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thing, and materials of war upon the Spaniards, who wasted or pocketed them, they kept their own army unsupplied with money, transport, or clothes. Unsupported by the home authorities, the British commanders had yet to struggle with the faithlessness, mendacity, and inertness of the Portuguese and Spanish authorities, and were hampered with obstacles such as never beset a British commander before. Still, in spite of this, British genius and valour triumphed over all difficulties, and Wellesley delivered Lisbon and compelled the French army to surrender.

Then again, Moore, by his marvellous march, checked the course of victory of Napoleon and saved Spain for a time. Cradock organized an army, and Wellesley hurled back Soult's invasion of the north, and drove his army, a dispirited and worn-out mass of fugitives, across the frontier, and in less than a year from the commencement of the campaign carried the war into Spain. So far I have endeavoured to sketch the course of these events in the present volume. But the whole course of the Peninsular War was far too long to be condensed in a single book, except in the form of history pure and simple; therefore, I have been obliged to divide it into two volumes; and I propose next year to follow up the adventures of my present hero, who had the good fortune, with Trant, Wilson, and other British officers, to attain the command of a body of native irregulars, acting in connection with the movements of the British army.

Yours sincerely,

G. A. HENTY.

CONTENTS

CHAP.

I. THE MAYO FUSILIERS

II. TWO DANGERS

III. DISEMBARKED

IV. UNDER CANVAS

V. ROLICA AND VIMIERA

VI. A PAUSE

VII. THE ADVANCE

VIII. A FALSE ALARM

IX. THE RETREAT

X. CORUNNA

XI. AN ESCAPE

XII. A DANGEROUS MISSION

XIII. AN AWKWARD POSITION

XIV. AN INDEPENDENT COMMAND

XV. THE FIRST SKIRMISH

XVI. IN THE PASSES

XVII. AN ESCAPE

XVIII. MARY O'CONNOR

XIX. CONF

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