ickets having
been thrown out on the roads or tracks that led to the village.

By daybreak we were again in our saddles, and, riding across another
ridge, we struck the Plan River five miles above the bridge, and
commenced riding down the stream. We were still far from the water,
which roared and "soughed" in the bottom of a barranca, hundreds of feet
below our path.

On crossing an eminence a sight suddenly burst upon us that caused us to
leap in our saddles. Directly before us, and not a mile distant, rose a
high round hill like a semi-globe, and from a small tower upon its top
waved the standard of Mexico.

Long lines of uniformed men girdled the tower, formed in rank. Horsemen
in bright dresses galloped up and down the hill. We could see the
glitter of brazen helmets, and the glancing of a thousand bayonets. The
burnished howitzer flashed in the sunbeams, and we could discern the
cannoniers standing by their posts. Bugles were braying and drums
rolling. So near were they that we could distinguish the call. _They
were sounding the "long roll_!"

"Halt! Great Heaven!" cried Twing, jerking his horse upon its haunches;
"we are riding into the enemy's camp! Guide," he added, turning
fiercely to Raoul, and half-drawing his sword, "what's this?"

"The hill, Major," replied the soldier coolly, "is `El Telegrafo'. It
is the Mexican head-quarters, I take it."

"And, sir, what mean you? It is not a mile distant?"

"It is ten miles, Major."

"Ten! Why, sir, I can trace the eagle upon that flag! It is not one
mile, by Heaven!"

"By the eye, true; but by the road, Major, it is what I have said--ten
miles. We passed the crossing of the barranca some time ago; there is
no other before we reach El Plan."

It was true. Although within range of the enemy's lightest metal, we
were ten miles off!

A vast chasm yawned between us and them. The next moment we were upon
its brink, and, wheeling sharply to the right, we trotted on as fast as
the rocky road would allow us.

"O heavens! Haller, we shall be too late. Gallop!" shouted Twing, as
we pressed our horses side by side.

The troop at the word sprang into a gallop. El Plan, the bridge, the
hamlet, the American camp with its thousand white pyramids, all burst
upon us like a flash--below, far below, lying like a map. We are still
opposite El Telegrafo!

"By heavens!" cried Twing, "our camp is empty!"

A few figures only were visible, straggling amo