Trant will surprise and capture that, at five in the morning.

Just before daybreak we shall enter the town.

We must march from here at half-past three." "That is something like news, Colonel," Macwitty exclaimed.

"It will cut the French off from this line of retreat, altogether, and they must either fall back by the line of the Tagus, or through Badajoz and Merida." Terence laughed.
"You are counting your chickens before they are hatched, Macwitty.
At the present moment, it seems more likely that Wellington will have to embark his troops than that Massena will have to retreat.
He must have nearly a hundred thousand men, counting those who fought with him at Busaco and the two divisions that marched down through Foz d'Aronce; while Wellington, all told, cannot have above 40,000.

Certainly some of the peasants told me they had heard that a great many men were employed in fortifying the heights of Torres Vedras, and Wellington may be able to make a stand there; but as we have never heard anything about them before, I am afraid that they cannot be anything very formidable.
"However, just at present we have nothing to do with that.