oth
families. If I were you, colonel, I should take the very first
opportunity that occurs of sending them to England."

"You may be sure that I shall do so, Herrara. They are not the sort
of things to be carried about in a cavalry wallet, and I have no
other place to stow them. As soon as we arrive at Pinhel, I will
get a strong box made to hold the two cases, and hand them over to
the paymaster there, to be sent down to Lisbon by the next convoy.
He sent home all the money that I did not want to keep by me, when
we were at Pinhel last."

Two other Portuguese regiments, and a brigade of British infantry,
were stationed at Pinhel in readiness, at any moment, to march to
Almeida or Guarda, should Marmont make a forward movement; which
was probable enough, for it was evident, by the concentration of
his troops at Salamanca and Valladolid, that he had no intention of
marching south; but intended to leave it to Soult, with the armies
of Estremadura, Castile, and Andalusia, to relieve Badajoz.

From time to time, news came from that town. The siege had begun on
the 17th of March, the attack being made on a fortified hill called
the Picurina; but at first the progress was slow. Incessant rain
fell, the ground became a swamp, and all operations had, several
times, to be suspended; while Phillipon, the brave officer who
commanded the garrison, made numerous sorties from the town, with
more or less success.

On the night of the 25th, an assault was made on the strong fort on
the Picurina; which was captured after desperate fighting, and the
loss of 19 officers and 300 men, killed and wounded. On the
following day the trenches were opened for the attack upon the town
itself. The assailants laboured night and day and, on the 6th, a
breach had been effected in the work called the Trinidad; and this
was to be attacked by the 4th and light divisions. The castle was
at the same time to be assailed by Picton's division, while General
Power's Portuguese were to make a feint on the other side of the
Guadiana, and San Roque was to be stormed by the forces employed in
the trenches.

The enterprise was well-nigh desperate. The breaches had not been
sufficiently cleared, and it was known that the enemy had thrown up
strong intrenchments behind them. Most of the guns were still in
position to sweep the breaches, and another week, at least, should
have been occupied in preparing the way for an assault. But
Wellington was forced here, a