"Not by a long shot," put in Poke Stover. "He'd be for treating us wuss nor prairie-dogs." "Well, it is always best to be considerate," said Amos Radbury. "It may be the means of bringing this contest to a happier conclusion." "Well, we're going to keep the regular muskets and army stores, aren't we?" asked Ralph. "Yes, all public property comes to Texas," said his father. General Cos left San Antonio on the 14th of December, and on the following day General Burleson resigned from the Texan army, and a good many of the volunteers went home, to learn how matters were progressing for the winter. On all sides it was felt that no other movement of importance would occur for some time to come, for, in those days in Texas, there were no railroads to carry an army wherever wanted, and the distance from San Antonio to the lower Rio Grande River was a distance of several hundred miles. "We may as well go home, too, boys," said Lieutenant Radbury, two days after his commander had resigned. "I am anxious to know how Pompey is getting along." "What of the white mustang?" questioned Dan. "I reckon we will have to let the white mustang take care of himself,--at least for the present," smiled Amos Radbury. It was decided that Poke Stover, who had become very much attached to the Radburys, should accompany them, and, a few days later, they set out for the ranch on the Guadalupe by way of Gonzales. The stop at Gonzales was made to see what had been done with Hank Stiger. "He must not be given his liberty until he confesses what he has done with my claim papers," said Amos Radbury. The ride to Gonzales was made without special incident, but along the whole of the road it was seen that the people were aroused to the highest pitch. Everybody wondered what Mexico would do next. It was a bitter cold day when Gonzales was reached, and it looked as if the first norther of the season was at hand. "You're too late," said one of the citizens, to Amos Radbury, as they rode up to the lockup. "Too late?" "Yes." "What do you mean?" asked Dan. "You're after that Hank Stiger, I take it?" "We are." "He skipped out, day before yesterday." "Broke jail?" "Well, not exactly that, Radbury. Louis Reemer was a-watching of him, and Louis got drunk and left the jail door unlocked, and----" "And Stiger walked out, I suppose," finished Lieutenant Radbury, bitterly. "We allow as how he run out--an' putty quick-like, too." "Did anybody make a hunt for him?" "To be sure. But he had two or three hours the start of us, and so we couldn't find his trail." "Reemer ought to be locked up himself." "We ducked him in the horse-trough. But he wasn't so much to blame, after all. We had a jollification because of the capture of Bexar, and a good many of the men weren't jest as straight as they might be."