hen one Indian was effectually quieted
by a huge boulder that Lagrange had sent down on the top
of him, the others saw that it was impossible to remain
there any longer, so incontinently fled. Leopold St.
Croix, being somewhat stout, was left behind in the
headlong flight that ensued.

When Jacques reached the bottom of the terrace, he found
that the Indians had left the coast clear for him. He
was rounding the bluff amongst the rocks when he met his
old enemy face to face.

"Ha! _coquin!_" cried Jacques; "and so, _mon ami_, I have
found you! _Bien!_ Now we shall fight, like that, so!"

And putting his rifle to his shoulder, he sent a bullet
through Leopold St. Croix's badger-skin cap. St. Croix
returned the compliment by shaving a lock of hair off
Jacques' right temple. Both men got behind rocks, and
for three minutes they carried on a spirited duel. At
length, after both had had several narrow shaves of
annihilation, Jacques succeeded in sending a bullet
through St. Croix's shoulder, and that settled the matter.

The prisoners had now descended the terrace, and were
every moment expecting to find themselves once more face
to face with British troops, when something occurred
which is always occurring when a civilised force, with
its time-honoured precedent, is dealing with a savage
race that acts on its own initiative--the unexpected
happened--the inevitable slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.
The British, thinking that their work was over, left
their cover and rushed towards the various inlets in a
careless, disorganised fashion. Quick as thought the
rebels seized their opportunity. They rallied and poured
in a withering fire upon the scattered troops. The
unprotected guns were rushed by a mere handful of Indians
who had been hiding in the watercourse, and the retreat
was sounded to protect them. At the same moment Poundmaker
found himself with one of his head men, who bore the
picturesque name of Young-Man-Who-Jumps-Like-a-Frog, and
these two, with a strong following at their heels, appeared
round the corner of a bluff. A few seconds later Jacques
was seized from behind, and the other prisoners were once
more secured. It all happened so suddenly that there was
no time to escape or make any resistance.

CHAPTER XXI

BACK TO CAPTIVITY

It was as well for the prisoners that Poundmaker was not
aware of the fact that they had overpowered their guard
and had been in the act of escaping when he came round