It was the shots that set the herd to runnin'.

The men who killed 'em are not far away, an' I'm not a Ring Tailed Panther an' a Cheerful Talker if they don't belong to Urrea's band." "Isn't that a light ?" said Ned, pointing to the west, "or is it a firefly or something of the kind ?" A glowing spark was just visible over the plain, but as it neither moved nor went out the three concluded that it was made by a distant fire.
"I think it's in chaparral or among trees," said Obed, "or we would see it more plainly.

It's a poor camp fire that hides its light under a bushel." "I think you're right an' it must be chaparral," said the Panther.

"But we'll ride toward it an' soon answer our own questions." The light was more than a mile away and, as they advanced slowly, they saw it grow in size and intensity.

It was surely a campfire, but no sound that they could yet hear came from it.