head of your regiment, will
have some effect upon the men of the light division; and those who
are sober will, no doubt, rally round me, though hitherto my
efforts have been altogether powerless. All the officers will, of
course, join us at once. I fear that many have been killed in
trying to protect the inhabitants but, now that we have at least
got a nucleus of good troops, I have no doubt that we shall be
successful.

"Have you any torches?"

"There is a supply of them in the house, sir."

"Get them all lighted, and divide them among the men. As soon as
you have done this, form the regiment into column."

"Are they to load, sir?"

"Yes," the general said shortly; "but instruct your officers that
no one is to fire without orders, and that the sound of firing at
the head of the column is not to be considered as a signal for the
rest to open fire; though it may be necessary to shoot some of
these insubordinate scoundrels. By the way, I think it will be best
that only the leading company should load. The rest have their
bayonets, and can use them if attacked."

Some forty torches were handed over, by the count. These were
lighted and distributed along the line, ten being carried by the
leading company.

"You have bugles, colonel?"

"Yes, sir. There is one to each company."

"Let them all come to the front and play the Assembly, as they
march on.

"Now, will you ride at their head by my side, sir? Dismount one of
my orderlies, and take his horse."

By the time all the preparations were completed, they had been
joined by nearly two hundred more men. Just before they started,
Terence said:

"Would it not be well, general, if I were to tell off a dozen
parties of twenty men, each under the command of a steady
non-commissioned officer, to enter the houses on each side of the
road as we go along, and to clear out any soldiers they may find
there?"

"Certainly. But I think that when they see the regiment marching
along, and hear the bugles, they will clear out fast enough of
their own accord."

With bugles blowing, the regiment started. Twenty men, with an
officer, had been left behind at each of the houses they had
defended; in case parties of marauders should arrive, and endeavour
to obtain an entrance.

As they marched by, men appeared at the windows. Most of these were
soldiers who, with an exclamation of alarm when they saw the
general, followed by two battalions in perfect order, hastily ran
down