rose and, with a yell, threw themselves over
the edge and dashed down upon the Spaniards. The latter, struggling
to ascend, with unsteady footing on the loose and uneven rocks,
were unable for an instant to defend themselves against this
assault.

The negroes, barefooted, had no difficulty on the surface which
proved so fatal to the Spaniards; and, like the crest of a wave,
they swept their opponents headlong down the face of the barricade.
The heavily armed Spaniards fell over each other, those in front
hurling those behind backwards in wild confusion; and the first
line of negroes being succeeded by another, armed with axes, who
completed the work which the first line had begun; the slaughter,
for a minute, was terrible.

For some thirty paces, the negroes pursued their advantage; and
then at a loud shout from Ned turned, and with a celerity equal to
that of their advance, the whole were back over the barricade,
before the Spaniards in rear could awaken from their surprise; and
scarcely a shot was fired, as the dark figures bounded back into
shelter.

This time, the Spanish officer drew back his men sullenly. He felt
that they had done all that could be expected of them. Upwards of
sixty men had fallen. It would be vain to ask them to make the
assault again. He knew, too, that by waiting, the other columns
would be gradually approaching; and that, on the morrow, some
method of getting in the enemy's rear would probably be discovered.

In the meantime, he sent off fifty men on either flank, to discover
how far its rocky wall extended; while trumpeters, under strong
guards, were sent up to the hilltops in the rear, and sounded the
call lustily. Musketoons, heavily charged so as to make as loud a
report as possible, were also fired to attract the attention of the
other columns.

The boys were perfectly aware that they could not hope, finally, to
defend this position. They had, however, given the Spaniards a very
heavy lesson; and the success of the defense had immensely raised
the spirit and courage of their men. The signal was therefore given
for a retreat; and in half an hour both the Indians, on the summit
of the hill, and the negroes, behind the barricade, had fallen
back; leaving only some half dozen to keep up the appearance of
defense, and to bring back tidings of the doings of the enemy;
while the rest hurried off, to aid the detached parties to inflict
heavy blows upon the other columns.

It was found