"More men will come to-night," he said to Ned. "You know that requests for help were sent in all directions by the people of Gonzales, and if I know our Texans, and I think I do, they"ll ride hard to be here.
Castenada, in a way, is besieging us now, but--well, the tables may be turned and he"ll turn with "em."
Just at twilight a great shout arose from the women in the village.
There was a snorting of horses, a jingling of spurs and embroidered bridle reins, and twenty lean, brown men, very tall and broad of shoulder, rode up. They were the vanguard of the Texan help, and they rejoiced when they found that the Mexican force was still on the west side of the Guadalupe.
Their welcome was not noisy but deep. The eighteen were now the thirty-eight, and to-morrow they would be a hundred or more. The twenty had ridden more than a hundred miles, but they were fresh and zealous for the combat. They went down to the river, and, in the darkness, looked at the Mexican camp fires, while the Ring Tailed Panther roared out his opinion.
"The Mexicans won"t bring the fight to us," he said, "so we must carry it to them. They"ve galloped down here twice an" they"ve looked at the river an" they"ve looked at us, an" they"ve galloped back again. We can"t let "em set over there besiegin" us, we must cross an" besiege them an" get to roarin" an" rippin" an" clawin"."
"To-morrow," said Obed, "more of our friends will be here and when we all get together we will discuss it and make a decision."
"Of course we"ll discuss it!" roared the Ring Tailed Panther, "an" then we"ll come to a decision, an" there"s only one decision that we can come to. We"ll cross the river an" mighty quick we"ll make them Mexicans wish they"d chose a camp a hundred miles from Gonzales."
The others laughed, but after all, the Ring Tailed Panther had stated their position truly. Every man agreed with him. The watch at the river that night was as vigilant as ever, and the next morning parties of Texans arrived from different points, swelling their numbers to more than one hundred and fifty men, fully equaling the company of Castenada, after allowing for reinforcements received by the Mexican captain.
With one of the Texan troops came a quiet man of confident bearing, dressed like the others in buckskin, but with more authority in his manner. The Ring Tailed Panther greeted him with great warmth, shaking his hand and saying:
"John! John! We"re awful glad you"ve come "cause there"s to be a lot of roarin" an" tearin" an" clawin" to be done."
The man smiled and replied in his quiet tones:
"We know it and that"s why we"ve come. Now, I suggest that while we leave ten men at each ford, we hold a meeting in the village. Everything we have is at stake and as one Texan is as good as another we ought to talk it over."
"Who is he?" asked Ned of Obed.
"That"s John Moore. He"s been a great Indian fighter and one of the defenders of the frontier. I think it likely that he"ll be our leader in whatever we undertake. He"s certainly the man for the place."
"Oyez! Oyez!" roared the Ring Tailed Panther with mouth wide open. "Come all ye upon the common, an" hear the case of Texas against Mexico which is now about to be debated. The gentlemen representin" the other side are on the west sh.o.r.e of the river about a mile from here, an" after decidin" upon our argyment an" the manner of it we"ll communicate it to "em later whether they like our decision or not."
They poured upon the common in a tumultuous throng, the women and children forming a continuous fringe about them.
"I move that John Moore be made the Chairman of this here meetin" an"
the leader in whatever it decides to do, "specially as we know already what it"s goin" to decide," roared the Ring Tailed Panther, "an"
wherever he leads we will follow."
Ned said nothing, but his pulses were leaping. Perhaps the silent boy appreciated more than any other present that this was the beginning of a great epic in the American story. The young student, his head filled with completed dramas of the past, could look further into the future than the veteran men of action around him.
The debate was short. In truth it was no debate at all, because all were of one mind. Since the Mexicans had already fired upon them and would not go away they would cross the river and attack Castenada. As Obed had predicted, Moore was unanimously chosen leader, the t.i.tle of Colonel being bestowed upon him, and they set to work at once for the attack.
Ned and Obed walked together to the cl.u.s.ter of oaks in which the two had spent so much time. Both were grave, appreciating fully the fact that they were about to go into battle.
"Ned," said Obed, "you and I have been through a lot of dangers together and we"re not afraid to talk about dangers to come. In case anything should happen to you is there any word you want sent anybody?"
"To n.o.body except Mr. Austin. He"s been very good to me here and in Mexico. I suppose I"ve got some relatives in Missouri, but they are so distant I"ve forgotten who they are, and probably they never knew anything about me. If it"s the other way about, Obed, what word shall I send?"
"Nothing to n.o.body. I had a stepfather in Maine, who didn"t like me, and my mother died five years after her second marriage. I"m a Texan, Ned, same as if I were born on this soil, and my best friends are around me.
I"ll live and die with "em."
The two, the man and the boy, shook hands, but made no further display of feeling. The force was organized in the village, beyond the sight of the Mexicans, who were lounging in the gra.s.s, although they had posted sentinels. Every Texan was well armed, carrying a rifle, pistol and knife. Some had in addition the Indian tomahawk.
It was the first day of October and the coolness of late afternoon had come. A fresh breeze was blowing from the southwest. The little command, silent save for the hoof beats of their horses, rode down to the river.
The women and children looked after them and they, too, were silent. A strange Indian stoicism possessed them all.
Ned and Obed were side by side. The breeze cooled the forehead and cheeks of the boy, but his pulses beat hard and fast. He looked back at Gonzales and he knew that he would never forget that little village of little log cabins. Then he looked straight before him at the yellow river, and the sh.o.r.e beyond, where the Mexican camp lay.
It was now seven o"clock and the twilight was coming.
"Isn"t it late to make an attack?" he said to Obed.
"It depends on what happens. Circ.u.mstances alter battles. If we surprise them there"ll be time for a fine fight. If they discover our advance it may be better to wait until morning."
They rode into the water twenty abreast, and made for the farther sh.o.r.e.
So many horses made much splashing, and Ned expected bullets, but none came. Dripping, they reached the farther sh.o.r.e and went straight toward the Mexican camp. Then came sudden shouts, the flash of rifles and the singing of bullets. The Mexican sentinels had discovered the Texan advance.
Moore ordered his men to halt, and then he held a short conference with the leaders. It was very late, and they would postpone the attack until morning. Hence, they tethered their horses in sight of the Mexican camp, set many sentinels and deliberately began to cook their suppers.
It was all very strange and unreal to Ned. Having started for a battle it was battle he wanted at once and the wait of a night rested heavily upon his nerves.
"Take it easy, Ned," said Obed, who observed him. "Willful haste makes woeful fight. Eat your supper and then you"d better lie down and sleep if you can. I"d rather go on watch toward morning if I were you, because if anything happens in the night it will happen late."
Ned considered it good advice and he lay down in his blankets, having been notified that he would be called at one o"clock in the morning to take his turn. Once more he exerted will to the utmost in the effort to control nerves and body. He told himself that he was now surrounded by friends, who would watch while he slept, and that he could not be surprised. Slumber came sooner than he had hoped, but at the appointed hour he was awakened and took his place among the sentinels.
Ned found the night cold and dark, but he shook off the chill by vigorous walking to and fro. He discovered, however, that he could not see any better by use, as the darkness was caused by mists rather than clouds. Vapors were rising from the prairie, and objects, seen through them, a.s.sumed thin and distorted shapes. 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 c.o.c.ked 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 gra.s.s. 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. "I think it likely, however, that they are merely withdrawing to a stronger position, but they can"t escape us. We"ll follow "em, and since they wanted that cannon so badly we"ll give "em a taste of it."
The cannon, a six-pounder, had been brought over on the ferryboat in the night and was now in the Texan camp.
"Ned," said Moore, "do you, Obed and the Panther ride after those fellows and see what they do. Then come back and report."
It was a dangerous duty, but the three responded gladly. They advanced cautiously through the fog and the Ring Tailed Panther roared softly.
"Runnin" away?" he said. "I"d be ashamed to come for a cannon an" then to slink off with tail droopin" like a cowardly coyote. By the great horn spoon, I hope they are merely seekin" a better position an" will give us a fight. It would be a mean Mexican trick to run clean away."
"The Mexicans are not cowards," said Ned.
"Depends on how the notion strikes "em," said the Panther. "Sometimes they fight like all creation an" sometimes they hit it for the high gra.s.s an" the tall timber. There"s never any tellin" what they"ll do."
"Hark!" said Obed, "don"t you hear their tramp there to our left?"