Our young hero presented his revolver, but they apparently knew the short range of the weapon, and came plunging, curveting onward.

Matters were growing serious, for an arrow already stuck in his saddle, and another had passed through his hat.
Suddenly there was a bang, bang of firearms, and two of the savages went down.
Meyer had observed the danger of his officer, and had ordered Kelly to fire, blazing away too himself.

There was a headlong, hasty scramble to carry off the fallen warriors, and then the assailants swept back to a point beyond accurate musket shot.

Thurstane reached the rear of the train unhurt, and found the six Mexican cattle-drivers there in a group, pointing their rifles at such Indians as made a show of charging, but otherwise doing nothing which resembled fighting.

They were obviously panic-stricken, one or two of them being of an ashy-yellow, their nearest possible approach to pallor.