ce stood upon the sand. They had made no sound that any one
could have heard thirty yards away.

"Now Mr. Roylston," whispered the Panther to the merchant, "you get on
Ned's horse an' we'll be off."

Roylston sighed. It hurt his pride that he should be a burden, but he
was a man of few words, and he mounted in silence. Then they moved
slowly over the soft sand. They had loaded the extra rifles and muskets
on the other two horses, but every man remained thoroughly armed and
ready on the instant for any emergency.

The Panther and Obed led. Just behind them came Ned and Will. They went
very slowly in order to keep the horses' feet from making any sound that
listening Mexican sentinels might hear. They were fortunate in the sand,
which was fine and soundless like a carpet. Ned thought that the
Mexicans would not make any attempt upon the grove until late at night,
and then only with skirmishers and snipers. Or they might not make any
attempt at all, content with their cordon.

But it was thrilling work as they crept along on the soft sand in the
darkness and between the high banks. Ned felt a prickling of the blood.
An incautious footstep or a stumble by one of the horses might bring the
whole Mexican force down upon them at any moment. But there was no
incautious footstep. Nor did any horse stumble. The silent procession
moved on, passed the curve in the bed of the creek and continued its
course.

Urrea had surrounded the grove completely. His men were on both sides of
the creek, but no sound came to them, and they had a healthy respect
for the deadly Texan rifles. Their leader had certainly been wise in
deciding to starve them out. Meanwhile the little procession in the bed
of the creek increased its speed slightly.

The Texans were now a full four hundred yards from the grove, and their
confidence was rising.

"If they don't discover our absence until morning," whispered Ned to
Will, "we'll surely get away."

"Then I hope they won't discover it until then," said Will fervently. "I
don't want to die in battle just now, nor do I want to be executed in
Mexico for a rebel or for anything else."

They were now a full mile from the grove and the banks of the creek were
decreasing in height. They did not rise anywhere more than three or four
feet. But the water increased in depth and the margin of sand was
narrower. The Panther called a halt and they listened. They heard no
sound but the faint moaning of the wind am