Two days later they reached Leirya. The April sun rendered shelter
unnecessary for the Portuguese, and after establishing them, for the
present, a quarter of a mile away from the British camp, he went and
reported his arrival to the officer in command, and was told that he could
not do better than bivouac on the ground he had selected. Leaving the
headquarters he soon found where the Mayo regiment was encamped, and made
his way to the officers' marquee. They were just sitting down to lunch
when, at the entry of an officer on the general's staff, the colonel at
once rose gravely. O'Grady was the first to recognize the newcomer.
"Be jabers," he shouted, "but it is Terence O' Connor himself!" There was
a general rush to shake hands with him, and a din of voices and a
confusion of questions and greetings.
"And what in the world have you got that uniform on for, Terence?" O'Grady
asked, when the din somewhat subsided. "We saw that the general had
appointed you as one of his aides-de-camp when you got here after Corunna,
but you would wear your own uniform all the same."
"What matters about his uniform, O'Grady?" the others exclaimed. "What we
want to know is how he saved his life at Corunna, when we all thought that
he was either killed or taken prisoner."
"Wait till the lad has got something to eat and drink," the colonel said,
peremptorily.
Pages:
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467