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to the Spanish peasant, round his leg, looking eagerly from under his

wide sombrero to see who was approaching. As the new-comer came in

sight, the pedlar at once ceased his employment and rose to meet him.

He had recognized the figure, but the face was hidden, the Spanish

cloak, worn as is usual by peasant and noble alike, with one end

thrown over the shoulder, hiding the chin and lower part of the face,

while the wide felt hat, pressed well down in front, allowed scarcely

a glimpse even of the nose. That, however, would have been sufficient

in the present case, for the man was a negro.

Upon seeing the pedlar rise, he ran forward to meet him.

"Ah, Massa Tom, tank de Lord me find you safe and sound. I always

keep on tinking you taken prisoner or killed eider by de French or de

robbers--one as bad as de oder."

"I have thought the same of you, Sam, for your risk has been far

greater than mine. Well, thank God, it is all right thus far. But come

back into the wood, I have got some food there, and here any one might

come along."

They were soon deep in the wood, where, by a pile of grass and leaves

which had evidently been used as a bed, was an open wallet, with some

bread, cheese, cold meat and a small skin of wine.

"Are you hungry, Sam?"

"Downright starving, sar; dis chile eat noting for two days."

"Why, how is that, Sam; you had six days' provision with you when you

started?"

"Dat true enough, sar, but Sam's appetite bigger than usual, noting to

do all day sitting in de woods, waiting for night to come so as to go

on again; so had to eat, and de food all went before Sam thought dat

dere was two more days before he meet you."

"Well, sit down now, Sam, and eat away; we have plenty of time."

They had much to tell each other. They had traveled by the same road,

one by night, the other by day--Sam passing the days sleeping in the

woods, his master traveling by day and at night sleeping in wretched

village posadas. He, too, would far rather have slept in the woods,

for the insects and filth made sleep almost impossible in these

places, besides which he ran a good deal of risk as to the discovery

of his disguise. He had, however, chosen the inns in hopes of hearing

something which might give him a clue as to the object of his search.

The only information, which he had gained was to the effect that Nunez

still had his quarters at the old place. He had been driven out of it,

and the village had been burned by the French, but the position was

a convenient one, and the houses had been cleared and roughly roofed

with boughs of trees and straw, and the band was still there. This

much was satisfactory, and he could hardly have expected to learn

more, unless he had happened to meet some of the members of the band

itself. They had not traveled by the main road, as upon that large

forces of the French were collected; and even if Tom could have

passed through, boldly, Sam could not have made his way. Even by the

road they had chosen Tom had met several bodies of French, while at

Vittoria a very large force was assembling, destined for the relief of

Burgos.

Sam had but few incidents to relate. He had been carefully instructed

by Tom before starting as to the road he should take, and the position

and distances apart of the towns and villages upon it. He had traveled

only at night, and had but once or twice exchanged a word with passers

by. People did not travel much at night in so disturbed a country,

and when Sam heard a foot-passenger approaching, or, as was more

frequently the case, a party of French cavalry, he left the road and

lay down, until they had passed. The one or two foot-passengers he had

met suddenly he had passed with the usual Spanish muttered salutation,

and the darkness and the disguise prevented any recognition of his

color.

"Now, sar," Sam said, when they had finished breakfast, "what am to be

done next?"

"I do not think, Sam, that the party who have got Peter have arrived

yet. They could only have started on the day that we did; they have as

long a road to go, and most likely they have got a bullock-cart, which

won't travel more than fifteen miles a day at the outside. They have

got Peter in a cart covered up with something, we may be sure. I don't

think they will be here for another day or so at the earliest. If we

knew what sort of cart it was, we could attack them on the way if

there are not too many of them; but unfortunately we don't know that;

and as there are three or four roads up to the village, and they are

sure to make a detour, we don't know which they will come by. I hope

to learn at the village. We will stay where we are till dark, then we

will push on; it is only a couple of miles or so from here. I will

steal into the place after dark, and try and overhear what is going

on. You shall remain at a point where you can see down into the

village and can hear a shout. I will give you this letter of Lord

Wellington, and if you hear a pistol shot and hear me shout 'Sam!' you

will know I am caught, and must make off as hard as you can to that

small town in the plain, where there is a French garrison; ask for the

commanding-officer, show this letter, and offer to guide them so as

to surprise Nunez and his band. That is our sole chance. But I don't

think there is much risk of being caught. I shall be very careful, you

may rely upon it; and as I know the position of the house, I shall be

able to make my way about. Once night has fallen they go off to bed;

and even if I walked boldly about the place I should likely enough

meet no one all night."

That evening Tom entered the village as soon as it was fairly dark. He

knew, from his former experience, that sentries were always placed at

points whence they could get a view of the roads, and he made his way

so as to avoid any risk of observation by them; but when he reached a

place whence he could in turn view the posts of the watchers, he found

that they were deserted, and concluded that the brigands had become

careless, from the belief that, now the French had once destroyed the

village, they would not be likely to come up to search for them there

a second time; besides which, they might reckon that the French had

their hands much too full with the advance of the Allied Army to spare

either men or time in raids upon the guerillas. In this particular,

indeed, they would have argued wrongly, for the French during the

whole war, however much they were pressed by Wellington, always kept

sufficient forces in hand to scatter the guerillas as fast as they

become formidable.

Tom had now taken off his beard and wig, and had put on the small

whisker, which is the general fashion of wearing the hair throughout

Spain. Thus he trusted, if surprised in the dark, to pass as one of

the band. So quiet was the village when he entered, that he at first

thought it was deserted; at last, however, he saw a light in one of

the houses in the center of the village. Approaching carefully and

noiselessly he saw a group of five men sitting and drinking round a

fire made on the ground, in the center of one of the windowless rooms,

the smoke finding its way out through the roof.

"I tell you," one said, "I am getting sick of this life; I am ready to

go and kill the French, but to be left up here, where there is nothing

to do, no one to talk to, not a roof to cover one; bah! I am sick of

it. But Nunez will be back in three days, and we shall be merry enough

then."

"Not we," another said, "this was a pleasant village in the old days,

what is it now? There are no women, not even old mother Morena, who

used to cook well, if she was free of her tongue. There is not even a

priest now to shrive us if one is brought in to die."

"Nunez will come back in a good temper if it is true what Lope said

yesterday when he came through, that the lads at Madrid had got one

of those English boys who made a fool of him two years ago. That was

a go. Demonio! but it was a fine thing. If it is true that they have

got him and are bringing him here I would not be in his skin for all

the treasures of King Joseph. Yes, Nunez was always a devil, but he is

worse now. Somehow we always have bad luck, and the band gets smaller

and smaller, I don't suppose there's above fifty with him now. I

expect we shall have them pretty well all here this week."

"No fear of a visit from the French?"

"None; Reynier at Vittoria is busy now in sending every man he can

spare forward to the army that's gathering near Burgos."

This was enough for Tom, who stole silently away to the spot where Sam

was anxiously awaiting him.

CHAPTER XVIII.

JUST IN TIME.

"I shall go straight back to Vittoria, Sam. By what they say, General

Reynier is in command there, and as it was through his wife that all

this terrible business has come about, we have a right to expect him

to do his best to get us out of it. I will start at once. Now look

here, Sam. You must put yourself where you can keep watch over the

village. If you see any party come in, either to-night or to-morrow,

you must try and discover if Peter is among them. If he is, light a

fire down in that hollow where it can't be seen from above, but where

we can see it on that road. It's twenty miles to Vittoria; if I can

get to see General Reynier to-morrow, I may be back here with cavalry

by night; if he is out or anything prevents it, I will be here next

night, as soon after dusk as it will be safe. I will dismount the men

and take them over the hill, so as to avoid the sentinel who is sure

to be posted on the road when Nunez arrives. If they come in the

afternoon, Sam, and you find that anything is going to be done at

once, do everything you can to delay matters."

"All right, Massa Tom, if, when you come back you find Massa Peter

dead, you be berry sure you find dis chile gone down too."

It was seven o'clock next morning when Tom entered Vittoria, and

a few cautious inquiries proved the fact that General Reynier was

really in command of the French division there. He at once sought his

head-quarters, and after some talk with a woman selling fruit near the

house, heard that the general and his staff had started at daybreak,

but whither of course she knew not. Tom hesitated for some time, and

then, seeing an officer standing at the door, went up to him and asked

if the general would be back soon.

"He will be back in an hour or two," the officer replied in Spanish,

"but it is no use your waiting to see him. He has his hands full and

can't be bothered with petitions as to cattle stolen or orchards

robbed. Wait till we have driven the English back, and then we shall

have time to talk to you."

"Your pardon," Tom said humbly. "It is not a complaint that I have to

make, it is something of real importance which I have to communicate

to him."

"You can tell me, I am Colonel Decamps; it will be all the same thing

if your news is really important."

"Thank you very kindly, senor, it must be the general himself; I will

wait here." Thereupon Tom sat down with his back to the wall a short

distance off, pulled out some bread and fruit he had bought in the

town, and began quietly to eat his breakfast. An hour later a pretty

carriage with two fine horses drew up to the door. It was empty,

and was evidently intended for some one in the house. Suddenly, the

thought flashed across his mind, perhaps Madame Reynier and her child

were there. It was curious that the thought had not occurred to him

before, but it had not, and he drew near, when a sentry at the door

roughly ordered him to stand further back. Presently a lady came to

the door, accompanied by a little girl. There she stood for a minute

talking with the officer with whom Tom had spoken. At the moment a

young officer passed Tom on his way to the house.

"Monsieur," Tom said, in French, "do me the favor to place that ring

in the hands of Madame Reynier. It is a matter of life and death.

She will recognize the ring, it is her own," he added, as the young

officer in surprise hesitated. He was a bright handsome young fellow,

and after a moment's, pause, he went up to the lady. "My dear aunt,"

he said, "here is a mystery. An old Spanish beggar speaks French, not

very good French, but enough to make out, and he begs me to give you

this ring, which he says is yours, and which, by the way, looks a

valuable one." Madame Reynier, in some surprise, held out her hand

for the ring. "It is not mine," she began, when a sudden thought

struck her, and turning it round she saw "a Louise Reynier, tumors

reconnaissance," which she had had engraved on it, before giving it to

Tom. "Who gave it to you, Jules?" she asked eagerly.

"That old pedler," Jules said.

"Bring him in," Madame Reynier said, "the carriage must wait; I must

speak to him and alone."

"My dear aunt," began her nephew.

"Don't be afraid, Jules, I am not going to run away with him, and if

you are a good boy you shall know all about it afterwards, wait here,

Louise, with your cousin;" and beckoning to Tom to follow her, she

went into the house, the two officers looking astounded at each other

as the supposed Spanish pedler followed her into her sitting-room.

"What is your message?" she asked.

Tom's answer was to remove his wide hat, wig, and beard.

"Himself!" Madame Reynier exclaimed, "my preserver," and she held out

both her hands to him. "How glad I am, but oh! how foolish to come

here again, and--and"--she hesitated at the thought that he, an

English spy, ought not to come to her, the wife of a French general.

Tom guessed her thought. "Even General Reynier might succor us without

betraying the interests of his country. Read that, madame; it is an