urst forth the Senator hurled himself down upon the
heads of those below. The action of Buttons had broken up all their
plans, rendered parley impossible, and left nothing for them to do
but to follow him and save him. The brigands rushed at them with a
yell of fury.

"Death to them! Death to them all! No quarter!"

"Help!" cried Buttons. "Passengers, we are armed! We can save
ourselves!"

But the passengers, having already lost their money, now feared to
lose their lives. Not one responded. All about the coach the scene
became one of terrible confusion. Guns were fired, blows fell in every
direction. The darkness, but faintly illuminated by the fitful
firelight, prevented the brigands from distinguishing their enemies
very clearly--a circumstance which favored the little band of
Americans.

The brigands fired at the coach, and tried to break open the doors.
Inside the coach the passengers, frantic with fear, sought to make
their voices heard amid the uproar. They begged for mercy; they
declared they had no money; they had already been robbed; they would
give all that was left; they would surrender if only their lives were
spared.

"And, oh! good Americans, yield, yield, or we all die!"

"Americans?" screamed several passionate voices. "Death to the
Americans! Death to all foreigners!"

These bandits were unlike the last.

Seated in the banquette Dick surveyed the scene, while himself
concealed from view. Calmly he picked out man after man and fired.
As they tried to climb up the diligence, or to force open the door,
they fell back howling. One man had the door partly broken open by
furious blows with the butt of his gun. Dick fired. The ball entered
his arm. He shrieked with rage. With his other arm he seized his gun,
and again his blows fell crashing. In another instant a ball passed
into his brain.

"Two shots wasted on one man! Too much!" muttered Dick; and taking
aim again he fired at a fellow who was just leaping up the other side.
The wretch fell cursing.

Again! again! again! Swiftly Dick's shots flashed around. He had now
but one left in his pistol. Hurriedly he filled the spare chamber
with six cartridges, and taking out the other he filled it and placed
it in again. He looked down.

[Illustration: A Free Fight.]

There was the Senator. More than twenty men surrounded him, firing,
swearing, striking, shrieking, rushing forward, trying to tear him
from his post. For he had planted himself