t us to the skin,
to be sure, but it will put the Texans off their guard."

Once during the afternoon Ralph had thought to escape, but the captain
had threatened to shoot him on the spot, and the attempt had amounted
to nothing. The boy's weapons had been taken from him, and the mustang
belonging to Dan had been appropriated by the Mexican private.

The private knew the vicinity of San Antonio well, and said they had
better halt at a certain gully until two or three in the morning. This
was done, and by four o'clock they were safely inside of San Antonio
without the Texan pickets being the wiser, the rain and darkness
proving the Mexicans' best ally.

As soon as he was safe, Captain Arguez went to headquarters to report,
taking the private and Ralph with him. Ralph was put in a side room of
the quarters, and left under guard for several hours.

"We have resolved to keep you here for the present," said the soldier,
who came to him at last.

"Keep me here!" gasped Ralph. "What for? Surely you don't count me a
prisoner of war?"

"Captain Arguez is convinced that your brother was a spy, and that you
will help him if you can. It will, therefore, be safer for us to keep
you here."

This was all the satisfaction Ralph could get, and soon after he was
marched away to the San Antonio jail, there to remain for some time to
come.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE ATTACK ON SAN ANTONIO.

"This looks like a hopeless task, father."

"So it does, Dan, but while I am willing to give up looking for that
Mexican captain, I am not willing to give up looking for Ralph."

"Nor I. But the question is, which way shall we turn next?"

Amos Radbury shook his head slowly. The party had been out in the
timber two days, and, though they had followed several trails, it had
availed them nothing.

"Perhaps Ralph went back to the ranch," suggested Poke Stover.

"We found no trail leading in that direction," said Lieutenant Radbury.

"That is true, but he might have gone back, even so, leftenant."

Amos Radbury shook his head slowly. "You only wish to give me a little
encouragement, Poke," he said, with a sad smile. "I am afraid he has
fallen into the hands of the Indians."

"Talk about Indians, here come several Indians now," put in Dan, who
was riding beside his father. "They look like Comanches, too."

The red men, who were three in number, had appeared at the brow of a
small hill. Now, on discovering the whites, they seemed on the