ad become of Dan and the white mustang. Was
his brother lost in the timber, or had he fallen in with the Indians?

There was a tiny window in the cell, high up over the couch. From this
Ralph could get a slight view of the river and of a patch of sky, and
that was all.

But one afternoon, when all was quiet, Ralph noticed a shadow at the
window, and, gazing up, made out part of an Indian face stationed
there. Quickly he stood on the bench.

"Big Foot,----" he began, when the Indian let out a low hiss of
warning.

"Soldier hear Raf," said the Indian, in a whisper. "Me come to find
you,--tell fadder and Good Dan would do dat."

"Father and Dan!" returned the boy. "Then they are together?"

"Yes, both in big army outside of dis place. Big Foot say he find Raf.
Must go now. Maybe save Raf soon. You watch!"

And then the Indian disappeared as quickly as he had come. By some
means known only to himself, he had found out where Ralph was located,
and had watched for thirty hours on a stretch for a chance to
communicate with the lad. He had caught a sentinel off guard, and had
mounted to the window by means of a lariat thrown around one of the
bars of the opening. As he leaped down, the sentinel turned in time to
catch him winding up his lariat.

"What are you doing there?" demanded the Mexican.

"Indian squaw in dare?" asked Big Foot, meekly.

"No, we do not keep squaws here," answered the Mexican. "Begone, or
I'll shoot you;" and then, as the Comanche loped off, he resumed his
cigarette smoking.

The coming of Big Foot comforted Ralph greatly, for he now knew that
Dan was with their father, and that both were in the army, outside of
San Antonio. That night he slept soundly.

He awoke to hear loud firing, showing that a battle of some kind had
started. The firing continued, and, before long, the lockup was struck
by a cannon-ball, although little damage was done. The attack created a
great confusion, and Ralph was left largely to himself.

At night, while the sounds of firing still kept up, Big Foot appeared,
with both his lariat and a short iron bar. Mounting to the window, in
the gloom, he called Ralph, and passed him the bar.

"Break window and drop out," he whispered. "Big Foot wait for you close
to river."

He fell back, and with the bar Ralph set to work to liberate himself.
The masonry of the window was old and loosened, and he soon had two of
the bars out, leaving a space just large enough to admit of