t I dare say you will do better with the weapon to which you have been
most accustomed. If you ward off or evade the first thrust and get to your
opponent's left rear you will have him at your mercy. Our _llaneros_ are
indifferent swordsmen; but once turn your back and you are doomed. Hurrah!
There is Mejia, leading his fellows on. Don't you see him? The tall man on
the big horse. Forward, senors! We may be in time for the encounter even
yet."

CHAPTER XIV.

CAUGHT.

A smart gallop of a few minutes brought us near enough to see what was
going on, though as we had to make a considerable _detour_ in order to
avoid the Spaniards, we were just too late for the charge, greatly to
Carmen's disappointment.

In numbers the two sides were pretty equal, the strength of each being
about a thousand men. Their tactics were rather those of Indian braves
than regular troops. The patriots were, however, both better led and
better disciplined than their opponents, and fought with a courage and a
resolution that on their native plains would have made them formidable
foes for the "crackest" of European cavalry.

The encounter took place when we were within a few hundred yards of
Mejia's left flank. It was really a charge in line, albeit a very broken
line, every man riding as hard as he could and fighting for his own land.
All were armed with spears, the longest, as I afterward learned, being
wielded by Colombian _gauchos_. These portentous weapons, fully fourteen
feet long, were held in both hands, the reins being meanwhile placed on
the knees, and the horses guided by voice and spur. The Spaniards seemed
terribly afraid of them, as well they might be, for the Colombian spears
did dire execution. Few missed their mark, and I saw more than one trooper
literally spitted and lifted clean out of his saddle.

Mejia, distinguishable by his tall stature, was in the thick of the fray.
After the first shock he threw away his spear, and drawing a long
two-handed sword, which he carried at his back, laid about like a
_coeur-de-lion_. The combat lasted only a few minutes, and though we were
too late to contribute to the victory we were in time to take part in the
pursuit.

It was a scene of wild confusion and excitement; the Spaniards galloping
off in all directions, singly and in groups, making no attempt to rally,
yet when overtaken, fighting to the last, Mejia's men following them with
lowered lances and wild cries, managing their