From what I can see, I should think that there must be 16,000 or 20,000 of them." In fact, this was Soult's second army corps--the first, which had preceded it, having that morning reached Plasencia, where they captured 400 sick in the hospitals, and a large quantity of stores that had been left there, from want of carriage, when the British army advanced.

Terence lost no time in retreating from so dangerous a neighbourhood, and at once made for the mountains he had just left.
Two regiments of French cavalry set out in pursuit, as soon as the party that had chased the Portuguese troopers entered Banos with the news that a body of infantry, some 2000 strong, was close at hand.

They came up before the Portuguese had marched more than a mile.

The two battalions were halted, and thrown into square.

The French rode fearlessly down upon them, but were received with so hot and steady a fire that they speedily drew off, with considerable loss.