She scrambled higher up among the branches, and Mabel followed suit.
Here no bullets flew past them, and looking down they saw that President Garcia was ordering his men to retreat.
The government troops disappeared further back in the woods, and now the danger came from their bullets rather than from those of the enemy. The girls were in a ticklish situation and they were fully alive to their peril.
The enemy pushed further into the woods, pursuing the government troops. The bullets flew less thick, the sound of firing became fainter and fainter, and then died away in the distance.
Shirley roused herself from the trance in which she seemed to have fallen.
“Come, Mabel,” she said. “Let’s get down and get back to the ship before some of them come back.”
Mabel was nothing loath, and quickly the girls slid to the ground and advanced to the edge of the clearing. Here they stopped for a moment, looking about them.
Several figures were sprawled about on the ground. The girls shuddered.
“It is terrible,” said Shirley.
“Don’t look at them,” urged Mabel. “Let’s run.”