Take us to the path, tomorrow, and set us fairly on it; and you shall be allowed to go free, and be paid five dollars for your trouble." Then he turned to Bull.
"Put four men to guard them," he said, "and let the guard be changed once every two hours.

Their orders will be to shoot the fellows down, if they endeavour to make their escape.

They are quite capable of going down into Plasencia and bringing the French upon us." At daybreak they were on the march and, two hours later, came down into the valley through which the road from Banos ran down to Plasencia.

They had just crossed it when the head of a column of cavalry appeared, coming down the valley.

It at once broke into a gallop.
"How far is it to where the path begins to ascend the mountains ?" Terence asked, holding a pistol to the peasant's head.
"Four miles," the man replied sullenly, looking with apprehension at the French.
Terence shouted orders to Bull and Macwitty to throw their men into square, and as they had been marching, since they reached level ground, in column of companies, the movement was carried out before the enemy arrived.
The French cavalry, believing that the battalions were Spanish, and would break at once, charged furiously down upon them.