ould be plainly
visible in the sand, when daylight came, caused them no concern;
as, so far, they had made no effort to deceive their pursuers.

Soon after daylight arrived they found themselves upon a stream,
which ran down from the mountains and crossed the road.

"Now," Don Estevan said, "it is time to begin to throw them off our
track. They will believe that the party consist solely of Indians,
and our turning east will seem as if we intended to take refuge in
the mountains. Let us then strike up the river for awhile, land at
a spot where the horses' hoofs will be clearly visible, and then
pursue a course to the southeast, taking us nearer and nearer to
the hills.

"Three leagues hence is another stream. This we will enter, and
they will make sure that we have pursued our former tactics--that
we have followed it up, and again struck for the hills. Instead of
doing this, we will follow it down for a mile or two; and quit it
at some spot where the bank is firm, and will leave no marks of our
footsteps. Then we will strike across the country, and regain the
road some seven or eight leagues further south."

The plan appeared a capital one, and was followed out as arranged.
Late in the evening, they were again in the vicinity of the
southern road. In their wallets was a plentiful supply of
provisions, and they had filled their water bottles at the last
stream which they had crossed. Entering a grove of trees, they
unsaddled their horses and allowed them to crop the foliage and
shrubs; while they threw themselves down upon the soft earth, stiff
and wearied with their long journey.

"We will travel by night, always," Don Estevan said. "I do not
think that any suspicion, whatever, will arise that we have again
struck south; but should any inquiry be made, it is as well that no
one along the road shall have seen three mounted men."

For another two days they journeyed, as proposed, by night; resting
by day in quiet places and, so far as they knew, without having
been seen by any of the scattered population. It was in the middle
of the third night, as they were cantering slowly along, that they
heard the tread of a horse, at full gallop, approaching from the
south.

"You had better withdraw from the road," Don Estevan said, "so that
but one horseman will be met. I will stop the rider, and hear why
he gallops so fast. It may be that news has preceded us, and it is
as well to gather what intelligence we can."

The b