CHAPTER IV
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
It proved a difficult matter to find shelter. All the members of thelittle group were wet and cold, and a bitter wind with snow began towhistle once more across the plain. But every one strove to be cheerfuland the relief that their escape had brought was still a tonic to theirspirits. Yet they were not without comment upon their condition.
"I've seen hard winters in Maine," said Obed White, "but there you wereready for them. Here it tricks you with warm sunshine and then withsnow. You suffer from surprise."
"We've got to find a cabin," said the Panther.
"Why not make it a whole city with a fine big hotel right in the centerof it?" said Obed. "Seems to me there's about as much chance of one asthe other."
"No, there ain't," said the Panther. "There ain't no town, but there arehuts. I've rid over this country for twenty year an' I know somethin'about it. There are four or five settlers' cabins in the valleys of thecreeks runnin' down to the Rio Grande. I had a mighty good dinner at oneof 'em once. They're more'n likely to be abandoned now owin' to the waran' their exposed situation, but if the roofs haven't fell in any of 'emis good enough for us."
"Then you lead on," said Obed. "The quicker we get there the happier allof us will be."
"I may not lead straight, but I'll get you there," replied the Pantherconfidently.
Roylston, at his own urgent insistence, dismounted and walked a littlewhile. When he betook himself again to the back of Old Jack he spokewith quiet confidence.
"I'm regaining my strength rapidly," he said. "In a week or two I shallbe as good as I ever was. Meanwhile my debt to you, already great, isaccumulating."
The Panther laughed.
"You don't owe us nothin'," he said. "Why, on this frontier it's oneman's business to help another out of a scrape. If we didn't do that wecouldn't live."
"Nevertheless, I shall try to pay it," said Roylston, in significanttones.
"For the moment we'll think of that hut we're lookin' for," said thePanther.
"It will be more than a hut," said Will, who was of a singularlycheerful nature. "I can see it now. It will be a gorgeous palace. Itsname will be the Inn of the Panther. Menials in gorgeous livery willshow us to our chambers, one for every man, where we will sleep betweenwhite sheets of the finest linen."
"I wonder if they will let us take our rifles to bed with us," said Ned,"because in this country I don't feel that I can part with mine, evenfor a moment."
"That is a mere detail which we will discuss with our host," said Obed."Perhaps, after you have eaten of the chicken and drunk of the wine atthis glorious Inn of the Panther, you will not be so particular aboutthe company of your rifle, Mr. Fulton."
The Panther uttered a cry of joy.
"I've got my b'arin's exactly now," he said. "It ain't more'n four milesto a cabin that I know of, an' if raiders haven't smashed it it'll giveus all the shelter we want."
"Then lead us swiftly," said Obed. "There's no sunset or anything togive me mystical lore, but the coming of that cabin casts its shadowbefore, or at least I want it to do it."
The Panther's announcement brought new courage to every one and theyquickened their lagging footsteps. He led toward a dark line of timberwhich now began to show through the driving snow, and when they passedamong the trees he announced once more and with exultation:
"Only a mile farther, boys, an' we'll be where the cabin stands, orstood. Don't git your feelin's too high, 'cause it may have been wipedoff the face of the earth."
A little later he uttered another cry, and this was the most exultant ofall.
"There she is," he said, pointing ahead. "She ain't been wiped away bynobody or nothin'. Don't you see her, that big, stout cabin ahead?"
"I do," said young Allen joyously, "and it's the Inn of the Panther assure as you live."
"But I don't see any smoke coming out of the chimney," said Ned, "andthere are no gorgeous menials standing on the doorstep waiting for us."
"It's been abandoned a long time," said the Panther. "I can tell that byits looks, but I'm thinkin' that it's good enough fur us an' mightywelcome. An' there's a shed behind the house that'll do for the horses.Boys, we're travelin' in tall luck."
The cabin, a large one, built of logs and adobe, was certainly aconsoling sight. They had almost reached the limit of physicalendurance, but they broke into a run to reach it. The Panther and Nedwere the first to push open a heavy swinging door, and they entered sideby side. It was dry within. The solid board roof did not seem to bedamaged at all, and the floor of hard, packed earth was as dry as a bonealso. At one end were a wide stone fireplace, cold long since, and agood chimney of mud and sticks. There were two windows, closed withheavy clapboard shutters.
There was no furniture in the cabin except two rough wooden benches.Evidently the original owners had prepared well for their flight, but itwas likely that no one had come since. The lonely place among the treeshad passed unobserved by raiders. The shed behind the cabin was also ingood condition, and they tethered there the horses, which were gladenough to escape from the bitter wind and driving snow.
The whole party gathered in the cabin, and as they no longer fearedpursuit it was agreed unanimously that they must have luxury. In thiscase a fire meant the greatest of all luxuries.
They gathered an abundance of fallen wood, knocked the snow from it andheaped it on either side of the fireplace. They cut with infinitedifficulty dry shavings from the inside of the logs in the wall of thehouse, and after a full hour of hard work lighted a blaze with flint andsteel. The rest was easy, and soon they had a roaring fire. Theyfastened the door with the wooden bar which stood in its place and letthe windows remain shut. Although there was a lack of air, they did notyet feel it, and gave themselves up to the luxury of the glowing heat.
They took off their clothes and held them before the fire. When theywere dry and warm they put them on again and felt like new beings.Strips of the antelope were fried on the ends of ramrods, and they ateplentifully. All the chill was driven from their bodies, and in itsplace came a deep pervading sense of comfort. The bitter wind yet howledwithout and they heard the snow driven against the door and windows.The sound heightened their feeling of luxury. They were like a troop ofboys now, all of them--except Roylston. He sat on one of the piles ofwood and his eyes gleamed as the others talked.
"I vote that we enlarge the name of our inn," said Allen. "Since ourleader has black hair and black eyes, let's call it the Inn of the BlackPanther. All in favor of that motion say 'Aye.'"
"Aye!" they roared.
"All against it say 'no.'"
Silence.
"The Inn of the Black Panther it is," said Will, "an' it is the mostwelcome inn that ever housed me."
The Panther smiled benevolently.
"I don't blame you boys for havin' a little fun," he said. "It does feelgood to be here after all that we've been through."
The joy of the Texans was irrepressible. Fields began to pat and threeor four of them danced up and down the earthen floor of the cabin. Willwatched with dancing eyes. Ned, more sober, sat by his side.
However, the highest spirits must grow calm at last, and gradually thesinging and dancing ceased. It had grown quite close in the cabin now,and one of the window shutters was thrown open, permitting a rush ofcool, fresh air that was very welcome. Ned looked out. The wind wasstill whistling and moaning, and the snow, like a white veil, hid thetrees.
The men one by one went to sleep on the floor. Obed and Fields keptwatch at the window during the first half of the night, and the Pantherand Ned relieved them for the second half. They heard nothing but thewind, and saw nothing but the snow. Day came with a hidden sun, and thefine snow still driven by the wind, but the Panther, a good judge ofweather, predicted a cessation of the snow within an hour.
The men awoke and rose slowly from the floor. They were somewhat stiff,but no one had been overcome, and after a little stretching of themuscles all the sore
ness disappeared. The horses were within the shed,unharmed and warm, but hungry. They relighted the fire and broiled morestrips of the antelope, but they saw that little would be left. ThePanther turned to Roylston, who inspired respect in them all.
"Now, Mr. Roylston," he said, "we've got to agree upon some course ofaction an' we've got to put it to ourselves squar'ly. I take it that allof us want to serve Texas in one way or another, but we've got onlythree horses, we're about out of food, an' we're a long distance fromthe main Texas settlements. It ain't any use fur us to start to rippin'an' t'arin' unless we've got somethin' to rip an' t'ar with."
"Good words," said Obed White. "A speech in time saves errors nine."
"I am glad you have put the question, Mr. Palmer," said Roylston. "Ouraffairs have come to a crisis, and we must consider. I, too, wish tohelp Texas, but I can help it more by other ways than battle."
It did not occur to any of them to doubt him. He had already establishedover them the mental ascendency that comes from a great mind used todealing with great affairs.
"But we are practically dismounted," he continued. "It is winter and wedo not know what would happen to us if we undertook to roam over theprairies as we are. On the other hand, we have an abundance of arms andammunition and a large and well-built cabin. I suggest that we supplyourselves with food, and stay here until we can acquire suitable mounts.We may also contrive to keep a watch upon any Mexican armies that may bemarching north. I perhaps have more reason than any of you for hasteningaway, but I can spend the time profitably in regaining the use of mylimbs."
"Your little talk sounds mighty good to me," said the Panther. "In fact,I don't see anything else to do. This cabin must have been built an'left here 'speshully fur us. We know, too, that the Texans have all gonehome, thinkin' that the war is over, while we know different an' mebbewe can do more good here than anywhere else. What do you say, boys? Dowe stay?"
"We stay," replied all together.
They went to work at once fitting up their house. More firewood wasbrought in. Fortunately the men had been provided with hatchets, in thefrontier style, which their rescuers had not neglected to bring away,and they fixed wooden hooks in the walls for their extra arms andclothing. A half dozen scraped away a large area of the thin snow andenabled the horses to find grass. A fine spring two hundred yards awayfurnished a supply of water.
After the horses had eaten Obed, the Panther and Ned rode away in searchof game, leaving Mr. Roylston in command at the cabin.
The snow was no longer falling, and that which lay on the ground wasmelting rapidly.
"I know this country," said the Panther, "an' we've got four chances forgame. It may be buffalo, it may be deer, it may be antelope, and it maybe wild turkeys. I think it most likely that we'll find buffalo. We'reso fur west of the main settlements that they're apt to hang 'roun'here in the winter in the creek bottoms, an' if it snows they'll take tothe timber fur shelter."
"And it has snowed," said Ned.
"Jest so, an' that bein' the case we'll search the timber. Of course bigherds couldn't crowd in thar, but in this part of the country wegen'rally find the buffalo scattered in little bands."
They found patches of forest, generally dwarfed in character, and lookeddiligently for the great game. Once a deer sprang out of a thicket, butsped away so fast they did not get a chance for a shot. At length Obedsaw large footprints in the thinning snow, and called the Panther'sattention to them. The big man examined the traces critically.
"Not many hours old," he said. "I'm thinkin' that we'll have buffalosteak fur supper. We'll scout all along this timber. What we want is ayoung cow. Their meat is not tough."
They rode through the timber for about two hours, when Ned caught sightof moving figures on the far side of a thicket. He could just see thebacks of large animals, and he knew that there were their buffalo. Hepointed them out to the Panther, who nodded.
"We'll ride 'roun' the thicket as gently as possible," he said, "an'then open fire. Remember, we want a tender young cow, two of 'em if wecan get 'em, an' don't fool with the bulls."
Ned's heart throbbed as Old Jack bore him around the thicket. He hadfought with men, but he was not yet a buffalo hunter. Just as theyturned the flank of the bushes a huge buffalo bull, catching their odor,raised his head and uttered a snort. The Panther promptly fired at ayoung cow just beyond him. The big bull, either frightened or angry,leaped head down at Old Jack. The horse was without experience withbuffaloes, but he knew that those sharp horns meant no good to him, andhe sprang aside with so much agility that Ned was almost unseated.
The big bull rushed on, and Ned, who had retained his hold upon hisrifle, was tempted to take a shot at him for revenge, but, rememberingthe Panther's injunction, he controlled the impulse and fired at a youngcow.
When the noise and confusion were over and the surviving buffaloes hadlumbered away, they found that they had slain two of the young cows andthat they had an ample supply of meat.
"Ned," said the Panther, "you know how to go back to the cabin, don'tyou?"
"I can go straight as an arrow."
"Then ride your own horse, lead the other two an' bring two men. We'llneed 'em with the work here."
The Panther and Obed were already at work skinning the cows. Ned sprangupon Old Jack, and rode away at a trot, leading the other two horses bytheir lariats. The snow was gone now and the breeze was almost balmy.Ned felt that great rebound of the spirits of which the young are socapable. They had outwitted Urrea, they had taken his prisoners fromhim, and then had escaped across the Rio Grande. They had found shelterand now they had obtained a food supply. They were all good comradestogether, and what more was to be asked?
He whistled as he rode along, but when he was half way back to the cabinhe noticed something in a large tree that caused him to stop. He saw theoutlines of great bronze birds, and he knew that they were wild turkeys.Wild turkeys would make a fine addition to their larder, and, haltingOld Jack, he shot from his back, taking careful aim at the largest ofthe turkeys. The huge bird fell, and as the others flew away Ned waslucky enough to bring down a second with a pistol shot.
His trophies were indeed worth taking, and tying their legs togetherwith a withe he hung them across his saddle bow. He calculated that thetwo together weighed nearly sixty pounds, and he rode triumphantly whenhe came in sight of the cabin.
Will saw him first and gave a shout that drew the other men.
"What luck?" hailed young Allen.
"Not much," replied Ned, "but I did get these sparrows."
He lifted the two great turkeys from his saddle and tossed them to Will.The boy caught them, but he was borne to his knees by their weight. Themen looked at them and uttered approving words.
"What did you do with the Panther and Obed?" asked Fields.
"The last I saw of them they had been dismounted and were being chasedover the plain by two big bull buffaloes. The horns of the buffaloeswere then not more than a foot from the seats of their trousers. So Icaught their horses, and I have brought them back to camp."
"I take it," said Fields, "that you've had good luck."
"We have had the finest of luck," replied Ned. "We ran into a group offifteen or twenty buffaloes, and we brought down two fine, young cows. Icame back for two more men to help with them, and on my way I shot theseturkeys."
Fields and another man named Carter returned with Ned. Young Allen wasextremely anxious to go, but the others were chosen on account of theirexperience with the work. They found that Obed and the Panther hadalready done the most of it, and when it was all finished Fields andCarter started back with the three horses, heavily laden. As the nightpromised to be mild, and the snow was gone, Ned, Obed and the Pantherremained in the grove with the rest of their food supply.
They also wished to preserve the two buffalo robes, and they staked themout upon the ground, scraping them clean of flesh with their knives.Then they lighted a fire and cooked as much of the tender meat as theywished. By this time i
t was dark and they were quite ready to rest. Theyput out the fire and raked up the beds of leaves on which they wouldspread their blankets. But first they enjoyed the relaxation of thenerves and the easy talk that come after a day's work well done.
"It certainly has been a fine day for us," said Obed. "Sometimes I liketo go through the bad days, because it makes the good days that followall the better. Yesterday we were wandering around in the snow, and wehad nothing, to-day we have a magnificent city home, that is to say, thecabin, and a beautiful country place, that is to say, this grove. I canadd, too, that our nights in our country place are spent to theaccompaniment of music. Listen to that beautiful song, won't you?"
A long, whining howl rose, sank and died. After an interval they heardits exact duplicate and the Panther remarked tersely:
"Wolves. Mighty hungry, too. They've smelled our buffalo meat and theywant it. Guess from their big voices that they're timber wolves and notcoyotes."
Ned knew that the timber wolf was a much larger and fiercer animal thanhis prairie brother, and he did not altogether like this whining soundwhich now rose and died for the third time.
"Must be a dozen or so," said the Panther, noticing the increasingvolume of sound. "We'll light the fire again. Nothing is smarter than awolf, an' I don't want one of those hulkin' brutes to slip up, seize afine piece of buffalo and dash away with it. But fire will hold 'em. Howa wolf does dread it! The little red flame is like a knife in hisheart."
They lighted four small fires, making a rude ring which inclosed theirleafy beds and the buffalo skins and meat. Before they finished the taskthey saw slim dusky figures among the trees and red eyes glaring atthem. The Panther picked up a stick blazing like a torch, and made asudden rush for one of the figures. There was a howl of terror and asound of something rushing madly through the bushes.
The Panther flung his torch as far as he could in the direction of thesounds and returned, laughing deep in his throat.
"I think I came pretty near hittin' the master wolf with that," he said,"an' I guess he's good an' scared. But they'll come back after a while,an' don't you forget it. For that reason, I think we'd better keep awatch. We'll divide it into three hours apiece, an' we'll give you thefirst, Ned."
Ned was glad to have the opening watch, as it would soon be over anddone with, and then he could sleep free from care about any watch tocome. The Panther and Obed rolled in their blankets, found sleep almostinstantly, and the boy, resolved not to be a careless sentinel, walkedin a circle just outside the fires.
Sure enough, and just as the Panther had predicted, he saw the red eyesand dusky forms again. Now and then he heard a faint pad among thebushes, and he knew that a wolf had made it. He merely changed from theoutside to the inside of the fire ring, and continued his walk. With thefire about him and his friends so near he was not afraid of wolves, nomatter how big and numerous they might be.
Yet their presence in the bushes, the light shuffle of their feet andtheir fiery eyes had an uncanny effect. It was unpleasant to know thatsuch fierce beasts were so near, and he gave himself a reassuring glanceat the sleeping forms of his partners. By and by the red eyes meltedaway, and he heard another soft tread, but heavier than that of thewolves. With his rifle lying in the hollow of his arm and his finger onthe trigger he looked cautiously about the circle of the forest.
Ned's gaze at last met that of a pair of red eyes, a little furtherapart than those of the wolves. He knew then that they belonged to alarger animal, and presently he caught a glimpse of the figure. He wassure that it was a puma or cougar, and so far as he could judge it was abig brute. It, too, must be very hungry, or it would not dare the fireand the human odor.
Ned felt tentatively of his rifle, but changed his mind. He rememberedthe Panther's exploit with the firebrand, and he decided to imitate it,but on a much larger scale. He laid down his rifle, but kept his lefthand on the butt of the pistol in his belt. Then selecting the largesttorch from the fire he made a rush straight for the blazing eyes,thrusting the flaming stick before him. There was a frightened roar, andthen the sound of a heavy body crashing away through the undergrowth.Ned returned, satisfied that he had done as well as the Panther andbetter.
Both the Panther and Obed were awake and sitting up. They lookedcuriously at Ned, who still carried the flaming brand in his hand.
"A noise like the sound of thunder away off wakened me up," said thePanther. "Now, what have you been up to, young 'un?"
"Me?" said Ned lightly. "Oh, nothing important. I wanted to make someinvestigations in natural history out there in the bushes, and as Ineeded a light for the purpose I took it."
"An' if I'm not pressin' too much," said the Panther, in mock humility,"may I make so bold as to ask our young Solomon what is naturalhistory?"
"Natural history is the study of animals. I saw a panther in the bushesand I went out there to examine him. I saw that he was a big fellow, buthe ran away so fast I could tell no more about him."
"You scared him away with the torch instead of shooting," said Obed. "Itwas well done, but it took a stout heart. If he comes again tell him Iwon't wake up until it's time for my watch."
He was asleep again inside of a minute, and the Panther followed himquickly. Both men trusted Ned fully, treating him now as an experiencedand skilled frontiersman. He knew it, and he felt proud and encouraged.
The panther did not come back, but the wolves did, although Ned now paidno attention to them. He was growing used to their company and theuncanny feeling departed. He merely replenished the fires and satpatiently until it was time for Obed to succeed him. Then he, too,wrapped himself in his blankets and slept a dreamless sleep until day.
The remainder of the buffalo meat was taken away the next day, butanticipating a long stay at the cabin they continued to hunt, both onhorseback and on foot. Two more buffalo cows fell to their rifles. Theyalso secured a deer, three antelope and a dozen wild turkeys.
Their hunting spread over two days, but when they were all assembled onthe third night at the cabin general satisfaction prevailed. They hadranged over considerable country, and as game was plentiful and notafraid the Panther drew the logical conclusion that man had been scarcein that region.
"I take it," he said, "that the Mexicans are a good distance east, andthat the Lipans and Comanches are another good distance west. Just thesame, boys, we've got to keep a close watch, an' I think we've got moreto fear from raidin' parties of the Indians than from the Mexicans. Allthe Mexicans are likely to be ridin' to some point on the Rio Grande tomeet the forces of Santa Anna."
"I wish we had more horses," said Obed. "We'd go that way ourselves andsee what's up."
"Well, maybe we'll get 'em," said the Panther. "Thar's a lot of horseson these plains, some of which ought to belong to us an' we may find away of claimin' our rights."
They passed a number of pleasant days at the cabin and in hunting andforaging in the vicinity. They killed more big game and the dressedskins of buffalo, bear and deer were spread on the floor or were hung onthe walls. Wild turkeys were numerous, and they had them for food everyday. But they discovered no signs of man, white or red, and they wouldhave been content to wait there had they not been so anxious toinvestigate the reported advance of Santa Anna on the Rio Grande.
Roylston was the most patient of them all, or at least he said theleast.
"I think," he said about the fourth or fifth day, "that it does not hurtto linger here. The Mexican power has not yet gathered in full. As forme, personally, it suits me admirably. I can walk a full two hundredyards now, and next week I shall be able to walk a mile."
"When we are all ready to depart, which way do you intend to go Mr.Roylston?" asked Ned.
"I wish to go around the settlements and then to New Orleans," repliedRoylston. "That city is my headquarters, but I also have establishmentselsewhere, even as far north as New York. Are you sure, Ned, that youcannot go with me and bring your friend Allen, too? I could make men ofyou both in a vast commercial world.
There have been greatopportunities, and greater are coming. The development of this mightysouthwest will call for large and bold schemes of organization. It isnot money alone that I offer, but the risk, the hopes and rewards of agreat game, in fact, the opening of a new world to civilization, forsuch this southwest is. It appeals to some deeper feeling than thatwhich can be aroused by the mere making of money."
Ned, deeply interested, watched him intently as he spoke. He sawRoylston show emotion for the first time, and the mind of the boyresponded to that of the man. He could understand this dream. The imageof a great Texan republic was already in the minds of men. It possessedthat of Ned. He did not believe that the Texans and Mexicans could everget along together, and he was quite sure that Texas could never returnto its original position as part of a Mexican state.
"You can do much for Texas there with me in New Orleans," said Roylston,as if he were making a final appeal to one whom he looked upon almost asa son. "Perhaps you could do more than you can here in Texas."
Ned shook his head a little sadly. He did not like to disappoint thisman, but he could not leave the field. Young Allen also said that hewould remain.
"Be it so," said Roylston. "It is young blood. Never was there a truersaying than 'Young men for war, old men for counsel.' But the time maycome when you will need me. When it does come send the word."
Ned judged from Roylston's manner that dark days were ahead, but themerchant did not mention the subject again. At the end of a week, whenthey were amply supplied with everything except horses, the Pantherdecided to take Ned and Obed and go on a scout toward the Rio Grande.They started early in the morning and the horses, which had obtainedplenty of grass, were full of life and vigor.
They soon left the narrow belt of forest far behind them, maintaining analmost direct course toward the southeast. The point on the river thatthey intended to reach was seventy or eighty miles away, and they didnot expect to cover the distance in less than two days.
They rode all that day and did not see a trace of a human being, butthey did see both buffalo and antelope in the distance.
"It shows what the war has done," said the Panther. "I rode over thesesame prairies about a year ago an' game was scarce, but there were somemen. Now the men are all gone an' the game has come back. Cur'us howquick buffalo an' deer an' antelope learn about these things."
They slept the night through on the open prairie, keeping watch byturns. The weather was cold, but they had their good blankets with themand they took no discomfort. They rode forward again early in themorning, and about noon struck an old but broad trail. It was evidentthat many men and many wagons had passed here. There were deep ruts inthe earth, cut by wheels, and the traces of footsteps showed over abelt a quarter of a mile wide.
"Well, Ned, I s'pose you can make a purty good guess what this means?"said the Panther.
"This was made weeks and weeks ago," replied Ned confidently, "and themen who made it were Mexicans. They were soldiers, the army of Cos, thatwe took at San Antonio, and which we allowed to retire on parole intoMexico."
"There's no doubt you're right," said the Panther. "There's no otherforce in this part of the world big enough to make such a wide an'lastin' trail. An' I think it's our business to follow these tracks.What do you say, Obed?"
"It's just the one thing in the world that we're here to do," said theMaine man. "Broad is the path and straight is the way that leads beforeus, and we follow on."
"Do we follow them down into Mexico?" said Ned.
"I don't think it likely that we'll have to do it," replied the Panther,glancing at Obed.
Ned caught the look and he understood.
"Do you mean," he asked, "that Cos, after taking his parole and pledginghis word that he and his troops would not fight against us, would stopat the Rio Grande?"
"I mean that an' nothin' else," replied the Panther. "I ain't talkin'ag'in Mexicans in general. I've knowed some good men among them, but Iwouldn't take the word of any of that crowd of generals, Santa Anna,Cos, Sesma, Urrea, Gaona, Castrillon, the Italian Filisola, or any ofthem."
"There's one I'd trust," said Ned, with grateful memory, "and that'sAlmonte."
"I've heard that he's of different stuff," said the Panther, "but it'sbest to keep out of their hands."
They were now riding swiftly almost due southward, having changed theircourse to follow the trail, and they kept a sharp watch ahead forMexican scouts or skirmishers. But the bare country in its winter brownwas lone and desolate. The trail led straight ahead, and it would havebeen obvious now to the most inexperienced eye that an army had passedthat way. They saw remains of camp fires, now and then the skeleton of ahorse or mule picked clean by buzzards, fragments of worn-out clothingthat had been thrown aside, and once a broken-down wagon. Two or threetimes they saw little mounds of earth with rude wooden crosses stuckupon them, to mark where some of the wounded had died and had beenburied.
They came at last to a bit of woodland growing about a spring thatseemed to gush straight up from the earth. It was really an open grovewith no underbrush, a splendid place for a camp. It was evident thatCos's force had put it to full use, as the earth nearly everywhere hadbeen trodden by hundreds of feet, and the charred pieces of wood wereinnumerable. The Panther made a long and critical examination ofeverything.
"I'm thinkin'," he said, "that Cos stayed here three or four days. Allthe signs p'int that way. He was bound by the terms we gave him at SanAntonio to go an' not fight ag'in, but he's shorely takin' his timeabout it. Look at these bones, will you? Now, Ned, you promisin' scoutan' skirmisher, tell me what they are."
"Buffalo bones," replied Ned promptly.
"Right you are," replied the Panther, "an' when Cos left San Antonio hewasn't taking any buffaloes along with him to kill fur meat. They staidhere so long that the hunters had time to go out an' shoot game."
"A long lane's the thief of time," said Obed, "and having a big marchbefore him, Cos has concluded to walk instead of run."
"'Cause he was expectin' somethin' that would stop him," said thePanther angrily. "I hate liars an' traitors. Well, we'll soon see."
Their curiosity became so great that they rode at a swift trot on thegreat south trail, and not ten miles further they came upon theunmistakable evidences of another big camp that had lasted long.
"Slower an' slower," muttered the Panther. "They must have met amessenger. Wa'al, it's fur us to go slow now, too."
But he said aloud:
"Boys, it ain't more'n twenty miles now to the Rio Grande, an' we canhit it by dark. But I'm thinkin' that we'd better be mighty keerful nowas we go on."
"I suppose it's because Mexican scouts and skirmishers may be watching,"said Ned.
"Yes, an' 'specially that fellow Urrea. His uncle bein' one of SantaAnna's leadin' gen'rals, he's likely to have freer rein, an', as weknow, he's clever an' active. I'd hate to fall into his hands again."
They rode more slowly, and three pairs of eyes continually searched theplain for an enemy. Ned's sight was uncommonly acute, and Obed and thePanther frequently appealed to him as a last resort. It flattered hispride and he strove to justify it.
Their pace became slower and slower, and presently the early twilight ofwinter was coming. A cold wind moaned, but the desolate plain was brokenhere and there by clumps of trees. At the suggestion of the Pantherthey rode to one of these and halted under cover of the timber.
"The river can't be much more than a mile ahead," said the Panther, "an'we might run into the Mexicans any minute. We're sheltered here, an'we'd better wait a while. Then I think we can do more stalkin'."
Obed and Ned were not at all averse, and dismounting they stretchedthemselves, easing their muscles. Old Jack hunted grass and, findingnone, rubbed Ned's elbow with his nose suggestively.
"Never mind, old boy," said Ned, patting the glossy muzzle of hisfaithful comrade. "This is no time for feasting and banqueting. We arehunting Mexicans, you and I, and after that business is over we mayconsider our pl
easures."
They remained several hours among the trees. They saw the last red glowthat the sun leaves in the west die away. They saw the full darknessdescend over the earth, and then the stars come trooping out. After thatthey saw a scarlet flush under the horizon which was not a part of thenight and its progress. The Panther noted it, and his great facedarkened. He turned to Ned.
"You see it, don't you? Now tell me what it is."
"That light, I should say, comes from the fires of an army. And it canbe no other army than that of Cos."
"Right again, ain't he, Obed?"
"He surely is. Cos and his men are there. He who breaks his faith whenhe steals away will have to fight another day. How far off would you saythat light is, Panther?"
"'Bout two miles, an' in an hour or so we'll ride fur it. The night willdarken up more then, an' it will give us a better chance for lookin' anlistenin'. I'll be mightily fooled if we don't find out a lot that'sworth knowin'."
True to Obed's prediction, the night deepened somewhat within the hour.Many of the stars were hidden by floating wisps of cloud, and objectscould not be seen far on the dusky surface of the plain. But theincreased darkness only made the scarlet glow in the south deepen. Itseemed, too, to spread far to right and left.
"That's a big force," said the Panther. "It'll take a lot of fires tomake a blaze like that."
"I'm agreeing with you," said Obed. "I'm thinking that those are thecamp fires of more men than Cos took from San Antonio with him."
"Which would mean," said Ned, "that another Mexican army had come northto join him."
"Anyhow, we'll soon see," said the Panther.
They mounted their horses and rode cautiously toward the light.