little, and after having the wound properly dressed he felt as well as
ever.

"I might rather have gone off to the war," he grumbled. "Dan and I are
getting all the fighting by staying at home."

It was hardly daybreak when Dan started to return to the ranch. He
would not have gone back at all just then, only he knew Ralph would
grow anxious if he did not return. As soon as he could arrange it, the
youth had determined to ride over to where the army was encamped, to
tell his parent of the encounter with Stiger, and learn if Mr. Radbury
wished to take up the case.

Dan had not to take the trip alone, as two of the lumbermen were going
up the Guadalupe on business. As yet only a small portion of the Texans
had joined the army, many of the others having no idea that a regular
revolution was at hand.

"It won't amount to shucks," said one of the lumbermen, as the three
rode along the river trail. "We'll have a lot of meetings and a
scrimmage or two, and then Santa Anna will come over with a big army,
and our leaders won't dare to call their souls their own."

"I cannot agree with you," answered Dan. "Our folks have suffered too
much to turn back now."

"But we ain't got no army,--only a lot o' farmers and rancheros, and
blacklegs who have run away from the United States to escape justice.
Mexico has a finely trained lot o' soldiers."

"Well, the United States didn't have any trained army at the opening of
the Revolution," retorted Dan, warmly. "But we showed King George's men
a thing or two before we got through with them."

"Well, if we do fight 'em and obtain our liberty, what then?" put in
the second lumberman. "The politicians will run everything to suit
themselves. We won't have any more rights than we have now."

"Never mind, I think matters will be a good deal better," answered Dan.
"Anyway," he added, with a peculiar smile, "do you believe in giving up
your arms?"

"Not much!" answered both lumbermen, promptly. "That's a fool law."

"Then what are you going to do, if the greasers demand your guns and
pistols, as they demanded that cannon?"

This proved a clincher, and the lumbermen changed the subject. They
were for peace, but it may be as well to state here that, in the end,
they joined the army, and fought as nobly for liberty as did the
average Texan soldier.

Before the journey was half over, it had begun to rain, and by the time
the ranch home was reached, Dan and his companions were wet to the