Carmela let her head fall in her hands, and burst into tears.
During my last visit to Texas, I had the honour of being presented to Doña Carmela, then married to Colonel Melendez, who retired from the service after the battle of San Jacinto.
Tranquil lived with them, but Loyal Heart had returned to the desert. The Jaguar, after the events we have described, resumed his adventurous life, and a year had scarce elapsed ere his death was heard of. Surprised by Apache Indians, from whom he might easily have escaped, he insisted on fighting them, and was massacred by these pitiless enemies of the white race.
Did the Jaguar know that he had killed his father, or was it his despair at seeing his love despised by Carmela, that determined him to seek death?
That remained a mystery which no one was ever able to solve. Let us hope that a merciful and just God pardoned this son his involuntary parricide!
[1] The sentence is literally true, but was said by Santa Anna to Houston himself.
[2] See Border Rifles, same publishers.