ped away in the direction of San Antonio.

The judge alone remained, seemingly lost in thought; his countenance
pale and anxious, and his eyes following the riders. His reverie,
however, had lasted but a very few seconds, when he seized my arm.

"Hasten to my house," cried he; "lose no time, don't spare horse-flesh.
Take Ptoly and a fresh beast; hurry over to San Felipe, and tell Stephen
Austin what has happened, and what you have seen and heard."

"But, judge"----

"Off with you at once, if you would do Texas a service. Bring my wife
and daughter back."

And so saying, he literally drove me from under the tree, pushing me out
with hands and feet. I was so startled at the expression of violent
impatience and anxiety which his features assumed, that, without
venturing to make further objection, I struck the spurs into my mustang
and galloped off. Before I had got fifty yards from the tree, I looked
round. The judge had disappeared.

I rode full speed to the judge's house, and thence on a fresh horse to
San Felipe, where I found Colonel Austin, who seemed much alarmed by the
news I brought him, had horses saddled, and sent round to all the
neighbours. Before the wife and step-daughter of the judge had made
their preparations to accompany me home, he started with fifty armed men
in the direction of San Antonio.

I escorted the ladies to their house, but scarcely had we arrived there,
when I was seized with a fever, the result of my recent fatigues and
sufferings. For some days my life was in danger, but at last a good
constitution, and the kindest and most watchful nursing, triumphed over
the disease. As soon as I was able to mount a horse, I set out for Mr
Neal's plantation, in company with his huntsman Anthony, who, after
spending many days, and riding over hundreds of miles of ground in quest
of me, had at last found me out.

Our way led up past the Patriarch, and, as we approached it, we saw
innumerable birds of prey, and carrion crows circling round it, croaking
and screaming. I turned my eyes in another direction; but, nevertheless,
I felt a strange sort of longing to revisit the tree. Anthony had ridden
on, and was already hidden from view behind its branches. Presently I
heard him give a loud shout of exultation. I jumped off my horse, and
led it through a small opening in the leafage.

Some forty paces from me the body of a man was hanging by a lasso from
the very same branch on which Bob had been hung.