at present there is nothing to fear from Castile, but if your English
general were to drive the French out of the country, he would have hard
work ere he overcame the resistance of that province."

Just as day was breaking the next morning Jack was aroused by shouts in
the streets, followed by the heavy trampling of horse. He sprang from
the bed and threw on his cloak; as he was buckling on his sword one of
the dragoons rushed into his room.

"We are surrounded, sir! I have just looked out, and there are French
cavalry all round the house."

As he spoke there was a tremendous knocking at the door. The priest ran
into the room. "We are betrayed," he said; "some one must have carried
away the news last night of your arrival here, and it has come to the
ears of the French cavalry on the other side. I ordered some men out
last night to watch the road across the border, but the enemy must have
ridden too fast for them to get here first."

"It cannot be helped," Jack said; "you had best open the door, or they
will break it in in another minute. Make no resistance, lads," he said
to the dragoons, for the second orderly had now joined them; "lay your
swords down on the bed; we are caught this time, and must make our
escape when we can. It is better, anyhow, to have fallen into the hands
of the French than of the Spanish."

The sound of the knocking had ceased now, and there was a trampling and
clamor of voices as the French soldiers poured into the house. Steps
were heard ascending the stairs, the door opened, and the priest,
accompanied by a French officer and followed by a number of soldiers,
entered the room.

"You are my prisoner, sir," the French officer said.

"I am afraid there is no doubt of that," Jack said, speaking in Spanish;
"here is my sword, sir. These two men are my orderlies, and, of course,
also surrender. You will observe that we are all in uniform, that we are
taken on the soil of Arragon, and that I am here in pursuance of my duty
as an officer of the English army."

"You are alone?" the officer asked.

"Yes," Jack said; "there are, so far as I know, no other British but
ourselves in Arragon."

"Then we were misinformed," the officer said; "the news was received
last night that the Earl of Peterborough was himself here; and although
it was but in the afternoon that we had heard that your general was at
Valencia, his movements are so swift and erratic that, if we heard of
him in Portugal one ho