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had, however, this in his favour, that he was a Roman Catholic, and if taken ill or in distress, would by means of a friendly priest communicate with us.

One fine morning our adventurer, amid our cheers and laughter, rode away into Spain. For several days nothing was heard of him, and then came news that a very mad Englishman was passing through Andalusia, and had much alarmed the last village he entered, the inhabitants all running into their houses. He was stated to be leading a lame horse, followed by a limping dog, his legs from the knees downwards were bare to the shoes, he had one hat on his head and another slung behind on his back, whilst in his right hand was a huge upright knife. Hearing nothing more, I got the Roman Catholic bishop to send messengers after him, as we were getting anxious, when fortunately we heard from himself. He had got as far as Madrid, quite worn out. His adventures, afterwards related in a magazine, were most interesting. On one occasion he fell amongst a party of brigands: even they could not help being amused, roaring with laughter at the wild Englishman, who evidently was not worth

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CHAPTER XV.

INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT, BELGIUM, EGYPT,
AND CRETE.

IN 1875 I commenced my work at the Military College, Sandhurst, as an instructor in surveying. To an elderly officer who liked an easy life the appointment would have been perfect, but as I wanted to get on in my profession, something which would give me twelve hours' work a-day instead of about twelve hours' work a-week was what I required. I had to wait until the summer holidays, and then by a piece of extraordinary luck got a mission with which I was delighted. In 1875, according to reliable information, it was possible that another invasion of France by the Germans would take place, and that in order to carry out our treaty with Belgium, and to prevent her territory being violated by either side, it might be necessary to send an English army to assist her. To work out the arrangements required for such an undertaking, special information was required. This I was directed to get as quickly as possible.

The mission being confidential, I can say little about it; but I may mention that in 1875 the original scheme for the defence of Belgium, which had been based on the Antwerp forts, seemed to me, owing

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to the immense numbers which an enemy could bring into the field, rather out of date. To prevent an Anglo-Belgian force being shut up in the Antwerp zone-possible inundations being considered-it was evident, after making a rapid reconnaissance of the country, in which the excellent Government survey plans of Belgium were of immense assistance, that the general line of defence would have to be advanced several miles. Rapidly constructed earthworks might have been sufficient, but that was doubtful. Permanent forts have since been constructed on the line referred to, and padlocks, in the shape of extensive fortifications round Liége and Namur, have closed the valley of the Meuse and Sambre to a possible invader. A reference to the condition of affairs in 1875 is therefore permissible, and I disclose nothing confidential in mentioning that the works-all part of the great scheme for the defence of the country by that most renowned military engineer of modern times, General Brialmont (whose professional acquaintance I had the honour of making at Brussels), which he had long before 1875 been pressing on his Government were eventually completed, although not to the full extent he thought necessary. The Belgians have now done what they can as far as their expenditure on permanent fortifications is possible, and an Anglo-Belgian force should, if so required, be able to give a good account of itself, provided the Belgian army were what its chiefs desire it should be.

A rapid report of the general situation and requirements north of the Meuse having been sent in, the remainder of the work, which extended as far south as Luxemburg, was not so pressing and could be done more easily. An old and valued friend in the Royal

Engineers, and a keen young soldier in my own regiment, who ten years afterwards, to our intense grief, was killed in the Soudan, made up a small reconnaissance party, and as we should be in the land of trout-streams, I took my little rod with me. Into the details of our professional work it is unnecessary to go. I wish I could have mentioned that we had good sport with the fish, but it was not until almost too late that I found the trout-doubtless owing to the high temperature of the river Ourthe and the large streams-had all worked up to the cold water of the brooks in the hills. At no time can the fishing in the Ardennes be much, but the scenery there is well worth a trip from England: doubtless ere this the ubiquitous British tourist has found out one delightful little place and possibly spoilt it-where we remained for three days, viz., La Roche. The inn was primitive, but comfortable; the cost, every single thing included, 3 francs a-day. One of the days there happened to be Sunday, and on that ever-to-be-remembered morning I noticed a very old woman, who must have been about ninety years of age, being supported out of the little church. She was given a seat near, and after a restorative, which I have an idea I supplied, I got into conversation with her on the subject of her early recollections. No chapter of Erckmann-Chatrian's 'Histoire d'un Conscrit' or 'Madame Thérèse' could have been more interesting. The very idioms and peasants' language of the heroes and heroines of those exciting days were used by one who had gone through what those wonderful writers so vividly picture. My great grief was that I could not write shorthand and take down what the old woman told me, as she pointed out the roads over the hills by which she had seen the

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troops of the first French Republic enter the valley. Her accounts of the subsequent invasion of 1814 were decidedly graphic. In speaking of the German and Austrian troops she designated them as ErckmannChatrian do," Kaiserlichs." Their discipline, she said, was wonderful: did any one of them take away anything, if only of the value "d'une simple épingle, il fut passé par les baguettes. Mais les Cosaques étaient très mauvais gens; ils servient les jeunes filles malgré elles." From the compassionate way in which she spoke of "les jeunes filles" she evidently wished me to understand she had not come under that designation at the time.

Before leaving Brussels on our way home, we paid a visit to Waterloo. Compared with modern battlefields, it seemed almost incredible that such numbers could have been massed on so small a space. Standing on the mound, one almost seemed to be within shouting distance of Hougomont on the right and La Haye Sainte on the left. One defect the Waterloo position certainly had if intended for occupation beyond a few hours-viz., the very limited watersupply, the wells being few in number and deep. The heavy thunderstorm of the 17th was unquestionably a blessing in disguise. One subject connected with Waterloo is interesting to professionals visiting the ground-viz., the strange fact that General Colville's division at Hal, only nine miles away, did not hear the firing, and knew nothing about the battle having taken place until the following day. How it was that the two forces were not in proper communication with each other has never been satisfactorily explained, more especially as the Duke on the 17th had given orders on the subject, naming an officer for the duty.