steadily.

He felt his way along from the room in which he found himself to the
one adjoining. From this a stairs led upward, and he went to the upper
floor. Here, from a window, he saw part of the fighting, and as the
morning came, he saw still more.

The noise below kept on steadily, and as daylight advanced, the firing
on all sides became almost incessant. In the midst of this, there came
a loud hurrah, and a detachment of Texans, under Lieutenant W.
McDonald, ran out into the street, and battered down the door of the
very house where Ralph was in hiding.

"Hullo, a boy!" shouted one of the Texans, as he caught sight of Ralph.
And then he continued, quickly, "By George! ain't you Amos Radbury's
youngster?"

"I am," answered Ralph. "And you are Mr. Martin, from the Pecan Grove
Ranch."

"Right, my lad. How in the world did you come here?"

"I just escaped from the lockup, and was trying to reach the Texan
lines. Do you know anything of my father?"

"Do I? Why, he's in the house just below here, along with your brother.
We came---- Back, or you'll be shot!"

Ralph retreated, and none too soon, for a second later several bullets
entered the window and buried themselves in the wall opposite. The
Mexicans were firing from several roofs in the neighbourhood. This fire
was returned with such good interest that soon the Mexicans were as
glad to get out of sight as those who opposed them.

Ralph wished to join his father and Dan without delay, but Mr. Martin
held him back.

"Wait until dark," said the settler. "You are fairly safe here, and it
would be foolhardy to expose yourself."

"Do you think we will win out?" asked the lad, anxiously.

"I do,--but it is going to be a tougher struggle than any of us
expected."

On the morning of the third day of the attack matters were at first
quiet, but then came a fierce fire by the Mexicans on the Texans'
trench. The sharpshooters were called again to the front, and in an
hour the enemy had stopped almost entirely.

"Here goes for another dash!" came the cry at noon, and sure enough
another dash was led to a house still closer to the plaza, and the
building was soon in the possession of the Texans. They were gaining
their victory slowly but surely.

At evening Colonel Milam attempted to leave his own position to consult
with Colonel Johnson, still at the Veramendi house. "You must be
careful, colonel," came the warning, as the gallant fighter stood in
the courtyar