“It is certainly good,” whispered Obed, “to stand up on two legs again and walk like a man.”

They were now very near to the town and they saw the dark shapes of houses, in some of which lights burned.  It was the poorer portion of San Antonio, where the Mexican homes were mostly huts or jacals, made of adobe, and sometimes of mere mud and wattles.  As all the four spoke Spanish, they advanced, confident in themselves, and the protecting shadows of the night.  A dog barked at them, but Obed cursed him in good, strong Mexican, and he slunk away.  Two peons wrapped to the eyes in serapes passed them but Obed boldly gave them the salutations of the night and they walked on, not dreaming that the dreaded Texans were by.

Fifty yards further they saw a long earthwork, with the spades and shovels lying beside it, as if the Mexicans expected to resume work there in the morning.  Toward the north they saw another such defense but they did not go very near, as Mexican soldiers were camped beside it.  But Ned retained a very clear idea of the location of the two earthworks.

Then they curved in toward the more important portion of the town, the center of which was two large squares, commonly called Main Plaza and Military Plaza, separated only by the church of San Fernando.  Here were many houses built heavily of stone in the Spanish style.  They had thick walls and deep embrasured windows.  Often they looked like and were fortresses.

Ned and his comrades were extremely anxious to approach those squares, but the danger was now much greater.  They saw barricades on several important streets and many soldiers were passing.  They learned from a peon that both the squares and many other open places also were filled with the tents of the soldiers.

Ned, Obed and the Ring Tailed Panther having seen so much were eager to see more, but Urrea hung back.  He thought they should return with the information they had obtained already, and not risk the loss of everything by capture, but the Ring Tailed Panther was determined.

“I know San Antonio by heart,” he said, “an’ there’s somethin’ I want to see.  Down this street is the house of the Vice-Governor, Veramendi, and I want to see what is going on there.  If the rest of you feel that the risk ain’t justified you can turn back, but I’m goin’ on.”

“If you go I’m going with you,” said Ned.

“Me, too,” said Obed.

Urrea shrugged his shoulders.

“Very well,” he said.  “It’s against my judgment, but I follow.”

They had pulled their slouch hats down over their faces, in the Mexican style, and they handled their rifles awkwardly, after the fashion of Mexican recruits.  The Ring Tailed Panther led boldly down the street, until they came to the stone house of Veramendi.  Lights shone from the deep embrasured windows of both the first and second floors.  The Ring Tailed Panther saw a small door in the stone wall, and he pushed it open.