He tells me it came nearly a fortnight ago; but that he had, at that time, been compelled to fall back behind the Esla; and that, as the country beyond swarmed with parties of the French cavalry, he thought that no messenger could get through, and that great harm might result were the despatches to fall into the hands of the enemy." "Well, I daresay it will keep, Dick, and that no harm will have been done by my not receiving it sooner.
"Now, tell me all about your escape.

Were you lodged in our old convent ?" "I had no such luck, Terence.

I was in the city prison, in the centre of the town; and my window, instead of looking out into the street, was on the side of the courtyard.

The window was strongly barred, no civilians were allowed to enter the prison, and I think that even you, who have a sort of genius for escapes, would have found it, as I did, simply impossible to get away." "No, the lookout was certainly bad; and you had none of the advantages we had, at Bayonne, of being guarded by friendly soldiers.

If I had, at Salamanca, not been able to make friends with a Spanish girl-- "Well, tell me all about it." Ryan gave full details of the manner in which Don Gonzales had contrived his escape.
"That was well managed, indeed," Terence said.