Meanwhile, we had not been idle; we had formed square to receive the charge!
You may smile, but such was in reality the case. We had formed square—with our horses! There were four of them, for the wild-horse counted one. Garey, who rode like a Comanche, had broken him at our last camp, and he was now perfectly tractable. The shake of a lazo rendered him docile as a lamb.
The four were tied head to head, and croup to croup, and each formed one side of the square. They could not have broken it even under a charge of cavalry; bridles must be untied or cut, and lazoes set loose, before that formation could be destroyed!
Within stood we, fronting our foes—the large horse of Garey forming our barricade towards them—our heads and feet alone visible to the enemy.
Thus did we await their onset.
Chapter Thirty One.
The Parley.
Another chorus of vivas announced that the guerrilla captain had finished his oration, and that the attack was about to be made. We saw the chief himself, with one or two others, advance in front of the line, and head towards us, as if intending to lead the charge.