Charles OMalley, vol 2 | Page 9

rode time after time in vain, never
left our minds; and a sense of shame of what might be thought of us at
headquarters rendered the reflection still more painful.
Our bivouac, notwithstanding all our efforts, was a sad one, and when
the moon rose, some drops of heavy rain falling at intervals in the still,
unruffled air threatened a night of storm; gradually the sky grew darker
and darker, the clouds hung nearer to the earth, and a dense, thick mass
of dark mist shrouded every object. The heavy cannonade of the siege
was stilled; nothing betrayed that a vast army was encamped near us;
their bivouac fires were even imperceptible; and the only sound we
heard was the great bell of Ciudad Rodrigo as it struck the hour, and
seemed, in the mournful cadence of its chime, like the knell of the
doomed citadel.
The patrol which I commanded had to visit on its rounds the most
advanced post of our position. This was a small farm-house, which,
standing upon a little rising ledge of ground, was separated from the
French lines by a little stream tributary to the Aguda. A party of the
14th were picketed here, and beneath them in the valley, scarce five
hundred yards distant, was the detachment of cuirassiers which formed
the French outpost. As we neared our picket the deep voice of the
sentry challenged us; and while all else was silent as the grave, we
could hear from the opposite side the merry chorus of a French
_chanson à boire_, with its clattering accompaniment of glasses, as
some gay companions were making merry together.
Within the little hut which contained our fellows, the scene was a
different one. The three officers who commanded sat moodily over a
wretched fire of wet wood; a solitary candle dimly lighted the
dismantled room, where a table but ill-supplied with cheer stood
unminded and uncared for.

"Well, O'Malley," cried Baker, as I came in, "what is the night about?
And what's Crawfurd for next?"
"We hear," cried another, "that he means to give battle to-morrow; but
surely Sir Arthur's orders are positive enough. Gordon himself told me
that he was forbidden to fight beyond the Coa, but to retreat at the first
advance of the enemy."
"I'm afraid," replied I, "that retreating is his last thought just now.
Ammunition has just been served out, and I know the horse artillery
have orders to be in readiness by daybreak."
"All right," said Hampden, with a half-bitter tone. "Nothing like going
through with it. If he is to be brought to court-martial for disobedience,
he'll take good care we sha'n't be there to see it."
"Why, the French are fifty thousand strong!" said Baker. "Look there,
what does that mean, now? That's a signal from the town."
As he spoke a rocket of great brilliancy shot up into the sky, and
bursting at length fell in millions of red lustrous sparks on every side,
showing forth the tall fortress, and the encamped army around it, with
all the clearness of noonday. It was a most splendid sight; and though
the next moment all was dark as before, we gazed still fixedly into the
gloomy distance, straining our eyes to observe what was hid from our
view forever.
"That must be a signal," repeated Baker.
"Begad! if Crawfurd sees it he'll interpret it as a reason for fighting. I
trust he's asleep by this time," said Hampden. "By-the-bye, O'Malley,
did you see the fellows at work in the trenches? How beautifully clear it
was towards the southward!"
"Yes, I remarked that! and what surprised me was the openness of their
position in that direction. Towards the San Benito mole I could not see
a man."

"Ah, they'll not attack on that side; but if we really are--"
"Stay, Hampden!" said I, interrupting him, "a thought has just struck
me. At sunset, I saw, through my telescope, the French engineers
marking with their white tape the line of a new entrenchment in that
quarter. Would it not be a glorious thing to move the tape, and bring the
fellows under the fire of San Benito?"
"By Jove, O'Malley, that is a thought worth a troop to you!"
"Far more likely to forward his promotion in the next world than in
this," said Baker, smiling.
"By no means," added I. "I marked the ground this evening, and have it
perfectly in my mind. If we were to follow the bend of the river, I'll be
bound to come right upon the spot; by nearing the fortress we'll escape
the sentries; and all this portion is open to us."
The project thus loosely thrown out was now discussed in all its
bearings. Whatever difficulties it presented were combated so much to
our own