Here, sir. I have worn it with some humble pretensions in defense of my country—and should the danger of my country again call for my services, I expect to resume it, and respond to that call, if needful, with my blood and my life.
He turned away and limped to his seat. The air rocked with the shouts for President Sam Houston, the Hero of San Jacinto. The four boys looked upon one another with glistening eyes.
“Jiminy! Wasn’t that great!” stammered Ernest.
The others nodded. They were too full for utterance.
Thus Sam Houston was installed, by the wish of his people, to guide Texas through its first years of independence. He at once appointed Stephen Austin his Secretary of State, and Henry Smith his Secretary of the Treasury. Then, against the wish of the Senate, he released Santa Anna and sent him to confer with President Jackson of the United States regarding methods by which Mexico could be induced to recognize the Texas Republic. From Washington Santa Anna went home to Mexico, to scheme again—but not for Texas. His scheming was for himself.
This fall died Lorenzo de Zavala the Mexican, loyal Texas patriot. This winter died Stephen Austin. Thus was President Houston deprived of two good councillors. On Buffalo Bayou and the prairie battle-field of San Jacinto rose the new town of Houston, and thither the capital of Texas was removed. Thither, also, removed Sam Houston.
He served Texas three times as president, and again as Senator to Washington; and every hour of his Texas life he served as guide and adviser, his face always set firmly for a future and not merely for the present. Whether the people liked what he did, he cared not, as long as he thought that he was right.
Each time, under Houston rule, the Republic of Texas prospered; but until formally annexed by the United States in 1845 it had a hard road to travel. Mexico constantly threatened it; and the two attempts that it made to invade Mexico resulted in horrid failures. Jim Hill’s youngest brother, John, enlisted in one of these, and was captured.
As for Ernest, he was granted land as a soldier of San Jacinto, and the day came at last when he could send for his mother. He built her a house with a court, too, like the court into which he and Jim had peeped, from the roof of the de la Garza house in Bejar. Here she grandly sat, among the flowers—and occasionally fed sugar, as a special treat, to lazy Duke, the graying old war-horse, while he and Ernest, and Jim and Leo and Sion, and Dick, on their visits, exchanged stories of the stirring days of ’35 and ’36; of the heroic Travis, Fannin, Jim Bowie, Bonham, Captain Dickinson, and all; and of “the general”—always their general—patient, energetic, far-seeing General Sam Houston.