Accordingly, they rode forward at a canter to the heap of boulders, then suddenly left the road, dismounted, and took cover among the rocks.

“Take steady aim, men,” Desmond said, “then you can hardly miss hitting some of them, standing close together as they do.”

The bandits had waited, undecided, at the sudden disappearance of those whom they had regarded as a certain prey; and before they could form any plans, five muskets flashed out, and four of their number fell.  A cry of rage burst from them, and there was a general discharge of their guns, the balls pattering thickly against the stones.

The soldiers now fired as quickly as they could load, doing considerable execution.  Their foes left the road, and imitated them by taking shelter behind stones.  For ten minutes the combat continued, and then a party of men were seen, mounting the hill on either side.

“That is just what I hoped for,” Desmond said.  “Fire at them, so as to force them to climb a little higher up the hill.  As soon as they are pretty well out of gunshot, we will mount and charge down the road.  There cannot be many men left there.”

His orders were followed.  Some of the men on the hillside dropped, and the others continued to mount the slopes.  When, as they believed, out of fire, they moved forward so as to take the defenders of the rocks in flank.

“Now, fire a volley among the men in front of us,” Desmond said.  “We are not likely to hit any of them, but it is sure to draw their fire, and there will not be many unemptied guns as we pass them.”

As he expected, the volley was answered by a general fire from their hidden foes.  Then the party leapt into their saddles, and, pistol in hand, galloped up the road.  Several hurried shots were fired from the front, and then, at a shout from their leader, some twenty men leapt from their hiding places and ran down into the road.

Desmond was supported on one side by Mike, and on the other by the sergeant.  He dropped his reins—­the horse had learned to obey the motions of his knees—­and, drawing his sword, rode straight at the bandits.  Only a few muskets were discharged, and these so hurriedly that the balls missed their aim, and, with a shout, the party fell upon the brigands.  The pistols of the troopers and Mike cracked out, but they had no need to draw their swords, for the rush of the horses struck such a panic into the Spaniards that they sprang from the road, leaving the path clear, and the party thundered past them without a check.

“Is anyone wounded?” Desmond asked, when they had passed beyond gunshot of their assailants.

“I have a ball in my shoulder, Major,” one of the troopers said.  The rest were silent.

“Well, we have been fortunate,” Desmond said.  “I will see to your wound, my man, when we get a little farther.  If those fellows had not been so scared with our sudden charge that they fired almost at random, we might have lost half our number.”