The Indians yelled with rage and astonishment as man after man dropped before the steady and, to them, mysterious fire which was kept up upon them. Still they did not abate the rapidity of their charge.
‘Done, papa,’ Charley said as the two boys simultaneously fired their last shot, when the leading Indians were about two hundred and fifty yards distant.
‘Change your chambers and mount,’ Mr. Hardy said as he again took aim with his rifle.
The enemy was not more than a hundred and fifty yards distant, when they leapt into their saddles and started at a gallop.
‘Steady, boys, keep your horses well in hand. Never mind their balls; they could no more hit a man at this distance from the back of a horse than they could fly. There is no chance of their catching us; there won’t be many horses faster than ours, and ours are a good deal fresher. Keep a good lookout for holes.’
Both pursuers and pursued were now going over the ground at a tremendous pace. The Indians had ceased firing, for most of those who had guns had discharged them as Mr. Hardy and his sons had mounted, and it was impossible to load at the speed at which they were going.
During the first mile of the chase Mr. Hardy had looked round several times, and had said each time, ‘We are holding our own, boys; they are a good hundred yards behind; keep your horses in hand.’
At the end of another mile, his face brightened as he looked round. ‘All right, boys, they are tailing off fast. Three-quarters of them have stopped already. There are not above a score of the best mounted anywhere near us. Another mile and we will give them a lesson.’
The mile was soon traversed, and Mr. Hardy saw that only about twelve Indians had maintained their distance.
‘Now is the time, boys. When I say halt, draw up and jump off, but take very steady aim always at the nearest. Don’t throw away a shot. They are only a hundred yards off, and the revolvers will tell. Don’t try to use the second chamber; there is no time for that. Use your pistols when you have emptied your carbines. Halt!’