"I shall march north, expecting to meet your excellency, and I trust
that I shall have further good news to report to you. There are now no
rebel forces worthy of the name. We shall sweep the country clean. I
shall send detachments to take any Americans who may land at the ports,
and, cooeperating with you, I feel assured, also, that we shall capture
every member of the rebel government. In another month there will not be
a single Texan in arms against us."
Ned read the letter aloud, translating into English as he went, and when
he finished the Panther burst into a scornful laugh.
"So, the rebels are all killed, or about to be killed!" he said. "An'
there won't be one Texan in arms a month from now! I'm willin' to give
my word that here are six of us who will be in arms then, roarin' an'
rippin' an' t'arin'! They'll sweep the country clean, will they? They'll
need a bigger broom for that job than any that was ever made in
Mexico!"
The others made comment in like fashion, but young Fulton was silent.
His resolution was immutable, and it required no words to assert it.
"I guess we'd better take this letter with us an' give it to Sam
Houston," said "Deaf" Smith. "Houston has been criticized a lot for not
gatherin' his forces together an' attackin' the Mexicans, but he ain't
had any forces to gather, an' talk has never been much good against
cannon balls an' bullets.
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