nted rifle was too formidable for them--they knew its
power, and they kept on cantering along, yelling with delight.

Meanwhile the pony was kicking wildly and tearing at the turf as it lay
upon its side.

Chris did not attempt to fire, but obeyed the impulse of trying to get
his mount to rise again, with the full intent of flinging himself upon
its back and galloping in desperation through the enemy.

Two arrows whizzed by him, for his motion, consequent upon the pony's
struggles and his efforts to avoid the poor brute's hoofs, was so rapid
that he formed a bad butt for a galloping horseman, and so escaped for
the moment.

"Up--up, old chap!" he shouted, as he caught hold of the rein, and in
obedience to the familiar voice the brave little beast made a desperate
effort, and gained its feet, uttering an almost human shriek. Then with
a bound it threw up its head, nearly snatching the rein from its
master's hand, plunging and kicking wildly.

"Keep still--wo-ho!--quiet!" cried Chris; but in vain, and doubtless
fortunately for himself, for he was dragged here and there by the
frantic steed, quite ignorant of the direction the pony's struggles led
him, but always just out of the course of arrow after arrow, some of
which flew wide, while others nearly grazed him, but not one hit.

The thought that dominated all others now in Chris's mind was that he
must let go. He had nearly been down twice; then he had stumbled over
one of the stones which lay thickly here and there; the pony's hoof
grazed his side as, mad with rage and pain, it tore away from him,
giving a sudden snatch in its effort to get free from the rein Chris had
twisted round his hand.

For the moment the boy felt that his shoulder was dislocated; then he
knew that he had lost his foothold and was being dragged over the
ground; and the very next moment, as a terrific yell smote his ears, it
seemed to be cut off short and to sound distant, for he was falling
through the air, to strike somewhere heavily, roll over and feel that he
was gliding down amidst stones and loosened earth. Then he was checked
again, hanging as it were for a moment before commencing another slide
shorter than the last, for he was brought up with a sharp shock against
a stone, to which he clung, just as he heard a dull crash somewhere
beneath him, and the sound of hoofs tearing at stones, which kept on
clattering down in an avalanche, to keep up a loud, heavy, rattling
noise, but a