“Fire, boys!  Fire at once!” cried the Panther.

A deadly volley was poured into the Comanche band.  The Indians replied, but were soon compelled to give way.  The Panther, raising his voice, shouted in tremendous tones: 

“Rescue!  Rescue!  We’re here, boys!”

The defenders of the cabin, hearing the volleys and the shouts of their friends, opened the door and rushed out of the cabin, rifle in hand.  Caught between two forces, the Comanches gave up and rushed to the plain, where they had left their ponies.  Jumping upon the backs of these, they fled like the wind.

The two victorious parties met and shook hands.

“We’re mighty glad to see you, Panther,” said Fields, grinning.  “You don’t look like an angel, but you act like one, an’ I see you’ve brought a lot of new angels with you.”

“Yes,” replied the Panther, with some pride in his voice, “an’ the first of the angels is Davy Crockett.  Mr. Crockett, Mr. Fields.”

The men crowded around to shake hands with the renowned Davy.  Meanwhile a small party brought the four Tennesseans and the horses.  Fortunately the Comanches had fled in the other direction.  But it was not all joy in the Texan camp.  Two silent figures covered with serapes were stretched on the floor in the cabin, and several others had wounds, although they had borne their part in the fighting.

“Tell us how it happened,” said the Panther, after they had set sentinels in the forest.

“They attacked us about an hour after dark,” replied Fields.  “We knew that no Mexicans were near, but we never thought of Indians raiding this far to the eastward.  Some of the men were outside looking after jerked meat when they suddenly opened fire from the brush.  Two of the boys, Campbell and Hudson, were hurt so badly that they died after they were helped into the house by the others.  The Comanches tried to rush in with our own men, but we drove them off and we could have held the cabin against ’em forever, if they hadn’t begun to shoot the burning arrows.  Then you came.”

Campbell and Hudson were buried.  Ned had been welcomed warmly by Allen, and the two boys compared notes.  Will’s face glowed when he heard of Ned’s adventures within the Mexican lines.

“I could never have done it,” he said.  “I couldn’t have kept steady enough when one crisis after another came along.  I suppose this means, of course, that we must try to meet Santa Anna in some way.  What do you think we can do, Ned?”

“I don’t know, but just at present I’m going to sleep.  The Panther, Davy Crockett and Obed will debate the plans.”

Ned, who was becoming inured to war and danger, was soon asleep, but Will could not close his eyes.  He had borne a gallant part in the defense, and the sounds of rifle shots and Indian yells still resounded in his excited ear.  He remained awake long after he heard the heavy breathing of the men about him, but exhausted nerves gave way at last and he, too, slept.