oofprints in the soft bank of the river, indicating that
horses--undoubtedly with men on their backs--had crossed here. The
skilled trailers calculated the number at more than fifteen, perhaps
more than twenty, and they followed their path across the timber and out
upon the prairie.

When the hoofprints were more clearly discernible in the grass they saw
that they had been made by unshod feet, and they were mystified, but
they followed cautiously or, for two or three miles, when "Deaf" Smith
saw something gleaming by the track. He alighted and picked up a painted
feather.

"It's simple now," he said. "We've been followin' the trail of Indians.
They wouldn't be in this part of the country, 'less they were helpin'
the Mexicans, an' I guess they were at Goliad, leavin' after the
business there was finished."

"You're right, Deaf," said Karnes. "That 'counts for the unshod hoofs.
It ain't worth while for us to follow them any longer, so I guess we'd
better turn back to the timber."

Safety obviously demanded this course, and soon they were again in the
forest, riding near the San Antonio and down its stream. They struck the
trail of a bear, then they roused up a deer in the thickets, but big
game had no attraction for them now, and they went on, leaving bear and
deer in peace. Then the sharp eyes of the Panther saw the print of a
human foot on the river bank. He soon saw three or four more such traces
leading into the forest, where the trail was lost.

The five gathered around the imprints in the earth, and debated their
meaning. It was evident even to Will Allen that some one without a horse
had swum the river at that point and had climbed up the bank. They could
see the traces lower down, where he had emerged from the water.

"I figger it this way," said the Panther. "People don't go travelin'
through this country except on horses, an' this fellow, whoever he is,
didn't have any horse, as we all can see as plain as day."

"An' in such times as these," said "Deaf" Smith, "fellers don't go
swimmin' rivers just for fun. The one that made these tracks was in a
hurry. Ain't that so, Hank?"

"'Course he was," replied Karnes. "He was gettin' away from somewhere
an' from somebody. That's why he swam the river; he wanted the San
Antonio to separate him from them somebodies."

"And putting two and two and then two more together," said Obed White,
"we draw the conclusion that it is a fugitive, probably one of our own
Texa