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diff --git a/old/66962-0.txt b/old/66962-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d5cf65c..0000000 --- a/old/66962-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4278 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of In Texas with Davy Crockett, by John T. -McIntyre - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: In Texas with Davy Crockett - -Author: John T. McIntyre - -Illustrator: John A. Huybers - -Release Date: December 17, 2021 [eBook #66962] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: D A Alexander, with thanks to the McGovern Library at Dakota - Wesleyan University for providing the scan for the book's - cover, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from - images generously made available by the Library of Congress) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN TEXAS WITH DAVY CROCKETT *** - -[Illustration: THE RIFLE RANG OUT] - - - - - IN TEXAS WITH - DAVY CROCKETT - - _By_ - JOHN T. McINTYRE - - _Author of_ - “In Kentucky with Daniel Boone,” - “In the Rockies with Kit Carson” - - _Illustrations by_ - JOHN A. HUYBERS - - [Illustration] - - THE PENN PUBLISHING - COMPANY PHILADELPHIA - 1914 - - - - - COPYRIGHT - 1914 BY - THE PENN - PUBLISHING - COMPANY - - [Illustration] - - - - -Contents - - - I. DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI 7 - - II. THE PLOT 21 - - III. THE QUARREL 33 - - IV. THE FIGHT 48 - - V. DAVY CROCKETT 64 - - VI. BEAR HUNTING 81 - - VII. SURPRISING NEWS 99 - - VIII. A LITTLE JOKE 112 - - IX. TEXAS 121 - - X. ATTACKED BY COMANCHES 136 - - XI. THE BUFFALO HUNT 149 - - XII. A FIGHT WITH MEXICANS 162 - - XIII. THE PLOTTERS ONCE MORE 172 - - XIV. THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO 189 - - XV. SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT 202 - - - - -Illustrations - - - PAGE - - THE RIFLE RANG OUT _Frontispiece_ - - “DON’T LET HIM CRIPPLE YOU” 54 - - THE COMANCHES HAD REMOUNTED 141 - - A DESPERATE HAND-TO-HAND CONFLICT ENSUED 198 - - - - -In Texas With Davy Crockett - - - - -CHAPTER I - -DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI - - -The towering stacks of the steamboat “Mediterranean” sent their clouds -of smoke, black and wind rent, across the sky; her sharp bow cut the -yellow waters of the Mississippi and dashed the spray as high as her -rails. - -The cabins were thronged with passengers; the forward deck was tiered -high with bales and barrels and boxes of merchandise. - -Two boys sat by the rail upon the upper deck; their faces were earnest -and they talked in low tones. - -“Are you quite sure that Sam Davidge is on board, Walt?” asked one. - -“I’d know him among a whole city-full, let alone a cabin-full,” -answered Walter Jordan. “And I’ve seen him three times to-day.” - -The other boy frowned and looked out over the wide river toward the -Arkansas shore. - -“It’s queer,” said he. “It’s very queer that he should just happen to -be going down the river at the same time we are.” - -Walter Jordan gave his friend a quick look. - -“Ned,” said he, “chance has nothing to do with it--as I think you know.” - -Ned Chandler nodded. - -“He’s on board because we are; he’s trying to find out where we are -going.” The boy ran his fingers through his short light hair, and his -blue eyes snapped. “I never did think much of Davidge; and I think less -of him now than I did before.” - -Walter Jordan leaned back in his chair and clasped one knee with his -hands. He was a tall, well-built young fellow of eighteen with a broad -chest and shoulders, and a good-looking, resolute face. - -“When we boarded the ‘General Greene’ at Louisville,” said he, “I -thought I saw Davidge in the crowd. But you know what a miserable, wet -night it was and how the lamps on the pier flickered. So I couldn’t be -sure.” - -“You never mentioned it to me,” said Ned, complainingly. - -“I didn’t want to until I was sure. I thought there was no use getting -up an excitement about a thing that might turn out to have nothing -behind it.” - -From somewhere around the high tiers of bales, a negro deck hand picked -a tune out of a banjo; and the rhythmic shuffle and pit-pat-pit of feet -told of another who danced to the music. - -“All the way down the Ohio on the ‘Greene’ I noticed you were very -quiet and watchful,” spoke young Chandler. “But to me it only meant -that you were careful. I never thought of anything else.” - -Walter Jordan looked at his friend, and there was a troubled look in -his eyes. - -“And Sam Davidge isn’t all we have to worry us,” said he, in a lower -tone. “When we reached the Mississippi, and changed to this boat, I -noticed something else.” - -Ned caught the troubled look, and though he did not in the least -suspect the cause of it, his own round face took on one just like it. - -“What was it?” he asked. - -“Have you seen a man on board whom they all call Colonel Huntley?” - -Ned’s eyes went to the cabin door where he had noticed two persons a -few moments before; the two were still there and intently examining -them. - -“Yes,” said Ned. “I know whom you mean.” - -“I didn’t understand it, and I don’t like it,” said Walter, the -troubled look growing deeper, “but there is never a time I look toward -him that I don’t find his eyes upon me.” - -“Humph!” said Ned. And then: “Well, Walt, he’s not changed his ways -any. Don’t look around just yet, or he’ll see that we’ve been speaking -of him. He’s over by the cabin door behind you, and he’s looking this -way for all he’s worth.” - -“Alone?” asked Walter. - -“No. That fellow Barker is with him.” - -“Barker’s like his shadow,” said Walter. “You never see one without the -other.” - -Colonel Huntley was a man of perhaps forty years, tall and powerfully -built. He wore a long frock coat of gray cloth, doe-skin trousers, and -long shining boots. Upon his head was a bell-crowned beaver hat with -a curling brim. In the immaculately white stock about his neck was a -large diamond set in rough gold. - -The person beside him was a young fellow of perhaps twenty, with huge, -thick shoulders and a round bullet head. - -“Tell me,” said Ned, his eyes upon the two but his mind, apparently, -upon a subject altogether foreign to them, “do you think Colonel -Huntley has anything to do with Davidge?” - -“I feel sure of it,” replied Walter. “When either of us is about, Sam -keeps hidden. But when the coast’s clear, or they think it is, he is to -be seen in out-of-the-way corners, earnestly discussing something with -Colonel Huntley.” - -“I can see that I’ve been missing a great deal,” said young Chandler. -“But that’s past. In the future I’m going to keep both eyes wide open. -Earnest conversation in out-of-the-way corners means only one thing. -And that is: that something is under way which has a good bit to do -with our trip to Texas.” - -There was a silence for a space. Ned continued covertly to inspect -the two at the cabin door. Walter gazed ahead along the broad stretch -of the Mississippi; on the left was the thickly timbered shore of -Tennessee; and that of Arkansas frowned at them from the right. - -The “Mediterranean” was a large boat; she was deeply loaded with cargo -and carried a great throng of passengers. But passengers were always -plentiful in those early days of the year 1836; for the situation -between Texas and Mexico had grown acute; war had spread its sombre -wings for a terrible flight across that new land; the adventurers and -soldiers of fortune of the States were swarming toward the southwest. - -Those men who had fought in the many wars with the Indians, who had -carried the line of the frontier forward step by step, who had leveled -the wilderness and subdued the forces which spring up in the path of -civilization, had long ago turned their eyes toward the vast empire -north of the Rio Grande. They saw it loosely held by an inferior race; -they saw a hardy, fearless band of Americans resisting oppression and -preparing to repulse the advance of Santa Anna. And so each steamer -down the Mississippi carried a horde of them, armed and ready to do -their part. - -Since boarding the boat the boys had heard little else but Texas. The -name seemed to be on every tongue. And even now, as they sat thinking -over the turn that seemed to have taken place in their own affairs, the -loud voices that came to their ears from the cabin held to the subject. - -“A pack of mongrels, that’s what they are,” said a voice above the -clatter. “And not a good fight among them. The idea of their trying to -dictate to a free people like the Texans what shall and what shall not -be done.” - -Another man seemed stunned by the immense area of the new land. - -“Just think of the size of it!” cried he, in high admiration. “Eight -hundred and twenty-five miles long, and seven hundred and forty miles -wide. It’s twice as big as Great Britain and Ireland, and bigger than -France, Holland, Belgium and Denmark put together.” - -“Who says a country like that is not worth fighting for?” shouted -another voice. “Who says it shouldn’t belong to these United States?” - -“Let Santa Anna poke his nose across the Coahuila line, and he’ll get -it cut off with a bowie knife,” said still another adventurer. - -“It seems to me,” said Walter Jordan, “that we couldn’t have had a -worse time to carry out our errand to Texas than just now. The closer -we get to it, the more war-like things are.” - -Ned Chandler looked at his friend in surprise. - -“What, Walter,” said he, “you’re not holding back because things are -not all quiet and orderly, are you?” - -Walter smiled. - -“I’m headed for Texas, and going as fast as this boat will take me,” -said he. “And I mean to keep on going until I get there and do what we -set out to do.” - -Ned laughed in a pleased sort of way. There was a light of adventure in -his eyes. - -“Why do you object to the coming war with the Mexicans, then?” said he. -“That will make only the more fun on our trip south.” - -“But fun is not what we’ve come for,” said Walter. “We’ve got a purpose -in view, and until that’s accomplished, we must think of nothing else.” - -Ned grew more sober. - -“Right you are,” said he. “Not a thing must enter our minds but the one -thing, until it’s done. But after that,” and his eyes began to dance -once more, “we can take time to look around us a bit, can’t we?” - -“Why, I suppose that would do no harm. But mind you, Ned, not until -then.” - -“Not for a moment,” said Ned Chandler. “You can count on me, Walt.” - -Again there was a silence between them, and once more the voices came -from the cabin. - -“I know the settlement of Texas from start to finish,” said the -loud-voiced man. “First the French built a fort; then they left, and -the Spanish came and built missions, and called the state the New -Philippines, and began to fight the Comanche and Apache. When the -United States bought the Louisiana territory from France, trouble began -with Spain. We claimed everything north of the Rio Grande; but the -Spaniards said the Sabine was the natural line.” - -“I recall the things that followed that,” said another voice. “I was -quite a youngster then, and was in New Orleans. Every little while -expeditions were formed to invade Texas and fight the Spanish. One, I -remember, was while the war with England was going on; and the Spanish -were licked, losing a thousand men.” - -“Then Steve Austin went into the territory and planted a colony,” went -on the first speaker. “The new Mexican republic stuck Coahuila on to -Texas and tried to make one state of them. But when the Americans in -the country got a little stronger they rebelled against this, passed -a resolution and sent it to Santa Anna, asking that Texas be admitted -into the republic as a separate state.” - -“They might have known that he wouldn’t listen to such a thing,” said -the other man. “‘The Napoleon of the West’ he likes to be called, but a -more detestable tyrant never oppressed an honest people.” - -“Well, when he tried to go against the will of Texas, they gave him -right smart whippings at Goliad and Concepcion, elected Smith governor, -and Sam Houston commander of the army. Then they smashed into San -Antonio and ran the Mexicans out of Texas.” - -“Nothing will ever come of it until they cut away from Mexico for good -and all,” said the second man. “I’m not for Texas as an independent -state in the Mexican Republic. What I want to see, and what thousands -of others want to see, is Texas, a republic itself, entirely free of -Mexico, or else Texas, a state in our own Union.” - -This saying met with much favor; the babble of voices arose, mingled -with the clapping of hands. - -“For,” went on the speaker, raising his voice that he might be heard, -“as long as they stick to Mexico, just that long will they keep in hot -water. Santa Anna may be, at this minute, marching against them with -an army. And he will keep on marching against them until they make -themselves altogether independent of him and his gang.” - -Here Walter Jordan arose. - -“Let’s go inside,” said he. “They all seem to be quite interested.” - -Ned also got up. - -“Do you think there will ever be such a thing as the Texas republic?” -said he. - -Walter shrugged his shoulders. - -“It’s hard to say. But if the Texans are anything at all like what I -hear they are, it wouldn’t surprise me if it came about some day.” - -And so they turned toward the cabin door, and Walter found himself face -to face with Colonel Huntley. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE PLOT - - -Colonel Huntley had cold gray eyes which, when he chose, had an insult -in their every glance. And now, as Walter Jordan’s eyes met his, he -never stirred from the cabin door. Quietly the lad stood and looked at -him; and the cold, valuing eyes were filled with mockery. - -“Do you want anything?” he asked, sneeringly. - -“I wish to go into the cabin,” replied the boy. “Will you kindly step -out of the way?” - -Colonel Huntley laughed in an unpleasant manner, but did not move. - -“I think,” said he, “I’ve seen you somewhere before.” - -“Perhaps,” said the boy. - -“You’re the son of Carroll Jordan, attorney, at Louisville?” said -Colonel Huntley. - -“I am,” said Walter. - -“I knew your father,” sneered Huntley. - -“If you did,” came the boy’s swift reply, “you knew one of the finest -gentlemen in Kentucky.” - -The mockery in Huntley’s eyes increased. - -“That depends altogether on how one looks at it,” said he. - -When Walter Jordan spoke there was a ring in his voice which Ned -Chandler knew well. - -“Looked at in the right way,” said the lad, “and by that I mean the way -in which any fair and honest person would look at it, there can be only -one opinion. And that is the one which I have given.” - -The bullet-headed young man grinned widely, showing a row of strong -teeth, with wide spaces between them. He nodded to Colonel Huntley. - -“That’s talking,” said he. “Right to your face, too.” - -Huntley had a satisfied look in his face; his cold eyes examined Walter -from head to foot. Ned Chandler plucked at his friend’s sleeve, and -breathed into his ear. - -“Look out! He’s trying to get you into some kind of a muss.” - -“So,” spoke Huntley, and his tones were as cold as his eyes, “you don’t -consider me either fair or honest, then?” - -Walter met the man’s look steadily. - -“I have not mentioned you,” said he. “I referred to those persons who -might, as you suggested, speak ill of my father. _You_ have not said -what you thought, sir.” - -Again Huntley laughed his unpleasant laugh. - -“You are something of a diplomat,” said he. “Or, had I better say, a -dodger.” - -“Why, if I cared to,” said Walter, quietly, “I might say almost the -same thing of yourself. Put yourself on record--say openly what you -mean, and I will give you an answer, plain enough for you or anybody -else.” - -There was a silence after the boy’s bold words. Ned Chandler’s eyes -snapped with delight, for here was a chance for excitement. Colonel -Huntley hesitated--not at all because he had not a ready word or -act, but apparently because he feared to trust himself. It was his -bullet-headed companion who spoke. - -“I’ve heard of your father,” said he. “I’ve been told of the little -game he’s up to; and I think he’s trying to feather his own nest.” - -Apparently stung to the quick, young Jordan whirled upon the speaker, -his hand drawn back for a blow. But he felt an iron clutch on his -wrist, and saw the burly chief mate of the “Mediterranean” at his side. - -“None of that,” said the mate, sternly. “No fighting here. There are -women passengers, you know.” - -The bullet-headed youth had stepped aside at Walter’s first swift -motion; this left a space in the cabin doorway, and seizing the chance, -Ned Chandler crowded his friend through and pushed him along the full -length of the men’s cabin, in spite of his efforts to halt. - -“Now,” said the light-haired boy, when they finally brought up in an -unoccupied corner, “before you say anything, let me tell you what I -think.” He shoved his hands down into his trousers pockets, and eyed -his friend calmly. - -“You were a little excited out there,” said he, “and maybe you didn’t -see what I saw.” - -“I saw that Colonel Huntley deliberately set out to insult me,” said -Walter, his eyes glinting with anger, his fists clenched. - -“That’s true,” said Ned, coolly. “So he did. And more than that.” - -Walter looked at his friend, for in his tone he noted a something which -attracted his attention. - -“What do you mean?” he asked. - -“The whole thing was arranged,” said Ned, nodding his head assuredly. -“Those two planted themselves in the doorway to wait for you. Colonel -Huntley was to provoke you, and that fellow Barker was to step in at -the right moment and pick a fight with you.” - -Walter threw up his hand and his angry eyes sought the length of the -men’s cabin. - -“Well,” said he, his hands tightly clenched, “it’s not too late, if -he’s still of the same mind.” - -But Ned Chandler shook his head; apparently he did not agree with his -friend’s present humor. - -“I know how you must feel,” said he, “to hear your father badly spoken -of in a thing like this. He’s giving his money and his time and his -learning to do a thing which will never bring him a penny of gain. He’s -sending you on a mission to a distant place like Texas, just because -he wants to see right done. And to hear people say things, like those -Huntley and Barker have said, is hard to bear. But you must bear it.” - -“I will not!” said Walter steadily, his eyes still searching the cabin -for the two men. - -As a rule, young Jordan was the cooler and more thoughtful of the -two boys. Ned was the impulsive one, the plunger into adventure, a -rollicking, harum-scarum youngster. But, so it seemed, what had been -said against his father had stirred Walter deeply and made him throw -his usual caution aside. And seeing this, Ned, who was observant enough -when he was so inclined, had seized the helm and was now guiding the -craft of their fortunes. - -“Such people as those,” said Walter, “are of the sort who make a -business of bullying. They try to browbeat every one they meet; and -they are encouraged by people’s giving in to them. And I don’t mean to -do that.” - -“That Barker has a bad look,” said Ned, “and he’s a pretty -strong-looking fellow. No, no,” hastily, as he caught sight of the -expression that came into his friend’s face, “of course his strength -wouldn’t make any difference to you. But take a look at it from the -other side. These two haven’t planned this thing with just the idea of -getting you into a fight. They are deeper than that.” He put his hand -upon Walter’s arm. “Suppose,” said he, in a lower tone, “you were hurt. -What then?” - -Walter looked at young Chandler, and gradually the expression of his -face changed. - -“Our trip to Texas would be delayed,” said he. - -“That’s it,” said Ned. “And they would get there ahead of you; and the -thing your father is so set on doing for this girl in Texas would never -be done.” - -The anger had now altogether left Walter Jordan’s face; he laid his -hand upon Ned’s shoulder. - -“You are right,” said he. “I see it now. That’s just what they are -after. And I see Sam Davidge’s hand in it. He’s planned it with them.” - -The two sat down upon chairs in the corner to discuss this new -aspect. The men’s cabin was crowded with all sorts of travelers; and -the clatter and rumble of voices went on with the regularity of the -engine’s throb. Almost every walk of life was represented among the -passengers. Planters on the way down the river to Natchez or New -Orleans; sharpers on the lookout for some easy means of gaining money; -slave dealers, the sellers of plantation requirements, steamboat -men, drovers, adventurers and desperadoes on their way to the new -country--Texas. - -These latter were easily known by their dress and manner. Some were -elegantly attired in the fashion of the time, others wore flannel -shirts and wide-rimmed hats, and had the legs of their trousers -stuffed into long leather boots. Still another class possessed the -hunting shirt, deerskin leggings and coonskin cap of the backwoodsman. -All were armed with pistol, knife and rifle; and all had the free, -loud, independent ways of their kind. - -“Texas,” declared the man with the strong voice which the lads had -heard while upon the deck, “was never made for Mexicans. It’s a great -country, and none but white men are fit to own it. I, for one, am going -down there with a rifle that can snuff out a candle at fifty yards, and -I’m going to have a personal word for Santa Anna if I ever run across -him.” - -A shout went up from the adventurers, rifle butts rattled upon the -cabin floor and brawny fists thumped tables and the arms of chairs. - -“Now you’re shouting!” cried another man, a lank backwoodsman in a -fringed buckskin shirt. “Let them stop palavering and get to work. -Greasers’ll never do anything but talk if you talk with them. Lead’s -my way of conversing with such folks--lead out of a rifle barrel, and -with a good eye behind it.” - -“What’s the committee that’s got charge of things doing down there?” -asked a booted and burly man in a soiled flannel shirt and a huge -Remington revolver sticking in his belt. “Why don’t they get to some -kind of an agreement, and let Sam Houston loose to march against the -Greasers. As my friend here says, talk’s no good, if it’s not backed -up by rifles. What they need is to give Houston about five thousand -men who know how to shoot, and in three months’ time you’ll never hear -another word from Santa Anna and his gang.” - -While they talked, the boys kept their eyes fixed upon the people in -the cabin, watching for Huntley or his shadow. Just then the whistle -of the steamboat shrieked and the engine slowed down in answer to the -pilot’s bell. - -“We’re about to make a landing,” said Ned, his gaze going to a window. -“See how near the Tennessee shore is.” - -“It’s a place called Randolph,” said a planter who sat near by. - -“Going to take on some passengers, I suppose,” said Ned. - -“And while the boat’s doing that,” said Walter, steadily watching two -figures who were pushing their way through the crowded cabin toward -them, “I think you and I’ll be entertaining Colonel Huntley and his -friend Mr. Barker.” - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE QUARREL - - -Ned Chandler looked toward the place indicated by his friend and, sure -enough, he saw Huntley and Barker approaching. - -“Take care,” said Ned, warningly, but with his blue eyes snapping. -“Don’t get yourself hurt. But if they crowd trouble on you, don’t step -back. Give them all they want.” - -If Walter Jordan expected Colonel Huntley to open hostilities when he -approached, he merely showed that he did not know the methods of that -gentleman. As a matter of fact, Huntley did not appear to notice either -of the two young fellows; Barker, however, gave Walter a lowering -sidelong look as he took a vacant chair near the one newly occupied by -the colonel. - -“Well, Huntley,” said one of those near by, “it’s rather a surprise to -see you on board.” - -“I didn’t expect to be, up to a very few days ago,” said the colonel. -He placed his feet, with insolent deliberation, upon the small table -upon which young Jordan was leaning, and began to slap at his boot leg -with the light stick which he carried. “A thing came up which I had to -attend to in a hurry.” - -“I see,” said the other. “Going down to New Orleans, I suppose?” - -“No,” replied Colonel Huntley, “I’m going to Texas.” - -The cold eyes of the man, as he said this, fixed themselves upon -Walter; the sneer was once more upon his lips. The young fellow -regarded him with no trace of the hot anger of a short time before; -nevertheless there was that in his manner which said as plainly as -words that he was no more inclined to accept an affront then than he -had been before. - -“Go on,” said the steady, watchful eyes. “I’ll say nothing if I’m not -pushed to it. But, you know, there’s a line which you must not cross.” - -The man whom Huntley addressed looked amazed at his statement. - -“Texas!” exclaimed he. “Why, I had no idea that you were interested in -the liberation of that territory.” - -Both Colonel Huntley and Barker laughed. - -“I’m not,” said the colonel. “My mission is something else.” He looked -at the other inquiringly. “You remember Tom Norton, who once ran a -newspaper at Nashville?” - -“Of course,” said the other. “Very well. And his wife and little -daughter.” - -“Tom went to Texas,” said Huntley. - -“I understood he started another paper at Natchez,” said the man. - -Huntley nodded. - -“He did. But like the one at Nashville, it didn’t last long. He took -his family to Texas, and settled at San Antonio. Both Tom and his wife -are dead. The girl is grown up and is still at San Antonio.” - -“I see,” said the other, and looked at Huntley with the expression of a -man who knows that more is coming. - -“Norton had some rich relations at Louisville; they’ve gone too, and -have left a fortune to the girl, who knows nothing at all of it.” - -“And so you are on your way to San Antonio to tell her?” - -“Yes, to tell her; and also to keep her out of the clutches of a hawk -of a Louisville lawyer who’s interested himself in the case.” - -Ned Chandler looked at his friend; but Walter was still quiet and still -had the steady look in his eyes. - -“Good enough,” thought Ned. “He’ll not do anything unless they force -him.” - -“So,” said the planter, who was conversing with Colonel Huntley, “the -birds of prey have smelled out the money, have they?” - -“Yes,” replied the colonel, switching at his boot leg with the stick. -“As soon as the news went abroad that there was a rich haul to be -had, this particular shark began to stir himself. He claims to be the -executor of the estate; he has a lot of useless papers, and has sent -emissaries to Texas to get possession of the girl.” - -The planter laughed. - -“Well, he’s energetic, at all events,” said he. “But what’s his name?” - -“Jordan,” answered Huntley. - -An exclamation of surprise came from the planter. - -“Not Carroll Jordan!” said he. - -“The same,” said Huntley, nodding. - -“You amaze me,” said the planter. “This is the first time I ever heard -anything said against Counsellor Jordan. As far as I’ve ever been able -to learn, he’s rated as high as justice itself.” - -Huntley shook his head; from the corners of his cold eyes he watched -the young man opposite him. - -“That’s what the public thinks,” said he. “And the public seldom gets -at the truth of things.” - -The planter seemed puzzled. - -“Maybe so,” said he, not at all convinced. “But somehow I can’t get it -into my mind as a fact. If you were talking of a sharper such as Sam -Davidge, that other Louisville attorney, I could understand it.” - -Ned Chandler noted the expression that crossed the face of Colonel -Huntley at this and he choked back a chuckle. Young Jordan leaned -forward, quietly. - -“I beg your pardon, sir,” said he to the planter; “but it might -interest you to know that, in the case you are discussing, Sam Davidge -is on the other side.” - -The planter seemed surprised both at the statement and at Walter’s -interruption. His eyes went to Huntley. But the latter said nothing. -It was Barker who spoke. - -“Look here,” said the bullet-headed personage to young Jordan. “What do -you mean by forcing yourself into a conversation which does not concern -you?” - -The young fellow looked at him, still quietly. - -“I think you are mistaken,” said he. “The conversation does concern me -intimately.” Then turning to the planter he added, “You’ll understand -that, sir, when I tell you that I am the son of Carroll Jordan whom -Colonel Huntley has seen fit to slander.” - -Huntley’s cold eyes stared into those of the speaker; he lounged back -in his chair, and when he spoke his voice was menacing. - -“This is the second time in the last half hour,” said he, “that you’ve -taken occasion to rub me the wrong way. If you were well acquainted -with me you wouldn’t do it.” - -“I think,” returned the young man, calmly, “that I am as well -acquainted with you as I care to be. Your method of doing things, -Colonel Huntley, is not to my taste. I dislike a man who sets out to -insult some one whom he’s opposed to, and then steps aside so that some -one in his pay may do the dirty work.” - -“What’s that?” snarled Barker, rising to his feet. - -“Your plan, Colonel Huntley,” went on Walter Jordan, disregarding -the bullet-headed young man entirely, and addressing himself to his -principal, “is rather a good one, as plans go. You would get the result -you are after, and yet would not actively figure in the matter. I -suppose Sam Davidge arranged that with you in the secret consultations -you’ve been having in the last little while.” - -Barker, an ugly expression upon his face, tapped young Jordan on the -shoulder. - -“Talk to me,” said he. “You’ve said I do some one’s dirty work; and so -I’m going to give you a chance to prove it.” - -But here Ned Chandler pushed himself between the two. - -“In a few minutes,” said he to Barker, and there was no mistaking his -meaning, “you’ll have everything proved to your satisfaction, and in -any way you care to have it done. So step back and don’t worry.” - -“The whole thing,” proceeded Jordan to Colonel Huntley, and still -in the coolest possible manner, “looks like one of Davidge’s shrewd -tricks. He knew, somehow, where I was going. He followed, skulking -in the background. In some way he must prevent my getting to Texas. -He took you into his council. You had a way. You’d provoke me into -a quarrel and then set this hound on me,” pointing to the snarling -Barker, “in the hope that he’d injure me.” - -Slowly Colonel Huntley took his booted feet from off the table; with -equal slowness he arose to his feet. His cold, light eyes had the -deadly look that comes into those of the cat tribe when about to spring. - -“I’ve listened to what you’ve had to say,” said he, evenly. “And now -you will listen to me. You’ve openly and deliberately insulted me.” - -The palm of young Jordan’s hand came down with a smack upon the table. - -“I am the insulted one,” said he. “You put yourself in my way a while -ago to insult me. You followed me here to renew your slander when I -tried to avoid you. But what I have said concerning you is the truth. -You are associated with Davidge in his plot to get possession of Ethel -Norton’s estate. I charge you with that to your teeth; and here I am to -back it up.” - -The cold look in Huntley’s face was now one of triumph. - -“If you were old enough and worth my attention in a practical way,” -said he, calmly, “I’d take you ashore and shoot you after the accepted -code. But as I can’t bother myself with you, I’ll turn you over to my -friend here; for you have affronted him as much as you have myself. And -perhaps he’ll care to pay some attention to you.” - -Ned Chandler grinned at this. - -“Still sticking to your little arrangement, eh, colonel?” said he. “Ah, -well, there’s nothing in the world like being steadfast.” - -“Colonel Huntley can suit himself in this thing,” said Barker, his -heavy face fixed in a scowl. “But I’ll do the same. If it’s his notion -to pass this matter by, all very well. But I will not. You’ve said -something to me, and about me, that was meant to be offensive; and -you’ve got to give me satisfaction.” - -During the progress of this altercation, all other conversation in the -cabin of the “Mediterranean” had gradually ceased. All eyes were now -upon Water Jordan and the threatening figure of Barker; for it looked -as though the bullet-headed one would spring at the young fellow’s -throat at any instant. And the idea of an impending fight was pleasing -to the wild spirits which crowded the boat; for conflict was the breath -of their nostrils. - -“Who’s the fellow who’s looking so tarnation mad?” asked a lank -backwoodsman who nursed a long rifle across his knees. “He puts his -head down like a wild buffalo.” - -“His name’s Barker,” said a traveler. “I’ve been up and down the river -for the last five years, and in that time he’s gained a wide reputation -as a rough-and-tumble fighter.” - -“I’ve heard of him,” spoke a flannel-shirted adventurer, hitching at -the belt which supported a pair of huge revolvers. “Almost killed a man -at Nashville not long ago.” - -“The other one don’t look to be the same kind of a critter,” said the -backwoodsman. “Kind of better bred and not so rugged in the shoulders.” - -“He looks as though he could give a good account of himself, though,” -put in the commercial drummer. “I’d give a nice sum to see Barker -beaten soundly. He’s got the reputation of being the most troublesome -bruiser on the river.” - -Nearer and nearer the “Mediterranean” swung toward the Tennessee shore; -the negro roustabouts upon the wharf stood ready to carry and trundle -aboard the miscellaneous articles of cargo which awaited the craft. -A thin array of passengers was also waiting. Upon the decks of the -steamboat stood the captain and his mates; their orders were given -curtly and the deck hands sprang alertly to obey them. - -Noting the boat’s proximity to the shore, Colonel Huntley said -something to Barker in a low voice. Barker’s eyes went to a cabin -window as though in reply to some suggestion and an evil look came into -his dull face. - -“Let us see,” said he to Walter, “if you are as ready with your fists -as you are with your tongue. The officers of the boat don’t care to -have any trouble aboard, so, as we’ll tie up to a wharf in a few -minutes, let’s take our affairs ashore, and have it out without any -interference.” - -“Good!” cried Ned Chandler. “That suits us down to the ground. Let it -be ashore, by all means.” - -Acting upon one impulse the passengers streamed out upon the deck; -there was a hurrying of deck hands, a sharp calling of orders and the -jingling of the pilot’s bell. Then with a great splashing of her wheels -and a straining of hawsers, the “Mediterranean” lay quietly at the -wharf. - -Instantly the gangplank was run out and the singing negroes began to -roll on the cargo. Walter Jordan and Ned vaulted over the rail; a -horde of passengers followed, among them being Colonel Huntley and -Barker. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE FIGHT - - -At the head of the wharf was an open space, and when they reached this -Barker halted, and stripped off his coat. - -“No use going any farther, gentlemen,” said he with a wicked grin. “I’d -just as lief smash him here as anywhere else.” - -Walter promptly pulled off his own coat and waistcoat; then he turned -up his cuffs. Ned Chandler, his hand upon Walter’s arm, whispered -advice, his blue eyes all the time fixed upon Barker. - -“Watch him,” cautioned Ned. “Don’t let him get hold of you, or throw -you, if you can help it. Stand off, and hit him back as he comes into -you.” - -Both of the young fellows were fully aware of the lawless nature of -the combat into which Walter was about entering. Those were rough -days; and the river-men, the pioneers, adventurers and planters who -used the great stream were rough men; and so their ways of settling -disputes were apt to be primitive. Force was what usually told; the man -who fought the most savage and relentless battle was almost invariably -the victor. Skill was little considered, as is usually the case in -the outposts of the world; the man with the bulging muscles and the -flail-like arms was the man figured on to conquer; and now as young -Jordan and Barker prepared for the fight there were few who considered -that the former had a chance to escape being maimed. - -“Barker’s like a bull,” said an interested river-man. “There’s no one -between here and New Orleans that’s got a chance with him. He’ll eat -this young fellow up.” - -And the fact that the bullet-headed young man was considered the sure -winner made him popular with a great number of the onlookers. That -he was a noted bruiser had been passed about, and the crowd desired a -specimen of his quality. - -“Hurry up about it, Barker,” suggested a planter in a huge rimmed soft -hat. “Don’t forget that the boat will be here only a quarter of an -hour.” - -“A quarter of an hour!” cried another. “Why, Barker’ll lick a half -dozen like this fellow in that time.” - -A loud laugh went up, and the rough throng gathered into a circle -tighter than before. - -“Sail into him, Bark,” advised one. - -“Show him your mettle,” encouraged another. - -“He’ll know better next time,” said a third. - -“Barker’ll break his bones like match-sticks,” maintained a fourth. - -One of those who stood gazing at the preparation for battle was a -tall, raw-boned man of almost fifty, with a good-natured face, and a -manner which was upon the verge of the eccentric. He wore a coonskin -cap, a long fringed hunting shirt of buckskin, leggings and tanned -moccasins. In the hollow of his arm he carried a handsome rifle. He had -been one of those who stood upon the wharf awaiting the tying of the -“Mediterranean,” apparently for the purpose of taking passage. But the -crowd streaming over the rail had attracted his attention and he had -followed. - -“You all seem to set a sight of store on Barker,” said this person, -after he’d listened to the admiring remarks, and eager encouragement -given the bruiser. - -“Why not?” demanded a burly steamboat man, turning to the speaker. -“He’s beaten every man along the river.” - -The man in the hunting shirt laughed good-naturedly. - -“Oh, come now,” said he. “His record’s not quite so good as that. What -you mean is that he’s beaten all he’s fought; but that doesn’t say -much. For fellows like Barker seldom pick a man they’re not sure of.” - -“I take it,” said the steamboat man, “that you’ve seen him fight.” - -“Lots of times,” said the other, smiling. “In fact, anybody in the -habit of seeing young Barker at all must have seen him fight. For it’s -the thing he’s usually doing.” - -The planter with the wide-rimmed hat surveyed the man in the hunting -shirt. - -“I think,” said he, “Barker’s going to come out on top.” - -The backwoodsman fixed his keen eyes on Walter, who stood with his arms -folded across his chest listening to Ned’s last words. And then he -smiled. - -“Maybe,” said he. “But if that youngster meets him right, he’ll have no -easy time of it.” - -And with this he worked his way through the throng until he stood at -Walter’s side. - -“Youngster,” said he in a low voice, “here’s a word of advice. Use your -feet. Step around. And don’t hit him around the face or head. You’ll -only hurt your hands, and do him no harm. Go for his body when you get -the chance. He can’t stand such blows, and anybody who can keep hitting -him there can beat him.” - -Except for Ned’s caution, “Don’t let him cripple you,” the words of the -backwoodsman were the last that young Jordan heard before the battle -opened. - -He saw Barker advancing toward him, and stepped out to meet him. The -bruiser held his arms awkwardly, his small round head was lowered, and -coming within distance he leaped at his opponent without any ceremony. -Swish! swish! went his short, powerful arms. Young Jordan allowed the -first to swing by him and “ducked” under the other. Then his left -went out, catching Barker flush in the mouth, and the right hand -followed like a flash, landing on the bruiser’s jaw. - -[Illustration: “DON’T LET HIM CRIPPLE YOU”] - -However, though both had been strong blows, sufficient to have -staggered most persons, Barker did not seem to regard them at all, -but pressed on, his arms lunging and swinging wickedly. But both -Jordan’s hands felt the impact against the fellow’s bony front, and -as he stepped actively here and there avoiding the other’s rushes and -watching him narrowly, this thought formed itself in his mind: - -“Whoever it was that just spoke to me seems to know what he was talking -about as far as Barker’s head and face go. They’re like iron. And, so, -if he was right in that, maybe he was right in the other thing. I’ll -give it a trial.” - -A dozen times he had opportunities to land blows upon Barker’s face, -but he refused to strike. The ring of onlookers seized upon his -disinclination and began to jeer. - -“He’s afraid!” cried one. - -“Barker’s got him scared, so’s he dasn’t lift a hand.” - -But the backwoodsman who had spoken to Walter smiled approvingly as he -watched him. - -“Not too quick with your judgments, gentlemen,” said he. “You’ll see -something before long. Barker’s got some one at last who fights him in -the right way.” - -Like a bull, the bullet-headed bruiser lurched after his nimbly -stepping opponent. His arms swung wildly and savagely. Suddenly -grasping an opportunity, Walter stepped in and drove his right fist -into the other’s short ribs. Barker’s heavy face twitched with pain, -and he wavered for an instant. Then young Jordan’s left hand shot out -and found a landing place in the pit of the bully’s stomach. - -That these two blows had a serious effect was instantly evident. -Barker’s face turned a sort of sickly gray and he shook his round head -in a fury. But he had courage; and so once more he came on, thrashing -out with his fists more awkwardly than before. - -Ned Chandler, never missing a move of the two contestants, had seen the -landing of Walter’s blows with delight. But he also saw the tremendous -power in the bully’s awkward swings, and his pleasure was mingled with -a fear that by some chance one of them would find a mark. - -“Watch yourself, Walt,” he kept repeating. “Don’t let him get one of -those in on you.” - -But Walter was careful, and he stepped about actively and with a -purpose in every movement. Getting the bruiser into the right position -he feinted him into a mad whirling of fists--then, one--two--the -powerful body blows were driven home once more. - -“That’s it!” cried the tall backwoodsman, much pleased, and wearing a -wide smile. “That’s it! Keep it up, youngster. You’ll bring him down -like a coon out of a gum tree.” - -Barker flinched more under this second pair of blows than he had under -the first. And his attack grew slacker. - -“Now!” cried Ned Chandler. “Now, Walt, go in. This is your time.” - -“But keep up your guard!” cautioned the tall backwoodsman. - -Walter dashed at his opponent. The fists of Barker whirled with -ponderous inaccuracy; some of the blows struck Walter, some of them -were glancing, others landed as he was stepping away, and so lost their -power. None of them did any damage. But the blows which he was sending -in, in return, were most effective. Sharp, straight and all directed at -the body, few of them failed of their work. The gray of Barker’s face -increased; his knees began to tremble. - -“Come on, Barker, do something,” cried Colonel Huntley, furiously. -“Are you going to let a fellow like that beat you?” - -“Get your grapplers on him, Bark,” suggested a river-man. “Get your -grapplers on him, and let’s see you twist him up like a pipe lighter.” - -Apparently Barker had been turning some such idea over in his own mind, -for he at once set about putting it into play. Evidently he saw that, -for all his power and reputation as a bully, he was no match for young -Jordan in a stand-up fight. And so now he’d put his huge strength of -body and arm to the test. - -“That’s right, Bark,” encouraged the river-man. “That’s it! Work in -close!” - -“Don’t let him clinch you!” cried Ned Chandler, to his friend. “Hit him -off!” - -Such was Walter’s intention. He had no desire to come to a grapple -with a fighter of Barker’s note; for in such a struggle, no matter who -gained the victory, there would be a strong chance of severe injury. -And that above everything else was what he wished to avoid. So, as -Barker moved in, he was met with a shower of blows. But the bully had -learned craft; he did not attempt to strike back, but guarded with his -arms crossed before him and with his head held low. - -His small eyes were glaring between his arms and watching Walter with -savage purpose. He made a move as though to the left; young Jordan -stepped aside to avoid him. But the thing had only been a feint, and as -Walter moved, Barker shifted suddenly and the next instant his exultant -clutch was upon his active foe. - -“Now!” cried Colonel Huntley. “Now you’ve got him. Go to work!” - -“Fight him off, Walt!” shouted Ned, his face paling a little at his -friend’s danger. “Fight him off.” - -The ring of spectators was in a tumult. A turning point of the battle -had been reached. Almost to a man they felt that the ruffianism of -Barker would carry him through. - -Once he felt the band-like arms of the bruiser close about him, Walter -Jordan’s plan of battle changed. He heard Ned’s cry to fight the other -off. But this was impossible. He felt Barker bracing himself for an -effort, and he knew what it meant. Once the bully had thrown him to -the ground he’d have him at his mercy; he would not be allowed to rise -until he was helpless. - -It required only a second or two for all this to pass through his mind; -then he caught sight of the tall backwoodsman over Barker’s shoulder. -And that personage made a swift and suggestive motion with his arms. - -“The elbow!” cried he. “Don’t forget the elbow!” - -Instantly the young fellow understood. With a powerful wriggle he freed -his right arm, and drove the elbow under the chin of Barker, pressing -with all his might against the bruiser’s throat. - -“You fool!” shouted Huntley, to Barker. “Don’t let him do that!” - -But it was too late. The more strongly Barker heaved and strained to -throw young Jordan, the more deadly became the thrust of the elbow into -his throat. And it was his own efforts that were doing it. Panting, -purple of face, he realized this; to relieve the deadly pressure he -would have to slip the grip he’d fought so hard to obtain, and trust to -luck to secure another as good. - -His arms unlocked; breathless, he attempted to step back for a moment’s -rest before plunging at his opponent once more. But here he received -the surprise of his career as a Mississippi river bully. Instead of -young Jordan’s remaining upon the defensive as he had done almost from -the start, he now leaped forward. His strong young arms pinned the -breathless and momentarily helpless bruiser, and with a dexterous -twist lifted him from his feet. Then the fellow was hurled to the -ground, where he lay breathless, almost unconscious, and absolutely -defeated. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -DAVY CROCKETT - - -As the ring of river-men, adventurers, planters and border characters -closed in about the prostrate form of Barker, Walter Jordan felt a hand -laid on his arm. Turning, he saw the tall backwoodsman at his side. - -“They’ve got all the cargo on board the boat,” said the man, “and in -a moment they’ll blow the whistle for every one to get back on board. -There’ll be a rush; and I reckon you’d better not be in it.” - -Ned Chandler, who caught the words, understood their meaning instantly. - -“That’s so,” said he, helping Walter on with his coat. “Barker seemed -to have quite a number of friends in that crowd. And maybe one of them -would try to get some sort of a sneaking revenge, Walt, if he saw a -chance.” - -So, together with the stranger, they walked toward the end of the -wharf. And as they stepped upon the deck of the “Mediterranean,” -her whistle shrieked a shrill warning. There was an instant rush of -passengers; and from the upper deck the three saw Barker helped on -board by a couple of negroes. - -“Colonel Huntley doesn’t look any too well pleased,” said Ned with a -grin, as he caught sight of the sombre face of that gentleman. “His -little plot was rather mussed up.” - -The tall backwoodsman looked interested. - -“What’s this?” said he. “Plot? Colonel Huntley?” - -“The colonel,” spoke Walter, “for an hour or two before the boat landed -at Randolph spent his time in laying the foundation for a quarrel with -me.” - -“He wanted to pick a fight,” put in Ned. “He wanted to have Walt -injured by that blackguard Barker so’s to prevent him from going to -Texas.” - -The long man’s interest deepened. - -“So you are going to Texas, are you?” said he to young Jordan. - -“We both are,” replied the latter. - -“Might I ask what part?” - -“San Antonio.” - -The backwoodsman whistled. - -“Well,” said he, “you’ve picked out what seems likely to be a mighty -interesting section of the new country.” - -Here the lines were cast off, and the “Mediterranean” steamed out into -the stream; then gathering headway she once more split the muddy waters -on her journey southward. The battle upon the pier at Randolph was, for -a time, the chief subject of conversation. But as Barker had retired -to his stateroom, where his friends and some of the steamboat’s people -were striving to make him presentable once more, and Walter held to a -corner of the upper deck with Ned and the stranger, making himself no -more conspicuous than was necessary, the matter gradually died down, -and finally almost completely ceased to be discussed. - -A planter, who appeared to be a man of some consequence, appeared upon -the deck with some friends; and catching sight of the stranger in -the hunting shirt who stood talking with the two young travelers, he -advanced with a surprised greeting. - -“What, colonel! Going down the river?” - -The man in the hunting shirt smiled in his good-natured way, and shook -the planter’s hand cordially. - -“Glad to see you, Mr. Burr,” said he. “Yes, going down the river. A -little expedition, you see.” - -“Gentlemen,” said the planter, addressing those who accompanied him, -“shake hands with Colonel Crockett, the finest rifle shot, the greatest -stump speaker and the most complete bear hunter in Tennessee.” - -“Colonel Crockett,” said Walter to Ned as the backwoodsman laughingly -shook hands with Mr. Burr’s friends. “Can it be the celebrated Davy -Crockett of whom we’ve always heard so much?” - -“I’ll bet it is,” said Ned, his eyes on the colonel. “I’ve seen -pictures of him more than once; and they looked just as he does now.” - -“How is it, Crockett,” asked Mr. Burr, “that I find you in your old -back settlement togs, your rifle and hunting knife with you, headed -south? Surely you are not going to Texas?” - -Crockett nodded. - -“Mr. Burr,” said he, “I surely am. Down there’s a new country to be -fought for and freed. And down there I am going to give what help I -can.” - -“But,” protested Burr, “are you going to give up your career in -Tennessee? You, as a member of Congress, have work to do.” - -Crockett laughed; and there was a trace of bitterness in it. - -“As a member of Congress I _had_ work to do,” corrected he. “But, you -see, that’s an office that I no longer hold.” - -The planter looked amazed. - -“Why, you don’t mean to tell me you were defeated for reëlection in -your district,” said he. - -“I tell you just that,” said Colonel Crockett. - -“Well, I’d never believed it,” said Burr, looking at his friends, -wonder in his face. “Why, colonel, you were the most popular candidate -that ever stumped Tennessee.” - -Davy Crockett smiled, good-naturedly. - -“Yes; the boys set some store by me,” said he. “And they liked to hear -me talk. But politics is a queer kind of thing. The man who gets the -votes may not always win.” - -Mr. Burr looked grave. - -“Why,” said he, “I’m afraid that is true.” - -The party had settled themselves in chairs and the colonel addressed -them generally. - -“President Andy Jackson is no friend of mine,” said he. “I say this, -mind you, knowing that Jackson is a perfectly honest man, a good friend -to those who like him, and a fine fighter. But he’s no friend of mine; -and that’s why I’m on my way to Texas to-day.” - -“Jackson opposed your reëlection, then,” said one of the listeners. - -“He opposed it early and late,” said the backwoodsman. “He fought -me as hard as he could; and when you say that of Andy, why, you are -saying that it was a pretty hefty battle. For he has the mettle and the -backbone of the true fighter.” - -There was a short pause; Colonel Crockett fingered the butt of his long -rifle reminiscently and looked across the river toward the Arkansas -shore. - -“You see, I fought with Jackson against the British and against the -Creeks, and I know him pretty well. But when I was a member of the -Tennessee Legislature, there was a movement to beat John Williams for -the United States senatorship. Williams had always done his work as -well as a man could do it; I didn’t see any reason for not sending him -back, and I said so. But they put up Jackson. And, although I then -thought Andy the biggest man in the country, I voted against him, and -so made him an enemy, along with his whole following. Chickens come -home to roost,” added the backwoodsman. “They remembered it against me, -and they’ve fought me ever since.” - -“And,” said Mr. Burr, “is this the reason you are leaving -Tennessee--because your enemies have beaten you? Why not stay and fight -them?” - -The colonel cracked the joints of his strong fingers and smiled drolly. - -“It doesn’t put much into a man’s life to spend it fighting people who -should be his friends,” said he. “At least, that’s what I think. And, -accordingly, here I am on my way to Texas to join Sam Houston and the -rest against Santa Anna and his crew.” - -“There seems to be a strong tide set in toward that country,” spoke -another of the party. “I hear that there’s hundreds go down the river -every week.” - -“They’ll be needed,” nodded Colonel Crockett. “Everything looks -promising for a long war; and Texas, so I’ve heard, is just the place -where one can be carried out to any length by men who fight and run as -the Mexicans do.” - -The talk between the men continued for some time; it was mainly about -Texas and Crockett’s political fortunes, and the boys listened with -much interest. But finally Burr and his friends got up, and moved away -to a place where some other people had gathered. - -For some little time after this the backwoodsman sat nursing his rifle -and gazing toward the wooded Arkansas shore. Finally he spoke. - -“And so,” said he, “you have some kind of a difficulty with Colonel -Huntley?” - -“Yes, it would seem so,” replied Walter Jordan. - -“I’ve known him for a good many years, off and on,” spoke Crockett. -“Once he owned a big plantation in Carolina and worked a hundred -slaves. Then he was interested in a steamboat company. But I heard some -time ago that he’d lost all his money and was, so to speak, living by -his wits.” - -“That accounts for his being in the confidence of Sam Davidge, then,” -said Ned Chandler, to his friend. “I guess Sam has hired Huntley, and -Huntley hired Barker.” - -Walter laughed. - -“Suppose,” said he, “that Barker would now take it into his head to -hire some one. Why, the thing might go on that way and there would be -no end to our enemies.” - -Ned joined in the laugh at this idea; but at the same time he shook his -head. - -“But the matter’s no joke,” said he. “They mean business, and will try -in every way they know to prevent our carrying out your father’s plans.” - -The name and fame of Davy Crockett, rifleman, bear hunter, backwoods -philosopher, had traveled at that time into every corner of the United -States. He was spoken of at every fireside, and his homely wisdom and -basic honesty were admitted by all. Walter Jordan knew this, and as -he sat gazing at the man, whose face was at once droll, shrewd and -fearless in expression, an idea occurred to him. - -“Here is a man,” he told himself, “who has put himself out of his way -to be my friend. And he’s just the kind of a man whose advice would be -worth following and whose help would be worth having in the adventure -we are now started upon.” - -He leaned over toward Ned, and whispered: - -“Don’t you think it would be a good thing to tell Colonel Crockett -about our affair, and hear what he has to say?” - -“Good,” approved young Chandler at once. “Do it.” - -So Walter turned toward the backwoodsman. - -“Colonel Crockett,” said he, “if you have the time to listen, and are -willing, I’d like to tell you the story.” - -Crockett turned his shrewd eyes upon the boy and nodded. - -“All right, youngster,” said he. “Go ahead.” - -Thereupon Walter related the story of the journalist, Tom Norton; of -his going to Texas with his wife and daughter; how both he and his wife -died at San Antonio, leaving the girl an orphan. Then came the matter -of the fortune left the girl. - -“It was an uncle of her father’s who willed it to her,” said Walter. -“He was an odd sort of an old man, and had for his lawyer his only -other relative, one Sam Davidge, who is known throughout Kentucky as a -double-dealer and a man who does not stop at small things to gain his -ends.” - -“I’ve heard of him,” said Crockett. - -“But the old man finally dropped Davidge. My father never knew why, -but suspects he found him out in some dishonest work. Davidge had been -named as executor to the estate; but the old gentleman now altered -this. In a sort of codicil, my father was named as executor. When the -old gentleman died some few weeks ago, Davidge set up a claim that he -had been influenced, that he was of weak mind when the codicil was -attached to the will.” - -Then the young fellow related the nature of his trip to Texas; of -Davidge’s following him, and of the appearance of Colonel Huntley -and Barker upon the scene. And Crockett listened to it all with much -attention, nodding his head at points well made, and putting in a -helpful word here and there. - -When Walter had finished, the colonel lay back in his chair in a -careless, lounging fashion and spoke. - -“Their idea is, as you say, to reach the girl first,” said he, “and to -let them do that would be dangerous. Of course they may mean only to -influence her; but then, again, they may mean worse.” - -“You don’t mean----” but Walter was afraid to finish the sentence. - -Crockett nodded. - -“That is _just_ what I mean,” said he. “Davidge is the only other -relative, you say. Well, if the girl never appeared in Louisville, -Davidge would come into the money.” - -Both boys were appalled by this; but at length Walter said: - -“Knowing the matter, Colonel Crockett, and understanding what these men -are after, what would you advise us to do?” - -Crockett stroked the stock of the handsome rifle upon his knee. - -“Do?” said he, and he smiled drolly. “Why, that’s simple enough, -youngster. Get to San Antonio first; tell the girl the facts, and leave -it to her to decide whether she’ll go north with you and your friend -here, or with Huntley and the legal shark. If you talk to her right and -get her ear first, I’ve got no doubt about the result.” - -Walter Jordan smiled. - -“You seem to lay great stress on the importance of being first,” he -said. - -Crockett nodded. - -“And why not?” said he, his shrewd eyes upon the boy. “There’s an old -saying, ‘The first blood’s half the battle!’ And it’s as true a one as -was ever put into words. I found it out years ago in the wilderness -among the redskins and the prowling varmints. Let them act first and -you had an almighty job getting the best of them. But be sharp and -watchful--strike the first blow, and the rest was pretty easy.” - -Walter looked puzzled. - -“But,” said he, “Colonel Huntley is on board this boat; he’ll arrive -at New Orleans as quickly as we shall. There’s nothing that I know of -to hinder his pressing on to San Antonio with as much speed as we can -make--perhaps more.” - -“That’s true enough,” said Crockett. “In the natural course of things -he might get better mounts than you boys, and so cross the Injun -country ahead of you. But,” with a quizzical look in his eye, “why let -things take their natural course? That’s what the fellow does who picks -out a shady place under a tree--he lets things take care of themselves. -But that kind of proceeding never got any wood split. Interfering with -the natural course of things is what we call work; and work is the -thing that gets results.” - -“But,” said Ned Chandler, “just how shall we go to work to win, in this -matter, do you think?” - -“Why not take a leaf from Huntley’s book?” suggested Crockett. “He had -the right kind of a notion. He wanted to stop you from getting into -Texas. So why not do the same thing for him--only in another way?” - -“Good!” Walter Jordan slapped Ned upon the back with a force that -made that young gentleman cough. “That’s it. We’ll carry the war -into Africa, and give Davidge, Huntley and Co. a dose of their own -medicine.” - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -BEAR HUNTING - - -Gradually it became known throughout the “Mediterranean” that the -celebrated Davy Crockett was on board, and it was seldom, from then -on, that the genial backwoodsman was not at the center of a knot of -laughing friends, old and new, who listened to his stories and jokes, -and encouraged him to give them more of the same kind. - -But, one evening, as he sat out upon the deck with Walter Jordan and -Ned Chandler near by, the planter, Mr. Burr, induced him to tell of one -of his hunting exploits. - -“Give us a bear hunting story, colonel,” suggested the planter. “It’s -been a long time since I heard you tell one.” - -Crockett shook his head. - -“There’ll come a time, and it’s mighty near at hand,” said he, “when -bear stories in this part of the world will be few enough. The bear -is going fast, and I reckon he’ll sing his death song, in Tennessee -anyhow, in the next ten years.” - -“But there were lots of them some years ago,” encouraged Mr. Burr. - -“Heaps,” said Crockett. “I’ve been into the Tennessee wilderness where -their tracks were pretty plenty. And there was good hunting, fresh meat -to be smoked and salted away for winter, and furry pelts to keep out -the cold of the ground when a fellow went to sleep. Yes, there was fine -hunting, and lots of bears and panthers and deer and fur animals beyond -counting, in the woods and along the streams. - -“I remember once,” said he, continuing, “that I had a dream of a -nigger; and when I dreamed of a nigger that always meant--bear! So off -I sets with a couple of dogs, my rifle and a good horn of powder and -plenty of ball. It’d been raining all the night before; then it had -turned cold, and the rain changed to sleet. - -“‘Good bear weather,’ says I to myself. ‘I ought to get a whopper.’ - -“The sleet was bad and stung my face almost to bleeding; but I thought -of the bear that I was sure was waiting for me somewhere, and so I held -on. But I’d tramped a half dozen miles and the only thing the dogs -turned up was a flock of turkeys; I got a couple of big ones, and sat -down on the end of a log to rest, for the tramp had played me out. - -“But I hadn’t sat there long before I noticed that one of the dogs, an -old hound, was acting rather excited. He was sniffing around as though -he’d got scent of something. Then he put his nose in the air, and let -out a yowl that brought me up with rifle ready. - -“Off starts the hounds, and me after them. They seemed to have struck -the trail of something and hung to it like good fellows. A couple of -times they lost the scent, and I made up my mind each time that the -varmint, whatever it was, had them licked; but they picked it up again -and were off once more as good as ever. - -“The woods were pretty thick,” proceeded Crockett, “and the two old -hounds seemed to pull me through the worst of it; and with two big -gobblers on my back, I had all I could do to keep up with them. But -suddenly there was a sort of clearing--a natural one--and right there I -saw the biggest black bear I’d ever seen in Tennessee! - -“The hounds stood as close to him as they dared to go; the hair on -their backs was standing as stiff as brushes; and they were yelping all -the names at him that they could lay their tongues to. - -“A black bear won’t pay much attention to hounds. But they are kind of -shy of men being around--especially men with rifles in their hands. -It may be that the daddy of all the bears has handed it down that a -man with a rifle is a thing to be afraid of. Anyway, when this black -fellow got sight of me, he turns to and breaks for a thicket which was -close by. In after him went the hounds; and after the hounds went I. It -was as dense a growth, that thicket, as any I’d ever seen, and I had -to squirm through it; also it was hard to see far through the growth, -and so I had to trust to the dogs to tell me when the bear was close at -hand.” - -“Tight work,” observed Mr. Burr. - -“It just was,” replied Colonel Crockett. “But it wasn’t long before I -heard a noise ahead; and there was the bear climbing an oak tree. When -he reached a good heavy branch he stopped, got out on it and turned. -Then he began to look around for me. And now I had a chance to get -another look at him, and still I felt he was the biggest bear I’d ever -seen in those woods. If I’d had a scale along and could have induced -him to get on them I’ll venture the critter’d weighed an easy six -hundred pounds. - -“I was less than a hundred yards from him, and to make sure of my shot -I reprimed my gun. Then I drew a bead on him and fired.” - -“Did you get him?” asked Ned Chandler, who had been listening intently. - -“Not then. The bullet must have hit him somewhere, though, for he gave -a kind of a yawp; but he looked none the worse, and went on sticking -to the limb of the oak. So I rammed home another charge of powder and -ball, primed as carefully as I could, and let him have it again. This -time the shot counted. He fell out of the tree with a yell, his big -paws going like mad, and his red mouth wide open. One of the hounds -forgot his training and rushed in on him, thinking he was a goner. - -“But that black fellow had lots of fight in him still. He scooped the -hound up as a squirrel scoops up a nut; and he hugged him tight. The -hound yowled something scandalous; and his comrade barked fit to split. -As they were down on the ground through this part of the affair I -couldn’t see much of them because of the denseness of the thicket. But, -thinking I was about to lose a pretty fair kind of a hound, I dropped -my rifle, drew my knife and tomahawk, and with one in one hand, and one -in the other, I broke my way toward the place of action.” - -“I suppose there wasn’t much left to the hound by that time,” said Burr. - -“Oh, yes. He’d lots of life in him, for he yelled like a whole pack. -You see the bear hadn’t got a proper pressure on him, and he was just -shifting his grip when I busts through the thicket. And no sooner had -I showed my nose than Mr. Bear seemed to understand that he’d been -blaming his misfortunes on the wrong party. Right away he knew it -wasn’t the hound that had tumbled him out of the tree, but me. - -“And so, quick as a wink, he dropped the dog, and gave his attention -to me. Now the knife I had in my left hand was a good enough knife, as -such things go; and the hatchet was a fair kind of a weapon. But when I -looked at them and then at that six hundred pounds of bear, they looked -foolish; and so back I went, with all the speed I could get up, to the -place where I had dropped my rifle. - -“I picked it up, and saw, or rather heard, the bear coming for me; -and as I was about to lift the piece to my shoulder, to wait for him, -it struck me that it wasn’t loaded. I’ve done some quick pouring of -powder in my time, but I think that was the quickest I ever undertook. -I pulled the stopper from my powder horn and let the charge run into -the barrel of that old rifle without paying much attention to how -much, then I rammed it home, and the bullet, too, and then primed as -carefully as I could under the circumstances. - -“Along came the black bear, wounded, growling and as mad as tarnation. -And up went the rifle, and I fired. Down went the critter on his side; -he gave a couple of kicks and was dead.” - -“Quite an experience,” said Mr. Burr. “Suppose you had, in your hurry, -loaded your rifle improperly and it had missed fire. What would you -have done?” - -“Run,” said Crockett, promptly; “run as fast as my legs could carry me. -A wounded bear is no kind of a beast to stand and reason with.” - -“What did you do with him after you got him?” asked Ned Chandler. - -“Well, as he was all of six hundred pounds, I couldn’t do much myself. -So I got back to my cabin as quick as I could, got some friends and -some horses, and we started out to find the carcass. I’d blazed the way -with my tomahawk, and we hadn’t much trouble in coming to the place. -Then we dressed the critter, loaded the meat on the horses’ backs and -took it home.” - -The genial hunter told many quaint and stirring tales of his -experiences in the Indian wars, in the deep forests of the southwest, -and of the wild and dangerous animals with which those forests were -overrun. The lawless character who is always to be found on the -outskirts of civilization also came into his conversation. - -“Wherever you go in the southwest country, you run across him,” said -Colonel Crockett. “He’s to be found in every settlement, in every camp, -traveling every trail. He’s always armed, he’s usually got courage, he -never fails to cause trouble.” - -“I’ve met that sort of fellow myself,” nodded the planter, Burr. “He’s -to be avoided.” - -But Crockett shook his head. - -“Not always,” said he. “The fact that people give him the width of the -trail in passing is one of the things that encourages him to go even -further than he’d gone before. That kind of a fellow should always be -shown his proper place. He should be opposed when he makes a move to -interfere with the rights of others.” - -Just then there was a clatter of chairs on the deck and looking around -Walter Jordan saw Huntley and a sharp-faced man dressed in black. - -“Hello!” said Ned Chandler in a low tone to Walter, “there’s Sam -Davidge now.” - -“He’s seen that it’s no use hiding any longer,” said Walter; “and now -he’s come out in the open. But,” his eyes on the two men, “I wonder -what they’re up to?” - -“No good, I’ll say that,” said Ned, with a promptness that made Walter -smile. - -The two men made way for themselves among the chairs; and when they had -reached the party of which Crockett and the boys were members, they -paused. - -“How are you, Mr. Burr?” cried Huntley, with great cordiality. “I -thought I saw you on board to-day.” - -“How do you do, sir?” said Burr, who did not seem at all sure who -Huntley was. “I’m pleased to see you again.” - -“I met you--in Nashville, I think it was. Abe Sterrit, I think, -introduced us,” said Huntley, seeing that Burr was not certain of him. - -The planter’s face fell; and Crockett chuckled at the sight. - -“Abe Sterrit’s a horse jockey at Nashville,” whispered the backwoodsman -to Ned, a wide grin upon his face. “And I don’t think Mr. Burr sets -much store by him.” - -“Oh, yes, yes,” said the planter to Huntley, “I think I remember you. I -trust you’ve been well, sir.” - -“Tolerable,” said Huntley. Then, looking at Crockett, “How are you, -colonel?” - -“Good-evening,” replied the backwoodsman. - -“Haven’t seen you since you were electioneering for your second term in -Congress,” said the man. - -“I don’t think I’ve run across you, either,” said Crockett, evenly. -“But I remember seeing you then, well enough. You were making speeches -right and left against me.” - -Huntley laughed loudly. - -“Ah, well, colonel,” said he, “it’s these little differences of opinion -that make life worth living. I did work against you, that’s a fact, -but because I was of opposite beliefs, and not through any sort of ill -will.” - -Crockett smiled drolly. - -“Have it your own way,” said he. - -Huntley seemed especially earnest; he took a step nearer to the -backwoodsman. - -“I’ve always felt a strong regard for your type of man, Colonel -Crockett,” said he. “And I’ve always had a strong regard for your work -and aims. And,” here he cast a swift glance in the direction of the -boys, “I mean to prove that to you, right now.” - -Walter nudged Ned with his elbow. - -“I see it coming,” whispered Ned in return. “It’s something about us.” - -Crockett, with the droll smile still upon his face, replied to Huntley: - -“Well, I’m a sight obliged for your interest, sir.” - -“It’s come to my ears,” said Huntley, “that you are going to Texas.” - -“Well, that’s the plain truth,” replied Crockett. “But what is there -against that?” - -“Nothing,” answered the man, hastily. “That is, nothing against that in -itself. But I understand, colonel, that you mean to accompany these two -young men to San Antonio upon a certain mission----” - -“Eh?” cried Colonel Crockett. - -He looked in amazement at the speaker and then at the two boys. - -“This is the first time I’ve heard of it,” said he. - -But Huntley disregarded the statement, evidently not believing it. - -“I take this occasion to warn you,” he went on, “that you are being -deceived. The errand of these two young men to San Antonio is not at -all the sort of thing they claim. As a matter of fact, it’s just the -reverse. They are engaged in a piece of obvious rascality, and it is -only right that you should know it before you get into it too far.” - -Here the sharp-faced man in the black clothes stepped forward. - -“My name is Davidge, Colonel Crockett,” said he. “Samuel Davidge; and -I’m a councilor at law, in Louisville. It is possible that you have -heard of me.” - -“Yes,” replied the backwoodsman, and there was a world of significance -in his look and tone, “I have heard of you--often!” - -His meaning was so plain that some in the party laughed outright. -Davidge swallowed once or twice; but he was a man hardened to affront -and he went on without a change of tone. - -“There is a conspiracy in progress, and these two boys are -participators in it. They have, no doubt, told you some cock-and-bull -story as to why they are going to Texas. But, believe me, sir, they are -deceiving you. If you will give me a few moments I will inform you as -to the true facts, and let you know in plain words----” - -But here he was interrupted by Davy Crockett suddenly arising to his -feet, sending his chair tipping over with an angry kick as he did so. - -“Look here, Mr. Davidge,” said he. “Before you go any further in this -talk of yours I want to say this to you, and,” his eyes going to -Huntley, “to you also. These two boys have struck me as being of good -mettle. They stick to what they set out to do, and they are willing -to fight for what they believe is right. I’ve got the whole story from -them of why they are going to Texas----” - -“A pack of lies!” cried Huntley. - -“Take care, Colonel Crockett,” warned Davidge. “Take care. They are -sharp, young as they are. They’ll lead you into trouble.” - -“Well,” said Crockett, and he turned a quaint smile upon Walter and -Ned, “I’ve been in trouble before now, and I guess I can take care of -myself, and get out of it again, if they get me in. As to their being -sharpers and telling me a pack of lies, I take leave to doubt it. -But they _have_ told me of your little scheme, Mr. Davidge,” nodding -to the sharp-faced man, “and of how you crept on board this boat in -secret pursuit of them. And of you, Huntley,” to the burly man, “and -your hiring a bruiser to injure one of them and so prevent him from -finishing his journey. And I _do_ believe that, for it’s about the -kind of thing you’d both be likely to do.” - -“Sir,” cried Davidge, with dignity, “you are insulting!” - -“Take care!” spoke Huntley, his face turning a deep red as he strove to -control himself. - -“But,” went on Crockett, “there has been no understanding between -these youngsters and myself about going to San Antonio with them. That -little bit of steamboat gossip, if you really heard such, is not true. -However,” and the droll smile came into his face once more, and he -nodded his head shrewdly, “now that the thing’s been suggested to me, -it wouldn’t be a half bad idea. I’ve got lots of time on my hands, and -the freedom of Texas can wait a bit longer. I _will_ go to San Antonio -de Bexer with these youngsters, and I’d like to see any man, black, -white or red, lay another straw in their way!” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -SURPRISING NEWS - - -David Crockett, as is well known, was a man of eccentric manner and -character; and eccentric people are given to whims and caprices. And it -was one of these latter which gave Walter Jordan and Ned Chandler most -invaluable aid. - -“Do you mean it, Colonel Crockett?” asked Ned, after Huntley and -Davidge had gone away, and the deck party was breaking up. - -“I do,” answered the backwoodsman, in his downright way. “If I’ll not -be a hindrance to you, and can help in any way, count on me.” - -Needless to say the boys warmly assured him that he’d be of the -greatest help to them. - -“With you to post us on what to do,” said Walter, “we’ll have no -trouble at all in the new country.” - -Crockett smiled. - -“Well, you know,” said he, “I’ve had no experience there myself.” - -“But you’ve been in places that were pretty similar,” said Walter. -“It’ll not be new to you.” - -The boys were in high feather all the way down the river; any fear they -might have had of Huntley and his friends left them; with so noted a -fighting man as Davy Crockett as a companion, they felt that they were -safe from the attempts of even the most hardy. - -Huntley and his comrades seemed also to feel something of this; the -lads now rarely saw them on deck; they kept themselves close, and did -nothing to interfere with the young travelers, neither in look, word, -nor act. - -“But, somehow,” observed Ned Chandler, “I can’t think that they’ve -forgotten us.” - -“They haven’t,” replied Walter. “They are keeping us in mind, right -enough. Only from now on they are going to be less open in what they -do.” - -Steadily upon her course down the broad, yellow Mississippi steamed -the “Mediterranean.” She stopped at many places to take on or put off -cargo or passengers; and Crockett, so it seemed, was constantly meeting -old friends and making speeches to gatherings which came together to -cheer him at wharves and landing places. The whole country, so it -seemed as they got further south, was aflame at the idea of Texas and -Mexico engaging in a conflict. And that such a popular and picturesque -personage as Crockett should be on his way to take part in the struggle -greatly added to the excitement. - -Everything proceeded without any stirring events, except those noted, -until the boat drew in at the mouth of the White River and Crockett -encountered an old friend and fellow keeper of the border, Captain -William Cumby. - -“Dave,” said Cumby, as he shook the backwoodsman’s hand, “I haven’t -seen you in years; and I’m ’tarnal glad of the chance to do it now, old -boy.” - -They conversed for some little time and Crockett introduced his young -friends. - -“All going to Texas, eh?” said Cumby, after he had favored each of -the lads with a hand-shake which was like the grip of a vise. “Well, -if it’s entertainment you’re looking for, you’ll find it in plenty, -youngsters. A friend of mine just came up from there and he tells -me things are biling to such a degree that they’ve got considerable -trouble keeping the lid on the pot half the time.” - -A small, elderly man with a parchment face and many deep wrinkles was -tying a pair of horses to a fence some little distance away. Captain -Cumby called to him. - -“Here, Dolph,” said he. “I want you to shake hands with Davy Crockett.” - -Dolph looked interested. - -“Not _the_ Davy Crockett?” said he. - -“That very same gentleman,” answered Captain Cumby. - -Dolph approached and gripped Crockett’s hand. - -“Colonel,” said he, “I’m glad to see you. I’ve heard of you for years -and ain’t never had the pleasure of setting eyes on you before.” - -“Dolph,” said Cumby, after he’d introduced the boys to the old man, -“they are all on their way to Texas.” - -Dolph shook his head. - -“I know Texas,” said he. “I’ve lived there for fifteen years, off and -on; and it’s a fine country. But it’s pizen just now; and unless you’re -going there for a special purpose, such as helping to fight old Santa -Anna, or such, I’d advise you to keep away.” - -Captain Cumby laughed. - -“Dolph don’t believe in strangers going into Texas without being -warned,” laughed Captain Cumby. “But he’s going back himself in a day -or two.” - -“I know what’s to be expected,” stated the old man, who evidently was -hardy and had many years of border experience. “And I belong down -there. And when the fighting starts once more I want to be in it.” - -“How comes it,” asked Crockett, “that you left just when things was -a-shaping themselves for the big smash-up?” - -“I had to,” replied Dolph. “Just plumb had to. It all come of me being -in the party that went with Colonel Milan to attack San Antonio.” - -“So you were with that lot!” said Crockett. - -Dolph nodded. - -“And I never want to see a worse organized gathering of white men,” -said he. “They’d come together from all parts of Texas and the -southwest, thinking that war was to start at once. The lot of them -moved toward San Antonio, and were then halted. As we didn’t attack, -they got disgusted, and the whole crowd was just melting away. Burleson -was at the head of the force, and one night he made up his mind to -retreat. This almost brought on a mutiny among those who were left. And -so then Colonel Milan goes to Burleson and asks permission to call for -volunteers to attack the town. And Burleson gave it. - -“Then the colonel jumped out in front of the crowd of men, who were -just biling with vexation, and waves his hat. - -“‘Who’ll go with old Ben Milan into San Antonio?’ shouts he. - -“And in a minute the lot of them were around him and shouting like -mad. Well, we attacked the town, and after a long fight from street to -street, and house to house, we beat the greasers. But right in the -middle of it whom should I run across but an American girl, who was -living with a Spanish family in one of the houses which we broke into.” - -“An American girl!” Walter Jordan gazed at the speaker eagerly, and -then turned his glance upon Ned. - -“Who was she?” asked the latter of Dolph. - -“She hadn’t an American friend nearer than New Orleans,” said the old -man. “I found that out next day. We didn’t know what to do with her; -but after putting our heads together, the officers made up their minds -to send her with a family party which was headed northeast, and they -sent me as guide. I left her a month ago, safe and sound, with friends -at New Orleans.” - -“What was her name?” insisted Ned Chandler. - -Dolph looked puzzled. - -“It was Ethel,” said he, scratching his head. “But consarn me if I can -think of the other name.” - -“Norton,” suggested Walter. - -“That’s right!” said Dolph. Then, in surprise: “But how’d you know it?” - -“Wait,” said Davy Crockett. - -Walter halted in the answer he was about to make. - -“Don’t look around,” said Crockett. “But I see that sneaking fellow -Davidge watching us from the upper deck.” - -The place where the little party stood upon the wharf was in the great -shadow cast by the “Mediterranean” as she lay at her moorings; and by a -sly glance upward, Ned Chandler saw the black-clad, sharp-faced lawyer -leaning over the rail of the boat, and evidently doing his best to hear -what was being said. - -At once, though with an assumption of carelessness, they walked up the -wharf, and when out of hearing and also out of sight behind some bales -of cotton, they began to question the old Texan. - -In a few moments they were convinced of the welcome fact that Ethel -Norton, the girl whom they were going to San Antonio to seek, was in -New Orleans. - -“It looks,” said Ned Chandler, to Walter, “that all we’ve got to do now -is to keep on board the boat until she reaches New Orleans. It’s turned -out no kind of a job at all.” - -“Dad will be delighted,” said Walter. “We’ll have her in Louisville on -the next up-river boat.” - -“Don’t hurry your horses,” said Colonel Crockett, who seemed to be -turning the situation over in his mind. “If you do, you’ll wear them -out.” - -The boys looked at him quickly, for there was something in his voice -which caught their attention. - -“There is one thing that’s sure,” said the backwoodsman, “and that -is that Davidge and Huntley will keep you youngsters in view until -they see you have set out for San Antonio. If you stick to the -‘Mediterranean’ all the way down the river, they will too. At New -Orleans they’ll follow you; they’ll find out that the girl is there. -And so you’ll lose all the advantage which Dolph’s information has -given you.” - -The point of this argument was plain to both boys. - -“What do you think we’d best do?” asked Walter. - -“I have a plan,” said the backwoodsman. “Let me carry it out for you.” - -Both lads agreed eagerly. - -“Very well,” said Colonel Crockett, smiling in his droll way. Then to -Captain Cumby and the old Texan, “Wait here a bit for us. We’ll be -back.” - -With the two boys he started toward the “Mediterranean.” - -“Now,” said he in a low tone as they went, “you are to order out your -baggage as coolly as you please. Try and make it look as though you’d -intended leaving the boat at this place from the first.” - -When they reached the boat, the boys did as directed; they had their -belongings in the clumsy traveling bags of that period, and they got -them out on deck and down the gangplank--Crockett doing the same. When -they reached the place where Captain Cumby and Dolph awaited them, -Crockett said humorously: - -“Cumby, you ain’t got no kind of knowledge of what’s going on yet. But -keep a stiff upper lip, and just do what you’re told, and we’ll post -you by and by.” - -Looking around the edge of the cotton bales, Ned Chandler saw the -hurrying forms of Huntley and Davidge and Barker, baggage in hand, -hurrying down the plank from the steamboat. Reporting this to Crockett, -the latter laughed as one well pleased, and then said to the old Texan: - -“Dolph, see if you can get us some kind of a trap for ourselves and -our belongings. Captain Cumby, if you don’t mind,” to that astonished -gentleman, “we’ll pay a little visit to your plantation, and if you -treat us well, we may stay there for a couple of days.” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -A LITTLE JOKE - - -The Texan secured a conveyance, and Crockett and the two boys, with -their baggage, tumbled in. Captain Cumby and Dolph mounted their -horses, and away they went along the dirt road that led from the river. -The last sight they had of Davidge and his friends, they were standing -upon the wharf eagerly questioning some negroes and pointing after the -wagon. - -“They’ll know where we’re going,” said Ned to Crockett. - -The backwoodsman nodded. - -“So they will, youngster,” said he. “And that’s what I calculate on -their doing.” - -Once at the huge farm, or plantation of Captain Cumby, that genial -gentleman made them feel at home; and then, after a splendid dinner -in which game and fish from the streams formed a part, Crockett took -both Cumby and Dolph aside and plunged at once into a long, low-voiced -conversation. - -The two boys sitting comfortably in the two big cane chairs heard a -series of chuckles and guffaws from the three. - -“The colonel’s got some sort of a joke on foot,” said Ned. - -“And it’s about this matter of ours,” said Walter. “He’s hiding it from -us, because I can see he wants to make it a surprise.” - -That night as the host, Crockett and the two boys were sitting quietly -together in the captain’s big living-room, the young fellows listening -to the stories of the veterans, Dolph entered, a broad smile upon his -wrinkled, tanned face. - -“Well, colonel,” said he, to Crockett, “you’re a cute one. They did -just what you said they’d do.” - -Captain Cumby gave a shout of laughter. - -“What!” cried he. “Were you talking to them, Dolph?” - -Dolph nodded, still grinning gleefully. - -“According to instructions,” said he, “I just took to hanging around -a fence corner. And by and by a stranger comes up the road--one of -the men I see leave the steamboat in such a hurry. And he gets me in -conversation about the country. I told him I thought Arkansas was a -great place, but that I was going to take the trail back to Texas -to-morrow at sundown. He perked up at that and got almighty interested. - -“‘Back to Texas?’ says he. - -“‘Yes,’ says I. - -“‘That’s a mighty long journey to take alone,’ says he, cunningly -enough. - -“‘It would be if I was going alone,’ says I. - -“‘Oh,’ says he, ‘somebody’s going along with you.’ - -“‘Three of them,’ says I. ‘We’re off for San Antonio to-morrow night.’ - -‘How are you going?’ asks he, very innocent like. - -“‘Oh, horseback to the Red River. Then down that on a boat to -Natchitoches. Then horseback across Texas.’” - -Crockett was vastly amused at this repetition of the conversation -between Dolph and the man at the fence corner; both he and Captain -Cumby laughed and slapped their knees. And now, for the first time, the -boys got a glimpse of the backwoodsman’s intent. - -“I think I see what you mean to do,” said Ned Chandler, eagerly. “You -intend throwing them off the scent by letting them think we are going -on to Texas.” - -“And they’ll be on their way there, while we are steaming down toward -New Orleans,” put in Walter, well pleased. - -“That’s about the size of it,” said Colonel Crockett. “But to succeed -we can’t let it rest as it lies. We must do something further; for -they are pretty cute and not of the sort that fly off on a thing -without feeling as sure as they can that it’s all right.” - -But just what further step he meant to take the colonel didn’t say; -apparently he enjoyed the suspense and excitement of the boys as much -as he did the joke on Huntley and his companions. - -Next day the boys spent in riding over the country with Crockett -and Captain Cumby and interviewing a number of gentlemen who were -interested in recruiting men and forwarding war material down the -Red River to be used in the Texans’ war with Mexico. They arrived at -Cumby’s plantation once more in about the middle of the afternoon; -after supper they sat and talked of the doings of the day, and the -prospects of success for Texas. Then Dolph entered. - -“The whole lot of them’s snooping around and waiting,” said he. “And -they’ve got their horses down the trail a piece.” - -Crockett chuckled. - -“All right, Dolph,” said he. “You might as well get our mounts ready. -And then we’ll be off.” - -In a half hour there came a clatter of hoofs outside. - -“Now, youngsters,” said Crockett, “just do what I do; and say what I -say, and ask no questions.” - -They followed him outdoors. He had his long rifle across his back; -his knife and hatchet were in his belt. The boys were attired, at -Crockett’s request, as though for a long journey. - -Dolph sat astride a tall horse and held three others by the bridles. -Crockett climbed into the saddle of one and the boys mounted the -others. Slowly they rode down the path to the trail, Captain Cumby -walking at the side of Crockett. And when they reached the trail they -drew rein. - -“Well, Cumby,” said Davy Crockett, “I’ll bid you good-bye.” He spoke -in a loud voice and leaned over in his saddle and shook the captain’s -hand. “Texas is a long way off and war is mighty uncertain, so I don’t -know if we’ll meet again or no.” - -“Anyway, colonel,” said Cumby, “take care of yourself. Do all you can -for Texas, but don’t forget to keep an eye out for yourself.” - -“Good-bye, Captain Cumby,” said Walter Jordan, also shaking their host -by the hand. - -“Good-bye, youngster,” returned the captain, genially. “And you, too, -boy,” to Ned. “Good luck to you.” - -And so, with a call from Dolph to the captain, and a chorus of -good-byes from all, they shook their reins and set off along the -westward trail. A mile from the Cumby place Crockett said: - -“Halt!” - -They all drew up; the backwoodsman got down from his nag, and, -stooping, laid his ear to the trail. Then he remounted once more, and -the boys heard him laugh. - -“They are coming,” said he. “I heard them pounding along at a good -smart pace.” - -For at least two miles further they kept to the trail, their horses -going at an easy lope. Then at a word from Crockett they left it, and -drew up in the deep shadows of a thick grove. Fifteen minutes later -three horsemen appeared, their nags going at a sharp trot, and their -voices lifted in conversation. - -“They’ll probably hold to this trail till they get to Hamlin,” said the -voice of Huntley. “We’ll leave it and strike straight across country -and so beat them to the river. If we can get a boat ahead of them we -might get into San Antonio three days in advance.” - -Davidge was replying to this when the distance became too great for the -listeners to hear. Fainter and fainter grew the hoof beats on the soft -trail, and finally they died away altogether. - -“Well,” said Davy Crockett, and the boys noted a pleased chuckle in his -voice, “now that we’ve seen them well on their way, youngsters, suppose -we mount once more and ride back to Captain Cumby’s. He’ll be expecting -us.” - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -TEXAS - - -It was a few days after this little hoax practiced on the sharpers by -Colonel Crockett that the steamboat “General Morgan” tied up at the -wharf and Walter Jordan and Ned Chandler got on board. - -“This’ll get you into New Orleans in a little while,” said the genial -backwoodsman as he shook hands with them. “And like as not you’ll get -your business over and be on your way home before I leave this section.” - -“You’ll stay a while, then,” said Walter. - -“Cumby tells me it’ll be to my advantage,” said Crockett. “They are -raising money to put a regiment into the Texan service, and he thinks I -ought to join it.” - -“Then,” said Ned, “as we come up the river we’ll stop off and see if -you’re still around.” - -“Good!” cried Crockett, and he shook hands with them again. “Do that, -sure. And I’ll be glad to see you.” - -When the “General Morgan” steamed out into the river, they saw him -waving his coonskin cap to them; and they stood at the rail as long as -they could see the wharf, replying. - -“Now that,” said Ned, putting his hat firmly upon his head, “is one of -the finest men I ever saw.” - -“I think so, too,” said Walter. “He’d do anything to serve any one he -took a fancy to, or any one in need of help.” - -The “General Morgan” was one of the swiftest steamers on the river; -and it was not a great while before the boys found themselves in the -city of New Orleans. Here the war rumors from Texas were thicker than -further up the river. The recruiting of volunteers was openly going -on. Upon posts and dead walls were loud sounding placards calling -for volunteers. All this interested the boys greatly; but they were -naturally still more interested in the finding of Ethel Norton. - -The address given them by Dolph was not at all difficult to locate. -But when they reached it and talked to the people who lived there they -received some shattering intelligence. - -The girl had gone back to San Antonio! - -“But why?” asked Walter, amazed. “Why should she go back there at such -a time? Texas is expected to be in a blaze of war.” - -“I know it,” said the woman to whom they spoke. “And she knew it. But -she saw a newspaper, from Louisville, I think, and it had something in -it about a relative dying and leaving her some money. She was afraid -she couldn’t establish her identity without some papers which she’d -left behind at San Antonio.” - -“Surely,” said Ned Chandler, “she didn’t go alone.” - -“No,” said the woman. “My two sons went with her.” - -A little questioning showed that the girl’s party had gone almost a -week before; they had a wagon and a number of saddle horses; the woman -had been told the way they’d take, but she had forgotten. - -“Well,” said Walter, a short time afterward when the two had talked the -matter over from all sides, “the best thing I can think of is to go -back up the river, if we can get a boat, and go down into Texas with -Colonel Crockett.” - -“Good,” said Ned Chandler, his blue eyes snapping with pleasure. “We’re -going to get down there after all. For a while I thought we’d be -cheated out of it.” - -As Walter reasoned the matter out, while they’d probably reach San -Antonio after the rival party of Sam Davidge, those gentlemen would -be so far ahead that it would work against them rather than in their -favor. - -“They’ll get into the town before Miss Norton gets back there,” said -the boy to Ned. “And they’ll be told that she left with Dolph months -ago. Then they’ll head for New Orleans, and so miss her altogether. If -Colonel Crockett’s ready to start soon, we’ll reach Texas not much, if -any, behind a party that’s traveling overland with a wagon. They’ll -have the trails to contend with all the way; also they’ll have to go -slow and save their horses.” - -They inquired about boats; and to their gratification there was one -that very evening. They boarded her, counting themselves in great luck. -She was the “Arkansas City,” a strong, bustling little craft, which -steamed against the dark waters of the Mississippi with much valor. - -Reaching Montgomery’s Point again, they went ashore. Once more luck -was with them. Crockett was still at the Cumby plantation, but upon -the eve of starting for Texas. - -“I’m ’tarnal glad to see you,” said the backwoodsman, heartily, as he -clasped their hands, “and I’m also sorry about what’s happened. But if -the girl’s gone to Texas--all right. We’ll find her there, if it can be -done any way at all.” - -While the two boys had been traveling up and down the Mississippi -upon their hunt for Ethel Norton, Colonel Crockett had been working -industriously. A great sum of money had been subscribed by numerous -southern gentlemen to what was known as the “Crockett Fund.” This was -to be devoted to the liberation of Texas. - -The backwoods orator had made good his reputation; his speeches for -the Texan cause had drawn great throngs of people; his words had a -wide appeal, and people to whom the cry of the new country for aid had -been faint and far away now heard it plainly for the first time. So, -in consequence of all this, Crockett had grown much in reputation and -influence. - -Crockett had arranged to travel into Texas with a small party which -was then ready for the journey. The recruiting was to go on, and the -parties of volunteers were to be sent after them into the new country -as they were armed and equipped. - -As Walter and Ned saw a long journey ahead of them through a dangerous -region, they set about preparing themselves for it. First they -purchased, with the aid of Dolph, a couple of saddle horses of that -small, tough breed common to the southwest. - -“Those ponies,” said the old Texan, valuing the purchases with an -expert eye, “will give you good service and are worth all you’ve paid -for them. They are of the kind that without much corn will stand hard -riding and still not be any the worse for it.” - -Next the lads bought themselves a rifle each. Both knew the use of the -weapon, having hunted in the Kentucky mountains and woods many times. -Also they purchased good, heavy, broad-bladed hunting knives and a -couple of small hatchets, such as are used by woodsmen. - -“And don’t forget a derringer each,” said Colonel Crockett. “It’s a -small thing, has very little weight, and can be carried in the pocket -without trouble. It’s a weapon that’s saved more lives at time of -sudden danger than any other I know of.” - -And so, with their derringers, hunting knives, hatchets and rifles, the -two young fellows felt themselves very well armed indeed. Mounted upon -their ponies, attired in fringed hunting shirts and broad brimmed hats, -they looked very well fitted to cope with both the savage region and -savage men ahead of them. - -It was early one morning that the word was given; and off they started -across Arkansas to Fulton, where they were to get the steamboat. The -state of Arkansas was at that time very well settled; its hospitable -people never failed to do what they could for the travelers on their -way to the war; good food and good beds were to be had without trouble. -At Fulton, which they made without any mishap, they boarded a boat -which was to take them down the Red River as far as Natchitoches. - -This latter proved to be a small place on the south bank of the river; -the party spent one night in the town, and then set off toward the -Texan town of Nacogdoches, which lay a hundred and twenty miles away -over the old Spanish trail. - -This latter lay through a wild country in which ranged great herds -of buffalo, and droves of small, active mustangs, wild for many -generations. - -“Tough little critters,” said old Dolph as he rode with the boys in -advance of the party. “You never felt such hard mouths in your lives. -Don’t care no more for a bit than if it was of soft rubber.” - -“Oh, they are caught, then, and broken!” said Ned, looking at the hardy -little fellows as they tore away over the prairies like the wind, their -tails flying like banners. - -“Lots of Mexicans and some Americans make a business of it,” replied -old Dolph. “Them two you boys are riding now once raced, wild, on these -very plains.” - -It took three days between Natchitoches and Nacogdoches; they camped by -the side of the old trail at places where they could get water; the air -was bracing, the game they shot during the day was dressed, cooked and -eaten, and the lads enjoyed every moment of the time. - -About sundown upon the third day they sighted Nacogdoches and were -warmly greeted by the people of the town. Nacogdoches lay a day’s ride -west of the Sabine River. At that time it had a population of about a -thousand people; but as it was a trading place and a stopping point -for the flow of northern emigration into Texas, there was usually two -or three times that number upon its streets. There was an old French -fort, built more than a hundred years before to guard against the -attacks of the Indians. - -But there were now Indians a-plenty in the town. All the tribes for -many miles into the wilderness came there to trade, and on the evening -of the arrival of the party under Davy Crockett there were scores of -them to be seen in the streets. Their nodding eagle feathers, their -fringed buckskin leggings and beaded moccasins, their quivers of -arrows and their long bows and sheathed knives gave them a wild and -savage look. There were also many Mexicans in Nacogdoches, and their -picturesque costumes, huge, jingling spurs, great sombreros, and -viciously careening horses, contrasted strongly with the red or blue -shirts of the American adventurers, their long boots, and modern -equipment of arms and horse gear. Also there were a number of men in -the backwoods garb of Crockett and the boys. These stood in quiet -places, as a rule, leaning on their long rifles and looking bewildered -at the bustle all around them, so different from the solitude of their -native forests. - -“Rather a lively sort of a town,” said Crockett, after they had put up -their mounts at the tavern and were about to go in to supper. “Didn’t -expect to see anything quite so stirring, Dolph.” - -“You’ll not see another for some time again,” said the old Texan. “This -country is not given to towns of any size, though I dare say we’ll grow -some as we go along.” - -They had a good supper, a good night’s rest and an excellent breakfast -at Nacogdoches; and then they took horse and started upon the long -journey toward the San Antonio River and the seat of war. - -“Take it easy, youngsters,” said old Dolph. “Don’t wear out yourselves -or your ponies. You have a good bit of prairie to cross, and it’s not -to be done in a hurry if you hope to keep yourselves in condition.” - -At high noon the party stopped at a hurrying little stream that moved -through a grove of tall trees. Here they rested and ate and drank. -Away in the distance, across the level plains, could be seen a herd of -grazing buffalo; and Crockett watched them, reclining upon his elbow. - -“There hasn’t been no such critters as them in Tennessee for many a -year,” said he. “And I’d like pretty well to have a shot or two at them -before we leave this country behind.” - -Both Walter and Ned eagerly assented to this. The mighty bison appealed -to them as a worthy subject for the chase. - -“Let’s have a try at them now,” said Ned. - -But Crockett smiled in his droll fashion. - -“It’s not so easy as you seem to think, youngster,” said he. “It won’t -do to mount horse and ride out after game like that. They know what -a horseman is, and they know what a rifle means when it speaks. And -they are as shy as antelope, for all their size. You’ve got to get to -windward of them or they’ll scent you; and once they do that they are -off like sixty.” - -Crockett had no sooner uttered the last words than there came a queer -shrilling sound such as neither of the boys had ever heard before, -followed by a sudden shock of one body striking against another. - -“Indians!” cried Davy Crockett as he threw himself flat upon the -ground, his rifle in his hands, his keen eyes searching the green of -the noonday prairie. - -“Look!” said Ned Chandler, as he and Walter crouched low. - -Walter looked in the direction indicated by his friend’s pointing -finger. There, quivering in the trunk of a tree, was a long Indian -arrow. - -“So that’s what it was,” said young Jordan, drawing in his breath -sharply. “Look, Ned, it’s sunk an inch into the wood. It’s good the red -rascal made a bad shot of it.” - -“Down all,” warned old Dolph. “There’s quite a party of them; and they -have rifles as well as bows.” - -“What do you think they are, Dolph?” asked Crockett, coolly, looking to -his rifle. - -“Comanches,” replied the Texan. “I can tell by their head-dress.” - -There came a rattle of rifle shots and a cloud of arrows; and the boys -saw a line of savage horsemen lift out of the long dry grass and come -dashing toward the grove. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ATTACKED BY COMANCHES - - -There were four men in the party in the grove beside Crockett and -Dolph. The two lads made up eight in all. - -“Hold your fire,” cautioned Davy Crockett. “Don’t waste any of it, -boys; because we’ve got our work cut out for us.” - -There were at least twoscore of the savages dashing down upon the -grove upon the backs of their hardy mustangs. Crockett had no idea of -the marksmanship of his companions. Eight rifles in the hands of men -who knew how to use them would work deadly havoc among the oncoming -Indians; but if it should prove that the men were not skilled with the -weapon, things would not be so well. - -But the backwoodsman set his teeth. - -“It won’t be long before I know,” said he, grimly. - -He threw forward his rifle. - -“Ready!” said he. - -The other weapons went forward; eight black muzzles peered out at the -oncoming savages. - -“Fire!” said Crockett. - -The rifles spoke sharply; down in their tracks went several of the -mustangs; and several others went dashing riderless across the prairie. -Shrill yells went up from the Comanches; their ponies, startled at the -sudden blaze of fire from ahead, and the fall of their fellows, reared, -bucked, and tried to bolt off to one side. The Comanches fought with -their mounts and at last headed them around, together, in the proper -direction. But by this time the whites had reloaded. - -“Fire!” ordered Colonel Crockett, once more. - -Again the rifles cracked; and down went more horses and riders in a -plunging heap, while the savage band, unable to face the deadly tubes -which threw death into their faces, turned and bounded away over the -grassy plain beyond range of the white men’s fire. - -Crockett rammed a fresh charge home. - -“Good shooting,” said he, approvingly. “One way or another, boys, we’ve -accounted for a full dozen of the red rapscallions.” - -The old Texan, together with the others, was also charging his piece. - -“They’re not done yet, colonel,” said he. “The Comanche is a fighting -Injun, and it takes a good bit to make him change his mind, once he’s -taken to the war-path.” - -“I didn’t hear nothing ’bout them being at war with the whites,” -remarked one of the men. - -“No more did I,” said Dolph. “But, then, you can never tell. They are -always rising. Let some rascal of a white man cheat a Comanche at a -trading place and that Injun goes and tells his friends. Like as not, -a small war follows, until they think they’ve got satisfaction.” - -“Well, that might be what this is,” said Crockett, his eyes upon the -party of savages which had come to a halt about a half mile out upon -the prairie and were listening, apparently, to the eloquence of a -chief. “But I’ve got an idea of my own.” - -“What’s that?” asked the Texan. - -“These redskins had some of their people in Nacogdoches last night and -they were watching for some small party that was to leave the town. We -happened to be that party. It’s my idea they have taken a leaf from the -white man’s book, and are nothing more or less than robbers.” - -Old Dolph nodded. - -“Well,” said he, “I’ve heard of them doing things like that before now. -But, whatever they’re after, they mean to give it another try.” - -As he spoke the Texan pointed out across the prairie. The Comanches -had remounted and were riding forward in an open fashion, their bows -and rifles held ready for use. But at some distance from the grove they -halted; dismounting, they made their ponies lie down. Then stretched at -full length behind this living breastwork, they leveled their guns, and -fitted arrows to their bows. - -From behind trees and logs, the white men watched the preparations of -the savages. - -“That is a kind of a cute little dodge,” spoke Crockett. “I never see -an Injun do it before.” - -Old Dolph nodded and said: - -“It’s a favorite trick with the Comanche and the Apache. These Injuns -of the plain are ‘horse’ Injuns; and they’re different in their ways -from the redskins you meet with in the wooded countries and the -mountains. They spend most of their time catching and breaking ponies -and learning tricks in riding. There are some fine horsemen on these -southwestern plains; but the finest of all are the Comanches.” - -[Illustration: THE COMANCHES HAD REMOUNTED] - -Here the rifles of the Indians spoke. But, if they were excellent -horsemen, as the Texan said, they were not good marksmen, for their -bullets went wide. Their arrows, however, flew true, and many a -feathered shaft struck with a deadly thud into the trunk of a tree -behind which stood one of the whites. - -A man near Crockett fired, rather excitedly, in return, and the bullet -did no more than knock up the dust. - -“Take care of your powder,” said Crockett, from behind his tree, but -never shifting his eyes from the dry grass where the savages lay behind -their horses. “Don’t waste a single charge. Take good aim; and don’t -fire until you see the whites of some one’s eyes.” - -There was an interval of inaction; the savages were apparently -reloading. - -“When they have loaded,” said old Dolph, “they’ll take a peep around -their ponies to see what things look like over this way. So watch for -them.” - -“But don’t fire unless you are sure of your Injun,” said Crockett, who -knew there was only a limited supply of powder in the party; and as -there was no knowing how long the attack would continue, he wished to -be as sparing as possible. - -Sure enough, as the old Texan had said, when the Comanches had finished -loading they showed a desire to know the exact position of their -intended victims. A tufted head appeared around the side of a mustang. -Dolph’s rifle cracked like a whip; there was a yell of pain and then -silence. - -“I got him,” said the old Texan, and he calmly reloaded his rifle. - -Again came the flight of arrows and the reports of the Comanche rifles; -but as before, the shafts and bullets did no harm. Crockett fired when -he saw the plumes of a savage show above the back of a horse. It so -chanced that the speeding bullet struck the mustang; it leaped up, -forgetting its training; its rider was now exposed to the fire of the -whites. Three rifles cracked; and the Comanche threw up his arms and -sank back. - -Seeing the deadly nature of the white men’s marksmanship, the savages -grew wary. Only now and then an arrow flew; occasionally a bullet -lodged in the ground or in a tree trunk. - -An hour passed in this way. It was now almost three o’clock; and Davy -Crockett as he crouched behind his tree grew both weary and restless. - -“They are cunning varmints,” said he, “and they are holding off until -nightfall. Under cover of darkness they’ll creep up on us and beat us -down by weight of numbers.” - -“Darkness will favor them,” spoke old Dolph. “And if we are here when -it falls, we are goners.” - -“Well,” said Crockett, in his dry way, “I don’t see how we can get away -with thirty pairs of eyes watching us.” - -Here Walter Jordan spoke. - -“Colonel Crockett,” said he, “I have an idea.” - -“Good!” said the backwoodsman. - -“We can’t see the Comanches as they lie behind their mustangs,” said -the lad. “But suppose I climbed one of these trees. I could have a good -sight of them then, and could drive them off with a couple of shots, -maybe.” - -Crockett smiled and twisted his good-humored mouth drolly to one side. - -“That’s a very good plan, youngster,” said he. “But it has one big -drawback. How are you going to get up the tree? The redskins would -tumble you over before you’d get half-way.” - -He saw the disappointed look upon the boy’s face, and added: - -“If we were hard pressed and had to do something on the jump, it would -be a thing we could try. But, as it stands, I think I’ll make a little -experiment that’ll be safe.” - -Then turning his head he glanced toward the tree which concealed the -old Texan. - -“Dolph, who do you reckon’s the best shot in the lot of us?” - -“You are,” replied the veteran, promptly. - -“Who’s next?” asked Crockett. - -“I’d like to say I am,” spoke Dolph, humorously. “But I can’t, and -stick close to the truth. Jed Curley’s the best shot here after -yourself, colonel.” - -Jed Curley was a young adventurer of about twenty-five with whom both -Walter and Ned had become very friendly. He was a powerfully built -fellow, and his clear eyes and steady nerves gave him the working basis -of a sharp-shooter. - -“All right,” said Crockett. “Just where are you located, Jed?” - -“Right here, colonel,” came the voice of the young man. - -“All right. Lie low, but listen to what I’m going to say to you.” - -“I’m listening.” - -“I’m going to fire at that pinto Injun pony,” said Crockett. “Not to -kill it, though; I’ll be careful of that. You see, that pony jumping up -a while ago gave me a notion.” - -“I see it, colonel,” came the voice of Jed. “You scare up the mustang, -that leaves the Injun uncovered, and before he can get shelter, I draw -a bead on him.” - -“Exactly,” answered Crockett. “Ready, Jed?” - -“All ready.” - -There was a moment’s silence; then Crockett’s rifle rang out. One of -the ponies leaped up with a snort; Jed Curley’s piece cracked instantly -and the red rascal behind it lay silent in the grass. - -Quickly the two men reloaded; again Crockett fired; once more a wounded -mustang uncovered its master; a second time the sharp-shooter’s rifle -spoke, and the master lay as silent as the other. - -Within twenty minutes this performance had been gone through three -times; then a panic seemed to strike the savages; they leaped up, urged -their horses to their feet, mounted and turned to flee. - -“A volley, boys!” yelled Crockett. “Take good aim.” - -The volley pealed from the six rifles that were still loaded, and -four more of the Comanches fell. Then the remainder of the band, with -startled yells, went flying toward the east. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE BUFFALO HUNT - - -Rapidly reloading, the little party of whites stood upon the verge of -the grove and watched the band of redskins race away across the plains. - -“From the looks of things,” said old Dolph, “I’d say they’ll not be -back this way.” - -Crockett shook his head and laughed. - -“No,” said he, “those Comanche gentlemen are completely scared. That -was a trick they’d not thought about; and as they hadn’t time to work -it out, they thought, very like, it was some kind of ‘bad medicine.’” - -However, they made up their minds not to trust to appearances; and -mounting their horses they rode away toward the southwest, going at a -long, slow lope. - -Night fell, and still they continued. - -“It’s best to put all the distance between ourselves and that party of -reds that we can,” said Crockett. “They’re the kind of varmints you can -never count on to do anything.” - -When they went into camp an hour or so after dark, they lighted no -fires, but ate food that required no cooking. - -“It makes hard chewing,” grumbled old Dolph. “But then it can’t be -helped. Better a tough bite of grub than an Injun arrow that’d make me -bite the dust.” - -The night was cool, but they made beds of grass, wrapped themselves in -their blankets, and with their saddles for pillows, they slept soundly. -For the first time since they started from the Mississippi River, -however, they had a guard for the camp, Jed Curley, Ned Chandler and -old Dolph taking turns until sunrise and breakfast. - -They pushed on rapidly that day, keeping a sharp lookout for the -savages. But none came in sight; and so, to rest their ponies, which -had been severely tried, they halted a good two hours before sundown -and went into camp upon the banks of a small creek whose margin was -thick with trees. - -Walter Jordan and Ned Chandler had, during the day, tried their -marksmanship upon some flocks of prairie chickens; and though these -were difficult game to bring down with a rifle, they had bagged a -couple of brace. The chickens were now stripped of their feathers and -dressed; each was skewered with a ramrod, and put to roast over the red -coals. Flour was mixed and baked into flap-jacks; and so they ate a -meal such as was enjoyed by the riders of the plains. - -A guard was kept that night, also; but there were no signs of -Comanches, and they slept undisturbed. After breakfast next morning -they mounted once more and started upon their journey. - -It was a splendid country which they now crossed, not so level as that -of the previous day’s journey, but rich in promise of the yield to the -farmer in the days to come. - -“A wonderful range for grazing live stock,” said Crockett, his -observant eye taking in all the details and possibilities of the -region. “There’ll be grass in long seasons, and there’s plenty of -water.” - -Old Dolph agreed with this. - -“It’s the best grazing country in the southwest,” said he. “To prove -that just notice the herds of buffalo and wild mustangs that roam -through this country. They know the places where the good grass grows.” - -There was a silence for some little time, and then Ned Chandler said: - -“I’ve heard a good deal about buffalo hunting, and I’d like to have a -try at it before we reach San Antonio.” - -“So should I,” spoke Jed Curley. “It seems as though it would be fine -sport.” - -“Well,” said Davy Crockett, “as I’ve said, I shouldn’t despise the -chance myself, boys. It’s been many a year since I’ve had a run after -a herd of buffalo, and if we sight any, we’ll take half a day off our -journey and have a shot at them.” - -This filled both Ned and Walter with enthusiasm; and all day they -looked forward eagerly to the possibility of sport. But they were -disappointed; the sun was getting low, and they were casting about -for a camping ground when suddenly old Dolph was heard to call out to -Crockett: - -“Hello! Look there!” - -All turned and they saw him pointing to the ground some little distance -away. It was near the brink of a spring that oozed from the ground in a -sort of hollow; and all about it were the marks of trampling hoofs. - -“Buffalo!” said Colonel Crockett. - -The entire party gathered about the spring and examined the tracks. - -“There were only about half a dozen,” said the old Texan, as his sharp -eyes followed out the hoof prints. “But there’s a herd near by. These -were only stragglers, come to look for water.” - -Supper was cooked and eaten that evening amid considerable excitement; -and as they lay wrapped in their blankets afterward, the boys listened -to the stories told by Crockett and old Dolph of mighty buffalo hunters -who had gone before and of hunts that had come to be parts of the -history of the west. Story after story followed, the other men taking -part, telling of their own experiences in chase of the mighty beast of -the plains, or those of others whom they had known. Both youngsters -dropped off to sleep with the voices still coming out of the shadows -around the camp-fire; and little wonder that they dreamed of great -herds of buffalo whose hoof beats were like the thunder, and whose -mighty rush seemed to shake the earth. - -At sunup all were astir, and breakfast was quickly over; then they -looked at their arms and ammunition, and climbed upon their horses’ -backs. - -“Now, boys,” said Crockett, to the two young fellows who rode beside -him, “as you never rode the buffalo range before, it’s just as well -that you know something about the matter. Above all, look out for the -buffalo bull; you’ve heard of the grizzly bear and the panther and -other dangerous beasts, and they are dangerous enough, to be sure. But -the buffalo bull, especially when he’s wounded, is one of the worst -brutes that a man ever faced.” - -“So, when you draw a bead on one,” said old Dolph, who rode near by, -“be sure and aim at a place that’ll make the shot fatal. If you don’t, -you’ll have a job on your hands that’ll be hard to finish.” - -The tracks of the buffalo they’d been following finally merged into a -wide, much trampled trail, evidently made by hundreds of the animals. - -“Just as I thought,” said the old Texan, in a satisfied tone. “They -belonged to a big herd, and now have joined the rest of them.” - -Along the broad, trampled track of the buffalo rode the hunters, their -eyes ahead to catch the first glimpse of the game. - -“Some ponies don’t like the smell of buffalo,” said Dolph; “and they -are hard to get up to a herd. Others again don’t care anything about -them and are likely to run you into danger if you don’t look out. -The best kind of a horse is the kind that understands what you are -about--that the thing’s a hunt--that there’s a time for getting in -close, and a time for getting away.” - -“I suppose,” said Walter, “they must be trained to that.” - -“Mostly, yes,” said Dolph. “But not always. Some mustangs take to the -thing naturally. This one that I’m riding is one of that kind. He -knows all about buffalo. But it may be that none of the others know -anything. So give one eye to the game and the other to your pony.” - -It was about noon that they sighted the herd; far off on the plains -the great shaggy beasts were grazing on the dry grass, scattered over -a great extent of country. The hunters halted at the first glimpse of -them, and held a consultation. - -“The wind is dead from the west,” said Crockett. - -“It’d be well if some of us stayed here,” said old Dolph, “and if some -others rode around to the east, and others to the north. Then at a -signal--say a rifle shot--we could all ride down on them from three -directions and scatter them all over the prairie.” - -This was considered a good idea. So Dolph and two of the men were left -at the halting place and the other five pushed around to the east. Here -Jed Curley and one other man were left; Crockett and the two boys held -on until they reached a point south of the grazing buffalo. - -The great animals were slowly moving about upon the range, never -suspecting that their hunters were so close at hand. - -“All ready?” asked Colonel Crockett. - -“All ready,” answered the boys in a breath. - -They rode forward at a sharp gallop. Crockett’s rifle rang out in -signal to the others waiting to the north and east; and the shot also -served to bring down a cow which stood near. Startled at the shot, the -great heads lifted and the bulls stared about for a sight of the enemy. -Then the rifles of the boys spoke and another of the beasts fell. - -The air was filled with bellowings; away toward the north moved the -herd. But in a few moments the reports of rifles from that point turned -them toward the south and east. Jed Curley and his companion were now -heard from; and as their rifles were discharged, the buffalo halted in -a panic. For a moment there was a pause; then helter skelter they went -in every direction over the plains, their tails up and their heads down. - -The hunters had all reloaded their pieces and they now dashed in among -the scattered herd, each selecting his particular quarry. The pony -which Walter Jordan rode was a hard-mouthed little beast, with a temper -all its own. He fancied he’d have some trouble with it if it proved -to be one of those mounts which Dolph said didn’t like the smell of -buffalo. - -But it was the contrary. The mustang seemed to enter into the spirit of -the chase with such excellent good will that the boy was delighted. He -passed several cows and yearling bulls; but held his fire for bigger -game. His eyes traveling over the racing buffalo had lighted upon a -huge bull, a monstrous black fellow with a huge head and the shoulders -and hump of a giant of his kind. - -Fired with ambition and encouraged by the willingness of his horse, -Walter dashed toward the black bull. When within fifteen yards he -dropped the reins, steadied his pony with his knees and raised his long -rifle. Clear and sharp the report rang out; the great bull stopped in -his tracks, threw up his huge black head and bellowed with rage. - -“Watch that fellow!” yelled Jed Curley as he dashed away in pursuit of -another bull. “He’s only wounded!” - -Walter remembered what old Dolph had said regarding wounded bulls, and -wheeled his horse away. Rapidly he began recharging his rifle; his eyes -went from this operation to the wounded bull; for the moment he forgot -his horse entirely. Suddenly the mustang went to his knees; he had -planted a forefoot in a prairie-dog’s hole, and Walter, unable to stop -himself, went flying over his head, his rifle dropping from his hands. - -Like a cat, the mustang scrambled to its feet and darted away; and the -boy stood dismounted and weaponless, facing the great black bull. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -A FIGHT WITH MEXICANS - - -The bull which faced Walter Jordan was apparently the monarch of the -herd. He had wicked little eyes which were now red with rage and the -pain of his wound. His hoofs tore at the sod, his jaws champed, and a -rumbling bellow sounded deep in his throat. Before him was his foe. -Somehow this creature which stood before him had wounded him. And now -he was going to be revenged! - -Lowering his giant head the bull charged at Walter; the boy stood his -ground until the animal was almost upon him; then he sprang aside, and -the great bulk of the maddened brute tore by him like a tornado. - -Then Walter leaped to the place where his rifle had fallen. The charge -of powder and ball had been rammed home; the piece only required -priming, and the boy was hurriedly attending to this very necessary -thing when the black bull wheeled, sighted him, and charged once more. -But this time the beast was more cunning. Apparently he had profited by -the one fruitless charge; he seemed to have weighed the situation and -planned to overcome it. - -The charge was slow; the head was not held so low; the little angry -eyes were fixed upon the boy. This time Walter knew he could not wait -until the last moment and then leap aside out of danger. The bull meant -to trample him under his sharp hoofs and gore him to death. But for all -he realized this, his hands were steady as they worked at the priming -of his rifle. The seconds passed and he realized, with a cold feeling -at his heart, that the piece would not be ready to fire before the -monster was upon him. His breath stopped, as though to meet the shock. -Then he heard a voice cry out: - -“Steady, boy!” - -Like the crack of a whip a rifle rang out; the black bull halted; the -great head drooped; then a shudder ran through its mighty frame, and it -toppled over on its side--dead. - -“I call that a close shave,” came the voice of Crockett. “Another -moment, youngster, and you’d have been under his feet.” - -Dazed, and with a sense of everything being a very long distance away, -Walter turned and saw Colonel Crockett and old Dolph ride up. Crockett -slipped from his horse and began to reload his gun, while the old Texan -sat admiring the huge beast which had fallen before the backwoodsman’s -aim. - -“Well, Colonel Crockett,” said the young fellow, as his wits slowly -came back to him, and he realized what had happened, “I have you to -thank for that.” - -Crockett drove home the charge of powder, and smiled in his usual droll -way. - -“I have _you_ to thank,” said he, “for giving me a shot at the finest -bull I ever saw. What do you think, Dolph?” - -The wrinkled veteran shook his head. - -“He’s a mighty beast,” said he. “There are not many like him on these -prairies, if any.” - -In a half hour the herd of buffalo had so scattered over the plain -that the hunters had brought down a dozen or so in all; and as the -ponies were tired by the sharp work, and they had no desire uselessly -to slaughter the bison, they halted in the pursuit and returned to the -place where their leader had been left. - -“Well,” said Crockett, “we’ve had a very good little hunt of it while -it lasted. And now if we’re going to have any of the meat, we’d better -set about it and then be on our way.” - -They cut sufficient tender meat from the carcass of a yearling which -old Dolph had been careful to shoot for just that purpose, and with -this carefully packed, they resumed their journey toward the southwest. - -The day’s ride was filled with “buffalo” talk; and the camp-fire that -night saw a roasting of juicy strips of the yearling’s meat and a -fervent wishing that the party might fall in with such royal sport at -least once more before they had reached their journey’s end. - -Next day they crossed the Brazos; and a few days further the Colorado -came in sight. As they caught the sheen of its waters under the -afternoon sun, they also caught the glint of something harder. - -“Cold steel,” said Crockett, shading his eyes with both hands, and -looking keenly ahead. - -A party of almost a score of horsemen were advancing, the sun striking -their rifle barrels. But it was the glitter of the points of long -lances they carried that had attracted the attention of the band under -Crockett. - -“Mexicans,” said old Dolph as he took a long look at the party. “No one -else carries a spear, except the Comanche; and these ain’t redskins.” - -“Well,” said Colonel Crockett, and he turned his eyes from the oncoming -horsemen to the country round about, “I reckon the Mexicans, as a -class, ain’t any too well disposed toward Americans. So we might just -as well pick out a place to meet them.” - -Some little distance to the left was a sort of knoll, heavily wooded -and overlooking the river; this seemed a likely sort of place for a -stand against an enemy, so Crockett gave the order, the mustangs were -headed toward the knoll, and the Americans took their station upon it. - -As they were ascending its side, the Mexicans saw them for the first -time, and halted. Then a half dozen of them rode forward to have a -closer look at the northerners; having gained a knowledge of their -scanty numbers, the Mexicans uttered loud cries of triumph, shook -their weapons at the party upon the knoll, and then rode back to their -friends. - -Crockett ordered his men dismounted; the mustangs were placed among the -trees and fastened by the bridles. Then with ready rifles the little -band faced the opposing riders of the plains. - -With a sudden fan-like movement the Mexicans spread out in a sort of -half circle and dashed at the rising ground upon which the Americans -had taken their station. - -“Ready?” said Crockett. - -“All ready,” was the answer. - -“Fire!” came the order. - -The deadly rifles spoke; a half dozen of the Mexicans went down in the -dust. - -Swiftly the long weapons were reloaded. Once more they were leveled and -again they flashed out their messages of death. This time the Mexicans -halted in their rush; half their company lay upon the ground. With one -accord they tugged at their bridles, whirled their active little horses -around, and bolted off across the plains. - -“Hello,” cried Walter Jordan, as he rose up and gazed after the flying -horsemen. “Look there!” - -“It’s a boy,” shouted Ned Chandler, “and he’s tied to one of the -ponies.” - -“An American, too,” said old Dolph, as he drove home the ball into the -barrel of his rifle. - -In the rear of the Mexicans raced a pony which bore upon its back, -evidently tightly bound to the saddle, an American boy of about sixteen -years. - -“A prisoner,” said Jed Curley, throwing forward his deadly rifle. - -“Take care, Jed,” warned Crockett. “Don’t kill or cripple the mustang -so that it’ll fall! The boy might be hurt; for tied up as he is, he -can’t help himself.” - -Jed’s rifle sounded; but apparently he missed, for the pony continued. - -“I was _too_ careful,” said Jed. “You try, colonel.” - -Crockett threw his long rifle to his shoulder; its report was answered -by a leap from the running horse; the animal went painfully on for -some little distance upon three legs; then it slowed down and finally -stopped altogether. - -At this the Americans mounted in haste and rode across the prairie -to the place where the wounded pony stood, with the boy, trussed and -helpless, upon his back. - -Jed Curley cut the bonds with his hunting knife. The young fellow -slipped from the back of the horse and sat upon the ground rubbing the -circulation back into his arms and legs. - -“They had these ropes so tight,” said he, “that I could hardly breathe.” - -He was about sixteen years of age, a bright-looking lad with, -apparently, plenty of spirit and good sense. - -“What’s your name, sonny?” inquired old Dolph, as he sat on his horse -looking down at him. - -“Sid Hutchinson,” answered the boy. “And I thank you, gentlemen, for -saving me from the Mexicans.” - -The party dismounted and Walter and Ned helped young Hutchinson rub -back his circulation. - -“How did they come to get you?” asked Davy Crockett. “Where are you -from?” - -“From New Orleans,” answered the boy. “I was crossing Texas to San -Antonio with a wagon, my brother, and a girl.” - -Both Walter and Ned paused in their operations; they gazed at the boy -and then at each other. - -“A girl?” demanded Walter. - -“What was her name?” asked Ned. - -“Ethel Norton,” replied Sam Hutchinson. “And I haven’t even the -smallest idea where she or my brother is now.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE PLOTTERS ONCE MORE - - -For a moment after the statement by Sid Hutchinson, the two boys and -Crockett looked at each other in wonder. - -“Well,” said the colonel, finally, “it’s like finding a needle in a -haystack, boys; but we’ve found it--all by chance.” - -In a few words Walter had told young Hutchinson the necessary facts of -his hunt for Ethel Norton; and Sid looked amazed. - -“Well, look at that!” said he. “Did you ever hear anything like it -before!” - -“But tell us what’s happened,” urged Ned Chandler. “How did the -Mexicans come to get you?” - -The boy got upon his feet. - -“We had about as nice and quiet a journey as you’ve ever seen,” said -he. “Nothing happened until yesterday, when we crossed the Colorado -and went into camp. Then we met three Americans.” - -“Three!” said Walter. - -“Yes,” replied the other boy. “They were, strangely enough, coming from -San Antonio, and were on their way to New Orleans.” - -Again Ned and Crockett and Walter exchanged glances. The eyes of the -backwoodsman were full of laughter. - -“Well, well!” said he. “And of course you all got to talking and saying -how queer it was that you were going _from_ New Orleans _to_ San -Antonio.” - -“Yes, of course,” admitted the boy. - -“Did the three Americans seem interested?” asked the backwoodsman. - -“They did,” said Sid Hutchinson. “That is, for a while. Then they -seemed to shut up tight; and they didn’t say much more about anything.” - -“Did they give any names?” asked Walter. - -“One’s name was Huntley--I think they called him colonel. Then there -was a sharp looking man in black--Davidge they called him. I forget the -name of the third one.” - -“Well,” asked Davy Crockett, “what happened?” - -“We thought they meant to camp with us that night,” said Sid. “But they -changed their minds and went away a little after dark.” - -“When were you attacked by the Mexicans?” asked Crockett. - -“This morning. We’d just broken camp and had got the mules hitched to -the wagon, when they came down on us.” - -“What became of Miss Norton?” asked Ned, feverishly. - -“The last I saw of her,” said Sid, “she was on a mustang, tearing away -toward the southwest with my brother Bill beside her. Then I was cut -off, and headed for the river, meaning to swim my pony across. I’d -got to this side, but the Mexicans knew the country and in a little -while had me surrounded. Then they took me back across the river and -began following the trail of those of their band who’d rode after Ethel -Norton and my brother Bill.” - -“Yes, yes,” said Walter and Ned in a breath. - -“We’d gone about six or eight miles,” said the boy, “and then we heard -firing ahead; some of the Mexicans went forward to find out what it -meant; they came back in a little while full tilt and away we struck -back for the river once more. We’d crossed and had ridden about an hour -on this side when we sighted you folks.” - -“Haven’t you any idea what the firing meant that you heard when the -party stopped and turned back?” - -Sid shook his head. - -“I’m not sure,” said he. “But if my judgment’s any good, I’d say that -the lot that had gone in chase of Ethel and my brother had been given -a good stiff run, and in the end had fallen in with some Americans -who’d sailed into them.” - -“In that case,” said Walter, “Miss Norton would be all right.” - -Sid nodded. - -“That’s what I think,” said he. - -“There’s only one way to make sure,” said Davy Crockett. “And that’s to -cross the river and find out.” - -The pony which Sid Hutchinson had been bound upon was not fit to ride; -but there were a number of riderless mustangs standing and trotting -about on the plain, belonging to Mexicans who had fallen in the fight. -One of these was caught without trouble, and Sid mounted at once. - -In the course of an hour they reached a ford of the Colorado and -crossed; Sid led them to the site of the encampment where the Mexicans -had first attacked them; and at once Crockett and Dolph caught the -trail of the pursuers of Ethel Norton and Sid’s brother Bill, and away -they rode, the remainder of the party following with ready rifles. -After a hard ride they came to a place which was thickly grown with -timber. - -Sid Hutchinson called to Crockett. - -“Here’s where we stopped when we heard the firing,” said he. “It was -somewhere on the other side of the timber.” - -The party pushed their way through the trees; and in a little while -they came upon the scene of what must have been a hard fight. - -“And once more the Mexicans got the worst of it,” said Jed Curley. - -Dead men and horses lay about; but of living men there was no trace. -Dolph rode about the field and narrowly scanned the field for -indications. - -“Here’s the way the Mexicans went when they left,” said he, pointing to -the ground. “And here’s the direction the people took who fought them.” - -Both Walter and Ned examined the last trail eagerly; both had the same -thought in his mind. - -“Wagon tracks,” said Walter. “Here they are.” - -“Hurrah!” shouted Ned excitedly. - -“Ethel and Bill’s gone off with the party that rescued them,” spoke -young Hutchinson. - -“And toward San Antonio,” said Davy Crockett. - -The little band followed the trail for a few miles and then went into -camp. Early in the morning they were off once more. But the party ahead -of them were evidently hard riders, for the distance between them did -not seem to decrease. - -“It’s my private opinion,” said Colonel Crockett, “that this trail is -a half dozen hours old. More than likely the folks ahead have ridden a -good part of the night.” - -In the afternoon they crossed the Guadalupe River and pushed toward -San Antonio de Bexer. They did not reach the town until long after -nightfall; and then Crockett rode directly to the headquarters of -Colonel Travis, where he was warmly welcomed. - -Travis was a stalwart young man who had gone into Texas much as -Crockett himself had done; and he shook hands with the two boys -cordially. - -“I’m glad to see you,” said he. “Every state in the Union seems to be -sending men and boys to help the cause along. In a little while we -shall have an army large enough for work against Santa Anna. And then -we can begin active operations.” - -The boys were then introduced to “Jim” Bowie, known throughout the -southwest as the first user of the celebrated “Bowie knife.” He was -a big light-haired man, with the blue eyes of the fighter, and had -crossed the prairies from Louisiana, where he had his home, to take -part in the coming struggle. - -“There’s hardly a day,” said he, after he had greeted the party with -rare good will, “that I don’t meet a few newcomers. To-day it’s -Colonel Crockett and his friends; yesterday it was an American girl and -boy who were racing across the plains near the Colorado with a crew of -Mexicans after them full tilt.” - -Both Ned and Walter grasped Colonel Bowie’s arm. - -“A girl!” said Ned. - -“Where is she now?” demanded Walter. - -Bowie looked from one to the other of the boys in surprise. - -“She’s just now with Mrs. Allison, and, I reckon, sound asleep,” said -he. “But there’s the boy in the next room there.” - -Sid Hutchinson leaped through the door and into the adjoining room with -a whoop. A young fellow of about nineteen sat reading an old newspaper -in a corner; and in a moment he and Sid had their arms about each other -and were prancing about the room like mad. When the first great rush -of joy was over, Sid introduced his brother to Walter and Ned who had -followed him into the room, and in a few words explained the facts of -his capture and rescue and of Walter and Ned’s search for Ethel Norton. - -Bill Hutchinson listened in surprise. - -“Well,” said he, at length, “it does beat all how things come about, -doesn’t it? Ethel will be glad to see you.” Then turning to his brother -he added, “Do you remember those three men who rode up to our camp the -other night and then rode away?” - -“I do,” said Sid. - -“Well, what would you say if I told you I saw them among the Mexicans -who chased me and Ethel?” - -“I’d believe it,” said Sid, quietly and promptly. And then he told his -brother who the three were, and the nature of their errand to Texas. -Bill listened, amazed. - -“Hello!” said he. “Hello! What’s this!” - -“They are rogues,” said Walter. “And as Sam Davidge is to come into the -estate in case Ethel Norton does not claim it, there’s no telling what -they would do, should she fall into their hands.” - -“That’s good sense,” remarked Bill Hutchinson. “And I say the same. -Well, I guess Ethel’s all right now, though. She’s with Mrs. Allison, -and _she_ is an American woman of the right kind.” - -“Where does Mrs. Allison live?” asked Ned Chandler. - -“At the end of town which you must have entered,” replied Bill. “It’s a -small ’dobe house with a garden about it. It stands all alone.” - -Both Walter and Ned remembered the house, for they had passed by its -very door. There had been a light burning in one of the windows and -they had remarked how lonely it looked, as they rode toward it over the -trail. And now, when they learned that the girl they had come so far to -see was there, and recalled the loneliness of the place, they looked at -each other. - -“Suppose,” suggested Walter, “we go over that far and take a look at -things.” - -Ned was willing and eager, and the two Hutchinsons showed an interested -willingness. - -As the boys passed through the room where Crockett sat with Travis and -Bowie and some others, they, in a low voice, told him where they were -going. - -“It’s rather late,” said the backwoodsman. “And like as not they’ll all -be abed. But,” with a nod of the head, “it never does any harm to have -a look around.” - -San Antonio was one of the oldest Spanish settlements in Texas. The -site was first occupied in 1715 as a military post to protect the -region from the French, then occupying Louisiana, and also to guard the -Franciscan friars whose missions, planted along the San Antonio River, -were liable to attack from the Indians. - -It was an important town, having a population of about twenty-five -hundred, and was a celebrated trading place for the Indians and the -Mexicans of the northern provinces. - -Under the Franciscans, a great number of Indians had been taught the -laws of civilization and religion; great irrigation ditches had been -cut to water the soil; fine stone buildings and churches had been -erected. But during the period of American filibustering expeditions, -and the revolution during which the Mexicans threw off the rule of -Spain, the town had been left practically unprotected; the attacks of -the fierce people of the plains, the Comanches and Apaches, had been -frequent; and so the churches and stone buildings were now ruins, the -great ditches choked and useless, the civilized Indians had disappeared. - -So it was a very much decayed San Antonio through which the four boys -passed on their way to Mrs. Allison’s house. - -The moon was shining, and the little ’dobe building stood silent and -pale under its cold light. As the boys stood some little distance away, -they heard the whinny of a horse and the stamp of hoofs. But they did -not attribute any importance to this; horses were to be heard and seen -anywhere in towns like San Antonio. But when they saw two indistinct -forms holding close to the shadows thrown by the house, they became all -attention. - -“Take it quietly now,” warned Walter Jordan. “It might mean nothing at -all.” - -Upon their hands and knees they approached the house; or at least three -of them did, for Sid Hutchinson had noiselessly left them, walked -softly along the deserted street for a space, and was now speeding as -hard as he could go for the American headquarters. - -Walter and Ned had left their rifles behind them, but each possessed -a derringer which Crockett had advised them to buy at the beginning -of the journey west from the Mississippi. But Bill Hutchinson had no -weapon except a hatchet which he carried in his belt. - -There now came a rattling sound and a jingling as though something had -dropped to the ground. - -“They are forcing the door,” whispered Ned Chandler. - -The boys pressed forward, cautiously, but with more speed. The door of -the house was open; as they stood beside it, not sure of their next -movement, and not wanting to make a false one, there came a sudden and -startling scream from the interior. At this they sprang inside, the -derringers and the tomahawk held ready for use. - -Upon their appearance there came a shot and a confusion of voices which -Walter and Ned recognized as those of Huntley and Barker. Then there -was a smashing of glass. - -“This way!” cried the voice of Colonel Huntley. - -“He’s going through the window at the other side of the house,” cried -Ned. - -The three lads darted out, and around the house. Under some trees -not far from the trail were a dozen or more mounted men. Huntley was -running toward these, the fainting form of a girl in his arms. - -Like young panthers both Walter and Ned sprang upon him; he dropped the -girl under the weight of their attack, and with the fury of a giant -fought them off. Barker scrambled upon his horse, and his voice was now -heard shouting to the Mexicans. - -“Shoot, you yellow idiots! Why don’t you shoot!” - -“Five hundred dollars to the man who gets the girl!” came the voice of -Sam Davidge. - -Rifles and small arms were flung forward in the moonlight; Huntley drew -a derringer and advanced upon the boys. But before a shot could be -fired there came a rush of hoofs; old Dolph, Jed Curley and a dozen -more, with Sid Hutchinson in their midst, dashed upon the scene. - -Huntley, seeing them, leaped upon his horse and, after firing a wild -shot at the boys from the pistol, wheeled his mount and tore away down -the trail with the Mexicans. - -Like the wind, Dolph, Jed and Sid Hutchinson and their party tore by in -pursuit. From the distance came the sound of hoofs and the rattle of -shots; then the boys lifted up the fainting Ethel Norton and carried -her back to the house. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO - - -The scream and the pistol shot had awakened Mrs. Allison; and when the -boys appeared in the doorway with the fainting girl, she was awaiting -them. - -“Put her down there,” she directed calmly, pointing to a couch covered -with a huge buffalo robe. - -Under the attentions of Mrs. Allison, who was one of the women of -the border, and had been for years accustomed to sudden dangers and -calls for help, Ethel Norton quickly revived. In a very little while -she had recovered from her fright and was able to talk; and then Bill -Hutchinson introduced Walter and Ned, and they told their story once -more. - -“Oh!” cried the girl, when she had heard it all and realized the -nature of the danger she had just escaped, “how can people be so cruel -and so wicked! And,” looking from one to the other of them, “how can I -thank you all for what you have done for me?” - -They were still talking the situation over eagerly when the sound of -horses’ hoofs came from the trail. It was the party under old Dolph and -Jed. - -“They never stopped,” cried Sid Hutchinson as he slid from the horse of -Jed, for he had been mounted behind that adventurer. “They fired back -at us, but kept right on running.” - -“He means,” said Jed, with a laugh, “all of them that were able to.” - -“What of Huntley and Davidge and Barker?” asked Ned, anxiously. - -Old Dolph shook his head. - -“They are among the ones not able to,” said he. “You youngsters need -never be uneasy about them varmints any more.” - -For about a week after this Ethel Norton was quite ill, and still -another week passed before she felt able to travel; and the boys -remained in San Antonio watching the preparations going on for -receiving Santa Anna and his army; and also preparing for their own -long journey across the plains toward the Red River. - -Davy Crockett gave them much good advice upon this point. - -“Wait a few days,” said he; “I think a party will be going your way and -you can join them. And if there is not, we’ll have old Dolph guide you -back. We can spare one man, I suppose.” - -The boys waited well into the third week; but there was no sign of a -party traveling in this direction. So Crockett consulted with Travis, -Bowie and old Dolph, and it was decided that they delay no longer. - -“You were sent to get the girl to Louisville,” said Crockett to the -boys, “and I guess you’d better do it right away. In a country as -unsettled as this one is, too much delay is dangerous.” - -“But you are going to stay, colonel?” said Walter. - -“As long as Texas has a foe out in the open, I’ll stay,” replied the -backwoodsman. “Some day I may go back to Tennessee; but that all -depends on how things go with me. War, you know,” and he smiled in his -droll way, “is a mighty uncertain thing.” - -During the remainder of that day the boys, together with the Hutchinson -brothers and old Dolph, looked to their arms and horses. A mustang -was presented to Ethel by Colonel Crockett; and at noon on the day -following the girl, the veteran Texan and the four boys mounted and -waved a good-bye to the heroes they were leaving behind--and heroes -they were--heroes such as the world has seldom seen. - -Upon the day on which the young travelers recrossed the Colorado, -sentinels upon a roof top at San Antonio noted the advance of a -Mexican force. It proved to be Santa Anna with an army of seven -thousand men. The Texans quickly retreated across the river to the -Franciscan mission buildings, known as the Alamo. For there were only -one hundred and fifty men in the garrison, and they could not hope to -face seven thousand in the open. - -The Alamo buildings consisted of a church, with a convent and hospital -behind it. Then there was a yard enclosed by a stone wall. The entire -place was too much for so small a force to defend; so Travis very -wisely stationed his men in the church, which was a stone structure -with powerful walls and facing the river and town. - -“We have fourteen guns mounted on the walls,” said the young North -Carolinian as he swept the plaza before the mission with his keen eyes. -“And I reckon the Mexicans will know they’ve been in a fight if they -ever get within reach of them.” - -Behind these cannon the Texan riflemen awaited the movements of the -force of Santa Anna. That commander at once grouped his guns in battery -formation and opened fire; the defenders of the Alamo replied with -their guns; but their deadly rifles were the most effective weapon; -with them they picked off the gunners as berries are picked from a bush. - -Travis, while the way was yet open, sent out a message to the Texas -government asking that aid be sent them. All the time the force of -the Mexicans was growing larger. Colonel Fannin set out from Goliad -with three hundred men and four pieces of artillery, to the aid of the -Texans at the Alamo. But he had little provision, his ammunition wagon -broke down, and he hadn’t enough oxen to get his cannon across the -river. Fannin at length gave up the attempt and returned to Goliad. -However, a bold leader, at the head of thirty-two daring followers, -arrived on the night of March first and slipped through the Mexican -lines. This was Captain Smith and his little command from Gonzales; and -the defenders welcomed them with cheers. - -On March fourth Travis sent off a last message to the Texan -authorities; this was carried by the brave Captain Smith, who set his -comrades’ lives above his own safety. The message said in part: - -“... although we may be sacrificed to the vengeance of a Gothic enemy, -the victory will cost that enemy so dear that it will be worse than -a defeat.... A blood red flag waves from the church of Bexer and in -the camp above us, in token that the war is one of vengeance against -rebels. These threats have had no influence upon my men but to make -all fight with desperation and with that high souled courage which -characterizes the patriot who is willing to die for his country; -liberty and his own honor; God and Texas; victory or death!” - -On the day following the sending of this message, Santa Anna assembled -his troops for an assault upon the Alamo; but it was not until the -succeeding day that the attack was delivered. Twenty-five hundred -troops were divided into four columns commanded by Colonels Duque, -Romero and Morales; they had bars, axes and scaling ladders. All the -Mexican cavalry were drawn up around the mission to see that no one -escaped. - -Early in the morning the four columns, at the sound of the bugle, -dashed forward; the Texan cannon and the long rifles spat death in -their faces. The column under Duque recoiled from the north wall, their -commander badly wounded. East and west the attack also failed; the -Mexicans swarmed in a shouting mob upon the north side. Their officers -shouted and struck at them, forcing them to scale the walls. Once more -the sleet of bullets from the American rifles came forth, and once -more the attackers fell back. But again the officers forced them to -the walls; this time they scaled it and fell over it in crowds. By -sheer weight of numbers they forced the Texans across the convent yard -and into the hospital. - -The captured cannon were turned upon the ’dobe walls of the hospital -and smashed them in; a howitzer, loaded with musket balls and broken -iron, was fired into the building and the Texans fell like sheep. Then -a desperate hand-to-hand conflict ensued. Crockett, Travis and Bonham -fought like the heroes of old. Knife, pistol and clubbed rifle played -their parts. Jim Bowie had been wounded while defending the wall early -in the fight. He lay upon a bed, coolly firing one pistol after another -as the Mexicans showed themselves. But he was finally killed by a -musket shot. - -From room to room fought the Texans, contesting every step of the -way; the proof of their desperation is the great number of Mexicans -who fell in this bloody close-quarters fight; forty-five bodies were -counted in one spot after all was over. - -[Illustration: A DESPERATE HAND-TO-HAND CONFLICT ENSUED] - -Travis fell here, and so did the brave Colonel Bonham. With his loved -rifle clubbed in his hands and with many a foeman stretched beside him, -fell that gallant Tennessean, Davy Crockett, defending a doorway. Like -fiends, the Mexicans, urged by the bloody minded Santa Anna, stabbed -and shot, and when the fight was done, every Texan in the Alamo was -dead. - - * * * * * - -News traveled slowly in those days and the boys had reached the -Mississippi once more, they had said good-bye to Sid and Bill -Hutchinson and Dolph, and were about to embark upon a steamboat for -Louisville, when a New Orleans newspaper caught their eyes. And in it -they saw the first news of the fall of the Alamo, and of the noble -death of Colonel Crockett. - -Ethel Norton was as shocked at the news as they were, for the boys had -been telling her of the backwoodsman’s good nature and rare qualities -of heart. - -“And to think,” said she, the big tears starting in her eyes, “that all -his high hopes should end in death.” - -“But it will not be for nothing,” said Walter Jordan. “Men like Colonel -Crockett and Travis and Bowie do not die this way without making a -stir. Who knows but their death will so arouse Texas and the Texans -that they will not wait to be attacked--that it may make them carry the -war to Santa Anna, and so set their country free.” - -And it was not long after the three had arrived in Louisville, and -Ethel Norton with the services of the elder Mr. Jordan had proved her -identity, that news from far-away Texas showed Walter’s judgment to -have been good. Texas had declared herself free; Santa Anna had marched -another army against her, and was met by a force under the celebrated -Sam Houston on the San Jacinto River. The Mexicans were utterly -defeated, Santa Anna was a prisoner, and the Lone Star flag had taken -its place among the emblems of the world. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF DAVID CROCKETT - - -David Crockett was born August 17, 1786, at Rogersville, Tennessee. -He came of Irish ancestry, his grandparents settling in Pennsylvania. -Afterward they traveled southwest and made their home in what was then -the wilderness of Tennessee. In one of the almost countless Indian -attacks upon the settlers they were both killed. - -It is not known if John Crockett, their son, and father of David, was -born on the ocean crossing to America, or in Ireland. At any rate, he -grew up in America, and fought gallantly in the Revolution. - -He married a Mary Hankins who lived in that rich farming region near -the town of York, Pa. They had three daughters and six sons; David was -the fifth child, and first saw the light of day on the banks of the -Nolachuky River, Tennessee. - -At the age of eight years David was engaged by a drover to help take -care of his cattle. But after two weeks on the road he ran away, joined -a wagon train and returned home. - -Soon after this young Davy got into a scrape at school. He had a fight -with a boy much larger and older than himself and thrashed him; then, -fearing what the schoolmaster would say, he played truant. When Davy’s -father heard of this he sought out his son. But the boy eluded him. And -so we find him in the situation of fearing to go to school and also -fearing to go home. So he ran away, engaged with another drover and -traveled into Virginia. - -The boy drifted about the country for a time, working for drovers and -wagoners; once at Baltimore he was upon the point of going to sea, but -the teamster with whom he was then engaged refused to allow him to go. - -After suffering a great deal of bad usage, he made up his mind to go -back home to Tennessee. To escape a whipping at the hands of his father -he had endured hardships that were worse than a thousand whippings. -He dreaded what they’d say to him and more than once hesitated on the -journey home. But he was welcomed with open arms. - -Now came the time for Davy to show the stuff he was made of; his father -was in debt, and the boy, now large and strong and fifteen years of -age, set to work to pay this off. It was accomplished in a year’s time, -and by hard, steady toil, such as none of the family had ever dreamed -him capable of. - -The boy up to this time had little or no education; and so he set about -getting one. In six months he had learned to read and write and do sums -in arithmetic; this was all the schooling he ever had. - -And through all this time the woods offered the young man a fair -chance to gratify his love for wandering and hunting. Little by little -his skill grew, and before many years he was considered the most deadly -marksman in all Tennessee. - -While still very young, Crockett married an Irish girl, Polly Finlay; -and they began their housekeeping in a log cabin. Attracted by the -hunting grounds and an opportunity to better his condition in life, he, -his wife, and two boys later crossed the mountains with their household -goods into Lincoln County and settled on Elk River. - -Here in this paradise of the hunter Crockett’s skill grew and grew. -There were many mighty hunters in that day, but not one whose celebrity -approached that of Crockett. - -But then the second war with England came on; Tecumseh rallied the -Indian tribes against the white settlers who had begun to occupy their -hunting grounds. - -The Creek chief, Weatherford, attacked Fort Mimms with a war party of -fifteen hundred braves. The fort was taken by surprise, and out of the -garrison of two hundred and seventy-five only seventeen escaped. - -This was the beginning of the Creek War. General Andrew Jackson was -made commander of the American army sent against the savages. And in -this army Crockett served as a volunteer. - -During the campaign against the Creeks, Crockett undertook many -dangerous scouting trips and took part in the battle of Tallushatchee, -and also that of Taladega. His daring brought him prominently before -the public eye in all the movements of the army against the Indians. -Afterward he reënlisted and joined Russell’s Spies, with whom he -performed many difficult feats of enterprise and courage. After -the battle of Enotochopko his time again expired, and once more he -reënlisted and fought to the end of the Creek War. - -Two years after his return home his wife died; and not a great while -afterward he married once more. It was about this time that he went -upon an exploring expedition into the Creek country, where he was taken -dangerously ill. - -Later he removed with his family into the section bought by the -government from the Chickasaw Nation. He established a home at the head -of Shoal Creek, and was shortly after elected justice of the peace, and -later still, colonel of a regiment of frontier militia. - -As time went on, Crockett grew more and more in the public eye; he was -just the sort of picturesque character that would please the rough and -ready settlers; his marksmanship, his ready, backwoods eloquence made -him the popular choice and he was sent to the Legislature. Afterward he -ran for Congress and was defeated. - -But it takes more than a single defeat to discourage a man like -Crockett; and so the following election he ran again and was elected. -He created a sensation in Washington during his stay in the city during -his first and second terms as a Congressman. All the big cities of the -east were also delighted to greet and entertain him upon one occasion -when he visited them. But on his third attempt for the Congressional -seat, he was defeated. Then he went to Texas. - -There is not a great deal known of Colonel Crockett’s trip across the -plains to the town of San Antonio; and even less of his doings after -he got there. But that he fought as brave a fight as any of the other -heroic defenders of the Alamo, those who knew him best were positive; -and his name will live always in the annals of the Great West. - - - Other Stories in this Series are: - - IN KENTUCKY WITH DANIEL BOONE - IN THE ROCKIES WITH KIT CARSON - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN TEXAS WITH DAVY CROCKETT *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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