He would fight with
both teeth and hoofs against any such ignominious capture.
Then Ned turned his attention to the retreat. It was a little band that
went toward the Alamo, and there were three women and three children in
it, but since they knew definitely that Santa Anna and his great army
had come there was not a Texan who shrank from his duty. They had been
lax in their watch and careless of the future, faults frequent in
irregular troops, but in the presence of overwhelming danger they showed
not the least fear of death.
They reached the Alamo side of the river. Before them they saw the hewn
stone walls of the mission rising up in the form of a cross and facing
the river and the town. It certainly seemed welcome to a little band of
desperate men who were going to fight against overwhelming odds. Ned
also saw not far away the Mexican cavalry advancing in masses. The
foremost groups were lancers, and the sun glittered on the blades of
their long weapons.
Ned believed that Urrea was somewhere in one of these leading groups.
Urrea he knew was full of skill and enterprise, but his heart filled
with bitterness against him. He had tasted the Texan salt, he had broken
bread with those faithful friends of his, the Panther and Obed White,
and now he was at Santa Anna's right hand, seeking to destroy the Texans
utterly.
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