“Just now you thought we were a match for at least twenty of these fellows.”
“Time’s up, gentlemen,” said the dashing guerilla.
“What do you say, Captain Somers?”
“You can do as you please; I don’t surrender, for one.”
“But this is madness.”
“I don’t care what it is; I am going to fight my way through.”
“Do you surrender?” demanded the impatient chief of the horsemen.
“No!” replied Somers, in his most decided tone.
“Then you are a dead man!” And the guerilla raised his pistol.
Somers already had one of his revolvers in his hand, and before the villain had fairly uttered the words, he presented his weapon and fired, as quick as the flash of the lightning. The leader dropped from his horse, and his pistol was discharged in the act, but the ball went into the ground. Almost at the same instant the quiet captain of the regulars fired, and wounded another of the banditti. The others, apparently astonished at this unexpected resistance, discharged their pistols, and pressed forward, with their sabres in hand, to avenge the fall of their comrades.