llas and
their allies and, as the people with whom they stayed all vouched
for their story, and declared with truth that they were relatives,
none of them were molested. For four days all persons passing out
of the gates were examined but, at the end of that time, matters
resumed their ordinary course; and Don Leon and his followers all
quitted the town soon after the market closed, carrying with them
empty baskets, as if they were countrymen who had disposed of the
produce they had brought in.

Clothes of the same kind were procured for Ryan and, the day after
his friends had left he, too, went through the gate, going out with
several peasants who were returning home. One of Leon's followers
had taken out his uniform in his basket; with a cloth thrown over
it, on which were placed some articles of crockery which he had
apparently bought for his use at home. Ryan had been carefully
instructed as to the road he should follow and, four miles out from
the city, he turned down a by-path. He kept on for a mile and a
half, and then came to a farmhouse, standing alone. As he
approached, Leon came out to meet him, and shook him warmly by the
hand.

"I have been feeling very anxious about you," he said. "We got
through yesterday unquestioned, but the officer at the gate today
might have been a more particular sort of fellow, and might have
taken it into his head to question any of those who came out. The
others all went on at once, but we will keep quiet until nightfall.
I left my horse here when I came in; which I could do safely, for
the farm belongs to me, and the farmer has been our tenant for the
last thirty years. There is a horse for you here, also.

"I have got the latest intelligence as to where the French are
lying. They have a strong force at Tordesillas; but this won't
matter to us, for I got a message from Moras, yesterday, saying
that the hills are now all covered with snow, and that the whole
force would march, today, for their old quarters in the valley near
Miranda. So we sha'n't have to cross the river to the north, but
will keep on this side and cross it at Miranda, or at some ford
near. The column that was operating round Zamora fell back behind
the Esla, a fortnight since; for four thousand of the French
reinforcements from the south had reached Zamora, and strong
parties of their cavalry were scouting over the whole of the
country round."

Ryan had already heard how the road between Valladolid and Bu