, and continued almost
until morning. Ned, riding behind Will Allen, scarcely spoke. Obed
White, then and afterward, observed a great change in him. He seemed to
have matured suddenly far beyond his years, and Obed always felt that he
had some unchanging purpose that had little to do with gentleness or
mercy.

They slept in the timber until about 10 o'clock, and then resumed their
ride northward, still holding to the opinion that the peripatetic Texan
government would be found at Harrisburg, or somewhere in its vicinity.
In the afternoon they encountered a Mexican force of eight mounted men,
and attacked with such vigor that Ned and Will, riding double, were
never able to get into the fight. Two of the Mexicans fell, and the rest
got away. The Texans were unharmed.

The Panther, after a chase, captured one of the horses, and brought him
back for Ned. They also secured the arms of the fallen Mexicans, one of
these weapons being an American rifle, which Ned was quite sure had
belonged to a slaughtered recruit at Goliad. They also found a letter in
one of the Mexican haversacks. It was from General Urrea to General
Santa Anna, and the Panther and his comrades inferred from the direction
in which its bearer had been riding that the dictator himself had left
San Antonio, and was marching eastward with the main Mexican army.

"I have to inform you," ran a part of the letter, "that your orders in
regard to the rebels at Goliad were carried out, in my absence, by the
brave and most excellent Colonel Portilla. They were all executed,
except a few who escaped under cover of the smoke to the timber, but our
cavalrymen are sure to find in time every one of these, and inflict upon
them the justice that you have ordered.

"I shall march north, expecting to meet your excellency, and I trust
that I shall have further good news to report to you. There are now no
rebel forces worthy of the name. We shall sweep the country clean. I
shall send detachments to take any Americans who may land at the ports,
and, cooeperating with you, I feel assured, also, that we shall capture
every member of the rebel government. In another month there will not be
a single Texan in arms against us."

Ned read the letter aloud, translating into English as he went, and when
he finished the Panther burst into a scornful laugh.

"So, the rebels are all killed, or about to be killed!" he said. "An'
there won't be one Texan in arms a month from now! I'm will