Mr. Wentworth. "Good-bye
and good luck to you! Shoot hard, and shoot to hit."

"How cool and confident he is! I wish I had half his courage," thought
Bob as he ordered his men into their saddles, following it up with the
commands, "Forward! Trot! gallop!"

The troopers fell into line as they moved off, and a few yards in
advance of them rode George and Bob. The former could easily have taken
the lead if he had desired to do so, but, knowing that he did not
command the squad, he curbed his impatience as well as he could and kept
close by his friend's side. The troopers unslung their carbines, George
made ready his Winchester, while Bob, who believed as firmly in the
virtues of "cold steel" as did the gallant officer whom he afterward
accompanied on his last memorable march, drew his sabre. All on a sudden
the firing ceased, and when the troopers rode over the brow of a ridge a
few minutes later, they saw a thin blue smoke arising from the
squatter's cabin, and that told them more than they wanted to know.
George was both astonished and enraged at the sight--astonished to know
that the raiders would stop during one of their marauding expeditions,
when haste was so necessary, to attack and burn so humble a dwelling as
the abode of the squatter, and enraged to see that they had been
successful enough to do even that. There was a crowd of Mexicans around
the building, and others with horses were standing close by.

"Gobble the horses, Bob," said George, who was so highly excited that he
could scarcely speak, "and then you can ride down and capture the
raiders at your leisure."

Bob caught the idea in an instant. Turning in his saddle, he waved his
sabre over his head, but instead of giving the command "Charge!" he
effectually closed the mouths of his followers, who had already opened
their lips and drawn in a long breath preparatory to giving vent to
their favorite yell, by saying in a low tone, "Silence!"

Bob did not know whether or not this order had ever before been given
during a charge, and, what was more, he did not care. His object was to
cut the men who were lingering about the burning cabin off from their
horses, and in order to do that he must get as close as he could to them
before he was discovered.

CHAPTER XVI.

CONCLUSION.

The men about the cabin were so engrossed in their work of destruction,
and the horse-guards were so intent on watching them, that Bob's advance
was not discovered until