Your titles are simply for local
purposes, and to give you authority among the Portuguese."
"We don't know enough of the lingo to give the words of command, sir,"
William Bull said.
"That will not matter. The Portuguese dragoons will teach them as much
drill as it is necessary for them to know. If you have to post them in a
position you can do that well enough by signs; but at the same time it is
most desirable that you should both set to work in earnest and try to pick
up a little of the language. You both know enough to make a start with,
and if you ride every day with one or other of the captains of companies,
and when they are drilling the men stand by and listen to them, you will
soon learn enough to give the men the necessary orders. As a rule, the two
wings will act as separate regiments; each of them is rather stronger than
that of a line regiment at its full war strength, and it will be more
convenient to treat them as separate regiments, and, until we get to the
frontier, march them a few miles apart.
"In this way they can occupy different villages, and obtain better
accommodation than if they were all together. They have money enough to
buy bread and wine for some time. You and the captains under you had
better each form a sort of mess. You will, of course, draw rations of
bread and wine, and I will provide you with money to buy a sheep
occasionally or some fowls, to keep you in meat.
Pages:
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331