hind the carts. This incident passed almost unperceived
amidst the confusion--every one being in so much danger as to be able to
think only of himself.

"There is a coward the less," said Don Estevan, coldly, while Cuchillo's
horse drew near him with a terrified air.

For some minutes Cuchillo remained motionless; then, little by little,
he raised his head and cast around him a glance which seemed undimmed by
the approach of death. A few minutes after, he rose on his feet, like a
man to whom death lends some strength at the last, and apparently,
mortally hurt, his hand on his breast, as though endeavouring to retain
the spark of life ready to escape, tottered backwards, and then fell
again some way off. His horse followed him once more; and then, if
every one had not been too much occupied, they might have seen the
outlaw rolling over and over towards an open place in the intrenchments.
He then stopped again; and finally glided under the cart wheels out of
the camp.

There he rose upon his legs as firm as ever, while a smile of joy played
over his lips. The darkness and the tumult favoured his manoeuvre. He
silently unfastened the iron chains of two carts, and opened a passage.
He whistled and his horse glided after him; in a second he was in the
saddle, almost without touching the stirrup; when after a moment's
thought, he spurred on the animal, who set off like the wind, and horse
and rider soon disappeared in the darkness!

On both sides of the intrenchment corpses covered the ground; half
burnt-out piles of wood cast their red light upon the bloody scenes of
this struggle; the shouts of enemies, the repeated discharge of
firearms, and the whistling of bullets followed each other
uninterruptedly. The hideous figures of the Indians looked more hideous
still in the strange light.

One point in the intrenchment had given way before the incessant
attacks; and here, dead or wounded, its defenders had yielded to enemies
who seemed to swarm from the ground. At this point there was an instant
of horrible confusion. A _pele mele_ of bodies interlaced, over which
appeared the plumes of the Indian warriors. Soon, however, the line of
the adventurers, broken for an instant, reformed before a group of
Indians who were rushing like wild beasts into the middle of the camp.

Oroche and Baraja left the point which they were still defending, and
found themselves face to face with their enemies, this time with nothing
t