"Put spurs to your horses, boys, and let us get away from this!" cried the doctor.  As we were attempting to follow his advice, one of the blacks seized Jerry's rein, and though I struck the fellow a heavy blow with my stick, he would not let go his hold.  The consequence of the blow was nearly fatal to me, for the fellow with his other hand struck at me with a long glittering knife, and had not I pulled back my horse by an involuntary movement, he would have plunged it into my side--as it was, he cut my trousers and drew blood from my leg.  Seeing things come to this pass, the doctor and Silva, who proved himself a brave fellow, began to lay about them, one with his stick and the other with a heavy Spanish riding whip; while old Surley, who, after growling fiercely, saw that the time for action had now arrived, began to bite away at the negroes' thin calves and long heels, greatly to their annoyance.  Each man, as he found himself bit, turned round and endeavoured to stab the dog, and very much afraid I was that they would succeed; but so actively did he jump about from side to side, now bounding here, now there, that not one of the numberless blows which were struck reached him, while his furious barking and repeated bites served most materially to distract the attention of our assailants.  Still they were fully eight armed savages to five people with sticks and a whip, and a dog; and as Jerry and I were only boys, and old Surley had only his teeth to fight with, it must be acknowledged that we were very unequally matched.  Feeling this, we should certainly have felt it no disgrace to run away if we could; but the black held on so tightly to Jerry's rein that we could not escape.  At last the negro I speak of, finding that he had missed me and could not hit the dog, lifted up his long knife and made a desperate lounge with it at Jerry.  I saw what he was about to do, and crying out to Surley, my stick instinctively came down with all its force on the ruffian's arm, while the dog sprung up and caught him by the throat.  He let go at that moment the rein.