THE GIRL’S OWNPAPER
Vol. XX.—No. 1008.]
[Price One Penny.
APRIL 22, 1899.
[Transcriber’s Note: This Table of Contents was not present in the original.]
“OUR HERO.”
OUR LILY GARDEN.
CHRONICLES OF AN ANGLO-CALIFORNIAN RANCH.
SPRING SONG.
THE HOUSE WITH THE VERANDAH.
THINGS IN SEASON, IN MARKET AND KITCHEN.
SHEILA.
THE GIRL’S OWN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
A PERILOUS RIDE.
[By permission of Franz Hanfstaengl, Munich.
All rights reserved.]
“OUR HERO.”
A TALE OF THE FRANCO-ENGLISH WAR NINETY YEARS AGO.
By AGNES GIBERNE, Author of “Sun, Moon and Stars,” “The Girl at the Dower House,” etc.
CHAPTER XXX.
A HAZARDOUS RETREAT.
he work intendedbythat spiritedadvance wasdone. Nothingremained forMoore but tofall steadilyback beforeoverwhelming odds.
All the bright expectations,with which he hadstarted on this expedition,were dashed to theground. In every directionhe had met with indifference, vacillation—evenopposition—where he oughtto have found only warm co-operation.The Spanish forces had proved themselvesworthless. Moore’s little Armystood alone in the heart of what wasnow practically an enemy’s country.
With almost superhuman energy thegreatest General of his age had exertedhimself to bring up such a force, thatthe complete annihilation of the Britishmight be a thing assured. In the courseof ten days, and in the bitterest wintryweather, he had marched fifty thousandsoldiers over snow-clad mountains adistance of two hundred miles, only tofind his stupendous efforts unavailing.For the first time in Napoleon’s career,he was decisively foiled.
Yet the utmost that Moore couldhope to do was to save his little Armyfrom destruction. To that aim hebuckled his powers with unfalteringresolution. As Sir William Napierwrote in after years: “The inspiringhopes of triumph disappeared, but theausterer glory of suffering remained;and with a firm heart he accepted thatgift.”
By the greater number o