Two miles on is a ford across the river, where, as the peasants tell me, two of your vedettes are posted; another hour's ride will take you to Valencia." With a hearty goodby on both sides, Jack and his two dragoons rode off, and soon astonished the English vedettes by their appearance on the opposite bank of the river.

A few words in English convinced the soldiers that it was no trick that was being played with them, and Jack rode across the ford and then galloped on to Valencia.
"Well, Captain Stilwell," the earl said as Jack entered his apartment, "what news do you bring me from Barcelona?
I hear that Tesse has invested the town." "My last news is from Madrid, general," Jack said; "I have had to stay a week in that city." And he then proceeded to relate the series of events which had happened from the time he joined the Count of Cifuentes.
"I know I exceeded my duty, general," he said when he finished, "in going up into Arragon without orders; but I felt that I was of little use with the count, who handles the Miquelets well, and I thought that you would be glad of trustworthy information of the state of feeling in Arragon, and perhaps of Castile." "You were quite right," the earl said, "and have done exceedingly well.

Yours has been an adventure after my own heart, and you have just arrived here in time, for I am on the point of starting to do what I can to harass the besiegers of Barcelona.".