hat he recognized the younger Urrea in the figure at their
head. He had seen the young Mexican so often and in such vivid moments
that there was no phase of pose or gesture that he could forget.

Ned watched the column until it was hidden by the swells. It had never
veered to either right or left, and its course was the same as that of
his comrades and himself. He wondered a little while, and then he felt a
suspicion which quickly grew into a certainty. Urrea, a daring partisan
leader, who rode over great distances, had heard of the schooner and its
arms, and was on his way to the cove to seize them. It was for Ned and
his friends to prevent it.

He returned, and, awakening the others, stated what he had seen. Then he
added his surmise.

"It's likely that you're guessin' right," said "Deaf" Smith. "The
Mexicans have spies, of course, an' they get word, too, from Europeans
in these parts, who are not friendly to us. What do you say, boys, all
of you?"

"That Urrea is bound for the same place we are," said Obed White.

"That we've got to ride hard, an' fast," said the Panther.

"It's our business to get there first," said Karnes.

"Let's take to the saddle now," said Will Allen.

Ned said nothing. He had given his opinion already. They saddled their
horses, and were on the plain in five minutes, riding directly in the
trail of the Mexican cavalry. They meant to follow until nearly dawn,
and then, passing around, hurry to the cove, where the schooner, without
their warning, might be unloading supplies before nightfall into the
very arms of the Mexicans.

Before dawn they faintly saw the troop ahead, and then, turning to the
left, they put their mustangs into the long easy lope of the frontier,
not slowing down, until they were sure that they were at least three or
four miles beyond the Mexicans. But they continued at a fast walk, and
ate their breakfasts in the saddle. They rode through the same beautiful
country, but without people, and they knew that if nothing unusual
occurred they would see the sea by noon.

Ned went over their directions once more. The cove ran back from the sea
about a mile, and its entrance was a strait not more than thirty yards
wide, but deep. In fact, the entire cove was deep, being surrounded by
high forested banks except at the west, into which a narrow but deep
creek emptied. The only convenient landing was the creek's mouth, and
they believed that they would find the schooner there