"That's all I wanted to know," said Daly, and away he strode to tell his comrades that they were in no danger of being betrayed unarmed into the hands of Santa Anna.
Hardly had he gone before there came a hail and a response at the great gate, and two men stood before it. One of them wore the uniform of the Mexican army and the other almost no uniform at all.
"Jim Carson! Castro!" had been loudly announced by the sentry.
"Let 'em in, quick!" shouted Travis. "You don't know who's behind 'em."
"Ugh!" exclaimed the chief as he stepped inside. "Jim heap Mexican. Where Red Wolf? Chief want him."
"Colonel Smith!" instantly called out his companion, "I played Greaser to git through their lines. How'd you do it?"
"That young Lipan wolf did it," he said. "He led us 'round to the west'ard, and we hadn't anything to do but to follow him. They thought our party was one of their own patrols. We didn't lose a man. Colonel Bonham got in all alone."
No more explanations could be given then and there, for Carson had made his daring experiment that he might bring encouraging despatches from the President and that he might not break his word about returning.
Travis opened the letter handed him and he read it where he stood.
"It's all right, men," he said. "The whole state is rising. If we can hold the fort a little longer the boys 'll come!"