"In what temper are they?"
"Well, General, they are furious against you."
"Good, rest yourself, you have an hour to sleep."
López bowed and withdrew.
"At last then," said Miramón, "we are going to meet face to face."
"How many troops have you, General?" don Jaime asked.
"Six thousand, of whom eleven hundred are cavalry and twenty guns."
"Hum," said don Jaime, "against eleven thousand! It is not quite the double my friend, courage will make up for the deficiency."
"May heaven grant it!"
At four o'clock the camp was raised: López acted; as guide. The troops, shivering with cold, were in a very unsatisfactory temper. At about seven they; halted, the army was drawn up in battle array in a very advantageous position and the guns placed in battery. Don Jaime drew up his horse behind the regular cavalry. Then, all arrangements being made, they breakfasted. At eight o'clock, what the Spaniards call a tiroteo began to be heard: the outposts were falling back before the heads of Ortega's columns, which were debouching on the battlefield selected by Miramón, and were exchanging shots with them.