ndians,
hearing our cries, turned their heads, and seeing a large body of
horsemen coming down the road, and not knowing how many there might be
following, thought that it was high time for them to be off. Our
appearance, also, gave the Mexicans courage, and they charged more
manfully than they had done before.

"Wallop ahoo aboo, Erin gobragh!" sung out our leader, Captain Driscoll.
"Fly, ye red scoundrels; fly, or we will cut you into mince-meat!"
Whether the Indians understood what he said I do not know, but as he
suited the action to the word, wielding a pretty heavy Toledo, they took
his advice, and, disengaging themselves from the melee, urged their
horses to a rapid flight. We, however, were too close to them to allow
them to escape altogether with impunity, and three of them were knocked
off the backs of their steeds, two of whom were mortally wounded. A
third, I thought, was lead. He lay on the ground without moving, or
apparently breathing, his tomahawk still held in his death-grasp. The
cowardly Mexicans very soon put the other two poor wretches out of their
pain, by running them through and through with their lances. Two or
three of the heroes were in the act of charging the dead man, with the
intention of running him through, when up he sprung to his feet, and
away he went as quick almost, it seemed, as a flash of lightning after
his comrades! Several of our party gave chase after him, but though he
was on foot it appeared as if he would distance us. His leg, however,
had been wounded, and he had miscalculated his strength. His pace
slackened. Once or twice he stumbled; he felt that he could run no
more. He was a brave fellow, and was determined to die like a man, with
his face to his enemies. Flourishing his tomahawk above his head, he
uttered his war cry, and rushed desperately towards us. A Mexican's
lance struck him on the shoulder, and brought him to the ground. The
other Mexicans were about to despatch him, but Captain Driscoll sung out
in Spanish, "Spare his life; spare his life; we do not kill fallen
enemies;" and Jerry and I, impelled by the same feelings, threw
ourselves before him, and by signs showed that we had resolved to
protect him. The Indian seemed to comprehend what we were about, though
perhaps he thought we wanted to preserve his life only to torture him,
for he did not show that he was in any way obliged to us. The moment
the lance was withdrawn, he sprung up with his w