Dick’s words were encouraging, nevertheless. And so were Leo’s.
“Yes, I voted for Austin,” he said. “We’ll follow Austin. But if he hadn’t accepted, and if we-all didn’t get our own man in, some of our fellows would have gone home.”
“Would you have gone back home?” demanded Ernest.
Leo opened his eyes wide.
“Who? Me? I should say not! I’m here to stick till we take Bejar.”
“So am I,” asserted Jim, quietly. “I want to see this fracas through.”
Whereupon they three agreed to “stick,” together, and “see the fracas through,” for the sake of the cause and not the sake of any particular leader. Still, Ernest did not give up the hope that he, at least, might some day follow Sam Houston.
As he was turning in under his blanket, for sleep, he was set almost wide awake by a joyous shout from Jim, who had been “visiting.”
“Shake up your priming and stow away your corn-bread, boy,” jubilated Jim. “We bust camp to-morrow and march straight for Bejar.”