o close that the tiny flame
showed his nose and features, as it was held in front of his face, while
lighting the twist of tobacco. During that most trying moment, as
Kit Carson afterwards declared, he distinctly heard the beating of
Lieutenant Beale's heart.

There seemed no escape but finally the horseman drove away and the
painful progress was continued for fully two miles, during which both
men were constantly peering through the darkness for signs of danger.
Again and again they were compelled to halt, and lying flat on their
faces, wait till their fate was determined.

"We are through," whispered Carson at last, when considerable distance
beyond the last row of sentinels.

"Thank heaven!" exclaimed Lieutenant Beale in the same guarded voice.

"Now we'll put on our shoes and travel as fast as we know how to San
Diego--"

The mountaineer paused in dismay, for, while creeping over the plain, he
had lost both his shoes that were thrust in his belt. The Lieutenant had
been equally unfortunate, and, as it was utterly out of their power
to recover them, they could only push on barefooted, over a soil that
abounded with thorns and prickly pears. As these could not be seen in
the darkness, their feet were soon wounded to a distressing degree. It
was necessary to avoid the well beaten trails, so that the route was not
only made longer, but much more difficult on account of the obstacles
named.

Yet they were working for a great stake. The lives of General Kearney
and his brave men were in the balance. If Carson and Beale failed to
bring help right speedily, they were doomed.

All night long, through the succeeding day and far into the following
night, the couple, worn, wearied and with bleeding feet, pushed ahead.
When exhausted, they would halt for a brief while, but the thought of
their imperilled comrades, and the fear that some of the Mexicans were
pursuing them, speedily started them off again and they kept to their
work with a grim resolution which heeded not fatigue, suffering and
wounds.

The only compass Carson had was his eye, but he was so familiar with the
country that he never lost himself. The weary men were still trudging
forward, when through the darkness ahead suddenly flashed out a
star-like point of light. Several others appeared and a minute after
they dotted the background of gloom like a constellation.

"That's San Diego!" exclaimed Carson, who could not be mistaken. The
couple could scarce