CHAPTER XXVII.
THE MEXICAN ARMY AT SAN ANTONIO.
The day was almost spent when, from a slight hill, they came in sightof San Antonio, the setting sun gilding the tops of the churchsteeples, and making the sluggish river appear like a stream of gold.
"No white mustang yet," said Dan. "I reckon we might as well give upthe chase and go right into the city."
"Not yet!" cried Poke Stover, pointing with his hand to thenorthwestward. "Thar ye are, Dan!"
Dan looked in the direction, and in a patch of cottonwoods made out awhite object, moving slowly along. It was the mustang they were after,so tired out that he could scarcely move from one spot to the next.
"We've got him now!" ejaculated the youth, enthusiastically. "And justas I was ready to give up, too! Come on!"
Away he swept, with all the quickness of which his own wearied steedwas capable, and Poke Stover followed him. The white mustang saw themcoming, and set off into the timber on a feeble run.
The course of the pursued creature was around the northern approach toSan Antonio and then toward the Medina River. Many times they thoughtto give up the chase, but then the white mustang seemed so near and soready to drop that they kept on until the river bank was gained. Herethe mustang disappeared into a pine brake; and it may be as well toadd, right here, that neither the Radburys nor Poke Stover ever saw himagain.
"Where is he?" asked Dan, a few minutes after the animal haddisappeared. "Do you think he leaped into the water?"
"I heard a splash," answered the old frontiersman. "There it goesagain." He tried to pierce the darkness with his eyes. "There issomething over yonder, that---- Whoopee, Dan, look!"
There was no need for Poke Stover to call the boy's attention to whatwas on the other side of the Medina, for Dan was already looking, "withall eyes," as the saying is. He had made out a number of Mexicancavalrymen, moving up and down along the west bank, and now he notedtwo pieces of artillery, which the cannoneers were trying to run out ontwo rafts moored close at hand.
"The Mexican army, as sure as you are born!" cried Stover, in anexcited whisper. "Lad, we have made an important discovery. They mustbe bound for Bexar!"
"Yes, and there are thousands of them," answered Dan. His heart wasbeating so rapidly that he could scarcely speak. "Poke, what had webest do?"
"Find out what their game is, first, and then ride back to Bexar asfast as our mustangs can make it. If the garrison isn't warned, therewill surely be a great slaughter."
There was a stiff norther blowing, making the swollen stream rough anddangerous to cross, and the Mexicans were consulting among themselvesas to how they should proceed. With bated breath, the boy and the oldfrontiersman watched every movement, and, at the same time, tried tofigure up mentally how many Mexicans there were.
"At least a thousand," said Poke Stover, but, as we know, he wasmistaken; the force of the enemy numbered nearly seven times that many,although, to be sure, they were not all in that immediate vicinity.
"We will cross the river and investigate," said one of the officers,presently, and a large flat-bottomed boat was brought around and adozen soldiers leaped into it.
"We had better get out now," whispered Poke Stover, and turned his ponyto ride away from the river bank.
"Halt! Who goes?" came the cry, in Spanish, from one of the Mexicanguards.
"We are discovered," whispered Dan. "Come on!"
He turned away from the river bank and dove straight into the pinebrake. Then came a shot of warning, but the Mexican fired high, notdaring to take aim for fear of hitting a friend.
The shot caused a commotion, and soon Dan and Stover felt that theywere being followed. They tried to make their mustangs move on a run,but the animals could not be urged farther.
"They will catch us, sure," gasped the boy, as the steps of the enemysounded nearer and nearer. "What shall we do?"
"Move to the right, and we'll see if we can't throw them off thetrail," answered Poke Stover.
To the right there was a slight hollow, filled with mesquite-trees andbushes, and beyond this was a sandy plain covered with cacti. But ofthe latter both were ignorant.
Down into the hollow they dove, their horses glad enough of the chanceto get a drink at the pool among the bushes. Under the mesquite-treesthey halted, and Stover went back to reconnoitre.
The scout was gone for fully quarter of an hour, and came backchuckling softly to himself.
"We threw 'em nicely," he said. "We are safe now, providin' we don'tmake too much noise."
"Then let us go on, Poke. We must carry the news to Bexar."
"It's funny there are no scouts around," was the old frontiersman'scomment. "They ought to be on the watch." But none of the Texansoldiers were on guard, the greater portion of them being in attendanceat a Mexican fandango in the town, never suspecting the attack so closeat hand. Santa Anna heard of this fandango, and would have pushedforward to capture San Antonio at once, but could not get his armyacross the Medina River.
Leaving the pool, Dan and the frontiersman ascended to the plain, andpresently found themselves among the cacti. This was anything butpleasant, and they had to pick their way with great care in thedarkness, and even then their steeds often refused to budge, so pricklywere the plants. It was almost morning when they arrived in sight ofthe _jacals_, or huts, which dotted the outskirts of the city.
The pair at once sought out the commander of the garrison,Lieutenant-Colonel William B. Travis, who was still sleeping. Traviswas a dashing young soldier of twenty-eight, a lawyer by profession,and a native of North Carolina. The commander was "red-hot" forindependence, and one who never gave up, as we shall soon see.
"So you wish to see me," he said to Stover, whom he had met before."It's rather an early visit."
"I have to report that a large body of Mexicans are approaching thetown," answered the old frontiersman, saluting in true military style."Young Radbury here and myself were down along the Medina, when wespotted them trying to bring a couple of cannon over on a raft."
"Mexican soldiers?" exclaimed the lieutenant-colonel. "You are certainof this?"
"We are."
"How many of them do you think?"
"At least a thousand."
The commander knit his brows in perplexity. "It is odd none of myscouts have brought me word. But a fandango----" He broke off short, asanother officer came in. "What is it, Chester?"
"It is reported that some Mexican dragoons are in the vicinity,colonel."
"These people here tell me a whole army is coming. Where did yourreport come from?"
"The church steeple. The dragoons are in the vicinity of ProspectHill," went on the officer, mentioning a hill to the west of SanAntonio.
"I must have the particulars of this without delay," said thecommander, hurriedly; and while he questioned Stover and Dan he sentfor several scouts, who were hurried off to verify the reports. Whenthe scouts came back, they reported that Santa Anna's army was comingstraight for San Antonio, several thousand strong.
The whole city was at once thrown into a commotion, and it was feltthat the garrison could do little or nothing toward defending theplace.
"We are but a hundred and forty odd strong," said Lieutenant A. M.Dickenson, one of the attachees of the garrison. "We cannot hold theplaza, no matter how hard we try. Let us retreat to the Alamo, until wecan summon reinforcements."
The matter was hastily discussed, and it was decided to retreat to theAlamo without delay. Later on, express riders were sent off forhelp,--but help never came for those who fought so nobly and bitterlyto the very last.
The retreat from the town to the mission was necessarily a rapid one,for Santa Anna was advancing with all possible speed. Few stores couldbe taken along, but as the garrison swept across the plain lyingbetween the city and the mission, they came upon a herd of cattle,numbering thirty-six heads, and drove these before them into themission's courtyard.
"Let us go with the soldiers!" cried Dan, who was as ex
cited asanybody. "If there is a battle ahead it will be all foolishness toattempt to look for Carlos Martine."
"Well, lad, I'm willing," replied Stover. "But I don't want to get youinto trouble."
"I'll risk the trouble, Poke; come on," and on they went after thegarrison. It was not long before they reached the soldiers, who werejust rounding up the cattle mentioned, and in this operation the twoassisted.
It was felt that the soldiers might be besieged in the Alamo for quitesome time, so as soon as the cattle were rounded up some of the menvisited the near-by houses, and collected all the stores at hand,including a number of bushels of wheat and some dried fruits.
In the meantime Santa Anna's army had marched into San Antonio, andtaken possession. This done, the general held a consultation with hisleading officers, and sent out a flag of truce toward the mission.
"Flag of truce," announced one of the guards.
"Very well, we'll see what they demand," said Lieutenant-ColonelTravis, and despatched Major Morris and Captain Marten to hold theinterview.
"General Santa Anna demands the immediate surrender of the mission,"said the official sent out by the Mexican president.
"We will convey your message to our commander," replied the major ofthe Texans, and withdrew.
Travis received the message with all the quiet dignity for which he wasnoted.
"I will send him his answer at once," he replied, and ordered acannon-shot to be fired over the heads of the Mexican army.
This threw the Mexicans into a rage, and they quickly hung a blood-redflag from the tower of the San Fernando Church in San Antonio. Thisflag meant "no quarter," and, as it went up, several cannon-shots wereaimed at the Alamo; and thus was the battle begun.