now. One was a boy but little older than himself, his face pale and
worn. Near him was an old man, with a face very uncommon on the border.
His features were those of a scholar and ascetic. His cheeks were thin,
and thick white hair crowned a broad white brow. Ned felt instinctively
that he was a man of importance.

Both the boy and the man slept the sleep of utter exhaustion.

Urrea rose presently and looked at his prisoners. The moonlight was
shining on his face, and it seemed to Ned to be that of some master
demon. The boy was far from denying many good qualities to the Mexicans,
but the countenance of Urrea certainly did not express any of them that
night. It showed only savage exultation as he looked at the bound men,
and Ned knew that this was a formidable enemy of the Texans, one who
would bring infinite resources of cunning and enterprise to crush them.

Urrea said a few words to his officers and then withdrew into a small
tent which Ned had not noticed hitherto. The officers lay down in their
blankets, but a dozen sentinels watched about the open space. Ned and
the Panther crept slowly back toward the plain.

"What is our best plan, Panther?" whispered the hoy.

"We can't do anything yet but haul off, watch an' then follow. The
chaparral runs along for a mile or two an' we can hide in the north end
of it until they march south an' are out of sight. Then we'll hang on."

They found Obed standing exactly where they had left him, the reins of
the three horses in his hands.