"My mission is to ascertain what aid the king can rely upon in this province." "Three days ago there were many thousands of men under arms," the priest replied; "by tonight there will be less than as many hundreds.

The day Tesse crossed the frontier with his army the greater portion of the bands went to their homes, and their arms will be laid aside until the news comes that the French army is on its return from Barcelona.

I fancy there is but little chance of our seeing King Charles among us.
In another day or two Tesse will be before Barcelona; and joined, as he will be there, by the French army marching down from Roussillon, he will make quick work of that town, and King Charles will have the choice of going to Valencia to be hunted shortly thence, or of sailing away again from the country in your ships." "It would seem like it," Jack agreed; "but you are reckoning without the Earl of Peterborough." "Your English general must be a wonder," the priest said, "a marvel; but he cannot accomplish impossibilities.

What can he do with two or three thousand trained troops against twenty thousand veteran French soldiers ?" "I cannot tell what he will do," Jack laughed; "but you may rely upon it that he will do something, and I would take fair odds that he will somehow or other save Barcelona and rid Catalonia of its invaders." "That I judge to be altogether impossible," the priest replied.
"Anything that man could do I am ready to admit that your general is capable of; but I do not judge this to be within the range of possibilities.

If you will take my advice, my son, you will not linger here, but will ride for Valencia and embark on board your ships with him when the time comes." "We shall see," Jack said, laughing.