hundred pounds, it became necessary for him to return home. Two men, whose horses were more lame than the others, were detailed to accompany him.

With their force now reduced to seventeen, the Texans, with Lieutenant Rice in command, pushed on in pursuit, although many of their horses were quite lame. By traveling slowly and closely examining every sign, the rangers succeeded in following the dim, water-soaked trail through the mountains out into the prairie towards the San Gabriel, where the Mexicans had camped the night before. From here on the sign was fresh and plain, and could easily be followed in a gallop.

About 2 o'clock in the afternoon, they reached the south fork of the San Gabriel at a point near a celebrated spring, not far from the residence of William Johnson, wrote J. W. Wilbarger in 1889. At this point the enemy had nooned and cut down a bee tree. The bees had not yet settled when the Texans arrived, and the camp fires, four in number, were still burning. The fact that there were only four camp fires was another indication that the enemy force was not large. Realizing that the enemy could not be far ahead now, the Texans did not halt, but pushed on rapidly with renewed zeal and enthusiasm.

After going about a mile further, the rangers were signaled by their spies, Felix McCluskey and B. B. Castleberry, who were about a quarter of a mile in advance, to hold up, dismount, and cut switches. The signals were obeyed, and having provided themselves with switches, the rangers once more advanced. On coming up with the spies, they were informed that the enemy had just passed over the hill immediately beyond. The rangers now started off in a steady gallop, and within another quarter of a mile came in sight of the enemy. The Mexicans now saw them, and renewed their efforts to outdistance the Texans. Every now and then the Mexicans would make a stand as if they intended to offer battle; but the Texans never checked their speed, and as the distance between the two parties began to close, the rangers would raise the bloodcurdling Texas yell, whereupon, the Mexicans would turn and renew their flight. Each time the Mexicans stopped, their leader could be seen riding up and down the line in front of his men with sword in hand haranguing them to bolster their courage, and, as some of the Texans thought, to count the number of the oncoming foe; and then, apparently not satisfied with either, he would renew his flight. The Texans kept up the chase, however, until they had driven