“Doesn’t take long to make a Texan,” asserted Jim, much to Ernest’s satisfaction.
The “Brazos Company,” under Captain James W. Fannin, Jr., arrived. Speedily, indeed, the camp and town were full of notables. There was boyish William Travis, who so hated Mexican tyranny; and Colonel Pat Jack, who with Travis had been cast into a Mexican dungeon, at Anahuac in 1831; and Henry Karnes, a trapper from Arkansas, whose hair was so red that the Apache Indians thought it was his “medicine” charm, and let him go after they had captured him; and Colonel Edward Burleson, who had served under General Andrew Jackson, along with Sam Houston, against the Creek Indians, in Alabama; and Dr. James Grant, a Scotchman who owned a great estate in Coahuila; and Captain Jesse Burnam, of Burnam’s Crossing; and Colonel Branch T. Archer, who had been an Aaron Burr conspirator and had fled from Virginia on account of a duel; and Rezin Bowie, Jim Bowie’s brother—the real inventor of the Bowie knife and as good a man as Colonel Jim. Colonel Jim was in Bejar, ’twas said, with his wife; but he could be counted on.
“I reckon Ben Milam wishes he was here, too, instead of in prison at Monterey,” quoth Ernest; and his companions gravely nodded.
Meanwhile scouts were out and sentries were posted, for Colonel Ugartechea, in command of the Mexican post at San Antonio, would not long be idle after the defeated Lieutenant Castañeda reported to him; and General Cos was marching westward from the coast to reinforce him. The camp was full of rumors and alarms.
At midnight Ernest, turning over in his blanket, drowsily heard the beat of galloping hoofs, out of Gonzales and down the road to San Felipe. He thought nothing especial of it, but in the morning the camp soon was astir with renewed excitement, and Jim and Leo brought the word.
“Did you hear that express, last night? Ugartechea’s coming!”
“How do you know? When?”
“Reckon he’s started already,” declared Leo. “They got a message from him late last evening at headquarters, addressed to Austin. Dated the fourth. He said he was marching the next day, which was day before yesterday, for Gonzales, with a complete force; and if we met him and delivered the cannon he’d take it and go back; but if we didn’t be so accommodating then the nation of Mexico would consider itself insulted and at war with the Texas colonists.”
“We aren’t going to do it, are we?” demanded Ernest.
Jim and Leo laughed.