not built much like a Mexican, being eight or ten inches too tall, men
were looking at me as if I were a strange specimen. One touch of
difference and all the world's staring at you. So I concluded that I'd
better stay on the outside of the lines. I hung around, and I saw just
what Panther saw, no more and no less. Then I started back and I struck
the arroyo, which seemed to me a good way for leaving. But before I had
gone far I concluded I was followed. So I watched the fellow who was
following, and the fellow who was following watched me for about a year.
The watch was just over when you came up, Panther. It was long, but it's
a long watch that has no ending."

"And I," said Ned, after another wait of a minute, "being neither so
tall as Obed nor so big around as the Panther, was able to go about in
the Mexican camp without any notice being taken of me. I saw Santa Anna
arrive to take the chief command."

"Santa Anna himself?" exclaimed the Panther.

"Yes, Santa Anna himself. They gave him a great reception. After a while
I started to come away. I met Urrea. He took me for a peon, gave me an
order, and when I didn't obey it tried to strike me across the face with
a whip."

"And what did you do?" exclaimed the two men together.

"I took the whip away from him and lashed his cheeks with it. I was
recognized, but in the turmoil and confusion I escaped. Then I had the
encounter with Obed White, of which he has told already."

"Since Santa Anna has come," said the Panther, "they're likely to move