A RIDE FOR DEAR LIFE. I 5 



G shouted : " Now, Mr. X , let him out and 



ride as hard as you can ". 



I got hold of his head, and driving in the spurs rode 

 him on the bit as well, and we managed to dash past 

 them within sixty yards. As we did so they gave a yell, 

 and a volley rattled out from their rifles, the bullets 



chirping and hissing all round us. I saw G flinch 



and bend slightly over his saddle-bow, and I felt a 

 peculiar tingling sensation in my left arm. My horse, 

 too, gave a flounder. 



" Hurrah ! " shouted G as we dashed along the 



valley, and sped out at the farther end of the neck into 

 the plain. But my horse was going in a very cramped 



way, and I had to shout to G to draw rein. I 



pulled up, and on dismounting I found that he had 

 been shot through the thigh. At the same time the 

 trickling of something warm down my left arm and 

 hand revealed to me that I had been wounded also. 



G galloped back and shouted : " The horse is 



dead lame; leave him and jump behind me". I noticed 

 that his lips were very white. 



With some difficulty I mounted the croup of his 

 horse, which carried us on at a reduced speed under 

 the double burden. 



G only spoke once the whole time. "By George! 



the only thing I regret is that I hadn't a chance of dis- 

 mounting and gruelling one of them." 



I now felt terribly thirsty and faint from loss of blood, 

 so as we neared the river I asked G - to stop and let 

 me dismount for a drink. He handed me his water- 

 bottle, saying, " Please fill it I am afraid to dismount". 



" Why, G , what is the matter? " 



" Oh, I rather think I am shot through the stomach, 



