out the barrier seeming
for a moment full of the glistening barbed wands.

"Fire!" said the doctor loudly, and _crack_--_crack_--_crack_ with
measured slowness the rifles of all three rang out, to raise a fresh set
of echoes, and as these were still repeating themselves another and a
fiercer yell rang out, for three of the mounted men had gone down and
their horses had dashed forward, charging right at the barrier, snorting
and tossing their manes, but only to turn back, startled by the heap of
rocks piled-up before them, and returned at a fierce gallop, to confuse
the crowd they had left, when the rifles from the other side flashed out
fire and white puffs of smoke, and three more of the enemy went down, to
free their startled and plunging ponies from their riders' reins.

A yell more fierce than ever arose from the little crowd of Indians,
whose mounts began to partake of the excitement imparted by the ponies
that had begun to tear to and fro in the narrow gulch, while after
discharging another innocuous flight of arrows against the barrier of
stones, about a dozen of the savages came on, yelling and belabouring
their mounts, driving them nearly frantic as they urged them forward.

The riders were evidently imbued with a mad belief that their half-wild
steeds would surmount the barrier by leaps and climbing, as after a
short wild career they were forced right at the rugged mass of stones.
Fully half breasted it, some to fall, others to wrench themselves round,
while others again flung their riders, to gallop back snorting with
excitement, as they returned to dash into the halting mob they had left
and add fresh confusion there.

They were exciting moments at the barrier. One Indian pitched upon his
head to lie senseless, but three more regained their feet, tore their
knives from their belts, and placing them between their teeth to leave
their hands free, began to climb up the slope of rough jagged stones to
take vengeance upon the whites who had dared to oppose their attack.
But not one of them reached the top of the hurled-down masses of rock,
which were, after all, not half-way up to where the little party
crouched, patient, cool, and watchful, as they obeyed their leader's
orders not to waste a shot.

The result of the desperate attack was that one man stopped short,
tottered, and fell back, to roll over to the bottom and then begin to
crawl slowly back, leaving his comrades motionless where they had
fallen.