He saw west of him and
immediately facing him flickering lights which he knew were those of the
Mexican camp. The heavy air seemed to act as a conductor of sound, and
he heard faintly voices and the tread of horses' hoofs. They were on
watch there, also.
He walked back and forth a long time, and the air continued to thicken.
A heavy fog was rising from the prairie, and it became so dense that he
could no longer see the fires in the Mexican camp. Everything there was
shut out from the eye, but he yet heard the faint noises.
It seemed to him toward four o'clock in the morning that the noises were
increasing, and curiosity took hold of him. But the sentinel on the left
and the sentinel on the right were now hidden by the fog, and, since he
could not confer with them at once, he resolved to see what this
increase of noise meant.
He cocked his rifle and stole forward over the prairie. He could not see
more than ten or fifteen yards ahead, but he went very near to the
Mexican camp, and then lay down in the grass. Now he saw the cause of
the swelling sounds. The Mexican force, gathering up its arms and
horses, was retreating.
Ned stole back to the camp with his news.
"You have done well, Ned, lad," said Moore.
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