The Indian bent forward, caught the mane of his plunging pony, hung there for a second or two, and then rolled to the ground, amid a yell of surprise and dismay from his comrades.

There was a hasty rush to secure the body, and then another sweep backward of the loose array.
"Good!" called Thurstane, nodding and smiling at the successful marksman.
"That is the way to do it.

You are a match for half a dozen of them as long as you will keep cool." The besieged travellers could now look about quietly and see how matters stood with them.

The six wagons were by this time drawn up in two ranks of three each, so as to form a compact mass.

As the one which contained the ladies had been the leader and the others had formed on it to right and left, it was in the centre of the first rank, and consequently pretty well protected by its neighbors.