his
hunting-knife,--something he had taken to carrying constantly since the
brush with the Comanches.

Dan could not help but wonder what had become of Ralph, and wished that
he had some firearm by which he might discharge a shot as a signal.

Slowly the morning wore away, and by noon the lad felt that he must
make a move. "I'll get out of the ravine first," he thought, but this
was no easy matter, for the sides were steep and he was still too weak
to exert himself in climbing.

Presently he imagined that he heard, at a great distance, the firing of
a volley of shots. To make sure he was right, he laid on the ground and
listened. Soon the volley was repeated, and a number of single reports
followed.

"There is a fight on of some sort," he thought, but could not locate
the direction of the shots with any degree of accuracy. "I trust Ralph
is out of danger."

He walked along the ravine, looking for some convenient spot where he
might ascend to the level of the timber beyond, until he came to where
there was a split in the hollow. Here, in the centre of the ravine, was
a huge pile of rocks, overgrown with a tangle of vines and thorns,
which hid a cave of fair dimensions. In those days this cave was known
to the Indians as the Haunted Rock. It is said that many a Mexican
trader was lured there, only to be killed and robbed.

As Dan was passing the cave he saw, with much surprise, a Mexican
soldier leading two mustangs into the opening. Each saw the other at
the same time, and instantly the Mexican set up a shout in Spanish,
and, letting go of the horses, levelled a pistol at the boy's head.

Dan did not understand the Spanish, but he understood the motion of the
soldier.

"Don't shoot!" he cried. "I am unarmed!" And he held up his hands to
verify his statement.

"You surrender?" asked the Mexican, in broken English.

"I suppose I'll have to," answered Dan. "But what are you doing here,
and why do you wish to make me a prisoner? I am not a soldier."

At this the Mexican shrugged his bony shoulders and called out again in
Spanish, whereupon three other Mexicans showed themselves at the mouth
of the cave.

"Come in here, boy," said one of the three, who was evidently a
captain, by his uniform. "Are you alone?"

"I am," answered Dan, as he entered the mouth of the cave.

"Where are the soldiers?"

"What soldiers?"

"The rascally Texans who were after us."

"I know nothing of any soldiers, captain."

"Yo