his leading the horses off while I watched to see if they heard them. We went a few hundred yards where we spent the balance of the night. Just at daybreak, ah cracky, what an infernal din there was in the Mexican camp, every fellow seemed to have a bugle or drum and was going it on his own hook, fires were soon kindled and cooking commenced.

After it was broad day, we still occupied our position, the horses being held by Phillipps whilst I with a splendid glass was trying to penetrate the dense cloud of smoke that hung over their encampment. This we did not give up until the sun was well up in the Heavens. It was now we found our position truly critical; below us a mile distance was 20,000 enemies, above a half a mile distance on each road, was a picket of 20 well mounted men. We were compelled to pass between them. The chances were against us. Just at this time one of the pickets concluded to kindle a fire, having passed the bitter cold night without any. I knew it was our time, so proceeded very slowly to approach the one kindling the fire, keeping the top of the hill between us and the other pickets, so if one should start us we might make the other road before that picket would take the hint.

Then the idea occurred to me if we did make the road above them our retreat would be intercepted by the picket at Tank Lavacca, 11 miles above. However, the gauntlet had to be run so we held our guns under our legs on the off side of our horses so as to appear to have none. At the same time moving quite slowly, sometimes toward them, as though we intended giving them a call, then again we would mount some little eminence look and point around as though we might be hunting horses, being dressed a good deal like Mexicans. No doubt they took us for a couple of their own men hunting horses and so allowed us to pass in less than two hundred yards of them, being in view of them for at least a half a mile. We felt like