field-pieces were dragged to the front and fire opened on the
outlaws, to which they replied with a furious fusillade of rifle-
bullets, several of the Chilian cavalry falling under that murderous
fire. But Jim now ordered the guns to be loaded with canister shot
instead of solid, and the guerillas were unable to face that storm of
missiles. The men with the axes dropped their tools and took to their
heels into the forest--those of them who were unwounded, that is to
say--while the greater part fell dead and dying into the ravine. Then
gradually the riflemen themselves retreated, keeping up a galling fire
the whole time; and, from their evident reluctance to retire, Douglas
guessed that they must have a strong reinforcement somewhere close at
hand.

There was therefore no time to be lost if they were to get across
unmolested, and Jim was himself the first to go over to the other side
and examine the bridge, to see whether it was still in a condition to
bear the passage of the horses and guns. Luckily, the guerillas had
only just begun operations upon the structure, and it was hardly
weakened at all; he therefore gave the signal to his men on the opposite
side, and in half an hour the whole force was safely across. But it was
quite evident that they were in a very perilous situation and completely
surrounded by Bolivians. Jim therefore called a council of war,
composed of his officers, the result of which was a unanimous decision
to press forward at all hazards and strike a paralysing blow at the
guerillas before they were fully prepared for it, if possible. Jim's
force could not be very far away now from the Bolivian stronghold;
indeed, they might come upon it at any moment, for the gigantic peak of
Sorata was well in sight, and Jim took his bearings from that.

Forward they pressed, therefore, going as fast as their horses could
carry them over the rough, rock-encumbered ground, and taking care to
keep scouts thrown out all round the main body. But, strangely enough,
they saw no further signs of the outlaws, and Jim was beginning to
wonder where the force that was trying to destroy the bridge could have
hidden itself, when, away in the distance ahead, he heard a piercing
shriek of intense agony. There was then a pause of a few seconds, but
immediately afterwards scream after scream went wailing up into the air!
Jim clenched his teeth and drove the spurs into his horse, crying, as
he did so: "Follow me, half