passed along the road at a brisk walk, occasionally stooping low, surveying the horizon to see whether any one was moving. When we reached the powder-house, as the "molino de polvora" was called by us Texians, which was three miles from the castle, many dogs of "low degree" flew out as if they would certainly take us. From experience, we knew how cowardly were the Mexican dogs, and kept our way, only balancing our sapotes in our hands in case of necessity.

About five miles farther on we came to a brisk little creek, running over a bed of round pebbles. Here we laid down to drink; and while quaffing the pure mountain liquid, we heard a noise in the road [330] from the direction in which we came as though some persons were in pursuit. Having the advantage of the horizon, from our stooping position we could soon see two figures approaching to within a few feet of us, and as I gathered a round stone in each hand, and was in the act of throwing, one of them hailed in English, "Who's there?" We at once knew it to be Reese's voice, and was greatly rejoiced that he spoke so soon, as we intended first to fire, and then to tail. It was Reese and Toowig, who, having been disappointed in finding the guide and horses, were now thrown upon their own resources, and without provisions, for the guide was to have furnished them.

Very fortunately, Dan and myself were supplied with twenty days' rations each, and we divided with them. We pursued the road several miles farther, passing a large hacienda, and every variety of "barking dogs," until we heard a noise ahead. Stooping down, we saw some persons in the road, and it being near daylight, concluded to turn off to the right and make for the mountains.

The only kind of shoes we could procure in the castle was a thin kind of goatskin slippers, only fit to be kept dry and worn in the house. In a little time, walking through the wet grass, they would stretch and come to pieces. Our feet not only suffered from the sharp mountain stones, but we had become greatly enervated from our prison life, and our fatigue was excessive. Those who had laboured [331] in the castle could stand the fatigue much the best. Before it was fairly light we had ascended the mountains so high that we left all the settlements below, and a brisk rain which had fallen had not only thoroughly drenched us, but it also rendered our pursuit impossible, by obliterating our tracks. After we had got so high in the mountains as only here and there to see traces of the shepherd, or the sign where some Péon had burned his charcoal for market, we selected a dark cove and lay down to rest.

With the assistance of our map and a pocket compass we knew our general course, and started before sundown, but the almost bottomless ravines and inaccessible mountains succeeded each other so quickly that our progress was slow and fatiguing beyond anything we had yet experienced. Winding around the base of a mountain, the perpendicular sides of which it would have been impossible to ascend, we would come to an abyss, down the sides of which we