“I can guess your idea now.  We mean to escape to-night up the bed of the creek.”

Ned nodded.

“Your first guess is good,” he said.  “If the promise of a dark night keeps up we’re going to try.”

The promise was fulfilled.  The Mexicans made no hostile movement throughout the afternoon, but they maintained a rigid watch.

When the sun had set and the thick night had come down the Panther told of the daring enterprise they were about to undertake, and all approved.  By nine o’clock the darkness was complete, and the little band gathered at the point where the path was cut down into the bed of the creek.  It was likely that Mexicans were on all sides of the grove, but the Panther did not believe that any of them, owing to bitter experience, would enter the cut made by the stream.  But, as leader, he insisted upon the least possible noise.  The greatest difficulty would be with the horses.  Ned, at the head of Old Jack, led the way.

Old Jack made the descent without slipping and in a few minutes the entire force 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.