Page:Lost with Lieutenant Pike (1919).djvu/34

 white smoke. Instantly every Apache fell to hang on the side of his horse; and back and forth they all scurried, shooting with their bows. The arrow stems glinted in the sun like streaks of hail.

"That is a good chief," Iskatappe praised. "He knows how to fight."

For the Apache chief had ordered half his men to dismount, and turn their horses loose. The other half stayed in the saddle. They charged, with the footmen running behind; the Spanish horsemen charged to meet them; then the Apache horsemen separated to right and left and the footmen volleyed with arrows.

This made the Spanish halt, to answer with guns. The Apache footmen darted back, behind their horsemen, and these charged again, to lure the Spanish on into bow-shot.

Boy Scar Head quivered with excitement. It was the first real battle that he remembered to have seen. The others were tense, too, and staring eagerly.

"With half that number of Pawnees I would eat those Spanish up," Skidi boasted. "We all would take scalps and horses and be rich."

"Those Spanish have guns and much powder and lead," replied Old Knife. "It is hard to fight