itherto blocked the
roads, might have concentrated for the attack on the column, had
decided upon sending off a squadron of cavalry to carry the
important news he had learned, from the wounded, of the defeat of
the column, five thousand strong, coming to his relief from
Valladolid.

The party proceeded at a brisk trot, and, meeting with no
resistance, arrived at Salamanca by ten o'clock in the morning. The
officer in command at once rode with Ryan, the latter guarded by
four troopers, to the residence of the general. Leaving Dick with
his escort outside, he entered the house, and sent in his name, and
the duty with which he was charged, to the general. He was at once
shown into his room.

"I congratulate you on having got through, Captain D'Estrelles,"
the general said, as he entered. "It is ten days since we heard
from Zamora. We have sent off six messengers, I don't know whether
any of them have arrived."

"No, sir, none of them. The commandant sent off one or two, every
day; and I suppose they, like those you sent, were all stopped."

"The whole country seems on fire," the general said. "We have had
five or six parties come in here disarmed, who had been captured by
the enemy; and it would seem that all our posts on the road to
Zamora, and on that to Valladolid, have been captured. The men
could only report that they were suddenly attacked by such
overwhelming forces that resistance was impossible. They say that
the whole country seems to swarm with guerillas, but there are
certainly a considerable number of regular troops among them. What
has happened at Zamora?"

"These despatches will inform you, sir; but I may tell you that we
are virtually beleaguered. The country round swarms with the enemy.
Two or three reconnaissances in force met with the most determined
opposition."

"Are you in communication with Valladolid?"

"No, sir. Our communications were stopped at the same time as those
to this town; but I am sorry to say that you will see, by the
general's despatch, that a severe disaster has happened to the
column coming from Valladolid to our relief."

The general took the despatch and rapidly perused its contents.

"A column five thousand strong, with cavalry and guns, repulsed!
The enemy must be in force, indeed. From the estimates we have
received from prisoners they released, I thought they must be fully
ten thousand strong. I see that the wounded who were sent by Moras
estimate those engaged wi