keeping their seats.

'Now, boys, change your chambers, and take a shot or two after them,'
Mr. Hardy said as he again reloaded his rifle.

The boys, however, found by the time they were ready, that the flying
Indians were beyond any fair chance of hitting; but their father took a
long and steady aim with his deadly rifle, and upon its report a horse
and man went down. But the rider was in an instant upon his feet again,
soon caught one of the riderless horses which had galloped off with its
companions, and followed his comrades.

'Well done, boys,' Mr. Hardy said, with a hearty pat on their shoulders.
'You have done gallantly for a first fight, and I feel proud of you.'

Both boys coloured with pleasure.

'How many have we killed?'

'I think seven fell at our first attack, papa, and six here, counting
the one they carried off, besides wounded.'

'Thirteen. It is enough to make them heartily wish themselves back. Now
let us give the horses ten minutes' rest, and then we will stir them up
again. We must not lose time; it will be sunset in another
three-quarters of an hour.'

Half an hour's riding again brought them up to the Indians, who had
stopped within a mile of their former halting-place.

'The moon will be up by one o'clock, boys, and they mean to remain where
they are till then. Do you see that hollow that runs just this side of
where they are? No doubt there is a small stream there.'

This time the Indians made no move to retreat farther. They knew now
that their assailants were only three in number. They were armed,
indeed, with weapons which, in their terrible rapidity of fire, were
altogether beyond anything they had hitherto seen; but in the darkness
these would be of no avail against a sudden rush.

But if the Indians did not run away, neither did they, as before, attack
their assailants. Their horses had been placed in the middle of the
cattle, with a few Indians standing by them to keep them quiet. The rest
of the Indians were not to be seen, but Mr. Hardy guessed that they were
lying down in the long grass, or were concealed among the animals.

'The rascals have got a clever chief among them, boys. Except those
half-dozen heads we see over the horses' backs, there is nothing to see
of them. They know that if we go close, they can pick us off with their
guns and bows and arrows, without giving us a single fair shot at them.
Don't go any nearer, boys; no doubt there are many of their best shots