een Burgos and Valladolid, and thence down to
Salamanca or Zamora, without the convoys being accompanied by
strong bodies of troops. Several incursions into the mountains were
organized from Burgos, which was always a great military centre,
aided by detachments from Valencia; but these met with no success
whatever. On entering the passes they were assailed by a heavy fire
from invisible foes. Great rocks were rolled down upon them; and
when, after much loss, they succeeded in forcing their way up to
the hills, no traces of their foe could be discovered.

As among Moras's guerillas were natives of both Burgos and
Valencia, and these had put themselves in communication with their
friends, the band was kept well informed of every movement of the
French, and received early intelligence when a convoy, or an
expedition into the hills, was on the point of setting out, and of
the exact strength of the military force employed. They were,
therefore, always prepared either to sally out for an attack on the
convoy, or to oppose an expedition as soon as it entered the
mountains. Their stores were hidden away among rocks, being divided
into several portions so that, should the French by fortune or
treachery discover one of these, the loss would not cripple them.

Their greatest enemy was cold. It was now the end of October, and
several times snow had fallen, and it was necessary to keep up
large fires. This was a double inconvenience. In the first place,
the smoke by day and the flames by night might betray the position
of their camp; and in the second place, their tracks in the snow,
which would speedily cover the hills, would enable the enemy to
follow them wherever they moved. It was therefore determined that
they could no longer maintain their position there, but must return
to the plains.

Frequent communication had been kept up with Herrara, who reported
that Salamanca was now occupied by so large a force that he was no
longer able to maintain his position; and that he had fallen back
across the Douro, and had established himself in the stronghold,
from which he made frequent excursions towards Zamora and
Benavente.

To Dick Ryan, in his prison, the first fortnight had passed slowly.
That Terence would, as soon as he learned of his capture, make
every effort to free him he knew well; but he could not see how he
could give him any material aid. The French force at Salamanca was
far too strong to admit of a possibility of a