own as if more help were needed. Officers shouted orders
to men, and men shouted to one another. Several shots were fired,
apparently at imaginary objects in the bushes.

"While they're running about and bumping into one another we'll regain a
little of our lost breath which we'll need badly later," said Obed. "We
can watch from here, and when they begin to approach then it's up and
away again."

Those were precious minutes. The ground was not good for the lancers who
usually advanced in mass, and, after the fall of one man and the
wounding of another, the soldiers on foot were not very zealous in
searching the thickets. The breathing of the two fugitives became easy
and regular once more. The roofs of their mouths were no longer hot and
dry, and their limbs did not tremble from excessive exertion. Ned had
turned his eyes from the Mexicans and was examining the country in the
other direction.

"Obed," he said, "there's a low mountain about a mile back of us, and
it's covered with forest. If we ever reach it we can get away."

"Yes--if we reach it," said Obed, "and, Ned, we'll surely try for it.
Ah, there they come in this direction now!"

A squad of about twenty men was approaching the thicket rapidly. Ned and
Obed sprang up and made at top speed for the mountain. The soldiers
uttered a shout and began to fire. But they had only muskets and the
bullets did not reach. Ned and Obed, having rested a full ten minutes,
ran fast. They were now descending the far side of the hill and meant to
cross a slight valley that lay between it and the mountain. When they
were near the center of this valley they heard the hoofs of horsemen,
and again saw lancers galloping toward them. These horsemen had gone
around the hill, and now the hunt was in full cry again.

Ned and Obed would have been lost had not the valley been intersected a
little further on by an arroyo seven or eight feet deep and at least
fifteen feet wide. They scrambled down it, then up it and continued
their flight among the bushes, while the horsemen, compelled to stop on
the bank, uttered angry and baffled cries.

"The good luck is coming with the bad," said Obed. "The foot soldiers
will still follow. They know that we're Texans and they want us. Do you
see anybody following us now, Ned?"

"I can see the heads of about a dozen men above the bushes."

"Perhaps they are delegated to finish the work. The whole army of Cos
can't stop to hunt down two Texans, and