The Texan Scouts | Page 8

the thorny bushes with amazing skill.
He was like some large animal, trained for countless generations to slip
through thickets. Ned, just behind him, could hear only the faintest
noise, and the bushes moved so little that one, not knowing, might have
credited it to the wind.
The boy had the advantage of following in the path made by the man's
larger figure, and he, too, was successful in making no sound. But he
could hear the stamp of horses' feet clearly now, and both to left and
right he caught glimpses of them tethered in the thickets. His comrade
stopped at last. They were not more than a hundred yards from the fire
now, and the space in front of them was mostly open. The Panther,
crouching among the bushes, raised his finger slowly and pointed
toward the fire.
Ned, who had moved to one side, followed the pointing finger and saw
Urrea. He was the dominant figure in a group of six or seven gathered
about the flames. He was no longer in any disguise, but wore an
officer's gorgeous uniform of white and silver. A splendid cocked hat
was on his head, and a small gold hilted rapier swung by his side.
It may have been partly the effect of the night and the red flame, but the
face of Urrea had upon Ned an effect much like that of Santa Anna. It
was dark and handsome, but full of evil. And evil Ned knew Urrea to
be. No man with righteous blood in his veins would play the spy and
traitor as he had done.
"I could shoot him from here," whispered the Panther, who evidently
was influenced in a similar way, "then reach our horses an' get away. It
might be a good deed, an' it might save our lives, Ned, but I'm not able
to force myself to do it."
"Nor I," said Ned. "I can't shoot an enemy from ambush."
Urrea and the other men at the fire, all of whom were in the dress of

officers, were in a deep talk. Ned inferred that the subject must be of
much importance, since they sat awake, discussing it between midnight
and morning.
"Look beyond the fire at the figures leanin' against the trees,"
whispered the Panther.
Ned looked and hot anger rose in his veins.
CHAPTER II
THE CAPTIVES
Ned had not noticed at first, but, since his eyes were growing used to
the dim light, and since the Panther had pointed the way, he saw a
dozen men, arms bound tightly behind them, leaning against the trees.
They were prisoners and he knew instinctively that they were Texans.
His blood, hot at first, now chilled in his veins. They had been captured
by Urrea in a raid, and as Santa Anna had decreed that all Texans were
rebels who should be executed when taken, they would surely die,
unless rescue came.
"What shall we do?" he whispered.
"Nothing now," replied the Panther, in the same soft tone, "but if you
an' Obed are with me we'll follow this crowd, an' maybe we can get the
Texans away from 'em. It's likely that Urrea will cross the Rio Grande
an' go down into Mexico to meet Cos or Santa Anna. Are you game
enough to go, Ned? I'm a Ring Tailed Panther an' a roarin' grizzly bear,
but I don't like to follow all by myself."
"I'm with you," said Ned, "if I have to go all the way back to the City of
Mexico, an' I know that I can speak for Obed, too."
"I jest asked as a matter of form," said the Panther. "I knowed before
askin' that you an' Obed would stick to me."
There was a sudden gust of wind at that moment and the light of the

fire sprang higher. The flames threw a glow across the faces of the
prisoners. Most of them were asleep, but Ned saw them very distinctly
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