some dragging their riders. In the silence of the night, bedlam
had broken loose. The shouting men, the plunging horses, the
stream of water roaring on rock and road, woke the village. Men
came running from behind the house to see what had happened, then
rushed after their horses. Some fell cursing as the water hit
them. The landlord put his mouth to my ear.

"Mek fer yer hosses," he hissed.

We were below-stairs and out of the door in a jiffy. Two men fled
before us at the stable, scrambled over the fence, and went
tumbling downhill. We bridled our horses with all speed, leaped
upon them, and went rushing down the steep road, our swords in
hand, like an avalanche. They tried to stop us at the foot of the
hill, but fell away as we came near. I could hear the snap of
their triggers in passing. Only one pistol-shot came after us, and
that went high.

"Guess their ammunition 's a leetle wet," said D'ri, with a shout
that turned into laughter as we left the British behind us.

A party of four or five mounted and gave chase; but our powder was
a bit drier than theirs, and for a time we raked the road with our
bullets. What befell them I know not, I only know that they held
up and fell out of hearing.

Crossing a small river at daylight, we took the bed of it, making
our way slowly for half a mile or so into the woods. There we
built a fire, and gave the horses half the feed in our saddle-bags,
and ate our mess on a flat rock.