about four o'clock in the afternoon
and he ran on , holding by the stirrup to the nearest horseman . The fellows cheered him , and I think we got on better for the incident , though the halts became more frequent now , and our numbers lessened , as one man after another dropped exhausted to the ground . Still we were gaining on the runaways , as a disagreeable episode presently made clear . It was about four o'clock in the afternoon , and we were straggling at no great speed through a narrow valley , when half a dozen bullets from the rocky sides dropped into our midst . `` Ah ! '' exclaimed Castro , `` now the Spaniards are playing the proper game . These fellows have been left to hold us in check while the main body escapes through the Copari Pass . ''