The Project Gutenberg EBook of !Tention, by George Manville Fenn

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Title: !Tention
A Story of Boy-Life during the Peninsular War

Author: George Manville Fenn

Illustrator: C.M. Sheldon

Release Date: May 8, 2007 [EBook #21374]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK !TENTION ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

!Tention, a Story of Boy-Life during the Peninsular War, by George
Manville Fenn.

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A young private, Penton Gray, known as Pen, is injured during an
engagement in the Peninsular War. When he comes to he finds that the
boy bugler, Punch, from his regiment, is lying injured close by. The
British troops are near, but the area where the boys are is occupied by
the French, who are the enemy. The boys need to recover from their
wounds, and then to get back to their regiment. They have numerous
adventures, and meet several people who help them, including the deposed
Spanish King.

Eventually they reach their regiment where they are interviewed by the
commanding officer, who realises that the young private has actually had
the education normally needed for an officer, and that he has the
knowledge needful to lead the troops through the mountains to take the
French in the rear. This engagement is very successful, leading to the
routing of the French. As a result Private Gray is made up to officer
rank.

The book is well written, and is an enjoyable read or listen.

________________________________________________________________________

!TENTION, A STORY OF BOY-LIFE DURING THE PENINSULAR WAR, BY GEORGE
MANVILLE FENN.

CHAPTER ONE.

TO SAVE A COMRADE.

A sharp volley, which ran echoing along the ravine, then another, just
as the faint bluish smoke from some hundred or two muskets floated up
into the bright sunshine from amidst the scattered chestnuts and
cork-trees that filled the lower part of the beautiful gorge, where, now
hidden, now flashing out and scattering the rays of the sun, a torrent
roared and foamed along its rocky course onward towards its junction
with the great Spanish