That night the boys said good-by to their friend the
sergeant, and to those soldiers with whom they had
most companionship. “You have guessed,
no doubt, sergeant,” Tom said, in his mixture
of Spanish and French, “that we are not exactly
what we seem to be, but if we should ever meet again,
under different circumstances, I want you to remember
that our connection with the regiment has been in a
way forced upon us. I should not like you to
think, that is that under the pretence of friendship,
we have been treacherously learning things. Do
you understand?”
“I understand, mes braves,” the sergeant
said, “Jacques Pinteau is no fool, and he saw
from the first that you were not two ragged Spanish
peasant boys by birth. I daresay I can guess what
you are, but there need be no ill-will for that, and
as you only came among us by accident, as it were,
there is no more to be said either way. There
is one thing certain, wherever or however we meet,
we shall be friends.”
So well were Madame Reynier’s plans arranged
that the boys passed from Madrid to the frontier without
a single hitch or unpleasantness. Tom was soberly
attired as a student at the university, Peter was muffled
up to the eyes as a timid young novice, going from
school to enter a convent, of which his aunt was lady
superior, at Ciudad Rodrigo. The colonel, and,
following his example, the officers of the regiment
were polite and civil. The marches were of easy
length, the mules stout and smooth-going, with well-filled
traveling sacks. The weather was delightful,
and the boys enjoyed the fortnight’s march exceedingly.
Upon the road they learned that Massena had laid siege
to Ciudad Rodrigo, and that the 16th was on its way
to join the besieging army.
It was the end of June, 1810, when the 16th joined
Massena’s force before Ciudad Rodrigo.
The siege had continued for some time, the British
light division, under General Craufurd, lay upon the
other side of the river Agueda, which separated them
alike from the town and the French army. The
colonel of the 16th politely expressed to Tom his
regret that he could not, for the present, conduct
them to their final destination, but that he hoped
that the gate would soon be open for them. Tom
thanked him for the civility which he had shown them
upon the road, and said that he would, with his sister,
take up his abode for the present a few miles from
the beleaguered fortress. On leaving the regiment
the boys went higher up the Agueda to the little town
of Villar, where there was a bridge. This however,
was watched by the troops of both armies, and there
was, at present, no chance of affecting a passage.
The fight on the Coa.
