It certainly was not the moment to remain idle.  We fired; but our astonishment had thrown us off our balance, and we nearly all missed.  We sprang down the bank again to load, just as the men serving the gun were slewing it around, so as to bring it to bear upon us.  Before this was accomplished, we were under cover, and the stranger had the benefit of the discharge, of which he took no more notice than if he had borne a charmed life.  Again we heard the crack of his rifle, and when, having reloaded, we once more ascended the bank, he was taking aim at the last artilleryman, who fell, as his companions had done.

“D——­ ye, for laggin’ fellers!” growled the stranger.  “Why don’t ye take that ’ere big gun?”

Our small numbers, the bad direction of our first volley, but, above all, the precipitation with which we had jumped down the bank after firing it, had so encouraged the enemy, that a company of infantry, drawn up some distance in rear of the field-piece, fired a volley, and advanced at double-quick time, part of them making a small detour with the intention of cutting us off from our friends.  At this moment, we saw Fanning and thirty men coming along the river bank to our assistance; so without minding the Mexicans who were getting behind us, we rushed forward to within twenty paces of those in our front, and taking steady aim, brought down every man his bird.  The sort of desperate coolness with which this was done, produced the greater effect on our opponents, as being something quite out of their way.  They would, perhaps, have stood firm against a volley from five times our number, at a rather greater distance; but they did not like having their mustaches singed by our powder; and after a moment’s wavering and hesitation, they shouted out “Diabolos!  Diabolos!” and throwing away their muskets, broke into precipitate flight.

Fanning and Wharton now came up with all the men.  Under cover of the infantry’s advance, the gun had been re-manned, but, luckily for us, only by infantry soldiers; for had there been artillerymen to seize the moment when we were all standing exposed on the prairie, they might have diminished our numbers not a little.  The fuse was already burning, and we had just time to get under the bank when the gun went off.  Up we jumped again, and looked about us to see what was next to be done.

Although hitherto all the advantages had been on our side, our situation was still a very perilous one.  The company we had put to flight had rejoined its battalion, which was now beginning to advance by echelon of companies.  The second battalion, which was rather further from us, was moving forward in like manner, and in a parallel direction.  We should probably, therefore, have to resist the attack of a dozen companies, one after the other; and it was to be feared that the Mexicans would finish by getting over their panic terror of our rifles, and exchange their distant and ineffectual platoon-firing for a charge with the bayonet, in which their superior numbers would tell.  We observed, also, that the cavalry, which had been keeping itself at a safe distance, was now put in motion, and formed up close to the island of muskeet trees, to which the right flank of the infantry was also extending itself.  Thence they had clear ground for a charge down upon us.