If
he came back with a true and detailed tale of their numbers the Texans
must believe and prepare. He drew the brim of his sombrero down a little
further, and pulled his serape up to meet it. The habit the Mexicans had
of wrapping their serapes so high that they were covered to the nose was
fortunate at this time. He was now completely disguised, without the
appearance of having taken any unusual precaution.
He walked forward boldly and sat down with a group beside a fire. He
judged by the fact that they were awake so late that they had but little
to do, and he saw at once also that they were Mexicans from the far
south. They were small, dark men, rather amiable in appearance. Two
began to play guitars and they sang a plaintive song to the music. The
others, smoking cigarritos, listened attentively and luxuriously. Ned
imitated them perfectly. He, too, lying upon his elbow before the
pleasant fire, felt the influence of the music, so sweet, so murmurous,
speaking so little of war. One of the men handed him a cigarrito, and,
lighting it, he made pretense of smoking--he would not have seemed a
Mexican had he not smoked the cigarrito.
Lying there, Ned saw many tents, evidence of a camp that was not for the
day only, and he beheld officers in bright uniforms passing among them.
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