d. The words had scarcely been spoken when a bullet took
Milam in the head, killing him instantly.

The loss at this critical moment was a severe one, and the officers
were called into hasty consultation, the result of which was that
Colonel Johnson was placed at the head of the expedition.

The battle was now growing fiercer and fiercer, and, angered over the
loss of Colonel Milam, the Texans forced their way to another house,
which fronted the Military Plaza and was but a block from the Main
Plaza.

"Down with the Mexicans! Hurrah for the liberty of Texas!" were the
cries, and the Texans grew more enthusiastic than ever. In the midst of
this uproar Ralph discovered his father and Dan at the doorway to one
of the houses, and ran to join them.

"Ralph, my son!" cried Amos Radbury, and caught the lad to his breast,
and Dan hugged his brother with a bear-like grip. "You are quite well?"

"Yes, father. But what a fight this is!"

"Yes, and it will be worse before it is over."

"Did you see Big Foot?" questioned Dan.

"Yes, he helped me to get out of prison."

There was no time just then to say more, for the Texans were fighting
hotly, holding several houses and endeavouring to keep the Mexicans out
of such buildings where they might have an advantage.

On the fourth day of the attack the Texans fought their way to what was
called the Zambrano Row, which line of stone buildings reached to one
end of the Main Plaza. "Let us get to the Main Plaza, and Cos will be
done for!" was the cry.

From one house the Texans cut their way through the thick stone walls
to the next, until at last the whole row was theirs, and the Mexicans
were driven in every direction.

The Main Plaza could now be covered in part, but during the coming
night the Texans captured still another building, called the Priest's
House, which fronted directly on the great square. As soon as this was
captured, the Texans barricaded doors and windows, and made of the
house a regular fort.

"We've got 'em on the run," said more than one Texan, after the
Priest's House had been barricaded, and this proved to be true. With
both the Military Plaza and the Main Plaza swept by the fire of the
enemy, the Mexicans knew not what to do. The citizens of the town were
in a panic, and men, women, and children ran the streets as if insane.
Then the cry went up in Spanish: "To the Alamo! To the Alamo!" and away
went the civilians, some with their household effects