inevitable and so shall you." Then his sternness relaxed. "So
much as your commanding officer. Now as your friend," and he
held out his hand, "I congratulate you upon your luck. After
this morning's manifestations of it, it should pass into a proverb.
Goodbye, O'Moy. I trust you, remember."

"And I shall not fail you," gulped O'Moy, who, strong man that he
was, found himself almost on the verge of tears. He clutched the
extended hand.

"I shall fix my headquarters for the present at Celorico.
Communicate with me there. And now one other matter: the Council
of Regency will no doubt pester you with representations that I
should - if time still remains - advance to the relief of Ciudad
Rodrigo. Understand, that is no part of my plan of campaign. I
do not stir across the frontier of Portugal. Here let the French
come and find me, and I shall be ready to receive them. Let the
Portuguese Government have no illusions on that point, and
stimulate the Council into doing all possible to carry out the
destruction of mills and the laying waste of the country in the
valley of the Mondego and wherever else I have required.

"Oh, and by the way, you will find your brother-in-law, Mr. Butler,
in the guard-room yonder, awaiting my orders. Provide him with a
uniform and bid him rejoin his regiment at once. Recommend him
to be more prudent in future if he wishes me to forget his
escapade at Tavora. And in future, O'Moy, trust your wife. Again,
good-bye. Come, Grant! - I have instructions for you too. But you
must take them as we ride."