said he, eagerly.

'Ay,' said I, 'which horse am I to mount?'

He satisfied me upon this point, and I threw myself into the saddle; the
soldier mounted his horse, and dashing the spurs into the flanks of the
animal which I bestrode, we thundered along the narrow bridge. At the
far extremity a sentinel, as we approached, called out, 'Who goes there?
stand, and give the word!' Heedless of the interruption, with my heart
bounding with excitement, I dashed on, as did also the soldier who
accompanied me.

'Stand, or I fire! give the word!' cried the sentry.

'God save the king, and to hell with the prince!' shouted I, flinging
the cocked hat in his face as I galloped by.

The response was the sharp report of a carbine, accompanied by the whiz
of a bullet, which passed directly between me and my comrade, now riding
beside me.

'Hurrah!' I shouted; 'try it again, my boy.'

And away we went at a gallop, which bid fair to distance anything like
pursuit.

Never was spur more needed, however, for soon the clatter of horses'
hoofs, in full speed, crossing the bridge, came sharp and clear through
the stillness of the night.

Away we went, with our pursuers close behind; one mile was passed,
another nearly completed. The moon now shone forth, and, turning in the
saddle, I looked back upon the road we had passed.

One trooper had headed the rest, and was within a hundred yards of us.

I saw the fellow throw himself from his horse upon the ground.

I knew his object, and said to my comrade:

'Lower your body--lie flat over the saddle; the fellow is going to
fire.'

I had hardly spoken when the report of a carbine startled the echoes,
and the ball, striking the hind leg of my companion's horse, the poor
animal fell headlong upon the road, throwing his rider head-foremost
over the saddle.

My first impulse was to stop and share whatever fate might await my
comrade; but my second and wiser one was to spur on, and save myself and
my despatch.

I rode on at a gallop, turning to observe my comrade's fate. I saw his
pursuer, having remounted, ride rapidly up to him, and, on reaching the
spot where the man and horse lay, rein in and dismount.

He was hardly upon the ground, when my companion shot him dead with one
of the holster-pistols which he had drawn from the pipe; and, leaping
nimbly over a ditch at the side of the road, he was soon lost among the
ditches and thornbushes which covered that part of the country.

A