velvet breeches and bright flaring sashes more interesting, and think the appearance on the road of a company of guerrilleros worthy of noting down in a diary; but these had little power to hold Juana’s attention. A scarlet jacket with its buttons tarnished almost black; a shako, beaten out of shape by successive rain-storms; the swirl and flurry of a silver-laced Hussar’s pelisse; the black-japanned helmet of an artilleryman; the piled arms at alarm posts; even the ordered spread of little Portuguese tents in camp; these were the humdrum sights which delighted her. ‘A little world that moves,’ she said, struggling for words to express the thought in her mind.
Harry smiled, but with a crease between his brows. ‘Commissariat’s late,’ he murmured, ‘As usual!’
‘There are always the goats,’ she suggested helpfully.
There were indeed the goats: you could smell them half a mile away, and some strayed kid was for ever getting entangled with guy-ropes, or scrambling up from the ground under your horse’s nose. Everyone collected goats, the more the better, since, ten to one, goat’s was the only milk you would be able to get in a land ravaged by the French. A swarm of little Portuguese boys, as noisy and quarrelsome as monkeys, tended the animals. They drove them along the dusty roads in the rear of the army, little squabbling savages, half-naked under the sun.
It was not until the 16th June, when the army was within five miles of Salamanca, that any sign was seen of the enemy’s presence. Mounting the low hills near the city, the advance guard encountered a small force of scouting Frenchmen, and drove them back after a slight skirmish.
They learned that Marmont had withdrawn from Salamanca, leaving garrisons in the three forts; and on the 17th June they passed the Tormes by way of deep fords. Watching the infantry struggle across, up to their shoulders in the water, Juana looked a little doubtful. Someone slipped, and disappeared from view. He was hauled up again, and reached the farther bank safely, but it was not a very comforting sight. A little sick feeling gripped the pit of Juana’s stomach; she had thought the heat intense, but discovered suddenly that she was rather cold. She was standing by her horse, awaiting Harry’s pleasure. He had ridden off somewhere, she didn’t know where, and she was left with only West to look after her.
Kincaid came up to her, leading his mare. ‘Juana!’
She turned, and as she looked up at him he saw how pale she was under the shade of her hat. The would-be jauntiness of her smile hurt him; he took her hand, saying softly: ‘Don’t be afraid! It is quite safe.’
‘There ought to be a bridge,’ said Juana in a scolding voice. ‘My habit will be quite spoiled!’ ‘Let me carry you across,’ he said. ‘The mare will take us both easily.’ Harry came riding up. ‘Hallo, Johnny! Up with you, Juana! I’m ready to take you over.’ Frowning a little, Kincaid said under his breath: ‘Take her up before you, man!” Harry’s keen, quick eyes flashed a searching look at his wife’s face. ‘Nonsense!’ he said. ‘Mount, alma mia! I must get across.’
His tone whipped up her courage. She nodded to Kincaid to give her a leg-up. Perched high on the back of the big Portuguese horse, she looked Harry in the eye. ‘I am ready, and, in fact, quite tired of waiting for you, but I think it is right that you should know that I cannot swim.’
‘Swim! Who’s going to swim?” said Harry, removing the curb-rein from her grasp, and taking it in his own hand. ‘Sit tight, now, my little love, and be a brave girl!’ ‘I see nothing to be afraid of,’ she responded haughtily.
“Then don’t shut your eyes. You must learn to ford rivers without me to lead you. I may not always be at hand.’
‘I should be happy to learn, but I do not know how I may when you take my bridle away, without even asking me if I desire you to lead me, which, I assure you, I do
Harry smiled, but with a crease between his brows. ‘Commissariat’s late,’ he murmured, ‘As usual!’
‘There are always the goats,’ she suggested helpfully.
There were indeed the goats: you could smell them half a mile away, and some strayed kid was for ever getting entangled with guy-ropes, or scrambling up from the ground under your horse’s nose. Everyone collected goats, the more the better, since, ten to one, goat’s was the only milk you would be able to get in a land ravaged by the French. A swarm of little Portuguese boys, as noisy and quarrelsome as monkeys, tended the animals. They drove them along the dusty roads in the rear of the army, little squabbling savages, half-naked under the sun.
It was not until the 16th June, when the army was within five miles of Salamanca, that any sign was seen of the enemy’s presence. Mounting the low hills near the city, the advance guard encountered a small force of scouting Frenchmen, and drove them back after a slight skirmish.
They learned that Marmont had withdrawn from Salamanca, leaving garrisons in the three forts; and on the 17th June they passed the Tormes by way of deep fords. Watching the infantry struggle across, up to their shoulders in the water, Juana looked a little doubtful. Someone slipped, and disappeared from view. He was hauled up again, and reached the farther bank safely, but it was not a very comforting sight. A little sick feeling gripped the pit of Juana’s stomach; she had thought the heat intense, but discovered suddenly that she was rather cold. She was standing by her horse, awaiting Harry’s pleasure. He had ridden off somewhere, she didn’t know where, and she was left with only West to look after her.
Kincaid came up to her, leading his mare. ‘Juana!’
She turned, and as she looked up at him he saw how pale she was under the shade of her hat. The would-be jauntiness of her smile hurt him; he took her hand, saying softly: ‘Don’t be afraid! It is quite safe.’
‘There ought to be a bridge,’ said Juana in a scolding voice. ‘My habit will be quite spoiled!’ ‘Let me carry you across,’ he said. ‘The mare will take us both easily.’ Harry came riding up. ‘Hallo, Johnny! Up with you, Juana! I’m ready to take you over.’ Frowning a little, Kincaid said under his breath: ‘Take her up before you, man!” Harry’s keen, quick eyes flashed a searching look at his wife’s face. ‘Nonsense!’ he said. ‘Mount, alma mia! I must get across.’
His tone whipped up her courage. She nodded to Kincaid to give her a leg-up. Perched high on the back of the big Portuguese horse, she looked Harry in the eye. ‘I am ready, and, in fact, quite tired of waiting for you, but I think it is right that you should know that I cannot swim.’
‘Swim! Who’s going to swim?” said Harry, removing the curb-rein from her grasp, and taking it in his own hand. ‘Sit tight, now, my little love, and be a brave girl!’ ‘I see nothing to be afraid of,’ she responded haughtily.
“Then don’t shut your eyes. You must learn to ford rivers without me to lead you. I may not always be at hand.’
‘I should be happy to learn, but I do not know how I may when you take my bridle away, without even asking me if I desire you to lead me, which, I assure you, I do
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