The three rose slowly to their feet and the two men gazed in admiration at Ned.

“You did it!” they exclaimed together.

“I did,” replied Ned with pride, “and it has worked beautifully.”

“I was never so much in love with a forest fire before,” said the Ring Tailed Panther.  “How it roars an’ tears an’ bites!  An’ just let it roar an’ tear an’ bite!”

“We’d better go on the back track,” said Obed.  “The Mexicans are all running in other directions.”

“My horse is back that way, too,” said Ned.  “Come on.”

They started back, running along the edge of the burned area.  Before they had gone far the Ring Tailed Panther caught a saddled and bridled horse which was galloping through the woods, and, they were so much emboldened, that they checked their flight, and hunted about until they found a second.

“There must be at least thirty or forty of ’em dashin’ about through the woods, mad with fright,” said Obed.

“Three are all we can use, includin’ Ned’s,” said the Ring Tailed Panther, “but I wish we had more weapons.”

They had found across the saddle of one of the horses a couple of pistols in holsters, but they had no other weapons except those that Ned carried.  But they were free and they had horses.  The Ring Tailed Panther’s customary growl between his teeth became a chant of triumph.

“Did the Mexicans capture Obed an’ me?” he said.  “They did.  Did they keep us?  They didn’t.  Why didn’t they?  There was a boy named Ned who escaped.  He was a smart boy, a terribly smart boy.  Did he run away an’ leave us?  He didn’t.  There was only one trick in the world that he could work to save us, an’ he worked it.  Oh, it was funny to see the Mexicans run with the fire scorchin’ the backs of their ears.  But that boy, Ned, ain’t he smart?  He whipped a hundred Mexicans all by himself.”

Ned blushed.

“Stop that, you Panther,” he said, “or I’ll call for Urrea to come and take you back.”

“Having horses,” said Obed, “there is no reason why we shouldn’t ride.  Here, jump up behind me, Ned.”

They were very soon back at the point where Ned had left his own horse, and found him lying contentedly on his side.  Then, well mounted each on his own horses they resumed their broken journey.

CHAPTER XXI

THE TEXAN STAR

Just after the three started, they looked back and saw a faint light over the trees, which they knew was caused by the forest fire still traveling northward.

“It seemed almost a sin to set the torch to the woods,” said the boy, “but I couldn’t think of any other way to get you two loose from the Mexicans.”

“It’s a narrow fire,” said the Ring Tailed Panther, “an’ I guess it will burn itself out ag’inst some curve of the creek a few miles further on.”

This, in truth, was what happened, as they learned later, but for the present they could bestow the thought of only a few moments upon the subject.  Despite the Mexican interruption they intended to go on with their mission.  With good horses beneath them they expected to reach the Brazos settlements the next day unless some new danger intervened.