good, considering what a smash you have had. Your
vitality must be marvellous and, unless your wound breaks out
bleeding badly, I have every hope that you will get over it. Robas
and Salinas will be here in a minute, with a stretcher for you; and
we will get you to some quiet spot, out of the line of fire."

Almost immediately, four men came up with the stretcher and, by the
surgeon's orders, carried Terence to a quiet spot, sheltered by a
spur of the hill from the fire.

"There is nothing more you can do for me now, doctor?"

"Nothing. It would be madness to take the bandages off, at
present."

"Then please go back to the others. There must be numbers there who
want your aid far more than I do.

"You can stay with me, Leon; but first go back to where my horse is
lying, and bring here the saddle and the two blankets strapped
behind it. I don't feel any pain to speak of, but it seems to me
bitterly cold."

The man presently returned with the saddle and blankets. Two others
accompanied him. Both had been hit too seriously to continue with
the regiment. Their wounds had been already bandaged.

"We thought that we should like to be near you, colonel, if you do
not mind."

"Not at all. First, do each of you take a sip at my flask.

"Leon, I wish you would find a few sticks, and try to make a fire.
It would be cheerful, although it might not give much warmth."

It was dark now. It was five o'clock when the 3rd division threw
itself across Maucune's line of march, and the battle had begun. It
was dark long before it ended but, during the three hours it had
lasted, the French had lost a marshal, seven generals, and 12,500
men and officers, killed, wounded, or prisoners; while on the
British side a field marshal, four generals, and nearly 6000
officers and soldiers were killed or wounded. Indeed, the battle
itself was concentrated into an hour's hard fighting; and a French
officer, describing it, said that 40,000 men were defeated in forty
minutes.

Presently the din of battle died out and, as soon as it did so,
Herrara and Ryan both hurried to the side of Terence.

"My dear Terence," Ryan said, dropping on his knees beside him,
"this is terrible. When I heard the news I was almost beside
myself. As to the men, terrible as their loss is, they talk of no
one but you."

"I think I shall pull through all right, Ryan. At any rate, the
doctor says he thinks I shall, and I think so myself. I am heartily
glad that y