Remember my orders: on no account use
the second chamber of your carbines unless in case of great
urgency. Change the chambers directly you have emptied them, but
don't fire a shot until the spare ones are charged again. Now,
boys, hurrah for old England!"
"Hurrah!" the boys both shouted as they started at a canter up the
rise. As they caught sight of the Indians everything was quiet as
before; but in another moment they saw the men on watch throw
themselves on to their horses' backs, figures leaped up from the
grass and ran toward their horses, and in little over a minute the
whole were in motion.
"Surely they are not going to run away from three men!" Charley
said in a disgusted tone.
"They won't run far, Charley," Mr. Hardy said quietly. "By the time
that we are halfway to them they will see that we can have no one
with us, and then they will come on quickly enough."
It was as Mr. Hardy said. Keen as had been the watch kept by the
Indians, in spite of their belief that no pursuing force could be
sent after them, it was some little time before they could get the
weary animals on their legs and in motion; and even at the easy
canter at which Mr. Hardy approached, he had neared them to within
half a mile before they were fairly off.
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