erect, and still
the ponderous bar swung on high to fall as terribly as ever. Before
him were eight men. Dick saw it all in an instant. He screamed to the
passengers in the diligence:

"There are only eight left! Come! Help us take them prisoners! Haste!"

The cowards in the diligence saw how things were. They plucked up
courage, and at the call of Dick jumped out. The leader of the
brigands was before Dick with uplifted rifle. Dick flung his pistol
at his head. The brigand drew back and felled Dick senseless to the
ground. The next moment the Senator's arm descended, and, with his
head broken by the blow, the robber fell dead.

As though the fall of Dick had given him fresh fury, the Senator
sprang after the others. Blow after blow fell. They were struck down
helplessly as they ran. At this moment the passengers, snatching up
the arms of the prostrate bandits, assaulted those who yet remained.
They fled. The Senator pursued--long enough to give each one a
parting blow hard enough to make him remember it for a month. When
he returned the passengers were gathering around the coach, with
the driver and postillions, who had thus far hidden themselves, and
were eagerly looking at the dead.

"Off!" cried the Senator, in an awful voice--"Off; you white-livered
sneaks! Let me find my two boys!"

CHAPTER XLVII.

BAD BRUISES, BUT GOOD MUSES.--THE HONORABLE SCABS OF DICK.--A
KNOWLEDGE OF BONES.

The Senator searched long and anxiously among the fallen bandits
for those whom he affectionately called his "boys." Dick was first
found. He was senseless.

The Senator carried him to the fire. He saw two ladies and a
gentleman standing there. Hurriedly he called on them and pointed
to Dick. The gentleman raised his arms. They were bound tightly. The
ladies also were secured in a similar manner. The Senator quickly cut
the cords from the gentleman, who in his turn snatched the knife and
freed the ladies, and then went to care for Dick.

The Senator then ran back to seek for Buttons.

The gentleman flung a quantity of dry brush on the fire, which at
once blazed up and threw a bright light over the scene. Meanwhile
the passengers were looking anxiously around as though they dreaded
a new attack. Some of them had been wounded inside the coach and
were groaning and cursing.

The Senator searched for a long time in vain. At last at the bottom
of a heap of fallen brigands, whom the Senator had knocked over, he
found B