A half mile from the town,
and Urrea gave an order. The whole procession stopped, and the column of
Mexican infantry on the left passed around, joining their comrades on
the right. The recruits paid no attention to the movement, but Ned
looked instantly at Urrea. He saw the man rise now in his saddle, his
whole face aflame. In a flash he divined everything. His heart leaped
and he shouted:
"Boys, they are going to kill us!"
The startled recruits did not have time to think, because the next
instant Urrea, rising to his full height in his stirrups, cried:
"Fire!"
The double line of Mexicans, at a range of a few yards, fired in an
instant into the column of unarmed prisoners. There was a great blaze, a
spurt of smoke and a tremendous crash. It seemed to Ned that he could
fairly hear the thudding of bullets upon bodies, and the breaking of
bones beneath the sudden fierce impact of the leaden hail. An awful
strangled cry broke from the poor recruits, half of whom were already
down. The Mexicans, reloading swiftly, poured in another volley, and
the prisoners fell in heaps. Then Urrea and the cavalry, with swords and
lances, charged directly upon them, the hoofs of their horses treading
upon wounded and unwounded alike.
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