whom
quarters must be found at once."

"There is plenty of room, sir. The barracks will contain ten
thousand men, and at present we have but four thousand here."

"Then I beg, Colonel, that instead of coming at once to my
quarters, you will tell off officers to conduct the troops to the
most convenient of the buildings now empty. After that, I shall be
glad to see you and the commanding officers of the other
regiments.

"You will, of course, take up your quarters at the governor's
house, Captain Kennedy," he went on, as he rode forward. "As you
are going to be employed in surveying duties, you will naturally
be a good deal away. But your presence here will be absolutely
necessary, as a witness against any of these rascally contractors
we can lay our hands on."

When the four colonels arrived, after seeing that the troops were
housed, Colonel Crofton obtained from them the names and addresses
of the various contractors; and, half an hour later, parties of
the cavalry regiment in garrison were despatched, under officers,
with orders to arrest and bring them into Badajos. During the
meal, Colonel Crofton explained to the four colonels the discovery
of the frauds, which naturally excited the greatest indignation
among them. He then requested them and Desmond to accompany him to
the stores. This they did, after sending to the barracks for a
party of fifty men for fatigue duty.

The gaps made during Desmond's explorations had been carefully
filled up again, but upon fresh openings being made, his reports
were fully borne out. Some hours were spent at the central
magazine, and orders given that the other magazines should be
opened and examined on the following day.

Desmond did not join in this search, but started early, with Mike,
to carry out his own mission. He had been furnished with reports,
sent in by the provincial and local juntas, as to the state of the
roads, but, as he had expected, he soon found these to be grossly
inaccurate. The roads marked as excellent, and fit for the passage
of artillery and trains, were found to be mere bridle roads.
Others, marked as highroads, were almost impassable lanes. The
bridges across the streams were, for the most part, in such a bad
condition as to be unsafe for a country cart and, until repaired,
impossible for the passage of artillery.

He carefully noted all the points at which work was required to
render them in any degree practicable for the passage of troops,
and