It seemed a hard fate to him that he should
again be trapped thus in an old mission. Nor did he have here the
strength and support of the great borderers like Bowie and Crockett. He
missed them most of all now.
The day passed slowly and with an occasional exchange of shots that did
little harm. Toward the twilight one of the sentinels on the wall
uttered a great and joyous shout.
"The reinforcements!" he cried. "See, our friends are coming!"
Ned climbed upon the wall and saw a force of more than a hundred men,
obviously Texans, approaching. They answered the hail of the sentinel
and came on more swiftly. His eyes turned to the wood, in which the
Mexican camp yet lay. Their cavalry would still outnumber the Texan
force two or three to one, but the Mexicans invariably demanded greater
odds than that before they would attack the Texans. Ned saw no stir in
the wood. Not a shot was fired as the new men came forward and were
joyously admitted to the church.
The men were one hundred and twenty in number, led by Colonel Ward, who
by virtue of his rank now commanded all the defenders. As soon as they
had eaten and rested a council, at which Ned was present, was held. King
had already told the story of young Fulton to Ward, and that officer
looked very curiously at Ned as he came forward.
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