the opportunity to gallop off, while the minute expended in
changing his position and mounting might make all the difference between
escape and capture.

So he sat fast and waited, watching the approach of the Indians, who did
not ride in at once, but treated him, after their experience of seeing
one of their companions go down, as a dangerous enemy, one to be taken
unawares, or after being rendered helpless, while for his part Chris sat
firm as a rock, feeling fear, of course, but strung up by the sensation
of being suddenly called upon to fight for his life.

But he felt that it would not be long before the enemy took action,
while there were moments when his heart seemed to sink with the
heaviness of despair, as he fully realised how little he could do
against so many.

He was not kept waiting long after the Indians had closed up, for they
stopped about a hundred yards away and then started off as if about to
turn their horses in an elliptical course, starting off and riding
round, each man as he passed the lad at a distance of some fifty yards
uttering a piercing war-whoop, with the evident intention of alarming
their victim, who however sat waiting patiently and apparently not
alarmed in the least.

These shouts were given as the whole body passed round and within range,
and lasted till every man had shouted his defiant cry, while the lad sat
fast holding his fire. But at the second career something else was
evidently on the way, and if possible Chris set his teeth harder, for as
one man went by at a canter he leaned over towards his left, raised the
bow he held quickly with an arrow fitted on the string, and loosed it
with a _twang_!

It was aimed pretty straight, and loosed off just as the man was
clearing one of the blocks of stone, against whose side the arrow
glanced and then whizzed by Chris's head and flew over the edge of the
precipice, to disappear in the depths below.

Chris drew a deep sigh and raised his rifle, for it seemed to him that
it was nearing the time when he must use it.

For the Indians were riding on in the ellipse, and another man fitted an
arrow to his bowstring, and as he rode by loosed it off.

A far better shot. There was no striking against rock for it to glance
off, for the next moment it struck with a heavy thud in the pommel of
Chris's saddle, and quivered there till the lad snapped it off.

A loud yell rose from the cantering Indians as they saw the success of
the sho