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which was commanded by Lord Beresford, having under him many British

officers. The Portuguese troops were hardy, obedient, and far braver

than the Spaniards; but difficulties often arose in keeping the army

together, because the Portuguese Government, although England was

paying the principal expenses of the army, yet starved their soldiers,

and often kept them for months without pay. It was only by the

strongest remonstrances, and by the oft-repeated threat that he would

embark the British troops, and abandon Portugal altogether, unless

these and other abuses were done away with, that Lord Wellington

succeeded in reducing this incapable and insolent Government to

reason.

Reinforcements arrived but slowly from England, for a considerable

portion of the available troops of England were frittered away in

holding Cadiz and in an expedition to Sicily. In these two places some

25,000 English troops were wasted--a force, which, had it been added

to Wellington's army, would have enabled him to take the field against

the French, instead of being forced to remain in Portugal for upwards

of a year without discharging a single shot against the enemy. Tom and

Peter Scudamore, however, were not destined to remain inactive all

these weary months. One day in November, just before the army fell

back from the Spanish frontier, General Hill was dining at mess with

the regiment; for, rough as was the accommodation, the officers had

succeeded in establishing a general mess. The conversation turned upon

the difficulty of discovering what force the various French generals

had at their disposal, the reports received by the Commander-in-Chief

being often ridiculously incorrect. There was also an immense

difficulty in communicating with the guerilla chiefs who, almost

always beaten when they came to blows with any considerable bodies

of the French, yet managed to harass them terribly by cutting off

convoys, falling upon small parties, and attacking outposts and bands

of foragers. Knowing every mountain pass and road, these men could,

if they would, keep Lord Wellington informed of every considerable

movement of the enemy, and might in return receive instruction for

acting, when required, in concert before the communication of an

advancing army, or might create a diversion by uniting their bands,

and threatening some important post.

The next day the boys went to Colonel Tritton's quarters, and,

referring to the conversation of the day before, said that they were

willing to carry any messages that the general might require sent, and

to obtain any information wanted.

"Nonsense, boys, you would be hung as spies before you had been gone a

week."

"I don't think so, sir," Tom said; "we have had very little to do

during the six months we have been out here except to learn the

language of the country, and I think now we could pass very well as

Spanish boys. Besides, who would suspect boys? We are quite ready to

chance detection if we can be allowed to go."

"I don't like it, boys; you are too young. Well, if not too young," he

said, in answer to a movement of Tom's to speak, "we all like you too

well to run the risk of hearing you have been hung like a couple of

young puppies."

"You are very kind, colonel; but you know you promised to give us a

chance if you could, and having a chance of course means having extra

danger; but I really don't think that there would be any great danger

in it."

"Well, boys," Colonel Tritton said, after a few moments' thought, "I

do not feel justified in refusing your application, and will mention

it to General Hill. There are very few officers in the army who

speak Spanish fluently, and you being boys would, as you say, avert

suspicion. But I tell you fairly that I hope General Hill will at once

refuse to entertain the idea."

"Thank you, sir," the boys said. "Of course that is all we could ask

you to do."

The next day, after parade was over, Colonel Tritton walked on

to General Hill's quarters at a sort of half farm-house, half

country-seat, a short distance from the village, round which the

Rangers were encamped. As he came up to the house, General Hill came

out from his door talking to a Spanish officer, who had the day before

brought some despatches from one of the Spanish generals to Lord

Wellington.

Colonel Tritton joined them, and they stood talking together upon the

state of affairs in Spain, and of the advance of the Spanish army on

Madrid, which was then just taking place. As they did so two very

ragged, unkempt Spanish boys, shoeless and wretched-looking, limped

up, and began to beg. General Hill shook his head, and the Spaniard

impatiently motioned them away.

"Por Dios," one whined; "give us something; we are starving. The

French have burnt down our houses, and killed our fathers and

mothers--we are starving. 'Por l'amor de Dios!'"

"What's the poor little beggar say?" General Hill asked the Spaniard.

"The usual story--house burnt, father and mother killed, starving. I

dare say it's all a lie."

"Where did you live?" he asked in Spanish.

"In the village of Oros, near Valencia."

"And how did you come here?"

"The French burnt the village because the guerillas had killed a party

of theirs in it, and they killed all the people, and then carried off

the mules and horses, and took us to drive some of them. That was four

months ago. We had to drive till the other day at Tamanes, when our

men beat the French; our mules were taken, and, as they did not want

us as drivers we had nothing to do but to come on in hopes that the

kind English would give us food."

The Spanish officer translated what the boy said, and General Hill

remarked, "Yes, that was a brilliant affair of the Duke del Pasque's.

Here," he called to an orderly, "give these boys some bread. I will

see what can be done for them afterwards. I am afraid nothing. Poor

little wretches! their story is a very common one."

The boys received the bread with a great show of thankfulness, and,

sitting down by the roadside, began to munch it with great appetite.

The Spanish officer now mounted his horse and rode off, while General

Hill and Colonel Tritton remained standing where he had left them.

Colonel Tritton then told General Hill of the Scudamores' request to

be allowed to penetrate into Spain as spies or with dispatches.

"The young pickles!" General Hill laughed. "What will they be wanting

to do next? Pooh, pooh! it would be out of the question."

"I believe they do really speak Spanish exceedingly well." Colonel

Tritton said. "They generally act as interpreters for us, and none of

the officers speak Spanish with anything like the same fluency."

"As far as the language goes, they might get on, perhaps," General

Hill said; "but they look as thorough English boys as you could see.

They would be detected at once."

"Yes," Colonel Tritton said, "they are both thorough English boys; I

should know them anywhere. What a contrast to the miserable, limping,

hang-dog lads there! Poor little chaps! Why, upon my word, I believe

the fellows are laughing."

General Hill looked sharply at them, and, as he looked from one to the

other, he said sarcastically, "Poor little chaps indeed! You said that

very naturally, Tritton. It really does you credit as an actor."

Colonel Tritton looked at the general with an expression of blank

astonishment.

"What," said the general, "were you really taken in too"

"Taken in?" repeated Colonel Tritton vaguely.

"Don't you see, Tritton, those poor little chaps you are pitying so

are those two young scamps we were talking about."

Colonel Tritton stared in astonishment at the boys, and then, as he

recognized them, he joined the general in a shout of laughter, while

the two boys stood up and saluted with an attempt at gravity which was

only partially successful, so amused were they at the astonishment of

their colonel, as well as pleased at the success of their disguise.

Just at this moment there was a sound of tramping horses, and directly

afterwards an officer rode up, followed by four or five others, and

at a short distance in the rear by an escort of orderlies. The boys

needed not the exclamation of General Hill, "Here is Wellington." They

knew who the rider was, who checked his horse as he reached the gate,

for they had often seen him as he rode through the camp. A slight man,

very careful and neat in his dress, with an aquiline nose and piercing

eyes. Peter was rising as he drew up his horse, when Tom said, "Don't

get up, Peter; go on with your bread. It would look absurd for us

to salute now, and would draw attention to us," he went on, as Lord

Wellington dismounted, threw the bridle off his horse to an orderly,

and saying to General Hill, "I wanted to see you; come in." Colonel

Tritton went into the house, followed by the two officers. "We'll

stop here till they come out again, Peter. Perhaps General Hill may

speak to him about us. At any rate, we will keep up our disguise till

they've gone. Let us play at odd and even." It was a game of which

Spanish boys are very fond, and they may be seen in any of the Spanish

towns sitting by the houses on door-steps in the sun playing. It was

half an hour before the general came out again. He was about to mount

his horse, when he glanced at the boys, who were sitting against the

wall a few paces off, seemingly absorbed in their play, and paying no

attention whatever to him. Suddenly he changed his mind, dropped his

rein, and walked up to them.

"What are you playing for?" he asked abruptly in Spanish.

"Reals, senor," Tom said looking up, but not moving.

"You are poor; how can you pay?" asked the general.

"Oh! we don't pay," Tom laughed. "We keep count. I owe him twelve

thousand now. I will pay him when I get rich. He can wait." And he

held out his closed hand again for Peter to guess the number of stones

it contained.

"Come inside," Lord Wellington said abruptly, and, turning led the way

into the house again, followed by General Hill, Colonel Tritton, and

the two boys.

"It is not often I change my mind," he said to General Hill; "but for

once I do so now. When you told me about these lads, I refused to

employ them on such dangerous service, even when you told me of the

courage and coolness which they exhibited on the voyage. Now I have

tried them myself, I see that they will do. If they could keep up

their disguise when I spoke to them suddenly, and answer without

hesitation or any excitement which could have shown that they were

not what they pretended to be, they can do so with a French general.

I am no judge of the purity of their Spanish; but as you tell me they

deceived a Spanish officer just now, they will be able to pass with

Frenchmen. Now, lads," he went on turning to them, "you have thought

over, of course, the risks you are going to run, and are prepared, if

detected, to be hung like dogs." The boys bowed.

"You will receive detailed instructions through Colonel Tritton,

together with such despatches as I may wish sent. They will be written

as small as possible. You will not go for a week; devote all your time

to studying the map. The largest size we have shall be sent to your

colonel this afternoon. Of course you will be supplied with money, and

for anything you can think of likely to assist you, speak to Colonel

Tritton. You are beginning well, young sirs. If you like, you ought to

made a noise in the world. Now, Hill, I must be off."

And the general left the room with the officers, while the boys were

stammering out their thanks.

"Where did you dress up, boys?" Colonel Tritton asked them after the

general had ridden off. "You did not come out from camp like this I

hope?"

"No, colonel; we changed in that little wood there."

"What have you colored your skins with?"

"We got some iodine from the doctor, sir, and mixed it with water till

it was just thick enough to tinge our skin. It will wash pretty well

off with plenty of scrubbing, but we mean to use walnut juice when we

start; it lasts much longer, and is a better brown."

"I am not sure, boys, that you had not better leave your faces alone,

they and your hands are so sunburnt that you would pass well enough,

though you must dye your arms and legs. Fortunately, your hair is

pretty dark, for you can't well carry dye. Think well over all these

things, for your lives may depend on some trifle of this kind. I shall

see you at mess."

So saying, Colonel Tritton walked on, leaving the boys to follow at

their leisure. Just as they were about to turn off to make for the

woods they saw a soldier coming along the road.

"That's Sam, if I am not mistaken, Peter, we will have some fun with

him. We can trust him to say nothing in the regiment about meeting us

like this."

The two boys accordingly sat down by a low wall by the roadside, and

as Sam came up talked away to each other in Spanish. He passed without

paying any attention to them. After he had gone a few yards, Tom said

in a deep, loud voice, "Sambo." The black halted suddenly, and turned

round. First he looked angrily at the boys, then he went to the side

of the road and looked over the wall. Then with a very perplexed air

he looked up and down the road.

"Who dat have impudence to call dis colored gentleman Sambo," he said

to himself. "Some fellow did, dat for sartin, not dose little Spanish

trash, dey not know Sam's name, some rascal in regiment; he's hid

somewhere. I pound him to squash when I find him."