The mountaineers
rode among some scrub that grew between the road and the cliff; and
Whitley exclaimed to his two comrades:
"Come boys, we must ride for it! It's our business to get back with the
dispatches to Colonel Newcomb as soon as possible, an' not let ourselves
be delayed by this gang."
"That is certainly true," said Dick. "Lead on, Mr. Petty, and we'll
cross the mountain as fast as we can."
Red Blaze started at once in a gallop, and Dick and the sergeant
followed swiftly after. But Sergeant Whitley held his cocked rifle in
hand and he cast many backward glances. A great shout came from Skelly
and his band when they saw the three take to flight, and the sergeant's
face grew grimmer as the sound reached his ears.
"Keep right in the middle of the road, boys," he said. "We can't afford
to have our horses slip. I'll hang back just a little and send in a
bullet if they come too near. This rifle of mine carries pretty far,
farther, I expect, than any of theirs."
"I'm somethin' on the shoot myself," said Red Blaze. "I love peace,
but it hurts my feelin's if anybody shoots at me. Them fellers are
likely to do it, an' me havin' a rifle in my hands I won't be able to
stop the temptation to fire back."
As he spoke the raiders fired. There was a crackling of rifles, little
curls of blue smoke rose in the pass, and bullets struck on the frozen
earth, while two made the snow fly from bushes by the side of the road.
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