his fellow who
paused to light a cigarette, but took the point of his sword in his left
hand, stooped down with his back to his enemies, broke the blade in half
across his knee, dashed the pieces to the ground, and then slowly walked
back.

"Poor fellow!" said Pen thoughtfully.

"Yes, and poor sword," said Punch. "I suppose he will have to pay for
that out of his own pocket, or have it stopped out of his pay. Oh no;
he's an officer, and finds his own swords. But he was a stupid. Won't
he be sorry for it when he cools down!"

They were not long kept in suspense as to what would occur next, for
just before he disappeared the lookers-on saw the officer suddenly turn
aside to close up to the natural wail of the little ravine, giving place
to the passage of the stronger party still who came on cheering and
yelling as if to disconcert the sharpshooters who were committing such
havoc in their little detachments. But their effort was in vain, for at
a short interval the two young riflemen once more fired at the dense
little party, which it was impossible to miss. Two men in the front
went down, three or four of their fellows leaped over their prostrate
forms, and then several of those who followed stumbled and fell, panic
ensued, and once more the company was in full flight, followed slowly by
a couple of despondent-looking officers, one of whom turned while the
carbine bullets were flying around him to shake his sword at his
enemies, his fellow taking his cue from this act to contemptuously raise
his _kepi_ in a mocking salute.

"Here, I won't say anything about the Frenchmen any more," said Punch.
"Why, those officers are splendid! They are just laughing at the
contra-what-you-may-call-'ems, and telling them they can't shoot a bit.
It's just what I thought," he continued, finishing his loading; "those
little dumpy blunderbuss things are no good at all. I suppose that will
about sicken them, won't it?"

Pen shook his head as he closed the pan of his musket with a sharp
click.

"The officers will not be satisfied till they have put a stop to our
shooting, Punch."

"Oh, but they can't," said the boy, with a laugh. "But, I say, I never
thought I could shoot so well as this. Ain't it easy!"

"No," said Pen quietly. "I think we shot well at first, but here with
our muskets resting steady on the stones in front, and with so many men
to shoot at, we can't help hitting some of them. Hallo! Here comes our
frien