“An’ now, ma’am,” said “Deaf” Smith, “we’ll guard you the rest of the way to Gonzales.”

The two little groups, now fused into one, resumed their journey over the prairie.

CHAPTER XV

IN ANOTHER TRAP

When Ned Fulton scaled the lowest wall of the Alamo and dropped into the darkness he ran for a long time.  He scarcely knew in what direction he was going, but he was anxious to get away from that terrible town of San Antonio de Bexar.  He was filled with grief for his friends and anger against Santa Anna and his people.  He had passed through an event so tremendous in its nature, so intense and fiery in its results, that his whole character underwent a sudden change.  But a boy in years, the man nevertheless replaced the boy in his mind.  He had looked upon the face of awful things, so awful that few men could bear to behold them.

There was a certain hardening of his nature now.  As he ran, and while the feeling of horror was still upon him, the thought of vengeance swelled into a passion.  The Texans must strike back for what had been done in the Alamo.  Surely all would come when they heard the news that he was bringing.

He believed that the Texans, and they must be assembled in force somewhere, would be toward the east or the southeast, at Harrisburg or Goliad or some other place.  He would join them as soon as he could, and he slackened his pace to a walk.  He was too good a borderer now to exhaust himself in the beginning.

He was overpowered after a while by an immense lethargy.  A great collapse, both physical and mental, came after so much exhaustion.  He felt that he must rest or die.  The night was mild, as the spring was now well advanced in Texas, and he sought a dense thicket in which he might lie for a while.  But there was no scrub or chaparral within easy reach, and his feeling of lassitude became so great that he stopped when he came to a huge oak and lay down under the branches, which spread far and low.

He judged that he was about six miles from San Antonio, a reasonably safe distance for the night, and, relaxing completely, he fell asleep.  Then nature began her great work.  The pulses which were beating so fast and hard in the hoy’s body grew slower and more regular, and at last became normal.  The blood flowed in a fresh and strong current through his veins.  The great physician, minute by minute, was building up his system again.

Ned’s collapse had been so complete that he did not stir for hours.  The day came and the sun rose brilliant in red and gold.  The boy did not stir, but not far away a large animal moved.  Ned’s tree was at the edge of a little grassy plain, and upon this the animal stood, with a head held high and upturned nose sniffing the breeze that came from the direction of the sleeper.

It was in truth a great animal, one with tremendous teeth, and after hesitating a while it walked toward the tree under which the boy lay.  Here it paused and again sniffed the air, which was now strong with the human odor.  It remained there a while, staring with great eyes at the sleeping form, and then went back to the grassy little meadow.  It revisited the boy at intervals, but never disturbed him, and Ned slept peacefully on.