I suppose it is about forty miles; and that distance, in fourteen hours, is certainly first-rate marching.

I will send off one of my men to report who you are.

Two squadrons of my regiment are a quarter of a mile away, awaiting my return." "Have you any reason to believe that the enemy are near ?" "No particular reason that I know of, but their cavalry have been in great force along the upper part of the river, for the last two days.

Victor has retired from Talavera, for I fancy that he was afraid we might move round this way, and cut him off from Madrid.
The Spaniards might have harassed him as he fell back, but they dared not even make a charge on his rear guard, though they had 3000 cavalry.
"We are not quite sure where the French are and, of course, we get no information from the people here; either their stupidity is something astounding, or their sympathies are entirely with the French." "My experience is," Terence said, "that the best way is to get as much information as you can from them, and then to act with the certainty that the real facts are just the reverse of the statements made to you." As soon as the forces halted a picket had been sent out; and Terence, when the men finished their supper, established a cordon of advanced pickets, with strong supports, at a distance of a mile from his front and flanks; so as to ensure himself against surprise, and to detect any movement upon the part of the enemy's cavalry, who might be pressing round to obtain information of the British position.

At daybreak he mounted and rode to Talavera, and reported the arrival of his command, and the position where he had halted for the night.
"You have wasted no time over it, Colonel O'Connor.