dth. Everywhere the giant cactus predominated, and on its
eastern border they found two Indian men and several women and children
gathering the fruit, from which they made an excellent preserve. The
Indians were short in stature and very dark. All started to run when
they saw the white man and boy, both armed with rifles, approaching, but
Ned and Obed held up their hands as a sign of amity and, after some
hesitation, they stopped. They spoke a dialect which neither Ned nor
Obed could understand, but by signs they made a treaty of peace.

They slept that night by the fire of their new friends and the next day
they were fortunate enough to shoot a deer, the greater part of which
they gave to the Indians. The older of the men then guided them out of
the forest at the northern end, and indicated as nearly as he could, by
the same sign language, the course they should pursue in order to reach
Texas. They had gone too far to the west, and by coming back toward the
east they would save distance, as well as pass through a better country.
Then he gravely bade them farewell and went back to his people.

Ned and Obed now crossed a low but rugged range of mountains, and came
into good country where they were compelled to spend a large part of
their time, escaping observation. It was only the troubled state of the
people and the extreme division of sentiment among them that saved the
two from capture. But they obtained news that filled both with joy.
Fighting had occurred in Texas, but no great Mexican army had yet gone
into the north.

Becoming bold now from long immunity and trusting to their Mexican
address and knowledge of Spanish and its Mexican variants, they turned
into the main road and pursued their journey at a good pace. They were
untroubled the first day but on the second day they saw a cloud of dust
behind them.

"Sheep being driven to market," said Obed.

"I don't know," replied Ned, looking back. "That cloud of dust is at
least a mile away, but it seems to me I saw it give out a flash or two."

"What kind of a flash do you mean?"

"Bright, like silver or steel. There, see it!"

"Yes, I see it now, and I think you know what makes it, Ned."

"I should say that it is the sun striking on the steel heads of long
lances."

"So should I, and I say also that those lances are carried by Mexican
cavalrymen bound for Texas. It may not be a bad guess either that this
is the vanguard of the army of Cos. I infer from the