ry, to retreat
in the direction of their stronghold.

Macwitty was to occupy the road between Zamora and Valladolid,
while the main body held the roads between both the latter town,
and Zamora, to Salamanca. Frequent communication was to be kept up
between them, so that either column might speedily be reinforced,
if necessary.

In the course of a week, the whole country was in a state of alarm.
Bridges were broken down, roads blocked by deep cuttings across
them, convoys attacked, small French posts at Tordesillas,
Fuentelapena, and Valparaiso captured--the French soldiers being
disarmed, and then taken under an escort to within ten miles of
Salamanca. Toro was entered suddenly, and a garrison of three
hundred men taken by surprise, and forced to lay down their arms.
The powder, bullocks, and waggons with their stores were sent, by
circuitous routes, to the bridge across the Douro at Miranda, and
then up to their stronghold.

So vigilant a watch was kept on the roads that no single courier
was able to make his way from Valladolid to Salamanca or Zamora
and, beyond the fact that the whole country seemed swarming with
enemies, the French commanders were in absolute ignorance of the
strength of the force that had so suddenly invaded Leon.

One day a messenger rode in from Macwitty to Fuentelapena, where
Terence had his headquarters; saying that a body of 4000 French
infantry, with 1000 cavalry, were on the march from Valladolid
towards Zamora. Strong positions had already been selected for the
defence, and a bridge broken down at a point where the road crossed
a tributary of the Douro.

Terence at once sent Ryan with 200 men to reinforce Macwitty, and
despatched several mounted messengers to find Bull, and to tell him
to join him on the road, four miles to the east of the point where
Macwitty was defending the passage of the river. He himself marched
directly on that point, crossing the river at Tordesillas. He
arrived there early in the morning, and found that the French
column had passed, late the evening before.

At this point the road ran between two hills, several times
crossing a stream that wound along the valley. A large number of
men were at once set to work, breaking down the bridges and
throwing up a breastwork along the bank, where the river made a
sharp bend, crossing the valley from the foot of the hills on one
side to that of those on the other. While this work was being done
cannon shots were hear