t of what we might expect; and it was
with increased apprehension that we saw the horsemen come back on their
circling career.

You will wonder why we did not return their fire? Our guns carried as
far as theirs. Why did we not use them, while the horsemen were within
range? Not one of the three of us thought of drawing a trigger! You
will wonder at this? It requires explanation.

Know, then, that the five men who galloped round us were five of the
best horsemen in the world--no doubt the picked riders of the band. Not
in Arabia, not in the hippodromes of Paris or London, could they have
found their superiors--perhaps not their equals--for these men literally
live in the saddle. Each, as he approached the dangerous circle covered
by our rifles, disappeared _behind the body of his horse_. A boot and
spur over the hollow of the deep saddle-tree, perhaps a hand grasping
the wither-lock of the horse, were all of the rider that could be seen.
Presently a face might be observed, suddenly veiled by a puff of smoke
from the carbine, and then ducked instantly out of sight. Perhaps the
barrel of the piece might be noticed glancing along the horse's counter,
while the stream of fire pouring forth, told that the rider had taken
aim under the throat of his steed, the latter all the while going at
full gallop!

During these manoeuvres, sharp shots as my comrades were, and fair
marksman as I was myself, there was no instant when we could have hit
any one of the five horsemen. It would have been easier to have brought
down a bird upon the wing. Their horses we might have killed or
crippled, but that would not have repaid us for the risk of an empty
rifle. We dared not waste a bullet on the horses. That was our reason
for reserving our fire.

Do not fancy from this my prolixity of explanation, that _we_ were so
slow in comprehending all these points. No, we understood our situation
well enough; we knew that to discharge our pieces--even though a horse
should fall to every shot--was just what the enemy desired. That was
the main object of their _ruse_; but we were too well used to the wiles
of Indian warfare to be beguiled by so shallow an artifice. Words of
caution passed between us, and we stood to our guns with as much
patience as we could command.

It was tempting enough--provoking, I should rather say--thus to be fired
at, without the chance of returning it; and my companions,
notwithstanding their habitual coo