service such as it has
performed under you."

"Thank you, sir. Of course, it would be a great honour to me to be
on the general's staff, but I should be very sorry to leave the
regiment and, frankly, I do not think that it would get on well
without me. Colonel Herrara is ready to bestow infinite pains on
his work, but I do not think that he would do things on his own
responsibility. Bull and Macwitty have both proved themselves
zealous and active, and I can always rely upon them to carry out my
orders to the letter; but I doubt if they would get on as well,
with Herrara, as they do with me. I am very glad to hear that they
and Mr. Ryan have got their steps. The latter makes an admirable
adjutant, and if I had to choose one of the four for the command I
should select him; but he has not been very long with the regiment,
is not known personally, and would not, I think, have the same
influence with the Portuguese officers and men. Moreover I am
afraid that, having been in command so long, I should miss my
independence, if I had only to carry out the orders of others."

"I can quite understand that," the military secretary said, with a
smile. "I can quite realize the fascination of the life of a
partisan leader; especially when he has, which Trant and the others
have not, a body of men whom he has trained himself, and upon whom
he can absolutely rely. You can still, of course, wear the uniform
of a field officer on the general's staff, and so will have very
little alteration to make, save by adding the proper insignia of
your rank. I will write you a line, authorizing you to do so.

"Now, let us have a turn at your maps. I may tell you in confidence
that, if an opportunity offers, we shall at once convert the
blockade of Ciudad into a siege; and hope to carry it before the
enemy can march, with sufficient force, to its relief.

"To do so he would naturally collect all his available forces from
Salamanca, Zamora, and Valladolid, and would probably obtain
reinforcements from Madrid and Estremadura; and I want to
ascertain, as far as possible, the best means of checking the
advance of some of these troops, by the blowing up of bridges, or
the throwing forward of such a force as your regiment to seize any
defile, or other point, that could be held for a day or two, and an
enemy's column thus delayed. Even twenty-four hours might be of
importance."

"I understand, sir. Of course, the passes between Madrid and Avila
might