him about everywhere, even on to the
battlefield; wherever my knapsack went, Tom went too, and when the
balls were whizzing about, which he did not seem altogether to like,
he would make that curious noise which many may have observed as such
which a bird like this would make when pursued or frightened. He
served, however, to while away many a long and dreary hour pleasantly
by his peculiar little ways, and we all became very fond of him: and
he grew quite fat on the many tit-bits he received from my comrades
and myself during our mess, it being quite marvellous to see how
regularly he went to each in turn for his contribution. And it was
still more curious to see how Tom was always ready for action on any
move of the knapsacks, and not only that, but how very seldom he made
any mistake as to which was the right one. However, certain it was
that after he had inhabited my knapsack for a little time he had made
sufficient marks on it that I could never mistake it for any other, so
perhaps he went by them as well as myself.

CHAPTER IX.

March To Leiria -- Liberation of Nuns -- Retreat before the
French to within the lines of Torres Vedras -- General flitting
on the part of the population -- Pitiful scenes on the road --
Lawrence and his comrades cantoned in a cellar at Patamara --
They find a treasure -- The owner doesn't, and makes a
disturbance -- Lawrence as an interpreter -- A game of cunning
between officers and men, ending in a victory for the latter --
Massena compelled to retreat to Santarem for want of supplies --
The regiment receives its South American prize money, and is
promptly put in the way to spend it.

On Lord Wellington finding that the French intended to alter their
route, and so escape this formidable height, he retreated towards
Lisbon himself, passing Coimbra, at which place the Portuguese took
some thousands of the French sick and wounded, together with some few
effective troops, who had been left to protect the hospital. From
Coimbra we proceeded farther south, having again to cross the Mondego,
which we did in the latter end of September, reaching Leiria on the
2nd of October.

On the march we passed a nunnery, where we halted for about a quarter
of an hour. A great many of the nuns were crowding the balconies to
watch us, and as the French were following us up pretty close, the
colonel ordered the doors to be broken open by a body of