in, and Tony managed to keep hold of it. It was in
trying to remount that he discovered, by helplessness and anguish, that
one of his legs was crushed and broken, and that no feat of which he was
master would get him into the saddle. Not able even to stand alone,
awkwardly, agonizingly, unable to mount his restive horse, his life was
yet so strong within him! And on one side of him rolled the dust and
smoke-cloud of his advancing foes, and on the other, that which covered
his retreating friends.

He turned one piteous gaze after them, with a bitter twinge, not of
reproach, but of loneliness; and then, dragging himself up by the side
of his horse, he turned the other way and drew out his pistol, and
waited for the end. Whether he waited seconds or minutes he never knew,
before some one gripped him by the arm.

"_Jackanapes! God bless you!_ It's my left leg. If you _could_ get me
on--"

It was like Tony's luck that his pistol went off at his horse's tail,
and made it plunge; but Jackanapes threw him across the saddle.

"Hold on anyhow, and stick your spur in. I'll lead him. Keep your head
down; they're firing high."

And Jackanapes laid his head down--to Lollo's ear.

It was when they were fairly off, that a sudden upspringing of the enemy
in all directions had made it necessary to change the gradual retirement
of our force into as rapid a retreat as possible. And when Jackanapes
became aware of this, and felt the lagging and swerving of Tony's horse,
he began to wish he had thrown his friend across his own saddle and left
their lives to Lollo.

When Tony became aware of it, several things came into his head: 1. That
the dangers of their ride for life were now more than doubled; 2. That
if Jackanapes and Lollo were not burdened with him they would
undoubtedly escape; 3. That Jackanapes's life was infinitely valuable,
and his--Tony's--was not; 4. That this, if he could seize it, was the
supremest of all the moments in which he had tried to assume the virtues
which Jackanapes had by nature; and that if he could be courageous and
unselfish now--

He caught at his own reins and spoke very loud,--

"Jackanapes! It won't do. You and Lollo must go on. Tell the fellows I
gave you back to them with all my heart. Jackanapes, if you love me,
leave me!"

There was a daffodil light over the evening sky in front of them, and it
shone strangely on Jackanapes's hair and face. He turned with an odd
look in his eyes that a vai