s of
my movements.

In an instant I squeezed past the flanks of my horse, and glided forward
upon the ledge, directly in front of my adversary.

The animal, seeming to guess my intentions, snorted with affright and
reared up, but was compelled to drop again into the same tracks.

The Indian was fixing another shaft. Its notch never reached the
string. As the hoofs of the mustang came down upon the rock, I aimed my
blow. I struck the animal over the eye. I felt the skull yielding
before my hatchet, and the next moment horse and rider, the latter
screaming and struggling to clear himself of the saddle, disappeared
over the cliff.

There was a moment's silence, a long moment, in which I knew they were
falling--falling--down that fearful depth. Then came a loud splash, the
concussion of their united bodies on the water below!

I had no curiosity to look over, and as little time. When I regained my
upright attitude (for I had come to my knees in giving the blow), I saw
the vidette just leaping upon the platform. He did not halt a moment,
but advanced at a run, holding his spear at the charge.

I saw that I should be impaled unless I could parry the thrust. I
struck wildly, but with success. The lance-blade glinted from the head
of my weapon. Its shaft passed me; and our bodies met with a shock that
caused us both to reel upon the very edge of the cliff.

As soon as I had recovered my balance, I followed up my blows, keeping
close to my antagonist, so that he could not again use his lance.
Seeing this, he dropped the weapon and drew his tomahawk. We now fought
hand to hand, hatchet to hatchet!

Backward and forward along the ledge we drove each other, as the
advantage of the blows told in favour of either, or against him.

Several times we grappled, and would have pushed each other over; but
the fear that each felt of being dragged after mutually restrained us,
and we let go, and trusted again to our tomahawks.

Not a word passed between us. We had nothing to say, even could we have
understood each other. But we had no boast to make, no taunt to urge,
nothing before our minds but the fixed dark purpose of murdering one
another!

After the first onset the Indian had ceased yelling, and we both fought
in the intense earnestness of silence.

There were sounds, though: an occasional sharp exclamation, our quick,
high breathing, the clinking of our tomahawks, the neighing of our
horses, and the continuo