When Raymond shouted, Sidney obeyed instantly without looking up, and fell flat on his face at the side of the stream. At the same instant there was a puff of smoke from the leveled gun, a report, and a ball whistled just above Sidney’s form.

The man up the ravine sprang to his feet and dropped the stock of his gun to the ground. Raymond saw that he was proceeding to load with powder and ball, and he shouted to Sidney again,—

“Come back, Sid, quick, he’s got a muzzle-loader.”

Sidney jumped up and raced for camp, reaching it before the man had finished loading his rifle. Raymond took out his pistol and prepared to shoot, but the distance to the man who had fired was so great that he decided to wait, and lowered his gun. As he did so he saw that the figure up the ravine was joined by another who came from out of the gorge.

“Sid,” he said to his brother without taking his eyes from the men, “they were waylaying us in the gorge. It’s lucky we were too tired to go on.”

“Yes, and it’s lucky you stayed here while I went for water, or that fellow would have potted me, sure. As it was, I think he didn’t miss me by more than a foot.”

“He certainly shoots well, and he has a good rifle. That was a long shot. I wish I had my rifle here; I don’t know what I shall be able to do with this revolver.”

The two bandits were in consultation together, and evidently were examining the cove that sheltered the boys. After a few moments of talking one of them crossed to the farther side of the ravine and walked down on that side, while the other came down on the same side where the boys were. They proceeded slowly and deliberately, but rather as though that were their customary mode of walking, for they made no attempt at concealment.

“They don’t appear to have much respect for us,” said Sidney; “if they had, they wouldn’t walk out in the open like that.”

“They think that shot of mine last night was a miss,” said Raymond,—“that I tried to hit the man and couldn’t. I presume they know what kind of a gun I have, too, and think it’s no good. I wish I knew how far it will carry. It seems to me it ought to be good for two hundred yards.”

The cliff back of the boys was so nearly perpendicular that it would be impossible for any one to pass along its face, so they knew they need not fear an attack from above. They felt pretty sure, indeed, that there were only the two men who were in sight in the ravine, who had placed themselves in ambush for them in the narrow gorge, and had been disconcerted when the travelers stopped just before reaching them. They believed, if they could stand the bandits off until dark, that they would become discouraged and return to Timour Khan Shoura; though the deliberate way in which the first of the men had attempted to snipe Sidney did not look as though they would be easily discouraged.

The wall of the cove was rough and irregular. In one place a great rock stood out from the back in such a way as to afford protection from up the ravine. It was nearly on a line with the jutting spur that formed the inclosure, so it was protected also from in front.

The boys made a hasty examination of their citadel and took refuge at one side of the big rock at the back. The two bandits were in plain view, coming leisurely down the ravine, one on each side. Each man carried a long gun. They were keeping a close watch of their quarry, and presently the one on the near side of the ravine paused and tested the distance with a shot. The bullet flattened itself against the rock of the lower side of the cove, about on a line with the boys’ heads.

“Gee! Sid,” exclaimed Raymond, “that’s good shooting. We’ll have to be careful how we get out of shelter.”

“I never saw anything so cold-blooded,” said Sidney. “They come down just as deliberately as though they were shooting rabbits.”

The man who had fired was still reloading his gun, and Raymond jumped out from behind the rock to a place where he was still protected by the jutting spur from the man across the ravine, and announced,—

“I’m going to fire at him before he finishes loading, but I’ll shoot into the ground about two thirds of the way out, so he’ll think my gun won’t carry any farther.”

Raymond fired and his bullet threw up the dirt far short of the advancing bandit. They imagined that they could see a smile of derision on the man’s face. At that moment the other man fired from across the ravine, and again the boys were shown that only a position behind the rocks would protect them from such expert shooting.

Steadily the two men came down the ravine, firing occasionally. As the boys were safe hidden behind the rocks, and could not be reached by a bullet from either direction, they concluded that the bandits were firing merely to prevent a sally on their part. Why they should do that, however, the boys could not understand, for it would have seemed to be better to encourage them to expose themselves; especially as there seemed to be no fear of the one small gun in the boys’ possession.

Every shot, apparently, was placed with precision, for every one entered on a line that was nearest to the boys’ shelter. Spat! spat! they came, first from one side and then from the other. Not very rapidly, for there was always necessarily a pause for reloading.

Steadily the bandits advanced, until they were less than two hundred yards from the cove. And they were still perfectly indifferent to any danger they might be in from Raymond’s gun. Such a steady, relentless advance began to fill the boys with panic. They felt as though an inexorable fate were closing in on them.

“I can’t stand this much longer, Sid.” And Raymond’s face was pale with the nervous strain. “I feel as though I were being killed by inches.”

“Do you think your pistol would reach them now?”

“I’m sure of it, but I am not sure that I have the nerve to stand out and shoot them.”

“I believe our only chance for salvation is to kill those men, Ray. I thought at first we might frighten them, but they’re not the kind to be frightened. I would be willing to take the responsibility of shooting them, but I can’t shoot so close as you can, and I might miss, and a miss would be the end of us.”

“I’m not afraid of missing,” said Raymond, “but it makes me sick to think of potting them like rats.”

Still the advance continued, with an occasional shot. By that time the men were so close that their features could be plainly distinguished, and the boys were surprised to see that the bandits were white as themselves. The mountain tribes of Central Daghestan, the Lesghians, are a conglomerate race. There are many tribes, of many different origins, and some of them have very fair skin.

“If I wait much longer I shan’t be able to shoot at all. I’m beginning to shake now. If only they weren’t white! It wouldn’t be half so bad if they were black. As soon as the man on this side shoots again I’m going to wing them.” And Raymond examined his revolver carefully, bringing the hammer back to full cock.

“Do you mean you will only disable them? Do you think that would be wise?” “No; I’ll shoot to kill.” And there was a look of fixed determination on Raymond’s face, which was whiter than before.

In a moment a bullet from the bandit on their side spattered the rocks. Raymond stepped quickly out from the shelter with his revolver pointing over his right shoulder as he held it high before him. Bringing the gun forward into position with the lightning sureness of one accustomed to shooting a heavy pistol, the instant it reached a level before his eyes he fired, without appearing to take any aim. The man in the distance turned half around and pitched down to one side.

Not waiting to note the effect of his shot, Raymond stepped to the left, beyond the projecting spur of rock which formed the cove, bringing himself in range of the other bandit, who was raising his gun into position. The boy threw his revolver up and brought it down to a level with the same lightning precision, and fired. The man in front also fired, but a thought too late, and his bullet went wild. He dropped his gun and lunged forward, falling on his face.

Raymond had moved with absolute certainty and incredible quickness, but now that the dreadful business was concluded, his pistol hand fell nervelessly to his side and he leaned, trembling, against the wall of the cove.

“Don’t feel like that about it, Ray.” And Sidney placed his hand affectionately on his brother’s shoulder. “There was no other way, but I’m sorry you had to do it instead of me.”

“When we had fights with the Mexicans last winter there was always the excitement of a battle that made it seem inevitable, but this was so cold-blooded that it really got my nerve.”

“Shall we go out and look at those men?” asked Sidney. “They may be only stunned.” “You needn’t worry about that. I’m sure they’re dead, but I don’t think I want to see them. How about taking their guns, though?”

“I don’t think we ought to take anything that belonged to them; then when they are found, no one can accuse us of robbery.”

“I suppose you are right,” said Raymond, “but those guns might come in mighty handy.”

“I think we’d better get something to eat,” said Sidney, “then we’ll both feel better. You wait here and I’ll go down and bring up some water.”

When Sidney returned with the water, Raymond had taken out the food and was waiting for his brother to join in the lunch.

“Gee! Sid,” he said, “think what has happened since you went after water the first time. I was scared stiff when I looked up the ravine and saw that man draw a bead on you. I thought at first he was shooting game of some kind, and I looked along the ravine to see if I could see what it was. Then when I saw you kneeling to get a drink, in a flash I knew it was you he was after.”

“It was a close call for me. And if you were not a dead sure shot we should be done up by now. You know Ramon used to boast that you were the best shot in Mexico, and I guess there aren’t many better anywhere.”

“Well, I shook so I was afraid I couldn’t do a thing. But just as soon as I stepped out to shoot I was perfectly steady, and then when it was all over I was weak as a cat.”

The boys had thought they were pretty tired when they stopped to make camp, and they had been under such a strain since that when relaxation came they were simply exhausted. They had barely energy sufficient to roll up in their blankets. Fortunately, the night was warm and it made little difference whether they were really covered. Their minds were relieved of all anxiety of a possible attack, for they believed that the two men who were lying so still out in the ravine were the only ones whom they had had to fear. Consequently, they were no more than stretched out on the ground when both were sleeping profoundly.