to prove your loyalty to Texas."

"I shall prove it," said Urrea vehemently.

"The place for the gathering of our troops is on Salado Creek near San
Antonio," said Bowie, "and I think that we shall find both Mr. Austin
and General Houston there."

Bowie was extremely anxious to be at a conference with the leaders, and
taking Ned, Obed, the Ring Tailed Panther and a few others he rode
ahead. Ned suggested that Urrea go too, but Bowie did not seem anxious
about him, and he was left behind.

"Maybe he would not be extremely eager to fire upon people of his own
blood if we should happen to meet the Mexican lancers," said Bowie. "I
don't like to put a man to such a test before I have to do it."

Urrea showed disappointment, but, after some remonstrance, he submitted
with a fair grace.

"I'll see you again before San Antonio," he said to Ned.

Ned shook his hand, and galloped away with the little troop, which all
told numbered only sixteen. Bowie kept them at a rapid pace until
sundown and far after. Ned saw that the man was full of care, and he too
appreciated the importance of the situation. Events were coming to a
crisis and very soon the Texans and the army of Cos would stand face to
face.

They slept on the open prairie, and were in the saddle again before
dawn. Bowie now curved a little to the North. They were coming into
country over which Mexicans rode, and he did not wish a clash. But the
Ring Tailed Panther was not sanguine about a free passage, nor did he
seem to care.

"It's likely that the Mexican bands are out ridin'," he said. "Cos ain't
no fool, an' he'll be on the lookout for us. There's more timber as you
come toward San Antonio, an' there'll be a lot of chances for ambushes."

"I believe you are hoping for one," said Ned.

The Ring Tailed Panther did not answer, but he looked upon this young
friend of his of whom he thought so much, and his dark face parted in
one of the broadest smiles that Ned had ever seen.

"I ain't runnin' away from the chance of it," he replied.

They saw a little later a belt of timber to their right. Ned's
experience told him that it masked the bed of a creek, probably flowing
to the San Antonio River, and he noticed, although they were at some
distance, that the trees seemed to be of unusually fine growth. This
fact first attracted his attention, but he lost sight of it when he saw
a glint of unusually bright light among the trunks. He looked more
closely. Here agai