Jack  and  Graham  carried  out  these  orders,  taking
guides  from  each  village  through  which  they  passed  to
the  next,  and  it  was  near  midnight  before  they  had
finished  their  work.     At  four  in  the  morning  every


188  A   BRUTAL  MASSACRE.
detachment  was  in  motion,  and  at  noon  the  troop  was
ao-ain  concentrated.  Here  the  earl  learned  that  a
detachment  of  the  enemy  had  remained  behind  at
Alcala,  and,  instead  of  carrying  out  his  previous  plan,
he  rode  straight  with  the  whole  of  his  dragoons  to
that  town.  When  he  approached  it  he  divided  his
force  into  three  bodies,  which  entered  the  place  simul-
taneously by  different  gates,  and  the  Spanish  detach-
ment, two  hundred  strong,  at  once  laid  down  their
arms.
Evening  was  now  approaching,  and,  as  the  horses
and  dragoons  were  utterly  worn  out,  Peterborough
halted  for  the  night.  He  at  once  called  together  the
principal  inhabitants,  and  informed  them  that  he  re-
quired all  the  horses  in  the  town,  with  such  saddlery
as  they  could  obtain,  to  be  collected  and  forwarded  for
his  use  to  a  point  he  named.
The  next  morning  the  march  was  continued.  Las
Torres  had  continued  his  flight,  and  this  was  hastened
when  he  heard  of  the  capture  of  Alcala.  He  pushed
through  the  town  of  Borriol  and  hastened  on  to  Villa-
Real,  a  town  strongly  favourable  to  King  Charles.  It
opened  its  gates,  however,  on  the  solemn  promise  of
Las  Torres  to  respect  the  life  and  property  of  the
inhabitants;  but  no  sooner  had  his  troops  entered  than
he  gave  the  order  for  a  general  massacre  and  the  sack
of  the  town.  This  ferocious  order  was  executed,  and
very  few  of  the  inhabitants  escaped  with  their  lives.
