"How many are there of them?"
"Fourteen."
"They must have got some more. There were only ten able-bodied, unwounded men when they left."
"Less," said the Doctor; "my pistol--"
"H'st!"
At this moment they heard the noise of footsteps. A band of armed men came in sight. Halting cautiously, they examined the barricade. Bang! It was the Doctor's revolver. Down went one fellow, yelling. The rest were frantic. Like fools, they made a rush at the barricade.
Bang! a second shot, another wounded. A volley was the answer. Like fools, the brigands fired against the barricade. No damage was done. The barricade was too strong.
The answer to this was a withering volley from the Americans. The bandits reeled, staggered, fell back, shrieking, groaning, and cursing. Two men lay dead on the road. The others took refuge in the woods.
For two hours an incessant fire was kept up between the bandits in the woods and the Americans in their retreat. No damage was done on either side.
"Those fellows try so hard they almost deserve to lick us," said the Senator dryly.