“Had we not better push on?” I asked.  “This looks very like a hostile demonstration.”

“So it does.  But we must find out—­And there is no hurry.  We shall only have the four who are coming this way to deal with, the others are out of the running.  All the same, we may as well draw a little farther to the right, so as to give them a longer gallop and get them as far from the main body as may be.”

The four were presently near enough to be distinctly seen.

“Enemies! Vamonos!” cried Carmen, after he had scanned their faces.  “But not too fast.  If they think we are afraid and our horses tired they will follow us without waiting for the others, and perhaps give us an opportunity of teaching them better manners.  Your horse is the fleetest, senor Fortescue.  You had better, perhaps, ride last.”

On this hint I acted; and when the four guerillas saw that I was lagging behind they redoubled their efforts to overtake me, but whenever they drew nearer than I liked, I let Pizarro out, thereby keeping their horses, which were none too fresh, continually on the stretch.  The others were too far in the rear to cause us concern.  We had tested the speed of their horses and knew that we could leave them whenever we liked.

After we had gone thus about a couple of miles Carmen slackened speed so as to let me come up with him and Gahra.

“We have five minutes to spare,” he said.  “Shall we stop them?”

I nodded assent, whereupon we checked our horses, and wheeling around, looked our pursuers in the face.  This brought them up short, and I thought they were going to turn tail, but after a moment’s hesitation they lowered their lances and came on albeit at no great speed, receiving as they did so a point-blank volley from our pistols, which emptied one of their saddles.  Then we drew our swords and charged, but before we could get to close quarters the three men sheered off to the right and left, leaving their wounded comrade to his fate.  It did not suit our purpose to follow them, and we were about to go on, when we noticed that the other guerillas, who a few minutes previously were riding hotly after us, had ceased their pursuit, and were looking round in seeming perplexity.  The main body had, moreover, come to a halt, and were closing up and facing the other way.  Something had happened.  What could it be?

“Another cloud of dust,” said Gahra, pointing to the north-west.

So there was, and moving rapidly.  Had our attention been less taken up with the guerillas this new portent would not so long have escaped us.

“Mejia!  I’ll wager ten thousand piasters that behind that cloud are Mejia and his braves,” exclaimed Carmen, excitedly. Hijo de Dios! Won’t they make mince-meat of the Spaniard?  How I wish I were with them!  Shall we go back Senor Fortescue?”

“If you think—­”

“Think!  I am sure.  I can see the gleam of their spears through the dust.  By all means, let us join them.  The Spaniards have too much on their hands just now to heed us.  But I must have a spear.”