“But we’ll attack, just the same,” said Bowie.  “Our men need action.  We’ll follow ’em into that gully.  On, men, on!”

A joyous shout was his reply and the men galloped into the plain.  They were about to charge for the gully when Bowie cried to them to halt.  A new enemy had appeared.  A heavy force of cavalry with two guns was coming from San Antonio to rescue the grass cutters.  They rode forward with triumphant cheers, but the Texans did not flinch.  They would face odds of at least three to one with calmness and confidence.

“Rifles ready, men!” cried Bowie.  “They’re about to charge.”

The trumpets pealed out the signal again, and the Mexicans charged at a gallop.  Up went the Texans’ rifles.  A hundred fingers pressed a hundred triggers, and a hundred bullets crashed into the front of the Mexican line.  Down went horses and men, and the Mexican column stopped.  But it opened in a few moments, and, through the breach, the two cannon began to fire, the heavy reports echoing over the plain.  The Texans instinctively lengthened their line, making it as thin as possible, and continued their deadly rifle fire.

Ned, Obed and the Ring Tailed Panther as usual kept close together, and “Deaf” Smith also was now with them.  All of them were aiming as well as they could through the smoke which was gathering fast, but the Mexicans, in greatly superior force, supported by the cannon, held their ground.  The grass cutters in the gully also opened fire on the Texan flank, and for many minutes the battle swayed back and forth on the plain, while the clouds of smoke grew thicker, at times almost hiding the combatants from one another.

The Texans now began to press harder, and the Mexicans, despite their numbers and their cannon, yielded a little, but the fire from the men in the gully was stinging their flank.  If they pushed forward much farther they would be caught between the two forces and might be destroyed.  It was an alarming puzzle, but at that moment a great shout rose behind them.  The sound of the firing had been heard in the main Texan camp and more Texans were coming by scores.

“It’s all over now,” said Obed.

The Texans divided into two forces.  One drove the main column of the Mexicans in confusion back upon the town, and the other, containing Ned and his friends, charged into the gully and put to flight or captured all who were hidden there.  They also took the mules with their loads of grass which they carried back to their own camp.

Ned, the Ring Tailed Panther, Obed and “Deaf” Smith rode back together to the Salado.  It had been a fine victory, won as usual against odds, but they were not exultant.  In the breast of every one of them had been a hope that the whole Texan army would seize the opportunity and charge at once upon Cos and San Antonio.  Instead, they had been ordered back.