MURCHISON. 279 



to regulate the general movements, was hit by a 

 ball in the hand, and I saw him wrap his handker- 

 chief round it, and heard him say, ' It is only a 

 scratch ! ' Soon after the light infantry in our front 

 closed files and fell in ; our guns we pulled back, 

 and then came the struggle. General Ferguson 

 waving his hat, up we rose, old Burne (our colonel) 

 crying out, as he shook his yellow cane, that he 

 would knock down any man who fired a shot. 



" This made some merriment among the men, as 

 tumbling over was the fashion without the appli- 

 cation of their colonel's cane. " Charge," was the 

 word, and at once we went over the brow with a 

 steady line of glittering steel, and with a hearty 

 hurrah, against six regiments in close column, with 

 six pieces of artillery, just in front of the 36th. 

 But not an instant did the enemy stand against this 

 most unexpected sally within pistol shot. Off they 

 went, and all their guns were instantly taken, 

 horses and all, and then left in our rear, whilst we 

 went on chasing the runaways for a mile and a 

 half, as hard as we could go, over the moor of 

 Tourinhao. They rallied, it is true, once or twice, 

 particularly behind some thick prickly-pear hedges 

 and a hut or two on the flat table-land ; but 

 although their brave General Solignac was always 

 cantering to their front, and animating them 

 against us, they at last fled precipitately, until they 

 reached a small hamlet, where, however, they did 

 make a tolerable stand. 



" Here it was that Sir Arthur Wellesley overtook 



