He
threw up his rifle and fired after the retreating figure, jerked the
lever spitefully and waited. In a few minutes Oscar rode alertly out of
the wood at his left.
"It was better for us a dead horse than a dead man--yes?" was the little
sergeant's comment. "We shall come back for the saddle and bridle."
"Humph! Where do you think those men are?"
"Behind some rocks near the edge of the gap. It is a poor position."
"I'm not sure of that. They'll escape across the old bridge."
"_Nein_. A sparrow would shake it down. Three men at once--they would not
need our bullets!"
Far away to the right two reports in quick succession gave news of
Armitage.
"It's the signal that he's got between them and the gate. Swing around to
the left and I will go straight to the big clearing, and meet you."
"You will have my horse--yes?" Oscar began to dismount.
"No; I do well enough this way. Forward!--the word is to keep them
between us and the gap until we can sit on them."
The mist was fast disappearing and swirling away under a sharp wind, and
the sunlight broke warmly upon the drenched world.
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