s legs projected
at full stretch, exhibiting an appearance of motionless rigidity, as
though a well-dressed corpse had been rolled over on its face. I at
once recognised it as the body of the major, whom I supposed to have
fallen dead where he lay.

"Good heavens! Clayley, look here!" cried I; "poor Blossom's killed!"

"No, I'll be hanged if I am!" growled the latter, screwing his neck
round like a lizard, and looking up without changing the attitude of his
body. Clayley was convulsed with laughter. The major sheathed his head
again, as he knew that another shot from the howitzer might soon be
expected.

"Major," cried Clayley, "that right shoulder of yours projects over at
least six inches."

"I know it," answered the major, in a frightened voice. "Curse the
tree!--it's hardly big enough to cover a squirrel;" and he squatted
closer to the earth, pressing his arms tighter against his sides. His
whole attitude was so ludicrous that Clayley burst into a second yell of
laughter. At this moment a wild shout was heard from the guerilleros.

"What next?" cried I, running toward the front, and looking out upon the
prairie.

"Them wild-cats are gwine to cla'r out, Cap'n," said Lincoln, meeting
me. "I kin see them hitchin' up."

"It is as you say! What can be the reason?"

A strange commotion was visible in the groups of horsemen. Scouts were
galloping across the plain to a point of the woods about half a mile
distant, and I could see the artillerists fastening their mules to the
howitzer-carriage. Suddenly a bugle rang out, sounding the "Recall",
and the guerilleros, spurring their horses, galloped off towards
Medellin.

A loud cheer, such as was never uttered by Mexican throats, came from
the opposite edge of the prairie; and looking in that direction I beheld
a long line of dark forms debouching from the woods at a gallop. Their
sparkling blades, as they issued from the dark forest, glistened like a
cordon of fireflies, and I recognised the heavy footfall of the American
horse. A cheer from my men attracted their attention; and the leader of
the dragoons, seeing that the guerilleros had got far out of reach,
wheeled his column to the right and came galloping down.

"Is that Colonel Rawley?" inquired I, recognising a dragoon officer.

"Why, bless my soul!" exclaimed he, "how did you get out? We heard you
were jugged. All alive yet?"

"We have lost two," I replied.

"Pah! that's nothing. I came