The division then fell back in good order, each of its flanks being covered by a brigade of cavalry.

From the height at which Terence and his officers stood, they could plainly make out the retiring division, and could see heavy masses of French troops descending from the high ground beyond the Alberche.
"The whole French army is on us!" Macwitty said.

"If their advance guard had not been in such a hurry to attack, and had waited until the others came up, not many of Mackenzie's division would have got back to our lines." It was not long before the French debouched from the woods and, as soon as they did so, a division rapidly crossed the plain towards the allies' left, seized an isolated hill facing the spur on to which Donkin had just hurried up his brigade, and at once opened a heavy cannonade.

At the same time another division moved towards the right, and some squadrons of light cavalry could be seen, riding along the road from Madrid towards the Spanish division.
"They won't do much good there," Terence said, "for the country is so swampy that they cannot leave the road.

Still, I suppose they want to reconnoitre our position, and draw the fire of the Spaniards to ascertain their whereabouts.