covered everything like a blanket of snow.

"Suppose we ride parallel with them," whispered Ned. "We can go by the
sounds and by the same means we can tell exactly what they do."

"A good idea," said Obed. "We are going over prairie which affords easy
riding. We've got nothing to fear unless some lamb strays from the
Mexican flock, and blunders upon us. Even then he's more likely to be
shorn than to shear."

They advanced for some time, guided by the hoofbeats from the Mexican
column. But before the sun could rise and dispel the fog the sound of
the hoofbeats ceased.

"They've stopped," whispered the Ring Tailed Panther, joyously. "After
all they're not goin' to run away an' they will give us a fight. They
are expectin' reinforcements of course, or they wouldn't make a stand."

"But we must see what kind of a position they have taken up," said Obed.
"Seeing is telling and you know that when we get back to Colonel Moore
we've got to tell everything, or we might as well have stayed behind."

"You're the real article, all wool an' a yard wide, Obed White," said
the Ring Tailed Panther. "Now I think we'd better hitch our horses here
to these bushes an' creep as close as we can without gettin' our heads
knocked off. They might hear the horses when they wouldn't hear us."

"Good idea," said Obed White. "Nothing risk, nothing see."

They tethered the horses to the low bushes, marking well the place, as
the heavy, white fog was exceedingly deceptive, distorting and
exaggerating when it did not hide. Then the three went forward, side by
side. Ned looked back when he had gone a half dozen yards, and already
the horses were looming pale and gigantic in the fog. Three or four
steps more and they were gone entirely.

But they heard the sounds again in front of them, although they were now
of a different character. They were confined in one place, which showed
that the Mexicans had not resumed their march, and the tread of horses'
hoofs was replaced by a metallic rattle. It occurred to Ned that the
Mexicans might be intrenching and he wondered what place of strength
they had found.

The boy had the keenest eyes of the three and presently he saw a dark,
lofty shape, showing faintly through the fog. It looked to him like an
iceberg clothed in mist, and he called the attention of his comrades to
it. They went a little nearer, and the Ring Tailed Panther laughed low
between his shut teeth.

"We'll have our fight," he said, "a