rapidity of their charge.

'Done, papa,' Charley said as the two boys simultaneously fired their
last shot, when the leading Indians were about two hundred and fifty
yards distant.

'Change your chambers and mount,' Mr. Hardy said as he again took aim
with his rifle.

The enemy was not more than a hundred and fifty yards distant, when they
leapt into their saddles and started at a gallop.

'Steady, boys, keep your horses well in hand. Never mind their balls;
they could no more hit a man at this distance from the back of a horse
than they could fly. There is no chance of their catching us; there
won't be many horses faster than ours, and ours are a good deal fresher.
Keep a good lookout for holes.'

Both pursuers and pursued were now going over the ground at a tremendous
pace. The Indians had ceased firing, for most of those who had guns had
discharged them as Mr. Hardy and his sons had mounted, and it was
impossible to load at the speed at which they were going.

During the first mile of the chase Mr. Hardy had looked round several
times, and had said each time, 'We are holding our own, boys; they are a
good hundred yards behind; keep your horses in hand.'

At the end of another mile, his face brightened as he looked round. 'All
right, boys, they are tailing off fast. Three-quarters of them have
stopped already. There are not above a score of the best mounted
anywhere near us. Another mile and we will give them a lesson.'

The mile was soon traversed, and Mr. Hardy saw that only about twelve
Indians had maintained their distance.

'Now is the time, boys. When I say halt, draw up and jump off, but take
very steady aim always at the nearest. Don't throw away a shot. They are
only a hundred yards off, and the revolvers will tell. Don't try to use
the second chamber; there is no time for that. Use your pistols when you
have emptied your carbines. Halt!'

Not five seconds elapsed after the word was spoken before Charley's
carbine rang out. Then came the sharp cracks of the carbines and pistols
in close succession. The Indians hesitated at the tremendous fire which
was opened upon them, then halted. The delay was fatal to them. In
little over half a minute the eighteen shots had been fired. Five
Indians lay upon the plain; another, evidently a chief, had been carried
off across the saddle of one of his followers, who had leapt off when he
saw him fall; and two others were evidently wounded, and had difficulty
in