The Texan Scouts | Page 9

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.
"Back at last," he said. "All things come to him who waits long enough,
if he doesn't die first. Did you see anything besides a lot of Mexican
vaqueros, fuddled with liquor and sound asleep?"
"We did not see any vaqueros," replied the Panther, "but we saw Urrea

an' his band, an' they had among them a dozen good Texans bound fast,
men who will be shot if we three don't stand in the way. You have to
follow with us, Obed, because Ned has already promised for you."
The Maine man looked at them and smiled.
"A terribly good mind reader, that boy, Ned," he said. "He knew
exactly what I wanted. There's a lot of things in the world that I'd like
to do, but the one that I want to do most just now is to follow Urrea and
that crowd of his and take away those Texans. You two couldn't keep
me from going."
The Panther smiled back.
"You are shorely the right stuff, Obed White," he said. "We're only
three in this bunch, but two of 'em besides me are ring-tailed panthers.
Now we'll just draw off, before it's day, an' hide in the chaparral up
there."
They rode a mile to the north and remained among dense bushes until
daylight. At dawn they saw a column of smoke rise from Urrea's camp.
"They are cookin' breakfast now," said the Panther. "It's my guess that
in an hour they'll be ridin' south with their prisoners."
The column of smoke sank after a while, and a couple of hours later the
three left the chaparral. From one of the summits they dimly saw a
mass of horsemen riding toward Mexico.
"There's our men," said the Panther, "an' now we'll follow all day at this
good, safe distance. At night we can draw up closer if we want to do
it."
The Mexicans maintained a steady pace, and the three pursuers
followed at a distance of perhaps two miles. Now and then the swells
completely shut Urrea's band from sight, but Ned, Obed and the
Panther followed the broad trail without the slightest difficulty.

"They'll reach the river before noon," said the Panther. "There ain't any
doubt now that they're bound for Mexico. It's jest as well for what we
want to do, 'cause they're likely to be less watchful there than they are
in Texas."
The band of Urrea, as nearly as they could judge, numbered about fifty,
all mounted and armed well. The Mexicans were fine horsemen, and
with good training and leadership they were dangerous foes. The three
knew them well, and they kept so far behind that they were not likely to
be observed.
It was only a half hour past noon when Urrea's men reached the Rio
Grande, and without stopping made the crossing. They avoided the
quicksands with experienced eyes, and swam their horses through the
deep water, the prisoners always kept in the center of the troop. Ned,
Obed and the Panther watched them until they passed out of sight.
Then they, too, rode forward, although slowly, toward the stream.
"We can't lose 'em," said the Panther, "so I think we'd better stay out of
sight now that they're on real Mexican soil. Maybe our chance will
come to-night, an' ag'in maybe it won't."
"Patience will have its perfect rescue, if we only do the right things,"
said Obed.
"An' if we think hard enough an' long enough we're bound to do 'em, or
I'm a Ring Tailed Panther an' a Cheerful Talker fur nothin'," said the
Panther.
Waiting until they were certain that the Mexicans were five or six miles
ahead, the three forded the Rio Grande, and stood once more on
Mexican soil. It gave Ned a curious thrill. He had passed through so
much in Mexico that he had not believed he would ever again enter that
country. The land on the Mexican side