a, where we saw the enemy formed up in marching order.

"What restless fellows they are!" I exclaimed laughingly; "they're on
the move again!"

"Yes; but this time, unless I'm much mistaken, they are moving
backwards. Ride round to the right, warn the Indians to be ready for
an attack, and rejoin me at Puruchuco."

I had barely reached the village when the colonel's suspicions were
verified. Two thousand of the enemy, all picked men, as we afterwards
discovered, rapidly descended the heights, drove the Indians back by
sheer strength of numbers, and at last sent them flying pell-mell to
seek safety in some of the numerous ravines. We had barely three
hundred regular soldiers, many of whom were young boys, and scarcely
one had ever smelt powder in a real fight. But Miller was a host in
himself, and though the odds were so desperate, I did not despair of
victory.

O'Brien, with a picked detachment of infantry, occupied a strong
position, and began firing as soon as the assailants came within range.
The cavalry and the remainder of the infantry were posted lower down
the mountain side.

"Aim low, lads," said the colonel, "and don't waste your ammunition.
If they reach you, give them a taste of the steel."

The flight of the Indians left us a great deal exposed, and in danger
of being surrounded; but O'Brien had placed his men on a rocky
platform, from which they kept one detachment in check. Meanwhile, in
our own quarter the fight raged furiously. A large body of Spaniards,
slipping past O'Brien, came on again and again. We beat them back, but
they gave us no rest. Our men began to fall, and once I saw a shade of
anxiety flit across the colonel's face. It was gone in less than a
second, but it confirmed my opinion that we could not hold our ground.

For the most part, we contented ourselves with repelling the enemy's
attacks; but twice our leader flung himself against their dragoons at
the head of his cavalry. We broke them easily, but could not pursue,
and the experiment cost us a dozen in killed and wounded.

"This won't do," said he. "They will eat us up.--Crawford, tell
O'Brien to retire on us slowly. I intend to retreat.--Captain Prieto,
get your men posted in that ravine to the left, and hold it until you
are told to withdraw."

I did not hear the captain's reply, being on my way to deliver the
colonel's order. I had left my horse behind, but even so, the journey
was distinctly unpleasant, as m