The bugles sounded and, with loud shouts, the Portuguese ran forward.

French officers ran out of private houses, and were at once seized and captured.
Several bodies of troops were taken, in public buildings, before they were fairly awake.

Some of the inhabitants--of whom many, unable to make their escape, had remained behind; or who had returned from the villages to which they had at first fled--came out and acted as guides to the various buildings where the French troops were quartered and, in little over a quarter of an hour, the whole town, with the exception of the convent of Santa Clara, was in their hands.
By this time Trant had come up, with his command.

The troops rapidly formed up again and, issuing from several streets, advanced against the convent.

The astonished enemy fired a few shots; then, on being formally summoned to surrender, laid down their arms.
Thus, on the third day after Massena quitted the Mondego his hospitals, depots, and nearly 6000 prisoners, wounded and unwounded, among them a company of the Imperial Guard, fell into the hands of the Portuguese.
The next day Miller and Wilson came up; and their men, crossing the bridge and spreading over the country, gathered in 300 more prisoners; while Trant marched, with those he had captured, to Oporto.
[Illustration: Plan of the Lines of Torres Vedras.] On the 10th of October the whole of Wellington's army was safely posted on the tremendously strong position that he had, unknown to the army, carefully prepared and fortified for the protection of Lisbon.