The hounds kept the trail no longer. Their quarry was before them;
their howling ended, and they sprang upon us with the silence of the
assassin. The next moment we were mingled together, dogs and men, in
the fearful struggle of life and death!

I know not how long this strange encounter lasted. I felt myself
grappling with the tawny monsters, and hurling them over the cliff. Now
they sprang at my throat, and I threw out my arms, thrusting them
fearlessly between the shining rows of teeth. Then I was free again,
and, seizing a leg, or a tail, or the loose flaps of the neck, I dragged
a savage brute towards the brink, and, summoning all my strength, dashed
him against its brow, and saw him tumble howling over.

Once I lost my balance and nearly staggered over the precipice, and at
length, panting, bleeding, and exhausted, I fell to the earth. I could
struggle no longer.

I looked around for my comrades. Clayley and Raoul had sunk upon the
grass, and lay torn and bleeding. Lincoln and Chane, holding a hound
between them, were balancing him over the bluff.

"Now, Murter," cried the hunter, "giv' him a good heist, and see if we
kin pitch him cl'ar on t'other side; hee-woop!--hoo!"

And with this ejaculation the kicking animal was launched into the air.
I could not resist looking after. The yellow body bounded from the face
of the opposite cliff, and fell with a heavy plash upon the water below.

He was the last of the pack!

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.

AN INDIAN RUSE.

A wild shout now drew our attention, and, looking up the creek, we saw
our pursuers just debouching from the woods. They were all mounted, and
pressing their mustangs down to the bank, where they halted with a
strange cry.

"What is that, Raoul? Can you tell the meaning of that cry?"

"They are disappointed, Captain. They must dismount and foot it like
ourselves; there is no crossing for horses."

"Good! Oh, if we had but a rifle each! This pass--." I looked down
the gorge. We could have defended it against the whole party, but we
were unarmed.

The guerilleros now dismounted, tying their horses to the trees and
preparing to cross over. One, who seemed to be their leader, judging
from his brilliant dress and plumes, had already advanced into the
stream, and stood upon a projecting rock with his sword drawn. He was
not more than three hundred yards from the position we occupied on the
bluff.

"Do you think you can reach him