“Obed,” he said, “there’s a low mountain about a mile back of us, and it’s covered with forest.  If we ever reach it we can get away.”

“Yes—­if we reach it,” said Obed, “and, Ned, we’ll surely try for it.  Ah, there they come in this direction now!”

A squad of about twenty men was approaching the thicket rapidly.  Ned and Obed sprang up and made at top speed for the mountain.  The soldiers uttered a shout and began to fire.  But they had only muskets and the bullets did not reach.  Ned and Obed, having rested a full ten minutes, ran fast.  They were now descending the far side of the hill and meant to cross a slight valley that lay between it and the mountain.  When they were near the center of this valley they heard the hoofs of horsemen, and again saw lancers galloping toward them.  These horsemen had gone around the hill, and now the hunt was in full cry again.

Ned and Obed would have been lost had not the valley been intersected a little further on by an arroyo seven or eight feet deep and at least fifteen feet wide.  They scrambled down it, then up it and continued their flight among the bushes, while the horsemen, compelled to stop on the bank, uttered angry and baffled cries.

“The good luck is coming with the bad,” said Obed.  “The foot soldiers will still follow.  They know that we’re Texans and they want us.  Do you see anybody following us now, Ned?”

“I can see the heads of about a dozen men above the bushes.”

“Perhaps they are delegated to finish the work.  The whole army of Cos can’t stop to hunt down two Texans, and when we get on that mountain, Ned, we may be able to settle with these fellows on something like fair terms.”

“Let’s spurt a little,” said Ned.

They put on extra steam, but the Mexicans seemed to have done the same, as presently, appearing a little nearer, they began to shout or fire.  Ned heard the bullets pattering on the bushes behind him.

“A hint to the wise is a stitch in time,” said Obed White.  “Those fellows are getting too noisy.  I object to raucous voices making loud outcries, nor does the sound of bullets dropping near please me.  I shall give them a hint.”

Wheeling about he fired at the nearest Mexican.  His rifle was a long range weapon and the man fell with a cry.  The others hesitated and the fugitives increased their speed.  Now they were at the base of the mountain.  Now they were up the slope which was densely clothed with trees and bushes.

Then they came to a great hollow in the stone side of the ridge, an indentation eight or ten feet deep and as many across, while above them the stone arched over their heads at a height of seventy or eighty feet.

“We’ll just stay here,” said Obed White.  “You can run and you can run, but the time comes when you can run no more.  They can’t get at us from overhead, and they can’t get at us from the sides.  As for the front, I think that you and I, Ned, can hold it against as many Mexicans as may come.”