But these were his best friends. It was no fantasy. How and when they
had come he did not know, but here they were in the flesh, the Panther,
Obed White, Will Allen, "Deaf" Smith and Henry Karnes.
"Boys," he asked weakly, "how did you find me?"
"Now don't you try to talk yet a while, Ned," said Obed White, veiling
his feeling under a whimsical tone. "When people come back from the
dead they don't always stay, and we want to keep you, as you're an
enrolled member of this party. The news of your trip into the beyond and
back again will keep, until we fix up something for you that will make
you feel a lot stronger."
These frontiersmen never rode without an outfit, and Smith produced a
small skillet from his kit. The Panther lighted a fire, Karnes chipped
off some dried beef, and in a few minutes they had a fine soup, which
Ned ate with relish. He sat with his back against a tree and his
strength returned rapidly.
"I guess you can talk now, Ned," said Obed White. "You can tell us how
you got away from the Alamo, and where you've been all the time."
Young Fulton's face clouded and Obed White saw his hands tremble.
"It isn't the Alamo," he said. "They died fighting there.
Pages:
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449