The sound of a chest falling down the precipice was immediately heard.
Owing to the fire, it was as bright as day, and not a movement of the Mexicans escaped their adversaries.
The latter uttered a yell of fury on seeing the chests disappear one after the other in the abyss.
They rushed at the soldiers; but the latter received them at the bayonet's point, not giving ground an inch.
A point-blank discharge from the Mexicans, who had reserved their fire, laid many of the enemy low, and spread disorder through the ranks of the assailants, who began falling back involuntarily.
"Forward!" the Jaguar howled.
The bandits returned to the charge more eagerly than before.
"Keep firm, we must die," the Captain said.
"We will," the soldiers repeated unanimously.
The fight then began, body to body, foot to foot, chest against chest; the assailants and assailed were mixed up and fought more like wild beasts than men.