The Texan Scouts: A Story of the Alamo and Goliad

by Joseph A. Altsheler

  CHAPTER VIII

  IN THE ALAMO

  Most of the people in San Antonio were asleep when the dripping figureof a half unconscious boy on a great horse galloped toward them in thatmomentous dawn. He was without hat or serape. He was bareheaded and hisrifle was gone. He was shouting "Up! Up! Santa Anna and the Mexican armyare at hand!" But his voice was so choked and hoarse that he could notbe heard a hundred feet away.

  Davy Crockett, James Bowie and a third man were standing in the MainPlaza. The third man, like the other two, was of commanding proportions.He was a full six feet in height, very erect and muscular, and with fullface and red hair. He was younger than the others, not more thantwenty-eight, but he was Colonel William Barrett Travis, a NorthCarolina lawyer, who was now in command of the few Texans in SanAntonio.

  The three men were talking very anxiously. Crockett had brought wordthat the army of Santa Anna was on the Texan side of the Rio Grande, butit had seemed impossible to rouse the Texans to a full sense of theimpending danger. Many remained at their homes following their usuvocations. Mr. Austin was away in the states trying to raise money.Dissensions were numerous in the councils of the new government, and theleaders could agree upon nothing.

  Travis, Bowie and Crockett were aware of the great danger, but eventhey did not believe it was so near. Nevertheless they were full ofanxiety. Crockett, just come to Texas, took no command and sought tokeep in the background, but he was too famous and experienced a man notto be taken at once by Travis and Bowie into their councils. They werediscussing now the possibility of getting help.

  "We might send messengers to the towns further east," said Travis, "andat least get a few men here in time."

  "We need a good many," said Bowie. "According to Mr. Crockett theMexican army is large, and the population here is unfriendly."

  "That is so," said Travis, "and we have women and children of our own toprotect."

  It was when he spoke the last words that they heard the clatter of hoofsand saw Ned dashing down the narrow street toward the Main Plaza. Theyheard him trying to shout, but his voice was now so hoarse that he couldnot be understood.

  But Ned, though growing weaker fast, knew two of the men. He could neverforget the fair-haired Bowie nor the swarthy Crockett, and he gallopedstraight toward them. Then he pulled up his horse and half fell, halfleaped to the ground. Holding by Old Jack's mane he pulled himself intoan erect position. He was a singular sight The water still fell from hiswet hair and dripped from his clothing. His face was plastered with mud.

  "Santa Anna's army, five thousand strong, is not two miles away!" hesaid. "I tell you because I have seen it!"

  "Good God!" cried Bowie. "It's the boy, Ned Fulton. I know him well.What he says must be truth."

  "It is every word truth!" croaked Ned. "I was pursued by their vanguard!My horse swam the river with me! Up! Up! for Texas!"

  Then he fainted dead away. Bowie seized him in his powerful arms andcarried him into one of the houses occupied by the Texans, where menstripped him of his wet clothing and gave him restoratives. But Bowiehimself hurried out into the Main Plaza. He had the most unlimitedconfidence in Ned's word and so had Crockett. They and Travis at oncebegan to arrange the little garrison for defence.

  Many of the Texans even yet would not believe. So great had been theirconfidence that they had sent out no scouting parties. Only a day or twobefore they had been enjoying themselves at a great dance. The boy whohad come with the news that Santa Anna was at hand must be distraught.Certainly he had looked like a maniac.

  A loud cry suddenly came from the roof of the church of San Fernando.Two sentinels posted there had seen the edge of a great army appear uponthe plain and then spread rapidly over it. Santa Anna's army had come.The mad boy was right. Two horsemen sent out to reconnoiter had to raceback for their lives. The flooded stream was now subsiding and only thedepth of the water in the night had kept the Mexicans from taking cannonacross and attacking.

  Ned's faint was short. He remembered putting on clothing, securing arifle and ammunition, and then he ran out into the square. From manywindows he saw the triumphant faces of Mexicans looking out, but he paidno attention to them. He thought alone of the Texans, who were nowdisplaying the greatest energy. In the face of the imminent and deadlyperil Travis, Crockett, Bowie and the others were cool and were actingwith rapidity. The order was swiftly given to cross to the Alamo, theold mission built like a fortress, and the Texans were gathering in abody. Ned saw a young lieutenant named Dickinson catch up his wife andchild on a horse, and join the group of men. All the Texans had theirlong rifles, and there were also cannon.

  As Ned took his place with the others a kindly hand fell upon hisshoulder and a voice spoke in his ear.

  "I was going to send for you, Ned," said Bowie, "but you've come.Perhaps it would have been better for you, though, if you had been leftin San Antonio."

  "Oh, no, Mr. Bowie!" cried Ned. "Don't say that. We can beat off anynumber of Mexicans!"

  Bowie said nothing more. Much of Ned's courage and spirit returned, buthe saw how pitifully small their numbers were. The little band thatdefiled across the plain toward the Alamo numbered less than one hundredand fifty men, and many of them were without experience.

  They were not far upon the plain when Ned saw a great figure comingtoward him. It was Old Jack, who had been forgotten in the haste andexcitement. The saddle was still on his back and his bridle trailed onthe ground. Ned met him and patted his faithful head. Already he hadtaken his resolution. There would be no place for Old Jack in the Alamo,but this good friend of his should not fall into the hands of theMexicans.

  He slipped off saddle and bridle, struck him smartly on the shoulder andexclaimed:

  "Good-by, Old Jack, good-by! Keep away from our enemies and wait forme."

  The horse looked a moment at his master, and, to Ned's excited eyes, itseemed for a moment that he wished to speak. Old Jack had never beforebeen dismissed in this manner. Ned struck him again and yet moresharply.

  "Go, old friend!" he cried.

  The good horse trotted away across the plain. Once he looked back as ifin reproach, but as Ned did not call him he kept on and disappeared overa swell. It was to Ned like the passing of a friend, but he knew thatOld Jack would not allow the Mexicans to take him. He would fight withboth teeth and hoofs against any such ignominious capture.

  Then Ned turned his attention to the retreat. It was a little band thatwent toward the Alamo, and there were three women and three children init, but since they knew definitely that Santa Anna and his great armyhad come there was not a Texan who shrank from his duty. They had beenlax in their watch and careless of the future, faults frequent inirregular troops, but in the presence of overwhelming danger they showednot the least fear of death.

  They reached the Alamo side of the river. Before them they saw the hewnstone walls of the mission rising up in the form of a cross and facingthe river and the town. It certainly seemed welcome to a little band ofdesperate men who were going to fight against overwhelming odds. Nedalso saw not far away the Mexican cavalry advancing in masses. Theforemost groups were lancers, and the sun glittered on the blades oftheir long weapons.

  Ned believed that Urrea was somewhere in one of these leading groups.Urrea he knew was full of skill and enterprise, but his heart filledwith bitterness against him. He had tasted the Texan salt, he had brokenbread with those faithful friends of his, the Panther and Obed White,and now he was at Santa Anna's right hand, seeking to destroy the Texansutterly.

  "Looks as if I'd have a lot of use for Old Betsy," said a whimsicalvoice beside him. "Somebody said when I started away from Tennessee thatI'd have nothing to do with it, might as well leave my rifle at home.But I 'low that Old Betsy is the most useful friend I could have justnow."

  It was, of course, Davy Crockett who spoke. He was as cool as a cake ofice. Old Betsy rested in the hollow of his arm, the long barrelprojecting several feet. His raccoon skin cap was on the back of hishead. His who
le manner was that of one who was in the first stage of amost interesting event. But as Ned was looking at him a light suddenlyleaped in the calm eye.

  "Look there! look there!" said Davy Crockett, pointing a long finger."We'll need food in that Alamo place, an' behold it on the hoof!"

  About forty cattle had been grazing on the plain. They had suddenlygathered in a bunch, startled by the appearance of so many people, andof galloping horsemen.

  "We'll take 'em with us! We'll need 'em! Say we can do it, Colonel!"shouted Crockett to Travis.

  Travis nodded.

  "Come on, Ned," cried Crockett, "an' come on the rest of youfleet-footed fellows! Every mother's son of you has driv' the cows homebefore in his time, an' now you kin do it again!"

  A dozen swift Texans ran forward with shouts, Ned and Davy Crockett attheir head. Crockett was right. This was work that every one of themknew how to do. In a flash they were driving the whole frightened herdin a run toward the gate that led into the great plaza of the Alamo. Theswift motion, the sense of success in a sudden maneuver, thrilled Ned.He shouted at the cattle as he would have done when he was a small boy.

  They were near the gate when he heard an ominous sound by his side. Itwas the cocking of Davy Crockett's rifle, and when he looked around hesaw that Old Betsy was leveled, and that the sure eye of the Tennesseanwas looking down the sights.

  Some of the Mexican skirmishers seeing the capture of the herd by thedaring Texans were galloping forward to check it. Crockett's fingerpressed the trigger. Old Betsy flashed and the foremost rider fell tothe ground.

  "I told that Mexican to come down off his horse, and he came down,"chuckled Crockett.

  The Mexicans drew back, because other Texan rifles, weapons that theyhad learned to dread, were raised. A second body of horsemen chargedfrom a different angle, and Ned distinctly saw Urrea at their head. Hefired, but the bullet missed the partisan leader and brought downanother man behind him.

  "There are good pickings here," said Davy Crockett, "but they'll soon betoo many for us. Come on, Ned, boy! Our place is behind them walls!"

  "Yes," repeated Bowie, who was near. "It's the Alamo or nothing. Nomatter how fast we fired our rifles we'd soon be trod under foot by theMexicans."

  They passed in, Bowie, Crockett and Ned forming the rear guard. Thegreat gates of the Alamo were closed behind them and barred. For themoment they were safe, because these doors were made of very heavy oak,and it would require immense force to batter them in. It was evidentthat the Mexican horsemen on the plain did not intend to make any suchattempt, as they drew off hastily, knowing that the deadly Texan rifleswould man the walls at once.

  "Well, here we are, Ned," said the cheerful voice of Davy Crockett, "an'if we want to win glory in fightin' it seems that we've got the biggestchance that was ever offered to anybody. I guess when old Santa Annacomes up he'll say: 'By nations right wheel; forward march the world.'Still these walls will help a little to make up the difference betweenfifty to one."

  As he spoke he tapped the outer wall.

  "No Mexican on earth," he said, "has got a tough enough head to buttthrough that. At least I think so. Now what do you think, Ned?"

  His tone was so whimsical that Ned was compelled to laugh despite theirterrible situation.

  "It's a pity, though," continued Crockett, "that we've got such a bigplace here to defend. Sometimes you're the stronger the less ground youspread over."

  Ned glanced around. He had paid the Alamo one hasty visit just after thecapture of San Antonio by the Texans, but he took only a vague lookthen. Now it was to make upon his brain a photograph which nothing couldremove as long as he lived.

  He saw in a few minutes all the details of the Alamo. He knew alreadyits history. This mission of deathless fame was even then more than acentury old. Its name, the Alamo, signified "the Cottonwood tree," butthat has long since been lost in another of imperishable grandeur.

  The buildings of the mission were numerous, the whole arranged,according to custom, in the form of a cross. The church, which was nowwithout a roof, faced town and river, but it contained arched rooms, andthe sacristy had a solid roof of masonry. The windows, cut for the needsof an earlier time, were high and narrow, in order that attackingIndians might not pour in flights of arrows upon those who should beworshipping there. Over the heavy oaken doors were images and carvingsin stone worn by time.

  To the left of the church, beside the wing of the cross, was the plazaof the convent, about thirty yards square, with its separate walls morethan fifteen feet high and nearly four feet thick.

  Ned noted all these things rapidly and ineffaceably, as he and Crocketttook a swift but complete survey of their fortress. He saw that theconvent and hospital, each two stories in height, were made of adobebricks, and he also noticed a sallyport, protected by a little redoubt,at the southeastern corner of the yard.

  They saw beyond the convent yard the great plaza into which they haddriven the cattle, a parallelogram covering nearly three acres, inclosedby a wall eight feet in height and three feet thick. Prisons, barracksand other buildings were scattered about. Beyond the walls was a smallgroup of wretched jacals or huts in which some Mexicans lived. Waterfrom the San Antonio flowed in ditches through the mission.

  It was almost a town that they were called upon to defend, and Ned andCrockett, after their hasty look, came back to the church, the strongestof all the buildings, with walls of hewn stone five feet thick andnearly twenty-five feet high. They opened the heavy oaken doors, enteredthe building and looked up through the open roof at the sky. ThenCrockett's eyes came back to the arched rooms and the covered sacristy.

  "This is the real fort," he said, "an' we'll put our gunpowder in thatsacristy. It looks like sacrilege to use a church for such a purpose,but, Ned, times are goin' to be very hot here, the hottest we ever saw,an' we must protect our powder."

  He carried his suggestion to Travis, who adopted it at once, and thepowder was quickly taken into the rooms. They also had fourteen piecesof cannon which they mounted on the walls of the church, at the stockadeat the entrance to the plaza and at the redoubt. But the Texans,frontiersmen and not regular soldiers, did not place much reliance uponthe cannon. Their favorite weapon was the rifle, with which they rarelymissed even at long range.

  It took the Texans but little time to arrange the defence, and then camea pause. Ned did not have any particular duty assigned to him, and wentback to the church, which now bore so little resemblance to a house ofworship. He gazed curiously at the battered carvings and images over thedoor. They looked almost grotesque to him now, and some of themthreatened.

  He went inside the church and looked around once more. It was old, veryold. The grayness of age showed everywhere, and the silence of thedefenders on the walls deepened its ancient aspect. But the Norther hadceased to blow, and the sun came down, bright and unclouded, through theopen roof.

  Ned climbed upon the wall. Bowie, who was behind one of the cannon,beckoned to him. Ned joined him and leaned upon the gun as Bowie pointedtoward San Antonio.

  "See the Mexican masses," he said. "Ned, you were a most timely herald.If it had not been for you our surprise would have been total. Look howthey defile upon the plain."

  The army of Santa Anna was entering San Antonio and it was spread outfar and wide. The sun glittered on lances and rifles, and brightened thebronze barrels of cannon. The triumphant notes of a bugle came acrossthe intervening space, and when the bugle ceased a Mexican band beganto play.

  It was fine music. The Mexicans had the Latin ear, the gift for melody,and the air they played was martial and inspiring. One could marchreadily to its beat. Bowie frowned.

  "They think it nothing more than a parade," he said. "But when SantaAnna has taken us he will need a new census of his army."

  He looked around at the strong stone walls, and then at the resolutefaces of the men near him. But the garrison was small, pitifully small.

  Ned left the walls and ate a little food that was cooked
over a firelighted in the convent plaza. Then he wandered about the place lookingat the buildings and inclosures. The Alamo was so extensive that he knewTravis would be compelled to concentrate his defense about the church,but he wanted to examine all these places anyhow.

  He wandered into one building that looked like a storehouse. Theinterior was dry and dusty. Cobwebs hung from the walls, and it wasempty save for many old barrels that stood in the corner. Ned lookedcasually into the barrels and then he uttered a shout of joy. A score ofso of them were full of shelled Indian corn in perfect condition, ahundred bushels at least. This was truly treasure trove, more valuablethan if the barrels had been filled with coined gold.

  He ran out of the house and the first man he met was Davy Crockett.

  "Now what has disturbed you?" asked Crockett, in his drawling tone."Haven't you seen Mexicans enough for one day? This ain't the time tosee double."

  "I wish I could see double in this case, Mr. Crockett," replied Ned,"because then the twenty barrels of corn that I've found would beforty."

  He took Crockett triumphantly into the building and showed him thetreasure, which was soon transferred to one of the arched rooms besidethe entrance of the church. It was in truth one of the luckiest findsever made. The cattle in the plaza would furnish meat for a long time,but they would need bread also. Again Ned felt that pleasant glow oftriumph. It seemed that fortune was aiding them.

  He went outside and stood by the ditch which led a shallow stream ofwater along the eastern side of the church. It was greenish in tint, butit was water, water which would keep the life in their bodies while theyfought off the hosts of Santa Anna.

  The sun was now past the zenith, and since the Norther had ceased toblow there was a spring warmth in the air. Ned, conscious now that hewas stained with the dirt and dust of flight and haste, bathed his faceand hands in the water of the ditch and combed his thick brown hair aswell as he could with his fingers.

  "Good work, my lad," said a hearty voice beside him. "It shows that youhave a cool brain and an orderly mind."

  Davy Crockett, who was always neat, also bathed his own face and handsin the ditch.

  "Now I feel a lot better," he said, "and I want to tell you, Ned, thatit's lucky the Spanish built so massively. Look at this church. It's gotwalls of hewn stone, five feet through, an' back in Tennessee we build'em of planks a quarter of an inch thick. Why, these walls would turnthe biggest cannon balls."

  "It surely is mighty lucky," said Ned. "What are you going to do next,Mr. Crockett?"

  "I don't know. I guess we'll wait on the Mexicans to open the battle.Thar, do you hear that trumpet blowin' ag'in? I reckon it means thatthey're up to somethin'."

  "I think so, too," said Ned. "Let's go back upon the church walls, Mr.Crockett, and see for ourselves just what it means."

  The two climbed upon the great stone wall, which was in reality aparapet. Travis and Bowie, who was second in command, were therealready. Ned looked toward San Antonio, and he saw Mexicans everywhere.Mexican flags hoisted by the people were floating from the flat roofs ofthe houses, signs of their exultation at the coming of Santa Anna andthe expulsion of the Texans.

  The trumpet sounded again and they saw three officers detach themselvesfrom the Mexican lines and ride forward under a white flag. Ned knewthat one of them was the young Urrea.

  "Now what in thunder can they want?" growled Davy Crockett. "There canbe no talk or truce between us an' Santa Anna. If all that I've heard ofhim is true I'd never believe a word he says."

  Travis called two of his officers, Major Morris and Captain Martin, anddirected them to go out and see what the Mexicans wanted. Then, meetingNed's eye, he recalled something.

  "Ah, you speak Spanish and Mexican Spanish perfectly," he said. "Willyou go along, too?"

  "Gladly," said Ned.

  "An', Ned," said Davy Crockett, in his whimsical tone, "if you don'ttell me every word they said when you come back I'll keep you on breadan' water for a week. There are to be no secrets here from me."

  "I promise, Mr. Crockett," said Ned.

  The heavy oaken doors were thrown open and the three went out on footto meet the Mexican officers who were riding slowly forward. Theafternoon air was now soft and pleasant, and a light, soothing wind wasblowing from the south. The sky was a vast dome of brilliant blue andgold. It was a picture that remained indelibly on Ned's mind like manyothers that were to come. They were etched in so deeply that neither thecolors nor the order of their occurrence ever changed. An odor, a touch,or anything suggestive would make them return to his mind, unfaded andin proper sequence like the passing of moving pictures.

  The Mexicans halted in the middle of the plain and the three Texans metthem. The Mexicans did not dismount. Urrea was slightly in advance ofthe other two, who were older men in brilliant uniforms, generals atleast. Ned saw at once that they meant to be haughty and arrogant to thelast degree. They showed it in the first instance by not dismounting. Itwas evident that Urrea would be the chief spokesman, and his mannerindicated that it was a part he liked. He, too, was in a fine uniform,irreproachably neat, and his handsome olive face was flushed.

  "And so," he said, in an undertone and in Spanish to Ned, "we are hereface to face again. You have chosen your own trap, the Alamo, and it isnot in human power for you to escape it now."

  His taunt stung, but Ned merely replied:

  "We shall see."

  Then Urrea said aloud, speaking in English, and addressing himself tothe two officers:

  "We have come by order of General Santa Anna, President of Mexico andCommander-in-Chief of her officers, to make a demand of you."

  "A conference must proceed on the assumption that the two parties to itare on equal terms," said Major Morris, in civil tones.

  "Under ordinary circumstances, yes," said Urrea, without abating hishaughty manner one whit, "but this is a demand by a paramount authorityupon rebels and traitors."

  He paused that his words might sink home. All three of the Texans feltanger leap in their hearts, but they put restraint upon their words.

  "What is it that you wish to say to us?" continued Major Morris. "If itis anything we should hear we are listening."

  Urrea could not subdue his love of the grandiose and theatrical.

  "As you may see for yourselves," he said, "General Santa Anna hasreturned to Texas with an overpowering force of brave Mexican troops.San Antonio has fallen into his hands without a struggle. He can takethe Alamo in a day. In a month not a man will be left in Texas able todispute his authority."

  "These are statements most of which can be disputed," said Major Morris."What does General Santa Anna demand of us?"

  His quiet manner had its effect upon Urrea.

  "He demands your unconditional surrender," he said.

  "And does he say nothing about our lives and good treatment?" continuedthe Major, in the same quiet tones.

  "He does not," replied Urrea emphatically. "If you receive mercy it willbe due solely to the clemency of General Santa Anna toward rebels."

  Hot anger again made Ned's heart leap. The tone of Urrea was almostinsufferable, but Major Morris, not he, was spokesman.

  "I am not empowered to accept or reject anything," continued MajorMorris. "Colonel Travis is the commander of our force, but I am quitepositive in my belief that he will not surrender."

  "We must carry back our answer in either the affirmative or thenegative," said Urrea.

  "You can do neither," said Major Morris, "but I promise you that if theanswer is a refusal to surrender--and I know it will be such--a singlecannon shot will be fired from the wall of the church."

  "Very well," said Urrea, "and since that is your arrangement I seenothing more to be said."

  "Nor do I," said Major Morris.

  The Mexicans saluted in a perfunctory manner and rode toward SanAntonio. The three Texans went slowly back to the Alamo. Ned walkedbehind the two men. He hoped that the confidence of Major Morris wasjustified. He knew Santa Anna too we
ll. He believed that the Texans hadmore to fear from surrender than from defence.

  They entered the Alamo and once more the great door was shut and barredheavily. They climbed upon the wall, and Major Morris and Captain Martinwent toward Travis, Bowie and Crockett, who stood together waiting. Nedpaused a little distance away. He saw them talking together earnestly,but he could not hear what they said. Far away he saw the three Mexicansriding slowly toward San Antonio.

  Ned's eyes came back to the wall. He saw Bowie detach himself from theother two and advance toward the cannon. A moment later a flash camefrom its muzzle, a heavy report rolled over the plain, and then cameback in faint echoes.

  The Alamo had sent its answer. A deep cheer came from the Texans. Ned'sheart thrilled. He had his wish.

  The boy looked back toward San Antonio and his eyes were caught bysomething red on the tower of the Church of San Fernando. It rose,expanded swiftly, and then burst out in great folds. It was a blood-redflag, flying now in the wind, the flag of no quarter. No Texan would bespared, and Ned knew it. Nevertheless his heart thrilled again.