skin. As it still poured down steadily, the lumbermen were glad to
avail themselves of the Radburys' offer to stay at the cabin for the
balance of the day.

"Hurrah for our side!" cried Ralph, when told of the battle at the
Mission Concepcion. "If they have a few more such fights, perhaps the
Mexicans will wake up to the idea that we have some rights they are
bound to respect."

He was glad to hear that Stiger had been jailed, and sorry that Henry
Parker had been wounded. "Henry can make a charge even if father
doesn't," he said.

Ralph and Pompey had had troubles of their own during Dan's brief
absence. Two prize mustangs, not yet broken in, had gotten out of the
corral near the cattle shed, and although the boy and the negro had
managed to round up one of the steeds, the other had persisted in
keeping just out of their reach.

"I tried to lasso him," said Ralph, "but I wasn't equal to it, and, of
course, Pompey knows nothing of a lasso."

"Well, we can go after him when the storm clears away," answered Dan.

Pompey had prepared a substantial dinner, and the balance of the day
passed off pleasantly enough. By morning the storm had cleared away,
and the lumbermen took their departure. Then Dan procured a lasso, and
he and Ralph mounted their steeds and set off on a search for the
missing mustang, which was a beauty, and which Mr. Radbury prized very
highly.

"He went off to the southwest," said Ralph, as the brothers rode away.
"Of course, there is no telling how far he ran. I suppose it will be a
good deal like looking for a needle in a haystack to locate him."

"Well, we can do our best, Ralph. I know father set a great store by
that white pony. He was thinking of breaking him in for his own use."

"I know it, and that is why I tried so hard to capture him. But I can't
get the hang of the lasso," and Ralph shook his head, for he had tried
to land the loop over the mustang's head at least a score of times.

"You'll learn in time. It's more the knack of it than anything else.
Come, let us hurry!" and Dan set off at a gallop. He was thinking
altogether of the mustang, and never dreamed of the other odd adventure
in store for him,--an adventure which was to make a soldier of him
almost before he was aware.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE GRASS FIGHT, AND WHAT FOLLOWED.

The victory at Concepcion, as was natural, greatly strengthened the
cause of the Texans, and immediately afterward the number of volunteers