sing steeply up. They issued out and began to climb,
when the sound of a horn rose loudly in the air, and a moment
afterwards a number of men were seen, running from the right along
the edge of the trees.

"They will not shoot," Roger said. "They want to take me alive.
Never mind their arrows, it is a question of legs, at present."

The rocks were extremely steep, and in many places they had to use
their hands, as well as their feet, in making the ascent. The
Aztecs, who had on first seeing them broken into loud cries, were
now silent, and were toiling up the hillside in pursuit.

"Now," Roger said, after a very severe piece of climbing, "we must
stop them."

He strung his bow and, placing an arrow to the string, shouted to
the Aztecs that he should shoot unless they desisted from pursuit.
They paid no attention, their officer shouting to them to press on.
They were now less than a hundred yards behind.

Roger drew his bow to the fullest, and the arrow whizzed through
the air. It struck the officer in the throat, and he fell prone. A
cry of astonishment broke from the soldiers; however they did not
hesitate a moment, but pushed on with loud shouts. Roger discharged
six arrows in rapid succession, and five of them flew true to the
mark.

The Aztecs paused, the distance to which the arrows were sent, and
the accuracy of the shooting struck them with consternation; and it
was evident to them that before they could climb the steep ascent,
the greater portion of them would be shot down. Some took shelter
behind rocks, and began to discharge their arrows. Others fell back
in haste.

"Now we will be moving on again, Bathalda," Roger said. "We have
taught them a lesson of caution."

They proceeded on their way, until they reached a shoulder which
led straight up the mountain. Just as they stopped to draw breath
there was a shout, and a party of twenty men, who had evidently
climbed straight up from the pass to cut them off, rushed at them.
Roger rapidly discharged five arrows into the midst of them, and
then slipped the string from the notch, and seized the bamboo as a
quarterstaff.

At the order of their leader, the Aztecs threw down their spears
and flung themselves on him, with the intention of dragging him to
the ground; but making his quarterstaff swing round his head, he
brought the ends down upon them with tremendous force, striking
them to the ground as if they had been ninepins. Bathalda seconded
him well