or four a few yards in
his rear. But the six men were not far off, and now and again he caught
a glimpse of one or other of them in the woods on either side of the
line of retreat of the main body.

Suddenly the Uhlans crashed through the thickets and came into sight
only a hundred yards away. There were about a score of them, and they
caught sight of the fugitives at the same moment as the latter caught
sight of them. They gave a fierce yell of delight, and, at a harsh
order, put spurs to their horses, grasped their lances, and rode
helter-skelter over the bushes towards the straggling body of unarmed
men in front of them. The nearest men, conspicuous among whom was the
Scot in full war paint, quickened their pace to catch up to Max and the
party in front.

"They love to spear a Scot," remarked Shaw in an undertone to Max,
coolly indicating the main decoy and the wild eagerness with which the
Uhlans charged down upon their unarmed foe.

Sixty yards, fifty yards, then forty, and still the enemy closed down
upon their quarry. Then Shaw raised his voice and shouted:

"Now, boys, give it them!"

Although he had been expecting it, the answering blaze of fire from the
bushes on both flanks of the charging horsemen took even Max somewhat by
surprise. Three horses fell in a bunch, and two turned tail and dashed
back riderless the way they had come. Again, in a second or two, a
scattering discharge came from the bushes; more men fell, and the
remainder, their nerves obviously shaken by the unexpected attack,
turned their horses' heads and rode madly away.

Five men, apparently dead, were left behind, among them the young
officer in command, and three more lay wounded.

"Get their rifles and ammunition," ordered Corporal Shaw, and the
unarmed men darted back and secured rifles and ammunition with an
eagerness which showed how irksome they felt their inability to join in
any fight that might be going. Seven rifles, six lances, and a revolver
were secured, but all the lances except two were thrown away almost
immediately as useless. The two retained were broken off half-way down
the hafts, and their captors, two of the French soldiers, grinning with
delight, sloped arms with them and fell in with their comrades fully
satisfied with their share of the spoils.

"Not a bad business that," remarked Shaw coolly. "We have nearly enough
rifles now, and ammunition for a regular battle. And it can come as soon
as it likes. I'm fa