"How dare you, sir!" cried the chief wrathfully. "You are not to be
trusted. I rescind that permission I was about to give."

"Oh, don't do that, sir! 'Tain't fair!" cried the boy. "I couldn't
help it, sir. It was our fellows, sir, marching into camp--the --th,
sir--Rifles, sir. Ain't seen them, sir, since I was shot down. Don't
be hard on a fellow, sir! So glad to see them, sir. You might have
done the same. I only wanted to give them a cheer."

"Then go out and cheer them, sir," said the officer, frowning severely,
but with a twinkle of mirth in his eye.--"There, Pen Gray, you know your
duty. It is an important one, and I have given it to you in the full
belief that you will well serve your country and your King."

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

NO MORE BUGLING.

That same night not only a regiment but a very strong brigade of the
British army marched upon the important service that was in hand.

They marched only by night, and under Pen's guidance the French forces
that had been besieging the old mine were utterly routed. This happened
at a time when provisions were failing, and the _contrabandista_ captain
saw nothing before him but surrender, for he had found to his dismay
that the adit through which he had hoped to lead the Spanish monarch to
safety had been blocked by the treacherous action of some follower--by
whom, he could not tell, though he guessed that it was a question of
bribery.

There was nothing for it but to die in defence of his monarch, and this
they were prepared to do; but no further fierce fighting had taken
place, for the French General, after securing every exit by the aid of
his reinforcements, felt satisfied that he had only to wait for either
surrender or the dash out by a forlorn hope, ready to die sword in hand.

Then came shortly what was to him a thorough surprise, and the routing
of his forces by the British troops in an encounter which laid open a
large tract of country and proved to be one of the greatest successes of
Sir Arthur Wellesley's campaign.

The natural sequence was a meeting in the English General's tent, where
the King was being entertained by the General himself. Here he
expressed a desire to see again the brave young English youth to whom he
owed so much, for he had learned the part Pen Gray had taken in his
rescue.

It was one afternoon of such a day as well made the Peninsula deserve
the name of Sunny Spain that the --th Rifles were on duty ready t