They waited for a
while which seemed interminably long to Ned, but which was not more
than a quarter of an hour, and then he heard a slight movement among the
trees somewhat to their left. He called Obed's attention to it and the
man nodded:

"I hear it, too," he whispered. "Those investigators are cautious, but
they'll have to come up in front before they can get at us, and then we
can get at them, too. We'll just be patient."

Ned was at least quiet and contained, although it was impossible to be
patient. They heard the rustling at intervals on their right, then it
changed to their front, and he saw a black head, covered with a
sombrero, peep from behind a tree. The head came a little farther,
disclosing a shoulder, and Obed White fired. They heard a yell of pain,
and a thrashing among the bushes, but the sound rapidly moved farther
and farther away.

"That fellow was stung badly," said Obed White with satisfaction, "and
he won't come back. I'm glad to see, Ned, that you held your fire,
keeping ready for any other who might come."

Ned glowed at the compliment. He had cocked his rifle, and was ready but
he remained cool, wasting no shot.

"I fancy that they now know we are here," said Obed, who loved to talk,
"and that we have not been demolished by the several tons of rock that
they have sent down from above. A shot to the wise is sufficient. Keep
down, Ned! Keep down!"

From a point sixty or seventy yards away Mexicans, lying among the trees
or in the undergrowth, suddenly opened a heavy fire upon the rocky fort.
The Mexicans were invisible but jets of smoke arose in the brush.
Bullets thudded on the log or stones, or upon the stone wall above the
two, but both Ned and Obed were sheltered well and they were not
touched. Nevertheless it was uncomfortable. The impact of the bullets
made an unpleasant sound, and there was always a chance that one of them
might angle off from the stone and strike a human target. Obed however
was cheerful.

"They're wasting good ammunition," he said. "They'll need that later on
when they attack the Texans. After all, Ned, we're serving a good
purpose when we induce the Mexicans to shoot good powder and lead here,
and not against our people."

Encouraged by the failure of the besieged to reply to their fire the
Mexicans came closer and grew somewhat incautious. Ned saw one of them
sheltered but partially by a bush and he fired. The man uttered a cry
and fell. Ned saw the bush