either of the boys had dared to
think during that brief fight. They had had many falls before on the
soft turf of the Pampas, but no hurt had resulted, and both were more
frightened at the insensibility of their father than at the Indian
horde, which were so short a distance away, and which would no doubt
return in a few minutes in overwhelming force.

Great, then, was Hubert's delight, when, upon looking round, he saw that
Mr. Hardy had raised himself with his arms.

'What has happened?' he said in a confused manner.

'Are you hurt, papa?' Hubert asked, with tears of joy running down his
face; 'you frightened us both so dreadfully. Please drink a little
water, and I will pour a little over your face.'

Mr. Hardy drank some water, and Hubert dashed some more in his face.
'That will do, Hubert,' he said with a smile; 'you will drown me. There,
I am all right now. I was stunned, I suppose. There you are,' and he got
up on to his feet; 'you see I am not hurt. And now, where are the
Indians?'

'There, papa,' said the boys with pardonable triumph, as they pointed to
thirteen dead Indians.

Their father could not speak. He grasped their hands warmly. He saw how
great the danger must have been, and how gallantly his boys must have
borne themselves.

'The Indians may be back in a few minutes, papa. Your horse is dead, but
there is one of the Indians' standing by his dead master. Let us catch
him and shift the saddle.' The animal, when they approached it, made no
move to take flight, and they saw that his master's foot, as he fell,
had become entangled in the lasso, and the well-trained beast had stood
without moving. In three minutes the saddles were transferred, and the
party again ready for fight or flight.

'What next, papa?'

'We turned to the right, and rather towards home, when we started; so
the Indian halting-place is to the south-east of us, is it not?'

'Yes, papa; as near as may be,' Charley said, making out the points with
some difficulty on the pocket-compass, one of which they each carried,
as the danger of being lost upon the pathless Pampas is very great.

'We had ridden about two miles when I got my fall, so we are a mile to
the west of their camp. We will ride now a couple of miles due north.
The Indians are sure to send out a scout to see whether we have returned
home, and our track will lead them to believe that we have. It is dusk
now. We shall get three hours' rest before we have to move.'