sensation of discomfort under fire is beyond the control of

the will, and it is no unusual thing to see a young soldier who, later

in the day, may display an almost reckless courage, yet at first

flinch whenever balls hiss close by him, in spite of all his efforts

to the contrary. Tom was able, however, to control any outward

manifestation of his feelings, and took his place a few paces behind

General Paget, who was standing with one of his officers by his side,

watching the force which, momentarily increasing, was, in spite of the

British fire, making its way onward towards the gate.

It was evident that the general considered the danger to be pressing,

as he once or twice looked back to see how quickly the reinforcements

were crossing the river. The first time that he did so, his eye fell

on Tom. "Get behind those big chimneys, lad. There is no use in

exposing yourself unnecessarily."

Tom obeyed the order with alacrity, and, once in shelter, was soon

able to bring his nerves under control, and to look round the corner

of his shelter without flinching when the bullets sang past. In five

minutes General Hill joined Paget on the roof, and just as he did so

the latter was severely wounded and fell.

Tom ran forward to assist him, and, kneeling beside him, partially

supported him until four men came up and carried him below. The

position of the little garrison was now very precarious, the artillery

fire concentrated upon them was heavy, and the French swarmed up

to the wall, which they in vain endeavored to climb. The English

kept up a tremendous fire upon them, cheering constantly as fresh

reinforcements arrived, or as the enemy was momentarily repulsed.

Tom had now lost all nervousness, and was standing eagerly watching

the fight, when a ball knocked his shako off. The general happened to

turn around at the moment. "That was a narrow escape," he said with a

smile. "What is your name, lad?"

"Scudamore, sir," Tom answered.

"Scudamore--Scudamore. Yes, I remember the name now. You are one of

the lads General Craufurd spoke to me about. I want to see you. Come

to me to-morrow with your brother. Go down now and join your company;

I do not want you here."

Tom gladly went down, for he longed to be doing something. He soon

found his company, and, taking up a firelock of one of the men who had

fallen, was soon hard at work loading and firing into the assailants.

For an hour the strife continued. Fortunately General Murray had

found some boats three miles higher up the stream, and had crossed,

thus menacing the enemy's line of retreat. Suddenly a great pealing

of bells were heard in Oporto, with shouting and cheering, and the

house-tops were covered with people waving their handkerchiefs. The